cacruden
join:2008-03-18
Toronto, ON
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
| Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice OTTAWA
April 17, 2008
Hon. Jim Prentice
Minister of Industry
Confederation (HOC)
229 Wellington St., Room 401, 4th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
By Fax: 613-947-9475
Dear Minister Prentice,
I am writing you today on the issue of net neutrality, which is quickly emerging as a matter of great mainstream interest. The recent actions of Bell in its fight with third party ISP providers has brought into clear focus the need for the government to develop a coherent and transparent policy for public internet access. Ground rules are needed to ensure that the bandwidth management strategies of the major telecoms will not lead to anti-competitive practices or arbitrary discrimination against end use applications.
The issue has been portrayed in the media as a case of a few bandwidth “hogs” unfairly disturbing the overall traffic flow. However, given the pace with which change takes place in internet use, traditional peer-2-peer traffic has become just one internet application competing for space in a quickly growing field of high-density bandwidth usage.
Bit torrent applications are now being used for the distribution of university course material and television shows; VOIP is emerging as a challenge to the traditional phone providers; VPN encrypted traffic for businesses is on the rise; and the major television content providers are promoting video-on-demand (VOD) services that will be in direct competition with internet content providers who do not control the pipes of the internet. Given the ever-increasing bandwidth requirements of these programs, any unilateral attempts by the telecoms to prioritize or, in some cases to throttle such traffic, could have major implications for consumers and businesses.
Recently in the House of Commons, you responded to a question from me by claiming that since the internet is not “regulated”, your government will maintain a hands-off policy on the issue of bandwidth shaping. I believe that your assessment of the current state of internet regulation is mistaken in three clear areas:
1) The CRTC has already established a precedent for regulation of the internet in regards to ensuring competition. CRTC regulations have mandated that the major ISP providers provide Gateway Access Service (GAS) to smaller third party competitors. This directive is now under direct attack by Bell’s recent court action. Conversely, the issue of anti-competitive practices is at heart of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) challenge to the CRTC.
The reality is that the major ISP players are also telephone and cable/content providers. It is essential to ensure that the telecoms carry out their bandwidth management in a transparent and accountable manner; otherwise they could unfairly target competition from smaller ISP providers or from competing internet applications and content.
2) The practice of bandwidth throttling is evidence that the internet is being regulated �€“ albeit in an ad hoc manner by the major telecoms. Some telecoms have even moved to block politically-disagreeable websites. Canada is not alone in dealing with these issues, as international telecoms muse publicly about relegating some websites to the slow lane if content taxes aren’t being paid. The question is not whether there will be regulation of the internet, but whether or not there will be scrutiny of the practices of the telecoms.
In order to ensure consumer confidence, it is incumbent upon the CRTC to examine the issue of traffic management to ensure that such interventions are not used as a convenient cover to price-gouge consumers or to degrade the quality of their competitors’ services.
3) By refusing to address the impacts of bandwidth throttling you are ignoring the recommendations laid down in the Telecommunications Review Panel that laid down a very reasonable standard for ensuring open access. These recommendations provide a clear guide that are circumspect in their scope and are focused on ensuring that the innovation agenda of Canada is not impeded by telecom financially-motivated interventions.
"The Telecommunications Act should be amended to confirm the right of Canadian consumers to access publicly available Internet applications and content of their choice by means of all public telecommunications networks providing access to the Internet.
This amendment should:
(a) Authorize the CRTC to administer and enforce these consumer access rights,
(b) Take into account any reasonable technical constraints and efficiency considerations related to providing such access, and
(c) Be subject to legal constraints on such access, such as those established in criminal, copyright and broadcasting laws."
The Panel described this protection as necessary because, "open access is of such overriding importance that its protection justifies giving the regulator the power to review cases involving blocking access to applications and content and significant, deliberate degradation of service."
The New Democratic Party believes the issue of net neutrality must be examined through a lens of ensuring both continued innovation and fairness for everyday Canadians. The internet is a public commons as well as a driving force for economic innovation. As Vint Cerf, a leading net neutrality proponent at Google stated: “The internet’s open, neutral architecture has provided an enormous engine for market innovation, economic growth, social discourse and the free flow of ideas.”
I am urging you to adopt the recommendations of the Telecommunications Review Panel in order to send a clear signal that Canada has a plan going forward to ensure continued development of internet technologies and fairness for consumers.
