P2PNet points to a submission from the Canadian Film and Television Production Association that argues that Bell's throttling practices unduly disadvantage P2P content, P2P apps, and end-users accessing legal P2P content.
CFTPA on Bell’s Throttling Practices
June 25, 2009
Share this post
3 Comments

Law Bytes
Episode 241: Scott Benzie on How Government Policy Eroded Big Tech Support for Canadian Culture
byMichael Geist

July 21, 2025
Michael Geist
June 30, 2025
Michael Geist
June 23, 2025
Michael Geist
Search Results placeholder
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 241: Scott Benzie on How Government Policy Has Eroded Big Tech Support for Canadian Culture
What Is the Canadian Government Doing With Its Incoherent Approach to TikTok?
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 240: Dean Beeby on Why Canada’s Language Laws May Stop Government From Posting Access to Information Records Online
Risky Business: The Legal and Privacy Concerns of Mandatory Age Verification Technologies
Another Canadian Digital Policy Own Goal: Corporate TikTok Ban Leads to Millions in Lost Cultural Group Support
Bell’s throttling practice wrecks working from home
The throttling used by Bell, to the best of my ability to determine it, kicks in on all traffic on a link when the link is seen to contain too much “unknown” traffic which can be anything from P2P to VoIP to VPN traffic. When they “detect” it, then the system seems to drop you into a slow queue with latencies beyond usable for anything (>2000ms which times out DNS).
This is the way it’s always been.
Yup this is true.
On Bell Canada’s own forum was a posting by a person having their entire line throttled because BT-DNA was installed for content distribution (used by web based video/content).
Bell Canada removed the old bell.ca forum and many such instances to how the throttle affects a line in it’s entirety and not just the torrent itself.
So in effect if someone is using a content delivery system, such as BT-DNA (which is legit content distribution based on p2p) your whole line gets hit and not just the p2p application.
Many have noticed this. The original Bell.ca forum that showed the speed tests and showed a line throttled in this manner has been deleted by Bell. But I think the person(s) who experienced this posted it some place on DSLreports as well.
The 2000+ms latency (ping times) is a known that affects all regardless of the type of p2p. If you have any p2p running for any reason (legit or non-legit, an online game using P2P for updates) your entire line is punished, period.
This is the way it’s always been.
Lets not forget Rogers..
I understand Bell’s practices affect more companies and people but Rogers aswell employs the same throttling.. Maybe not to the same degree as Bell but they should always be named aswell in my opinion..