Thursday, February 24, 2011

Is it a lack of understanding or what?

I haven't written anything here on my blog since August.  I request forgiveness from both of my followers.  I'm kind of amazed that both of my followers are still following this blog.  I'll write more about that at another time.

I've wish to focus on an issue that I believe should be of significant importance to every Internet user is Canada.  I believe that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission, referred to as the CRTC for the remainder of this blog, should hear from every Canadian Internet user about the issue of usage-based billing.  Some of your may be for it.  I personally am strongly against it.  Some of you may not have a clue of what it is I'm going on about.

Two days ago I wrote a response Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-77.  I realize that a lot of Canadian Internet users may not fully understand that impact of Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-77.  This document is requesting consultation with regards to Internet usage-based billing.  You may have seen or heard about this issue in the news near the beginning of the month of February 2011 (Yes, that's this month.).  You may have also read about in a newspaper if you still read newspapers.  This is an issue that all Canadian Internet consumers should be concerned about.

There are now attempts by large Internet Service Providers to attempt to "educate" their users via TV ads that don't share the whole truth about Internet usage-based billing.  You may be read this and thinking to yourself, "So what is the big deal, Kelly?  Why are you hitting the panic button on this issue?"  Those are two excellent questions and I'm glad that you're thinking them (I hope!).  My recommendation is take some time and research this issue.  Yes, that means you're going to have to get off Facebook for a bit and see what's going on with regards to proposed usage-based billing.

Facebook isn't a bad place to be either as information about proposed usage-based billing is there also.  If you're my friend on Facebook and most of you that will read this are, then you've seen me post information about this issue.  My Facebook friends can check my Wall posts back to January 2011 (Yes, that is last month at this time of this blog post.) and see that I have posted information about proposed usage-based billing in Canada.  Unfortunately if you're not my friend on Facebook you will be unable to see my posts as I have my security settings set to "Friends Only".  This is certain apply to the majority of my Twitter followers.

There are Canadians, like myself, who are rather annoyed with the prospect of usage-based billing for Internet use in Canada.  That's how this issue was noticed by the press.  Speaking of noticing:

Friends and listeners of CIAY 100.7 FM. Sit up and take notice!

This little radio station is really cool because it's operations are fully automated via the use of computers and the Internet, make's it's audio stream available for you to listen to via the Internet.  It's all digital, baby!  Ahem, time to calm down and be business like.  New Life FM sends it's signal as binary data via the Internet to Teslin and Watson Lake, Yukon Territory as well as Atlin, British Columbia would probably have to reconsider it's business model should usage-based billing every go into effect.  (It's cools for other reasons not mentioned here.)   In other words Teslin, Watson Lake and Atlin would probably lose CIAY as a listening option in those communities.  The Internet is of high importance to New Life FM and it should also be of high importance to it's users and listeners.

Here's the letter I wrote 2 days ago:

 Here's the response I received from the CRTC's system:


In short, I don't want to pay more for Internet usage than my family and I are already paying.  How about you?  You have until April 29, 2011 to commentPlease note: This link will be mostly useless after April 29, 2011.