Telecom by yum9me (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/53jSy4

Telecom by yum9me (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/53jSy4

Telecom

CRTC Denies CAIP Request for Interim Relief from Bell’s Throttling

The CRTC this morning denied CAIP's request for interim relief blocking Bell's throttling practices.  The Commission ruled that CAIP did not meet the standard for interim relief.  It acknowledged that there is a serious issue to be determined, but it was not convinced that there will be irreparable harm if […]

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May 14, 2008 6 comments News

Bell Canada Hit With Privacy Complaint Over Deep Packet Inspection Practices

CIPPIC has filed a privacy complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada over Bell's deep packet inspection practices.  With CAIP raising the privacy issue in its submission to the CRTC, it was only a matter of time before the Privacy Commissioner was asked to intervene.  CIPPIC highlights several privacy concerns […]

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May 9, 2008 18 comments News

France Says Canada Considering “Three Strikes and You’re Out” ISP Policy

Last month I wrote about the pressure to adopt "graduated response," a policy that is better described as "three strikes and you're out" for ISP subscribers.  While Canada has yet to take a public position on the issue, a new French document cites Canada as an example of a country […]

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May 9, 2008 34 comments News

Canada’s Wireless Crisis

This week I delivered the opening speech at the annual Spectrum 20/20 conference that focused on the state of Canadian wireless marketplace.  As the title of this blog posts suggest, I believe that Canadian wireless is in a state of crisis, with limited competition and high data prices.  The talk and slides have been posted to Blip.tv and are embedded below.

Note that I also covered the issue this week in my technology law column (Toronto Star version, Ottawa Citizen version, Vancouver Sun version, homepage version).  I begin by noting that last week's announcement that the Apple iPhone will make its long awaited Canadian debut later this year generated considerable excitement.  While analysts focused on the bottom line impact for Rogers Wireless, it may be that the most important effects have already been felt in Canada since more than any industry statistics or speeches, the iPhone's slow entry into Canada has crystallized the view that the Canadian wireless market is hopelessly behind the rest of the world with limited competition, higher prices, and less choice.

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May 7, 2008 25 comments Columns

iPhone Arrival Places Spotlight on Canada’s Wireless Crisis

Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 5, 2008 as iPhone Shines Spotlight on Our Wireless Flaws Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on May 6, 2008 as Arrival of iPhone Trains Spotlight on Canada's Wireless Crisis Appeared in the Vancouver Sun on May 6, 2008 as iPhone's Canadian Debut Highlights […]

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May 7, 2008 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive