2 Comments

1. Private Citizen says:

   April 1, 2009 at 9:44 am

   This country HAS to wrest control over the last mile away from the big incumbent ISPs, or they will continue to, inch-by-inch, erect anti-competitive walls around the Internet just like they currently do with wireless. The Canadian public, through their taxes, gave Bell a monopoly for decades, and yet they’ve always acted like any other predatory business: for the benefit of the wealthier shareholders; Rogers and the other cable companies still have monopolies over geographic areas. Communication and food must be seen as a right of all citizens, like health – NOT as market-driven luxuries that the poor don’t have the right to unless they pay what the “market will bear” (aka, what the oligopoly colludes in charging).

   Ten years ago, when the Internet first started becoming ubiquitous in Canada, Internet access was seen by many as a right of communication, and Freenets got funding. However, since then the wealth of entertainment on the net furthered the view of the Internet as entertainment, and therefore a luxurious frill that the poor-bashing free-market proponents felt justified in denying to people that couldn’t afford it. Now, with VOIP technology making even phone service so cheap as to be within reach of the poorest, Internet access for everyone is even more important….and that’s precisely why the ISP incumbents will fight like cornered rats to keep the Internet within their control: it’s a matter of their survival as unregulated monopolistic businesses (CRTC members are just tooooo cozy with their former colleagues) and to heck with our rights or the survival of the individual.

   And if you think I’m exaggerating when I talk about an individual’s very survival, think of the elderly or living-alone who’s depressed, or dangerously ill, or a mom with a child who’s just had an accident, and can’t afford a phone or any kind of communication with the outside world…
2. CHRONOSS says:

   April 1, 2009 at 5:44 pm

   OR maybe like me a disabled that don’t have mobility
   ya know i don’t get out much , i don’t get to talk to many OUT there.

   and ive learned a ton a skills after bells recent move ill be leaving the net due to its cost which btw is already ten times what here in canada versus say europe

   Even the USa is going hardcore at it.
   AND using welfares rules i managed to create with someone else as the owner a profitable venture that he stole.
   YA id not be on welfare OR need any assistance had person A kept there end of the deal.

   Rules are so bad that they prevent me form say
   getting 70$ from you of say which 15$ is profit
   id give 15$ to welfare/disability and then the business can grow and such or at least until i am beyond the assistance level.
   Instead everything into someone elses name and i don’t touch a dime just send clients
   well those clients are all friends and they aren’t happy what this guy did and this month half jumped ship and as i was late due to bells jerking my phone and my hurt and cant call ambulance incident ( after i paid for said phone)

   well when i adverted this without explanation i had this bell ass going about the net saying im scamming welfare.
   I don’t even have a bank account ( cant afford 10$ for one)
   I would have had one had this worked and its a trust issue. Ya just can’t do this as you can’t trust anyone.

   I not bothering to ever do this again as its too much hastle and i’d rather not get a bad name over it all. NOR have this bell idiot hound me more.

   The rules as they are are better for a no mind ocnstruction worker to goto labour ready get paid ( and he gets to keep half ) and i innovate and make a business that can benefit all canadians and nope too much BS.
   Having to find another trustable national in that country well forget it.

   Sad i just cant do the same thing here.
   Example A server in france/england 26$ cad/month
   enough to put 500 websites on it
   100megabit asynchronous speed

   50 megabit here is 300$
   NOPE can’t compete.
   SAD utterly sick and sad hope you “tax payers” enjoy paying to house and feed me.