VANCOUVER – The city of Vancouver has waded into the usage-based Internet billing debate after issuing a motion that calls on the CRTC to disallow the practice.
Councillor Andrea Reimer introduced the motion at a City Council meeting late last week on behalf of the city’s residents. It was debated and eventually passed, though one councillor opposed the motion.
Reimer claimed that the CRTC’s usage-based billing policy, which allows telecom companies to impose a limit-based pricing system on the independent Internet service providers that purchase wholesale broadband from them, “will stifle innovation, harm job creation, and make it more difficult for individuals to access on-line services”. She also said that in order “to protect democracy, we absolutely must protect access to information, and that’s what this bill seeks to do.”
The issue of usage-based billing recently received a publicity boost from a campaign called “Stop The Meter” launched by consumer group OpenMedia.ca.
“We are very pleased that the City of Vancouver has taken the initiative to stop Internet metering, and the unjust financial limitations on Canadians’ Internet use and on-line choice”, said Steve Anderson, national coordinator of OpenMedia.ca, in a press release. “Today’s step forward is one that moves us toward a more open and affordable Internet, and away from this impediment to consumer choice, access, and innovation. The CRTC’s decision is a job killer and will act is a muzzle on creative expression.”
