Michael Geist has posted on how the recent clusterfuck with Bell (throttling P2P traffic on ISP resellers) is bringing into the light the issue of Net Neutrality and Free Speech in Canada.

He makes a good point that we’ve been hearing most of the shouting about Net Neutrality from south of the border but nary a whimper from our northern homeland. Wimp ass Canadians. Hopefully, all that will change now that Bell has finally crawled out from under its rock and Rogers has stepped forward with their own scum sucking plan to shape traffic.

From Geist’s post:

The reported impact of traffic shaping on CBC downloads highlights the danger that non-transparent network management practices pose to the CBC’s fulfillment of its statutory mandate to distribute content in the most efficient manner possible. This should ultimately bring cultural groups like Friends of the CBC into the net neutrality mix. Moreover, it points to a significant competition concern. As cable and satellite companies seek to sell new video services to consumers, they simultaneously use their network provider position to lessen competition that seeks to deliver competing video via the Internet. This is an obvious conflict that requires real action from Canada’s competition and broadcast regulators.

The Bell throttling practices also raise crucial competition issues.
The CRTC has tried to address limited ISP competition by requiring companies such as Bell to provide access to third-party ISPs that “resell” Bell service with regulated wholesale prices that lead to a measure of increased competition. Indeed, there are apparently about 100 companies that currently resell Bell access services. Many have made substantial investments in their own networks and have loyal customer bases that number into the tens of thousands.

Any of you who have been regular readers here will know how much I tend to spout off about Net Neutrality and how it is a Free Speech issue. I’ve constantly complained how the cable companies and telcos lie and whine through their money trough snarfling snouts about how they need to “shape traffic” in order to provide better service to their customers. Duplicitous fucking weasels, the lot of them.

These massive communications companies enjoy unprecedented access to our government officials and are actively engaging in solidifying their control over and profiting from an established communications monopoly in this country. The advent of the internet and the ability of individual citizens, publicly funded broadcasters and private enterprises to use these new tools of media distribution threaten their comfortable position as gatekeeprs of what we are allowed to see, hear and say.

Net Neutrality is a Free Speech issue.

Canadian citizens need to speak out about this to ensure it does not get ignored or quietly dealt with by lying corporate fucktards and obsequious members of government. But what can you do?

Join the Facebook Group: Stop Bell From Throttling DSL Resellers. The more the merrier, greater numbers of members does attract much needed attention and it provides a great resource of meaningful (and painless) actions you can take to lend your voice to guarantee freedom of expression in your own country.

Phone, fax and email your member of Parliament. They love hearing from you. they want to hear from you. They are always pleasantly surprised whenever they get a call from one of their constituents. It makes them feel like they are doing something worthwhile. It makes them do their job.

Back again to Michael Geist’s post:

The new throttling system has nothing to do with troubleshooting, malfunctioning equipment, or malicious hacking, but rather involves speed limits for a particular class of traffic. Moreover, for months Bell has been installing “deep packet inspection” capabilities into its network. Sources advise that the company was regularly asked about its intentions and that it consistently assured ISPs that throttling would not apply to wholesale services. Now that the company has dropped that pretense, the business community is left to wonder whether it will soon target business VPN traffic or broadcasters like the CBC for their streamed traffic. This represents a fundamental reshaping of the Internet in Canada as we pay (literally) for the dire lack of competition and independent ISPs gear up for likely legal challenges. Regardless of those outcomes, it will become increasingly apparent that the regulators and politicians can no longer remain silent. Nor should Canadians.

I don’t want to say I told you so . . . so I won’t.

But do something. The alternative is too depressing to contemplate.

Cheers.

P. S.

For the rest of today (Friday) I’ll be out shooting an interview for the next DVD release of Fraggle Rock, recounting my days performing as a background puppeteer and as the performer (with Richard Hunt) of Junior Gorg.

That should be fun.

I’ll post more on the weekend - next week will be busy with scripting and storyboarding for a new project that has emerged from our regular Thursday lunches at Rhino’s. As it progresses I’ll keep you up to date on it somewhere within these pages.

Now - go join the Facebook group and shout - politely - at your MP.

Cheers.