Canadians Should Submit to Net Neutrality Hearings
Mediacaster Magazine
Feb. 10, 2009.
Citizen’s groups, tech analysts and media commentators are reminding Canadians to let industry watchdogs know their feelings about the issue of Internet neutrality before the submission deadline - this Monday, February 16, 2009.
‘Net Neutrality’ revolves around cable and telecom and Internet service providers, and the methods used to ‘throttle’ or shape data traffic connected with P2P and other high bandwidth, data intensive transmissions.
Some commentators say that if the fight for a neutral 'Net is lost, the Internet’s value as an open and democratic medium for communication and information exchange is lost, as well. ‘Net Neutrality is more than just a technical issue about broadband throughput, they say, as it touches on the actual content that can be distributed on the Internet, as well.
In response to complaints against Canadian telecom companies (Bell, Videotron, Rogers, etc.) for the “throttling” and “traffic shaping” of Internet pipes, the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is asking Canadians what they think about the issue of ‘Net Neutrality.
The CRTC said in its notice of hearing that “The growth in Internet traffic is being cited as a main reason why some Internet service providers (ISPs) are adopting Internet traffic management practices to address possible congestion in their networks. Traffic management practices may take many forms and approaches including using technologies to alter the flow of traffic or new business models. ISPs use many different technologies to offer high-speed Internet services, including digital subscriber lines (DSL), wireless, cable, and satellite, which may affect which traffic management practices are used.”
Therefore, the CRTC continued, “The use of certain Internet traffic management practices has raised concerns in Canada and in other jurisdictions. The Commission recognizes the importance of this issue.”
SaveOurNet.ca, a coalition of media watchdogs, industry and public interest groups, says the debate pits the interests of monopoly against the larger interests of Canadian innovation, democracy, and a healthy 21st century economy.
As SaveOurNet.ca Co-founder Steve Anderson says on the website, "[T]here needs to be some basic rules in place to protect Canadian citizens and businesses from being unfairly throttled, blocked or squeezed out by a few telecom giants. If we don't protect the Internet's level playing field from unfair monopoly -- as the U.S. and other countries now are -- Canadian innovation and new media will lose out."
Many observers cite the work of Lawrence Lessig, the Stanford University professor and U.S. lawyer long associated with matters of Internet transparency, copyright and Net Neutrality. He described Net Neutrality “as what we have with our phones”, noting that the fee we pay for that service is completely independent of the content of the conversation being transmitted.
Internet throttling technology can discriminate among content and data types, and can be used to either restrict such transmissions, or to determine fee structures based on that content.
SaveOurNet.ca co-founder Steve Anderson added, "Canadians need to encourage the CRTC to consider the bigger picture of monopoly versus innovation. We should protect a basic principle that has been spectacularly good for the Internet in Canada and around the world. Now more than ever, we need to spur innovation and access to information -- not choke it off."
For more information about the CRTC process and background, visit
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2008/pt2008-19.htm
