Net becomes a snare

A controversial decision altering billing for internet providers made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has sparked anger across the country.

The CRTC announced Tuesday that large telecommunications companies can begin charging smaller subsidiaries on a per-gigabyte basis for Internet bandwidth sold to consumers.

The move is a response to a growing trend of high Internet usage, as Canadians have started to download and watch more television and movies online—especially after the arrival of Netflix in Canada.

The CRTC decision may effectively spell the end of unlimited bandwidth packages for Canadian consumers.

It’s hard to see who benefits from this decision, other than the big telecommunications companies who already enjoy a virtual monopoly. Small businesses are concerned about an unforeseen expense, while others suggest that this ruling might make start-up costs for some businesses even more daunting.

The move punishes a small portion of the population almost exclusively because the average user’s monthly bandwidth needs are a tiny fraction of the most liberal plan.

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of unfettered access to the Internet. The United Nations has suggested that access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right, and France, Greece and Finland are among countries that have already enshrined it as such.

With the passage of time, the Internet becomes an increasingly important tool. As having a home and business Internet connection becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity, the need for cheap, widely available Internet access becomes increasingly apparent.

Opposition to the CRTC ruling has been both widespread and hot-headed, with an Internet petition started by communications advocate website < ahref=”http://openmedia.ca“>openmedia.ca rapidly passing 200,000 signatures in a few days.

Others have complained that forcing users to carefully monitor their Internet usage will encourage them to crack down on web advertising, denying businesses an important marketing tool.

Both the Liberal and NDP parties have condemned the decision, and called on the Conservative government to reverse it. Some websites have begun sarcastically labelling bandwidth-consuming content as “not safe for Canada.”

Increased bandwidth usage may represent a tempting business opportunity, but it should first and foremost be viewed as a symbol of how important the Internet will prove to be in the future.

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