The Commission granted interim approval in Telecom Order 2009-484 to Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership's (Bell Aliant) and Bell Canada's (collectively, the Bell companies) applications to introduce two new speed options for their Gateway Access Services (GAS)1 and usage-based billing (UBB) rates and an excessive usage charge (together, UBB) for their residential GAS. Telecom Order 2009-484 approved, on an interim basis, the implementation of UBB on 10 November 2009.

In plain English; the CRTC passed a new regulation that would allow Bell to cap and throttle the bandwidth they are required to resell to smaller independents ISP, effectively crippling their services and f*cking their clients in the ass real good.

I'm sorry for the unwelcome analogy, but it still somewhat an euphemism for what is happening right now.

For everyday DSL users it means no more unlimited download, new compulsory bandwidth cap (300GB/month) , a significant increase of the Internet bills and higher penalties fees if the bandwidth quotas are exceeded..

In short you pay more to have less.

Now TekSavvy and MTS Allstream filled a complaint to the CRTC and this decision was rolled back and delayed.

The war is not over yet, but thanks to these two companies, we might have won the first battle.

We (Canadians) should fill complaints to the CRTC too and show some support to TekSavvy and MTS Allstream.

You're with Bell ? Why not call TekSavvy or MTS Allstream, you might even get a better deal.

Bell lose, they win.

I've personally tried both Bell and TekSavvy for more than a year and I can assure you that TekSavvy's service and prices were nothing comparable to Bell. It was day and night and I would choose TekSavvy over Bell a million times if I had to go back on DSL.

Not to mention that bell was blocking ports 25 and 80 on a commercial DSL line, it makes your life somewhat sucks when you are in charge of a web department in a company.

Now if you might think that your lonely complaint email sent to the CRTC or dropping Bell will probably not change much and you might be right, there is no certitudes.

However if nobody does anything, there will be only one one certitude; Bell will win and we will all lose.

As they says: take care of politics or politics will take care of you.

More:

• Telecom Order CRTC 2009-484
• Applications by Teksavvy Solutions Inc. and MTS Allstream Inc. to review and vary portions of Telecom Order 2009-484 regarding usage-based billing for Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership's and Bell Canada's residential Gateway Access Services
• How to Participate in a CRTC Public Process