ISPs must fall under Broadcasting Act, coalition tells Supreme Court

OTTAWA – Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that provide their subscribers with access to video programming should be considered broadcasting undertakings and therefore subject to the Broadcasting Act, a coalition of Canadian content providers told the Supreme Court of Canada on Monday. At stake is whether the CRTC has the authority to regulate ISPs in a manner that furthers the objectives of the Act. After conducting a review of its policies regarding broadcasting on the Internet, the CRTC referred the legal question of whether ISPs can be considered “broadcasting undertakings”, as defined under the Act, to the Federal Court of Appeal. ...