DSLReports.com /img/forum/go_quote.gif
CRTC Finalizes ISP Usage-Based Billing
Canadian Broadband Gets Even More Expensive & Confusing
[size=smaller][size=x-small]by [/size][size=x-small]
Karl Bode[/size][size=x-small] Tuesday 25-Jan-2011
tags: prices · business · Op/Ed · consumers · Bell Sympatico · Shaw · TekSavvy DSL[/size][/size]
As we
noted recently, a lack of real competition in Canada and well-lobbied Canadian regulators have allowed incumbent ISPs to forcefully implement an entirely new system of usage-based broadband (UBB) for both consumers and wholesalers. Competing ISPs proclaim this new pricing
isn't based on real world economics, and is instead focused on cashing in on Internet video, and
killing off Canada's last few remaining independent ISPs. As users in our
Canadian forum notes, the CRTC came down with their
finalized ruling today, which among other things caps wholesale UBB rates at 85% of retail UBB rates (aka gives indie ISPs a small discount) and sets March 1 as the formal date for full UBB to be implemented nationally. By and large, the CRTC has delivered Bell Canada largely everything they wanted, and judging from consumer reaction in our forums and regional editorials (
Globe and Mail,
BCLocalNews) Canadian consumers aren't too thrilled with their increasingly expensive and complicated national broadband price structure.