CHATHAM, ON – TekSavvy is introducing unlimited off-peak hour bandwidth usage for its customers in an effort to offset increased costs for peak usage stemming from November’s CRTC decision on usage-based billing.
In a note to its residential Internet customers this week, the independent ISP advised of a rate increase in February of $3 to $4 per month, and of its plan to offer new 12, 16, and 25 Mbps high-speed DSL packages. Subscribers to its 300GB packages will also see a price increase, but the company noted that “the 300GB meter will not run between the hours of 2 am and 8 am, effectively allowing unlimited services for all downloading in that off-peak period”.
“These are the best rates we currently are able to offer, together with our off-peak usage innovation, to minimize the impact of the new pricing model”, reads the note signed by CEO Marc Gaudrault. “Over the next six months or so we will find out whether these rates are appropriate, as the usage patterns of our subscribers come into focus with the introduction of new rates and speeds.”
TekSavvy also pledged to continue its fight against its suppliers’ (i.e. the incumbents) regulated wholesale rates.
“This new wholesale pricing is a big win for the incumbents, especially Cogeco and Bell, whose tariffs are noticeably out of line with most of their competitors. Unfortunately it is a big hit to everyone else – independent ISPs and customers alike.”
