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Usage Based Billing approved, Canadian govt shoots it down, more developments to come

jet1911 said:
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A 30GB upload cap? Wow, a $150 connection and you can't even use it for online backups.
 
Videotron is so stupid. I sincerely hope Quebecor media dies with Bell in the same fire. 120mbps, so you can reach your bandwidth limit for an entire month in a few short hours. If I ever have to submit to one of these plans again, I simply won't. I'll just figure out a way to steal internet or go without. Any company that has a cap will never get a penny out of me again, I swear. Colba.net should stay unlimited since they have their own lines in Montreal, if I lose them I just won't pay for internet at home, period. Everyone without a choice should cancel. If enough people do it things could change. Unfortunately the general population is stupid and ignorant, as exemplified in that Vancouver sun op ed.
 
Zombie James said:
See, here's the thing... you're already paying for a broadband connection. Paying overages for something you've already payed for is robbery, plain and simple, especially when those overages are a 20,000% markup.
You're paying for an Internet connection on their terms. If you go over those terms then they get to charge you. No double paying there.
 
Wow, 120Mbps and 170GB download cap? What is it? "Guess how quickly you run over the cap" game?


Funny thing in Europe, Finland recently passed a document stating that Internet access is a basic human right. All Scandinavian countries are really pushing hard on making all of their citizens enjoy unlimited broadband. San Francisco launched city-wide Wi-Fi I think, I read HK is working on it.

For every step forward there has to be a step backwards. Shame people in Canada got deal like that.
 
I just love that 120 Mbps with 170 gb cap

If you were able to max the download speed, youd go over the cap in 3 hours

Completely retarded

They are trying to replicate the gas market - and theyre giving everyone ferraris - doesn't make sense
 
I'm with videotron, I have a 150gb cap.

3 PC, two laptops, ipad, iphone, a wii, a ps3 and a 360, all connected to the internet. Netflix account configured on the ps3 and the 360 (well until my 360 died last night). My netflix streams are all in hd

I have never reached over 100gb ever.
 
shuri said:
I'm with videotron, I have a 150gb cap.

3 PC, two laptops, ipad, iphone, a wii, a ps3 and a 360, all connected to the internet. Netflix account configured on the ps3 and the 360 (well until my 360 died last night). My netflix streams are all in hd

I have never reached over 100gb ever.

Just wait until you need it... I had to reinstall some steam games due to hard drive failure... I have to do it over a THREE MONTH period because of caps

My games over digital distro is over 300GB

That's what I call a huge pain in the ass

If my caps were not in place... My download would take 12 hours or so ... Why should I be using the Internet with fear? Shit isnt right
 
So the only business that UBB actually helps rather than destroys is brick and mortar porn shops.

In our UBB future, instead of porn shops closing thanks to the advent of the internet, everyone will have to get their porn in person at such a place.

UBB, ensuring a porn shop at the corner of every Canadian street.

I like the ring of that.
 
The one thing people should take note is that with caps relative to storage and the rate of Internet connection speed and capacity increases in Canada, that it's now cheaper to send data via courier which just doesn't make a lick of sense

Storage and bandwidth have both increased at roughly the same rate - same with computing power to handle the data load

So why is it that up until about 4-5 years ago, it was cheaper to download the same amount of the maximum capacity hard drive available than it is today? Capacity has massively increased - speeds have massively increased

This value is reflected all the way back through the creation of the Internet in the eyes of consumers

It's bullshit, the companies are complaining to the CRTC over these non existent load problems which haven't really existed since Rogers@Home was at it's peak

5 years ago... Could download max capacity hard drive (at 3mbps) in about 2 days... Now with caps it would take over 2 years (at 100 GB/month)

How there isn't more outrage over this... I don't know

We are being ripped off, big time - and it needs to be stopped
 
DopeyFish said:
The one thing people should take note is that with caps relative to storage and the rate of Internet connection speed and capacity increases in Canada, that it's now cheaper to send data via courier which just doesn't make a lick of sense

Storage and bandwidth have both increased at roughly the same rate - same with computing power to handle the data load

So why is it that up until about 4-5 years ago, it was cheaper to download the same amount of the maximum capacity hard drive available than it is today? Capacity has massively increased - speeds have massively increased

This value is reflected all the way back through the creation of the Internet in the eyes of consumers

It's bullshit, the companies are complaining to the CRTC over these non existent load problems which haven't really existed since Rogers@Home was at it's peak

5 years ago... Could download max capacity hard drive (at 3mbps) in about 2 days... Now with caps it would take over 2 years (at 100 GB/month)

How there isn't more outrage over this... I don't know

We are being ripped off, big time - and it needs to be stopped

It's not really making headlines anywhere, and people don't quite understand what it'll mean for them, and competition for ISPs in general.

Just look at phone contracts in Canada, 'most' people are willing to just pay whatever is asked, and those that do get deals have to go through 'retention' by threatening to leave.

So many monopolies in almost every industry in Canada, makes my blood boil.
 
I support you, my Canuckistani brothers and sisters. Hope y'all can fight this off.

DopeyFish said:
Canadians paid for bells infrastructure - in the hopes of expanding and making canadas network a world leader - it backfired in our faces and the only right thing to do is remove ownership of the infrastructure - make it canadas and force them to pay us - allow companies like teksavvy an equal to Rogers and bell

If the companies protest, then break them apart into smaller companies

The monopolies or oligopolies in this country need to die

This is exactly what should happen.
 
Called Bell to cancel the service. According to the agent, I won't get a cap since I have the grandfather service i.e. Unlimited already on it so they can't touch it.

She also said that other companies will start getting penalized for not capping the net starting March, and they, as in companies, will charge us extra to cover the late capping.

