The CRTC and Net Neutrality

The CRTC’s decision to support Usage-based Billing billing is unfortunate. It represents a fundamental misunderstanding of how commerce on the internet is transacted. This action is good news of the internet providers, but bad news for those trying to do business online as consumers will think twice about downloading a product if they worry it will cut too much into their data plan.

And I’m a BIG supporter of Net Neutrality. The power of the internet is that EVERYONE has a chance to participate, to find their niche, and build a business. The economy already favours large businesses, an attack on Net Neutrality is an attack on start-ups which offer the most innovative products and services found online. If we want to foster innovation and initiative, especially among our young people, the internet needs to stay neutral.

The Internet is today’s principal conduit for the free flow of ideas. To ensure it facilitates the uninhibited exchange that innovation requires, Canada’s Internet environment must remain open.

Internet traffic management must remain neutral, and maintain the open sharing of legitimate technologies, ideas and applications.  A fair, effective wholesale regime is also essential to allow smaller Internet service providers to lease broadband infrastructure at fair prices.