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience on what steps you will take to implement these important recommendations.
Sincerely,
Charlie Angus
Digital Spokesman for the NDP | |
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ShadPTR
join:2008-01-23
Markham, ON | Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice *clapclap* | |
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HiVolt
29
Premium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
clubs: | Prentice doesn't care.
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GOLF LEAFS GOLF! | |
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 | Radar73
join:2008-01-20
Ajax, ON
| Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice said by HiVolt  :Prentice doesn't care. Still nice to have someone push the point in the House. If enough people inform their MP, something may happen. | |
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ShadPTR
join:2008-01-23
Markham, ON | I agree with HiVolt, Prentice doesn't give a damn. | |
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NeTwOrKDawg
Networking is a lifestyle
join:2005-04-25
Brantford, ON | Prentic is a moron who doesn't deserve to have the job he does. His head is so far up his ass that it is about to come out his throat. | |
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HoboJ
join:2008-03-27
Trenton, ON | Net neutrality could be a huge deciding factor in the next federal election. The conservative governments decided lack of action just amplifies this. | |
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| Name96
join:2008-03-28
| Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice said by HoboJ :Net neutrality could be a huge deciding factor in the next federal election. Not by a long shot. The demographic which is most upset by this--better educated people under 35--is not known for voting in large numbers. People in the age 45+ demographics decide elections. Few of them will have heard about net neutrality and even fewer of them will understand it.
Network operators have a 10-15 year window to cut the Internet up into a collection of walled gardens before the demographics turn enough that major political intervention is likely. | |
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Arbalister
join:2007-11-24
St Catharines, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice said by Name96 :said by HoboJ :Net neutrality could be a huge deciding factor in the next federal election. Not by a long shot. The demographic which is most upset by this--better educated people under 35--is not known for voting in large numbers. People in the age 45+ demographics decide elections. Few of them will have heard about net neutrality and even fewer of them will understand it. Hey! I take umbrage...I'm 46. And until a few days ago, not throttled...and...well...I've told this tale to more of my 40+ customers then you'd believe...and they're all taking steps to write their own letters. | |
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| | Vomio
join:2008-04-01
·odynet
| Stupid people regardless of age are more likely to believe Bell's story and also vote for politicians based on promises that are unfulfillable.
I'm only a couple of years younger than Richard M. Stallman, and date back to punch cards and think I have a fairly good grasp of the situation.
I really don't want to get into politics but IMHO both the Liberals and the Conservatives and their pandering to lobbyists and the various old boy's clubs are to blame for
the situation we find ourselves in. The NDP can't get a handle on economic realities and the Green Party.. oh well maybe some day. No wonder young whipper snappers don't want to vote.
UncleVom | |
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Anonymous3
@teksavvy.com
| quote:
The conservative governments decided lack of action just amplifies this.
And you think that the Liberal Party is the answer??
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| | HoboJ
join:2008-03-27
Trenton, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
 ·voip.ms
 ·Cogeco Cable
| Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice said by Anonymous3 :And you think that the Liberal Party is the answer?? There is no "answer" in the government anymore. :P | |
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| | | newSymp
join:2003-11-06
| Re: Angus -- Open Letter to Industry Minister Prentice The Government is a Lie.
we vote a bunch of morons to run the country
and YET THEY DONT care what the public wants
they only care what the Corporations want.
In other countries that we see in the news
what happens when the government doesn't do what the public wants?
RIOTS - NOISES. ETC
look at france - the government is scared from it's people.
We the people vote these idiots, and then? well u know what | |
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An Onymous
@teksavvy.com
| I am quite impressed that the letter has all the points across correctly . Seems like Charlie Angus and/or the people working for him has actually done their homework.
Hopefully, the press now use this letter to reeducate themselves a bit before making more blunders. | |
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The Wave
join:2004-03-27
Canada | well said. bravo angus | |
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JunkieXL
join:2004-11-15
Canada! | ISP providers? 
On a serious note, bravo! | |
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Robrr
@bell.ca
| political debates on internet forums are never good to get into because everyone has their opinion on what is what is govt.
At the end of the day though it is an avenue to explore because you just might come across a guy like Charlie Angus who actually does care if you explain it to them in a way they understand. I know we have a federal byelection coming up in my area and I plan on making a debate to ask all the candidates about their view on net neutrality. | |
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