As with the FCC in the United States, Canadian users have had no shortage of disdain for the Canadian regulatory agency the CRTC, with some users even pushing to have the agency completely disbanded. Users complain that being staffed with phone and cable executives, the CRTC essentially exists to rubber stamp the ambitions of Canada's largest operators. That hasn't been good news for Canada's independent ISPs, who like in the States are now facing extinction under rules largely crafted by their larger, wealthier competitors.

The results have been stark and obvious, with Canadians facing some of the lowest caps and highest overage fees anywhere, and after a promising start -- Canada is sliding down global rankings of broadband prices, speed and availability. Our Canadian readers might be interested to know the CRTC is now supposedly looking for public input on their next round of regulatory decisions, and is asking users what role the CRTC should play in getting broadband more widely deployed. Says the agency in their FAQ:Given user complaints that previous consumer input has been ignored (and in one instance user private data accidentally shared with the world), users in our forums aren't exactly brimming with hope about this latest public "consultation." The problem, just like in the States, is that those with the most money craft telecom law, and consumer involvement in the process is all-too-frequently paid empty lip service for show. Still, it might be worth letting the CRTC know Canadian consumers are at least paying attention to what the CRTC is doing.