Liberals are on board!

Thanks to the thousands of like-minded people who took the time to jet a note off to the Liberal Party over the last few days, they have officially announced that they're against usage-based billing! Their home page says the following:

It’s official. The Liberal Party of Canada today committed to oppose the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision on usage-based billing (UBB).

You did this. By raising your voices in unprecedented numbers on Twitter, Facebook, and by signing petitions through groups like openmedia.ca, we heard you.

I'm encouraged.

Analog all the way, baby!

From http://i.imgur.com/M3G7f.png

The sweet smell of Karma

The online agitation seems to have worked: Industry Minister Tony Clement has promised to review the CRTC's decision. It's not over yet, but given Crayon Wars's past record with taking sides, this looks good.

Informal survey time.
Am I the only one who thinks that there's so much opposition to usage-based billing largely because Bell, Shaw, Rogers and company are a bunch of assholes? Maybe if they hadn't taken their customers for granted for so long, we docile Canadians wouldn't get so excited about this. Payback's an unlimited bitch.

For background on the story, check out my previous posting here.

Join the fight against usage-based internet billing in Canada

The CRTC recently decided that Canadians don't need unlimited internet bandwidth. It now forces smaller ISPs to lower their limits to levels set by Bell, Rogers, etc. If they exceed those limits they must buy bandwidth at 85% of retail (again... prices are set by the big carriers).  

If you're not interested in seeing Bell, Rogers, Telus, Videotron, etc. controlling your flow of information and billing you for the privilege, here's what you can do:

1. Educate yourself on why this matters

2. Sign the openmedia.ca petition and click whatever social media links are relevant

3. Write directly to the Liberal Party (the NDP is already on board) urging them to help overrule the CRTC's decision. 

Feel free to use my text:

Dear Mr. Ignatieff,

I am very concerned about usage-based (metered) internet billing in Canada. While the CRTC's recent decision to discount wholesale rates to 85% of retail is a step in the right direction, it still places far too much control of the internet market (and therefore the flow of information) in the hands of a few very large companies. Usage-based billing serves to undermine smaller beloved ISPs and strengthen and enrich carriers who have proven time and again that the customer is their last priority. It hobbles Canadian business owners who rely on bandwidth as a means of collaboration, creation and distribution. It short-circuits efforts to move from a clunky paper-and-oil based economy to a streamlined, fluid and responsive one. We have some of the best communications infrastructure in the world: let's use it!  

The CRTC decision has been appealed, and it is expected that the government will need to respond. I urge you to support diversity and competition in Canada's technology and communications sectors. Please help eliminate usage-based billing.