Whatever. Fuck Bell, I don't care about it. I'll gladly pay someone else higher premium as long as I ain't with Bell...
 
I'm pretty close to cancelling with Bell because the service I'm getting is absolutely shit. I'm getting constant lag spikes in WoW, heck I can't even browse the internet at times the connection gets so bad. This UBB stuff doesn't help either.
 
bombshack said:
http://www.vancouversun.com/Opinion+Usage+based+billing+time+come/4180711/story.html

this article made me so mad, I just ran out of words. Also is it true there is a $50/250GB package? That'd be REALLY hot for an internet package in the GTA... I am going over the limit every month with my 60gb/$46 rogers package =(

This line is amazing

Anyone watching that much video needs to get a life.

He must be posting on GAF. haha that much trolling can only be the work of a gaffer.
 
I'd love to see the major canadian cities creates their own fiber networks and rent it out to all telecom companise and really hurt bell and rogers etc. Dunno when it would happen but I'd like to see it.
 
could anybody explain me reasoning behind this move? Why the government is involved? WTF?
 
Entropia said:
I'm pretty close to cancelling with Bell because the service I'm getting is absolutely shit. I'm getting constant lag spikes in WoW, heck I can't even browse the internet at times the connection gets so bad. This UBB stuff doesn't help either.
Teksavvy/Rogers awaits. Seriously, best decision I've ever made. I couldn't play a single game online without vomit inducing lag. Now? I can't blame lag for my suckiness cause I DON'T SUCK!

Getting a variation of speed from 15mbps to 30mbps!
 
On the west coast, I'm pretty sure Telus and Shaw have both had capped internet for some time. Is this to say that they will all go by the 25 GB monthly limit as of the summer? If not, I'm not sure this will affect people in Western Canada quite as harshly as the East.

Bell & Rogers don't really have as much of a presence on the Pacific side. This is not to take away from the rightfully outraged response from consumers. Already wrote my MP and made known my protest against this.
 
I've been using Teksavvy DSL for a super long time and switched over to their cable service a few months ago. It's been great times. Getting 15/1 for 43 bucks with 200gb cap, can't beat that. Getting fluctuating speeds between 15-30 as well.
 
Im with AEI from montreal, had unlimited bandwidth. I guess im fucked, prices will go up even if i dont go over cap.

Fucking bell
 
Its only a matter of time before it gets this bad in the US. The people have fuck all power over the telecom companies (and corporations in general.)
 
My friend lives in quebec and is insisting that Cablevision won't be affected, anything to show that it does or am I just being a huge jackass?
 
I wrote my MP. Have my doubts it'll have any effect, but if he even reads it I'll be happy.

The 83K signatures on that StoptheMeter form is pathetic, but reflective of reality. Most people do not know anything about bandwidth caps and how it affects them.
 
subversus said:
could anybody explain me reasoning behind this move? Why the government is involved? WTF?
It's stupid from a technical perspective anyway, since limits have always been in place: speed caps. Transfer caps aren't justifiable.
 
dream said:
What do they mean when they say Vancouver voted against UBB?

Vancouver afaik made it a bylaw - can't do it to the people of Vancouver unless federal government tells them to, which they wouldn't most likely
 
DopeyFish said:
Vancouver afaik made it a bylaw - can't do it to the people of Vancouver unless federal government tells them to, which they wouldn't most likely

I'm confused by that because I've been following the Vancouver Sun's coverage of this and it doesn't seem like there's any indication of Vancouver being exempt from UBB.

What I'm curious about is how was this even brought up for a vote? What's the process? Is it possible to do something about it on the municipal level?
 
MoFuzz said:
On the west coast, I'm pretty sure Telus and Shaw have both had capped internet for some time. Is this to say that they will all go by the 25 GB monthly limit as of the summer? If not, I'm not sure this will affect people in Western Canada quite as harshly as the East.

Bell & Rogers don't really have as much of a presence on the Pacific side. This is not to take away from the rightfully outraged response from consumers. Already wrote my MP and made known my protest against this.
Telus and shaw have always had soft caps but they never enforced them. With shaw if you downloaded an insane amount they might call you and ask what's up but for the most part they didn't care. Monthly caps with shaw have always been low but as soon as the crtc passed UBB shaw reduced then even further.

The whole thing is a cash grab by already greedy corrupt companies. A lot of people still don't know about UBB since it's gotten little news coverage, although thats not surprising since the news is run by these same companies.
 
EvilMario said:
Numbers on Open Media are skyrocketing to 83k now, very nice. I hope more people pick up this story.

there was another story on the news last night saying canadians are pissed about UBB. the story ended with some dickbag from bell saying we deserve to pay because they built the network. pretty sure the government gave them tax payer money to build it.


everyone needs to write/call their MP. the more of them that seek to ban UBB the better.
 
Base price for 25 gigs is $32.

They're selling blocks of "insurance" usage.

plans range from $4.75 per 40 gigs to $55 for 300 gigs.

You can also buy into a bank which will be deducted at this rate:
$1.90 / GB up to 300 GB in a given month.
$0.95 / GB above 300 GB in a given month

80 bucks for 300 isn't that bad considering my grandfathered plan at Bell is pretty much 70 bucks now. Still, how sucky is that?
 
Zombie James said:
So.. for 41$ I get 105GB of bandwidth, versus the 39$ I'm paying right now for unlimited. Stil; less than old Rogers I think.

Or I can grandfather my account for $45/mo and get my current plan extended. edit: nevermind I don't qualify for a grandfathered account :/

Yeah I've used on average 200GB per month the last 3 months. Fuck.
 
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