In August, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission announced it was lowering the rates that smaller, independent internet service providers (ISPs) pay for access to the larger providers’ networks. Predictably, Big Telecom greeted the decision with parallel appeals at the CRTC and the Federal Court of Appeal. The last time that Big Telecom appealed to cabinet was in 2015, after they were forced to provide small providers network access for ultra high-speed fibre internet services. It was a common sense decision: Canada’s internet is too concentrated, and the incumbents have had an advantage for too long. Laura Tribe is the executive director of OpenMedia, a non-profit organization working to keep the Internet open, affordable, and surveillance-free.

Source: thestar November 30, 2019 12:04 UTC