Canadian ISPs conspiring to change free net access to cable like model. Truth or BS?

[astro]

Per this website. Any truth to these charges?

http://www.realitycheck.typepad.com/

Take the recent case in Canada with the behemoths, Telus and Rogers rolling out a charge for text messaging without any warning to the public. It was an arrogant and risky move for the telecommunications giants because it backfired. People actually used Internet technology to deliver a loud and clear message to these companies and that was to scrap the extra charge. The people used the power of the Internet against the big boys and the little guys won.

However, the issue of text messaging is just a tiny blip on the radar screens of Telus and another company, Bell Canada, the two largest Internet Service Providers (ISP’S) in Canada. Our country is being used as a test case to drastically change the delivery of Internet service forever. The change will be so radical that it has the potential to send us back to the horse and buggy days of information sharing and access.

In the upcoming weeks watch for a report in Time Magazine that will attempt to smooth over the rough edges of a diabolical plot by Bell Canada and Telus, to begin charging per site fees on most Internet sites. The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point.

[Leaffan]

The guy’s a nutjob. Read the comments, specifically:

Kevin,

Several weeks ago I spoke to the alleged Time Magazine reporter, Dylan, about this issue and sent him the attached note. Dylan conceded that he was not a Time Magazine staff reporter but was hoping to submit a freelance story for their consideration. I never heard back from him after this note nor have we received any formal follow-up from Time Magazine as would be a normal part of the fact checking process prior to publication.

As I confirmed with Dylan a few weeks ago, TELUS is not part of any global movement to radically alter the Internet and we would appreciate if your group would cease those allegations.

Jim Johannsson
TELUS Director Media Relations

[Hodge]

Agreed, this guy’s touting an over-blown conspiracy theory.

However, there is a teeny-tiny grain of truth there, in that the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) has submitted several filings with the CRTC complaining about Bell’s recent traffic-throttling practises. Bell’s submissions, thus far, have claimed that their use of “deep packet inspection” to throttle bandwidth is necessary to ease strain on their overloaded network, but their own publicly released data doesn’t appear back-up those claims.

Furthermore, Bell is planning on opening a pay-per-view video streaming internet service which further raises suspicion that Bell’s throttling may be anti-competitive behaviour and feeds the paranoia of some of the more excitable types.

So, there are some serious discussions taking place right now touching issues of anti-competitive behaviour, freedom of speech and privacy rights both within the CRTC and in the wider geek community but these issues are far more arcane and complex than this guy’s conspiracy theory would indicate.