Binge On! - And So This is Net Neutrality?

Fri Dec 11 01:49:44 UTC 2015

On 2015-12-10 13:07, William Kenny wrote:

> "Verizon is reportedly set to begin testing a sponsored data program that
> would let companies pay Verizon to deliver online services without using up
> customers' data plans. 

In Canada, the Telecom Act 27(2) states:

Unjust discrimination

(2) No Canadian carrier shall, in relation to the provision of a
telecommunications service or the charging of a rate for it, unjustly
discriminate or give an undue or unreasonable preference toward any
person, including itself, or subject any person to an undue or
unreasonable disadvantage.

So if this Verizon scheme were to happen in Canada, one could challenge
this if the rates charged to Netflix for 1GB of data are different from
the rates charged to anyone else, including residential customers as
this would be an undue preference.

Bell Canada's wireless service lost such a challenge earlier this year
because it ended up giving 10 hours of its own TV service for $4.00
while the same 10 hours on competing services would end up costing
something like $40 in normal usage charges.  (Bell Canada is current at
Federal Court seeking the CRTC's decision be invalidated, stating its TV
service is "broadcasting" and not subject to the Telecommunications Act
despite being delivered over a telecommunications service using IP
technology.