Usage-based Internet CRTC ruling draws fire

The CRTC is being accused of using harsh regulations to clamp down on unlimited Internet use in Canada, just as popular yet bandwidth-heavy services such as Netflix are starting to take off. By reaffirming its decision to allow “usage-based billing” on Tuesday, the federal telecom regulator has fuelled another round of criticism from citizens’ groups and small telecom providers, which say the federal regulator is killing innovation and allowing large Internet service providers, such as BCE Inc., to raise rates and reduce download limits without any competitive threat – all at the expense of the consumer. “Unlimited Internet service died today,” John Lawford of the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre said on Tuesday, as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission issued its much-anticipated ruling on how much large telecom providers can charge smaller providers to ride on their networks.