The CRTC's net neutrality hearing submissions have generated several comments that link net neutrality with copyright. As noted yesterday, CIRPA believes that content blocking of P2P sites should be considered. Quebecor, which owns Videotron, a leading Quebec ISP, goes even further. While ISPs in countries such as New Zealand are […]
Telecom by yum9me (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/53jSy4
Telecom
Pelmorex Claims Canadian Carriers Violate Wireless Net Neutrality
The submissions to the CRTC's network management proceeding are still coming in (more on that shortly), but there is an explosive submission from Pelmorex Media which deserves immediate attention. Pelmorex Media owns the Weather Network, which ranks ahead of every major Canadian online media site for online visitors. The Pelmorex […]
Digital TV Transition Opens Door to “WiFI on Steriods”
As noted in last week's column, Canada finds itself lagging more than two years behind the United States in the transition from analog to digital television broadcasting, a process that could leave millions of Canadians without access to over-the-air television signals. While the elimination of "free TV" would spark outrage in many communities, my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) the most harmful effect of the slow migration will be felt in the competitiveness of Canadian telecommunications, not broadcasting.
CIRPA on the ISP Business Model
Comments from the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, during the CRTC New Media hearing on Wednesday: MR. McKIE: Turning to the distribution issue and the role and responsibilities of ISPs when it comes to the dissemination and development of content on the Internet, it may be the worst kept secret […]
Smart Pipes vs. Dumb Pipes
While the early focus of the CRTC New Media hearings are unsurprisingly focused on levies and regulation, an important additional issue is quickly emerging. CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein tried to set the stage for the hearings by noting that they are limited strictly to new media broadcasting. He then followed with a question to Alain Pinot of the CCA in which he stated that he does not see the relationship between this hearing and the network management hearing. Von Finckenstein's comments come on the heels of the comment from Rogers over the weekend that they run a "dumb pipe" with respect to content.
It seems to me that the comments are related as they present a vision that puts content in one box (new media hearings and the Rogers dumb pipe) and network management in another (net neutrality hearings and a smart pipe/traffic shaping). I think this is wrong and points to key question. To use Rogers' terminology – can an ISP that engages in active network management but does not directly filter content be said to run both a smart pipe (the network management) and a dumb pipe (for content)?
I think the answer is no – current network management necessarily leaks into content and cannot be said to be a dumb pipe.
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