Sign of things to come? Canadian ISP to begin charging by usage

**Alundil** · 01-31-11, 04:24 PM

200GB to 25GB: Canada gets first, bitter dose of metered Internet

Metered Internet usage (also called "Usage-Based Billing") is coming to Canada, and it's going to cost Internet users. While an advance guard of Canadians are expressing creative outrage at the prospect of having to pay inflated prices for Internet use charged by the gigabyte, the consequences probably haven't set in for most consumers. Now, however, independent Canadian ISPs are publishing their revised data plans, and they aren't pretty.

Sadly just a question of when for us....IMO. I'll try and find the information published by NetFlix (referenced at the end of the article).

But seriously, this is the problem with Service Providers (AT&T, Verizon, COMCAST, etc) also being the keepers of the proverbial keys as well.

If they are allowed to discourage usage as it detracts from their other businesses (ISP service versus programming service) then we, the consumer, will be quickly bent over the barrel.

**Alundil** · 01-31-11, 04:25 PM

Netflix: ISPs who charge by the gigabyte are ridiculous

Canada comes out on top as Netflix rates North American ISPs

**WickedTribe** · 01-31-11, 04:29 PM

I can see this happening in the US in areas where there isn't much competition among ISP's, but I wouldn't worry about it in major cities.

**Alundil** · 01-31-11, 04:30 PM

Huge ISPs want per-GB payments from Netflix, YouTube

**deathgodusmc** · 01-31-11, 04:32 PM

Didn't the fcc already try this and it got shot down? or ws it the fcc against the providers?

**Alundil** · 01-31-11, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by WickedTribe

I can see this happening in the US in areas where there isn't much competition among ISP's, but I wouldn't worry about it in major cities.

Well - I live in a major city. There is only one ISP available where I live currently. And the bill for service on both the cable programming and the internet service just went up $6 each last month. No change in service. No additional bandwith or channel access. Just "Please give us another $12." "Thank you"

**WickedTribe** · 01-31-11, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Alundil

Huge ISPs want per-GB payments from Netflix, YouTube

Now this one seems like it would violate net neutrality rules.

**Alundil** · 01-31-11, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Didn't the fcc already try this and it got shot down? or ws it the fcc against the providers?

They tried it once, got shot down. I believe that they are still trying it again.

**Keiron** · 01-31-11, 04:53 PM

Congress shot it down didn't they? Or they got involved and the people proposing the change just backed down. I know TWC was one of them proposing it and AT&T U-Verse was the other that I know of.

I loathe the idea of it. However as more people start watching programs and things online instead of traditional TV you'll see higher bandwidth usage and of course they'll try to get as much money out of that as they can if/when that happens.

**CivilWars** · 01-31-11, 05:35 PM

On a personal level I oppose it. From a business standpoint it makes total sense. Use more = pay more. I do not support the whole idea of one provider blocking content distributed by another provider.