Canada to Introduce Internet Usage-Based Billing

[Mazmaz]

Hey BG,

I've just become aware of this issue that is about to affect my life in a major way. The CRTC has approved Bell Canada to start using Internet Usage-Based Billing. This basically means that extremely limited caps (some as small as 25GB per month) are placed on the internet usage of every Canadian. As horrible as cellphone plans are in Canada, imagine now the same happening to your internet. Here's a better explanation by George Stroumboulopoulos (once this takes affect every youtube video you view will affect you more than you ever thought):





So please, if you live in Canada, go and sign the petition and send a message to the government at: http://openmedia.ca/meter

Keep aware and informed at: http://openmedia.ca/

Thanks,

[Kisamoo]

As a Canadian, I can tell you for that a fact that Bell is insuperior to Rogers in every. single. way. People with bell phones don't even get a signal on campus while I've never had any issues with my roger's phone. Not to mention, the internet is faster, and my usage is already capped at 80 gigs, up to a maximum of 50$ additional charge if I go over. I believe it's like 1.25$ per gig, or less. Oh well, I guess this will allow Bell to further rape the retards who use their services already. My friend had to wait 2 months to get his iphone 4 from bell, while I casually strolled into a rogers store on a whim and got my phone with no hassles.

[Mazmaz]

By the way if this passes, all major ISPs will use this and also the Indie ISPs underneath them will also be forced to use it.

This will affect everyone.

[Kisamoo]

By the way if this passes, all major ISPs will use this and also the Indie ISPs underneath them will also be forced to use it.

This will affect everyone.

Ohhh nooo..... oh well. We have too much freedom in Canada anyways. I, for one, welcome our new overlords.

[kuronosan]

Companies trying to milk money out of people because they're greedy? This is unheard of!

[stinkypoo]

Uhh....is this just new outside of Quebec or something? In Quebec Videotron's been doing this for years, and I thought Bell was doing it too. Basic Videotron package gives you 30 GB a month, and it can get quite pricey if you go over. One time I went over by quite a bit (can't remember the exact amount, but it was around 20-25 GB) and ended up with a ~55$ charge.

Of course you can get a bigger plan...I called and turns out the options were:

a) 5$ for an extra 5 GB a month
b) 12$ for an extra 30 GB (so 60 in total)

Obviously the first option is just there to give the illusion of choice ;(

[Kaylia]

I'm glad we have the CRTC to protect us. I don't know what we would do without them....

[Hellfury]

They tried this in Norway almost a decade ago. some of the biggest ISPs implemented it. but a couple skipped out. The ensuing customer drain from the implementing companies to the ones who didn't, and the storm of complaints resulted in it being a fairly short lived experiment. Then again, in a tiny country like Norway, it doesn't take that many unhappy customers to make companies quiver in their panties.

[rog]

Uhh....is this just new outside of Quebec or something? In Quebec Videotron's been doing this for years, and I thought Bell was doing it too. Basic Videotron package gives you 30 GB a month, and it can get quite pricey if you go over. One time I went over by quite a bit (can't remember the exact amount, but it was around 20-25 GB) and ended up with a ~55$ charge.

Of course you can get a bigger plan...I called and turns out the options were:

a) 5$ for an extra 5 GB a month
b) 12$ for an extra 30 GB (so 60 in total)

Obviously the first option is just there to give the illusion of choice ;(

You can't get more than 60 gb/month?

I think i average around 2 TB per month up+down.

[Firedemon]

Doesn't Roger's already have a cap of X-amount of gigs per month before they shut you down for a couple days?

[Qalbert]

I'd say that a cap is different than "Usage-based". The latter has a much more gas-station connotation to it, if that makes sense, pay for what you pump, etc.

[Snick]

I don't really imagine this happening. At least not nation wide.

I'm more concerned now to know I have been getting screwed over with my cell plan. But everything is better south of the border

[stinkypoo]

You can't get more than 60 gb/month?

I think i average around 2 TB per month up+down.

According to their site, the biggest package I can get is 170 GB down + 30 GB up for 150$ a month (versus 55$ for the 60 GB total). Each extra GB is 1.50$, with no limit.

So if my math is right, with your usage and their fees, it would cost you an extra...2700$ a month!

I did some more research and figured out why this is "new":

The decision could spell an end to flat-rate pricing for unlimited Internet data that smaller ISPs were able to offer as an incentive to attract customers. While the larger players have had data caps for some time, enabling them to charge overage fees to users who exceed their Internet service plan allowance, many smaller players have been offering flat-rate, all-you-can-use plans or very high data caps.

The smaller ISPs use the big guys' networks, so I guess this had to happen sooner or later... personally I've been pulling a steady ~50 GB a month for some time and don't really need more, but I see why people are upset now.

[Thoronas]

I'm with Telus and I used to have a data cap, then I signed up for their telus tv which I get over the internet from them. Now I have no limits and download whatever I want. The technician who set it up even told me "If you torrent try to do it at night so they don't throttle your traffic". So I still pay for their crappy tv service but I do it mostly for the HD hockey.

[clobetasol]

I recommend following Tunisia's and Egypt's steps, start mass protests.

[rog]

According to their site, the biggest package I can get is 170 GB down + 30 GB up for 150$ a month (versus 55$ for the 60 GB total). Each extra GB is 1.50$, with no limit.

So if my math is right, with your usage and their fees, it would cost you an extra...2700$ a month!

Ouch. That sounds terrible. I get 30 mbps down/5 up (actual speeds are usually 28-33 down/4.5-5 up, and never go below 25/4), with no caps, at $45/month (more like $42 when accounting for a $10 discount for having internet+phone+tv).

But damn, 60 gb per month... i download more than that just about every day.

[Kaylia]

I recommend following Tunisia's and Egypt's steps, start mass protests.

Are you crazy? We are going freeze to death outside. No way I'm protesting for the next 2 months.

[Siniroth]

As a Canadian, I can tell you for that a fact that Bell is insuperior to Rogers in every. single. way. People with bell phones don't even get a signal on campus while I've never had any issues with my roger's phone. Not to mention, the internet is faster, and my usage is already capped at 80 gigs, up to a maximum of 50$ additional charge if I go over. I believe it's like 1.25$ per gig, or less. Oh well, I guess this will allow Bell to further rape the retards who use their services already. My friend had to wait 2 months to get his iphone 4 from bell, while I casually strolled into a rogers store on a whim and got my phone with no hassles.

Seriously, who the fuck would ever use Bell anymore here

Doesn't Roger's already have a cap of X-amount of gigs per month before they shut you down for a couple days?

The per extra GB is capped at $50/mo, and they will carry that over for 2 months after the billing cycle, so you can wrack up an additional usage of $200+ (You could do me, $200 is just the highest I've done, have not gotten a single letter or email or call from Rogers saying 'k you're done right now' and had internet shut off) and your next two bills will be an additional $50, but that's it

Also, their speed caps aren't rigid by far, I commonly get a higher download speed than is listed for my tier.

[rog]

Holy shit, that is highway robbery.

[Cantih]

Wow, and even that's crap.
My DSL here is 1.5 Mbps, and I can easily break 10GB a month (utorrent stats say 25GB in the past 31 days), and it only costs $25 a month.

wth Canada, aside from the weather, I thought you were supposed to be the land of awesome.