Bell, Rogers and other ISPs around the world have been experiencing a huge increase in traffic due to peer-2-peer (P2P) programs like Bittorrent. They like to use the figure that: 10% of the users are using 90% of the infrastructure with bittorrent. To combat this, they have implemented 'traffic shaping' which slows down certain types of p2p traffic during peek hours of the day (3pm-2am).

Last year, Bell implemented this, so people like myself found a third party (acanac) that rents the lines from bell, but offers unlimited downloading. That was fine and dandy, until Bell started shaping 3rd party traffic as well.

Up until yesterday, it was rumor, which I had suspected for a few weeks now, but Bell has confirmed. The problem is that Bell says they are within their right to shape, because it is their network and their primary customers come first, so they have to shape 3rd party data. The 3rd party companies (Techsavvy, Acanace et al) say that Bell has no right to touch their data, let alone shape and slow it down.

You may be thinking, ok who cares, its only hard core down loaders that are affected by these policies. Nope, sorry. Business users have had a devil of a time using virtual private networks (VPN) over ISPs with shaped data. Also, a lot of encrypted traffic has been slowed down, because that was a popular way of disguising torrent traffic. So ISPs like Rogers just limited all encrypted data; problem being that the web is so insecure, you have to use encryption for a lot of websites, to make sure you can log in securely, and now these transactions are also being slowed down.

I don't know how many of you have heard the term 'net neutrality', but it states that for the internet to be neutral and open to all, all data must be treated equally and not slowed down in any way. ISPs would like to serve up 'ligit' data from companies like new agencies at faster speeds for a 'small' free, for preferential treatment. This goes against the entire philosophy behind the internet: everybody is equal, and everybody has an equal say. If you have an idea, the Internet is the place to put it, no matter how small or big you are, everybody has the same opportunity to succeed. If the ISPs are now treating some data as preferred, what room does the little guy have to compete with News Corp.?

I did not think this issue would hit Canada so quickly, but just over night it has become a huge talking point. This is certainly a case for the CRTC and competition beuro. Bell is basically giving a big fuck you to all 3rd party ISPs because they own the lines.

Some links to keep reading to stay up to date:
Original DSL reports thread
Michael Geist Blog (fights for tech issues in Canada)

I will be following the case very closely, and making sure I am in contact with the right government regulators and political members. Hopefully enough people make a big enough stink to actually force Bell to change their policies, or upgrade their infrastructure.

Shitty, i've noticed in general my Bell internet was lacking, been going on and off... and as for the throttling or shaping, it was fairly obvious... was thinking about going 3rd party myself, didn't know they were going to or already were shaping 3rd party data as well...


Ohh and here is a great video explaining and showing exactly what net neutrality is and how it affects us and examples of how it's going to or already has... great watch if you got 10 mins...

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i've felt the shaping for a couple of months now during the peak periods. however, since i'm home during those times anyway, i would throttle my torrents to around 150-200kbps download and 40kbps upload. the caps are a lot lower at probably 75 d/l and 25 upload. as long as the bandwith is unlimited and my monthly bill is low, i'm ok with it personally.

however, i can see how this is starting to infringe on the internet as a whole. i can see other permanent limitations coming into effect later which will limit the experience over the net.

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No wonder my neighbours sympatico has been feeling pretty slow lately...

I thought he limited my connection or something lol

I hate Bell, but the catch with them is they own the first KM of phoneline in Canada and get a royalty from every company who has customers in that territory.

They will never die

I have been trying to find the right way for awhile to tell the people who say "lol suckers, im on acanac/techsavvy/[insert reseller here] have fun doodz!@#@%$11" that they are in for the same treatment before long... good to see now that people will start to realize nobody is safe from these unethical policies.

/waiting to see the outcome of current Comcast legal proceedings
//hope Sandvine Incorporated burns down to the ground

The cause of the problem is... lack of competition. In ontario we are dominated by Rogers and Bell... and sure there are small companies too but no major competitors. Without competition companies like bell can be "slowing down" our internet and we cant really do much about it. Now if there was a new competitor in the market, NO ONE would put up with the bullshit of slower speeds.

correct me if i am wrong.

The most ironic part is that I canceled my Sympatico account not because of p2p, but because of FTP. When they started to shape FTP a completely legit protocol, I just got so fed up. I use FTP for school, and for web development. Being on a shaped network is just FTP is just crazy.

Bell has gone too far, and is completely undermining the way people communicate on the web. By shaping, they are simply saying that you have to communicate their way, or you will be slowed down.

quote:

Originally posted by kitchTA The cause of the problem is... lack of competition. In ontario we are dominated by Rogers and Bell... and sure there are small companies too but no major competitors. Without competition companies like bell can be "slowing down" our internet and we cant really do much about it. Now if there was a new competitor in the market, NO ONE would put up with the bullshit of slower speeds. correct me if i am wrong.

Well it is and it is not. The problem is that Bell and Rogers own all the lines. So for a new company to come in a truly challenge them, they would have to spend billions on laying new lines all over the province/country. So in a way it is competition, but it is also infrastructure. If bell just rented out their lines, like they say they do, then everything would be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by kitchTA The cause of the problem is... lack of competition. In ontario we are dominated by Rogers and Bell... and sure there are small companies too but no major competitors. Without competition companies like bell can be "slowing down" our internet and we cant really do much about it. Now if there was a new competitor in the market, NO ONE would put up with the bullshit of slower speeds. correct me if i am wrong.

how do you compete if the big guns own the hardware/lines/etc. and you are forced to buy wholesale off them?

The problem is not simply lack of competition. The bigger problem is lack of concern by the government. If the government was actually concerned about this, there would be rules and regulations in place preventing Rogers and Bell from having monopolies, while helping stimulate competition. There would also be strict guidelines as to how or what ISPs can do with internet bandwith before it reaches the end consumer or wholesale 3rd-party ISPs.

People need to focus their efforts on making this issue for the government, forcing the government to act. This story needs to be all over the news, on Citytv, on CBC, on CTV, on Global. The word needs to be spread all over media outlets which would force the government to take notice as "Joe Blow consumer" would hear about what's going on.

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quote:

Originally posted by Dark_Archonis The problem is not simply lack of competition. The bigger problem is lack of concern by the government. If the government was actually concerned about this, there would be rules and regulations in place preventing Rogers and Bell from having monopolies, while helping stimulate competition. There would also be strict guidelines as to how or what ISPs can do with internet bandwith before it reaches the end consumer or wholesale 3rd-party ISPs.

http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...n/h_00130e.html

quote:

Originally posted by TO guy http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...n/h_00130e.html

This is already being pursued by some of the 3rd party ISPs. Unfortunately, that is equivalent to a complaint call line. Much more than that needs to be done to force the government to take notice. It's a good start, but a big step would be to see the story front and center on all major Canadian news and media outlets.

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