It’s been a busy week in debate for net neutrality and network completion.
# First the other shoe dropped as Bell Canada (pictured left in this undated file photo) revealed the second piece of a newly aggressive strategy to wipe-out local broadband competition (from their own wholesale customers). Not a week after Bell started throttling independent ISPs, Bell petitioned the courts to scrap CRTC requirements that require them to wholesale their DSL network to other providers. [CBC coverage]
# The Canadian Association of Internet Providers meanwhile have filed have filed a cease and desist claim against Bell’s throttling practices which will force the CRTC to address the network neutrality issue. Michael Geist has an excellent coverage of the story, which he calls “the most significant legal development in the Canadian net neutrality debate yet “. Go read Michael’s post. Should they win this case it may have spillover impact on how the likes of Bell and Rogers are forced to treat customers, and packets on their own networks.
# At issue for the indie ISPs and net neutrality advocates is whether or not carriers have the right to open and monitor the internet traffic of Canadians and block or degrade any communications they, the carriers, may not like. Though often cloaked as such, this is not an issue about piracy or bittorrent, or about network management. Those in the know will tell you, “neutrality” in net neutrality is about advocating for adequate competition and a level playing field not just for access to the internet, but also for the content, services and messages that flow a cross it.
For more coverage on the saga this week, see Amber Mac’s latest vidcast:
