Netflix is lowering the quality of its streaming movie service in Canada by default to deal with bandwidth caps introduced by ISPs there. the comapny said in a blog post Monday night. Ironically, this came just hours after Netflix gave Canadians more reasons to sign up, with the addition of new movie titles from Paramount Pictures.
via Bandwidth Caps Force Netflix to Cut Video Quality in Canada: Broadband News and Analysis
and…
Last night saw a pair of new developments in the ongoing saga that is usage-based billing. Firstly, Bell Canada announced it was sort of withdrawing its plan to implement UBB while, a little later in the evening, Netflix said it was implementing a new option that will let subscribers lower the quality of their video and thereby use less of their monthly internet limit.
via Netflix and Canada: hey brother, can you spare a gig?
Thanks Netflix. But we as Canadians need to be less content about these sorts of things. Netflix shouldn’t have to adjust its service levels just so it can operate in Canada. Netflix is the shit. The CRTC is bullshit.
Edmund Burke noted that all that was necessary for evil to triumph was for good men to do nothing. Canadians are certainly good and worthy folks, but they suffer an excess of civil obedience, politeness and lack of civic rage that could be harnessed to combat political atrophy. At a time when Arabs risk life and limb for political freedoms, Canadians seem largely apathetic about the erosion of their democracy.
via Canada watches its democracy erode
Okay, democracy and bandwidth caps are largely unrelated topics. Or… are they?
From an email sent to me by openmedia.ca:
But will this new scheme stop usage fees, expensive rates, and overall horrible telecom service? No, we’re afraid not.
Here’s what we know:
- Bell and other big telecom companies continue to impose usage fees on Canadians and they control 94% of the Internet access market.
- Sources tell us the scheme was crafted between major industry players behind closed doors.
- Big phone and cable companies do not want telecom price gouging to be an election issue.
Big telecom companies know that during an election, we have the ears of our representatives. They know that we have a unique opportunity to tell candidates that we want digital policy that will remove the Internet from the stranglehold of Big Telecom and stop price gouging, once and for all.
(original emphasis)
If you’re a Canadian and give a shit at all about fair competition in Canada, please keep an eye on these issues and make sure your voice is heard. Sign up for email announcements from Openmedia.ca or follow them on Facebook to stay informed.
Filed under: follow-up, general
