[kwlug-disc] [OT] [Fwd: Many activities at the CRTC that can affect you, the consumer...

[Bob Jonkman]

Beat me to it by minutes!  This is something that's not so much a LUG 
thing as an Internet freedom thing...

Today is the last day for comment submissions to the CTRC about Bell's 
Usage Based Billing proposal. While the message below came from an 
independent ISP, Teksavvy, the UBB proposal affects all DSL Internet 
users, even those who use Bell Sympatico.  

While UBB is distasteful all by itself, Bell proposes to apply Usage 
Based Billing and bandwidth caps to all DSL users, even those who are 
not Bell customers.  

Submissions are supposed to be in by midnight, but that's still four 
hours from now in Vancouver...

There's heavy discussion in the DSLReports forums, with people posting 
their comment submissions online

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r22234570-FYI-Email-sent-to-clients-
about-Usage-Based-Billing


-- -- -- --
Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>         http://sobac.com/sobac/
SOBAC Microcomputer Services              Voice: +1-519-669-0388
6 James Street, Elmira ON  Canada  N3B 1L5  Cel: +1-519-635-9413
Software   ---   Office & Business Automation   ---   Consulting



On 14 Apr 2009 at 22:59 Eric Gerlach <kwlug-disc at kwlug.org> wrote
about "[kwlug-disc] [OT] [Fwd: Many activi[...]"

>Hi everyone,
>
>Just got this from my ISP, TekSavvy.  It's about Bell asking for
>permission to impose bandwidth caps on their resellers' customers.
>
>I know this isn't strictly Linux related, but it's *very*
>time-sensitive, so if you care about open internet in Canada, I
>suggest you read.
>
>For those of you who don't care, or already got this from TekSavvy, I
>apologize for the message spam.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Eric
>
>----- Forwarded message from TekSavvy Solutions Inc
><support at teksavvy.com> -----
>
>Subject: [Important Notice] Many activities at the CRTC that can
>affect you,
> the consumer...
>From: TekSavvy Solutions Inc <support at teksavvy.com>
>
>Dear Valued Customer,
>
>We are writing to you today as many activities are underway to
>shape/reshape Internet use as you all know it. Over the last year some
>of you have been made aware and/or have seen activities on throttling
>in the news or in your daily lives. Another proceeding relating to the
>Internet in Canada required Telecom providers (Bell/Telus/etc.) to
>provide ISPs with wholesale service speeds that match those that they
>offer to their own retail customers. Specifically, Bell has been
>directed by the CRTC to provide matching speeds which would allow us
>all to have more flexibility in our day to day online requirements.
>Instead of adhering to these directives, Bell decided to take this
>issue to the federal Cabinet and at the same time file a tariff
>application with the CRTC proposing to introduce Usage Based Billing
>(UBB) on its wholesale customer accounts.
>
>What does this mean for you, the consumer?
>
>Bell provides TekSavvy with last mile, wholesale DSL access services,
>which TekSavvy uses to provide you with your Internet access. If Bell
>were to be allowed to introduce UBB on this service, a cap of 60GB
>would be imposed on all of its users, with very heavy penalties per
>Gigabyte afterwards (multiple times more than our current per Gigabyte
>rate of $0.25/GB on overages). This would inherently all but remove
>Unlimited internet services in Ontario/Quebec and potentially cause
>large increases in internet costs from month to month.
>
>If you'd like to make your comments/concerns known about what Bell is
>attempting to do, please do so here:
>
>http://support.crtc.gc.ca/crtcsubmissionmu/forms/Telecom.aspx?lang=e
>
>Select the word "Tariff" from the drop down list.
>
>Add the following in Subject Line "File Number # 8740-B2-200904989 -
>Bell Canada - TN 7181" and make your thoughts known!
>
>The deadline for filing your comments is today at midnight, so hurry!
>
>Regards,
>
>Rocky
>
>
>Rocky Gaudrault
>Chief Executive Officer
>TekSavvy Solutions Inc.
>330 Richmond Street, Suite 205
>Chatham, ON, N7M 1P7
>Customer Service: 877-779-1575
>URL: www.teksavvy.com
>
>
>
>----- End forwarded message -----
>
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