It’s that time again! Some of you may not know this already, but Canada’s Internet is democratically governed. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is a non-profit organization that manages the dot-ca (.ca) registry and addresses many of the day-to-day challenges facing Internet governance in Canada. Now, CIRA holds regular
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OpenMedia.ca: Let’s make Canada’s parties endorse our pro-Internet action plan
Exciting news! Green Party leader Elizabeth May has just announced her endorsement of our crowdsourced pro-Internet action plan. So far Ms. May is the first major party leader to do so – and we’re thrilled to have her waving the flag for Canada’s Internet. This is great news for Canada’s
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: AdWeek: Brazilian Kids Learn English by Video Chatting With Lonely Elderly Americans FCB’s touching work for a language school
When the Internet works for good! Article by Tim Nudd for AdWeek It’s such a great, simple idea: Young Brazilians want to learn English. Elderly Americans living in retirement homes just want someone to talk to. Why not connect them? FCB Brazil did just that with its “Speaking Exchange” project
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Georgia Straight: OpenMedia encourages voters to consider policies around access, privacy in federal election
Check out this amazing coverage of our pro-Internet election plan on The Georgia Straight! The Internet is something we shouldn’t take for granted. We should take action to have our democratic rights as citizens, to make sure it stays open, accessible and free for everyone. This election, vote for the Internet! OurDigitalFuture.ca
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The fate of affordable access to next-generation Internet will be decided this week.
This week the the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is expected to announce a major decision that will significantly impact whether or not Canadians have access to a variety of affordable Internet services independent of Big Telecom, including next-generation fibre. read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Motherboard: The World Online
Check out this map to know how many Internet users there are in each country! In this curious global map, the world is not as it seems. Just take a look at how massive Japan and the UK look in comparison to teeny-weeny Nordic countries Norway, Sweden, and Finland. read
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Measure the health of Canada’s Internet and… win an awesome gaming rig?
Over the past couple months, our small team at OpenMedia has been helping get the word out on a big project designed to measure the health of Canada’s Internet: CIRA’s Internet Performance Tool. But today, our friends at CIRA (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) have partnered with NCIX, a major Canadian
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Cellphone Freedom Day! On June 3 you’ll be able to end your 3-year-contract for free
Starting June 3, three year contracts which have run or 24 months or more can be cancelled without any penalties. Together, we helped make this code of conduct happen by developing our crowdsourced action plan for the future of our wireless market. read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Alphabeatic: Canada still leads in high wireless prices
Wireless savings? Not for now. Canadians’ wallets are still hurting. Article by Peter Nowak for Alphabeatic With the CRTC’s decision this week to forego implementing rules that would have allowed small companies to share the networks of bigger players, the regulator and government are both now pinning their hopes for wireless savings
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Australians to Canadians: Beware TPP economic fallout
Over 125,000 people – including tens of thousands of Canadians – have now spoken out about the damaging Internet censorship proposals in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We know from leaked drafts all about how the TPP would make your Internet more expensive, censored, and policed. Now, our friends in Australia
Continue readingThings Are Good: Open-Access Science Growing in Reach
Many academic journals charge a subscription fee that is out of reach for the common person, which means that independent researchers and students are at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing information. Elementa aims to make research about the anthropocene era we’re in freely accessible for everyone. Elementa follows
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: How The US Used Pussy Riot And You Liked It
Why were you outraged over Russia locking up Pussy Riot but ambivalent over America bringing its full weight down on open access activist Aaron Swartz? Simple, because hating a Russian government is easier than improving your own. When Russian punk band Pussy Riot received 2 years for “hooliganism motivated by
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Nowak: Is the CRTC really citizen-friendly?
Canadians have been speaking out and decision-makers at the CRTC have been listening. We’ve been heard in gathering feedback for a new wireless code, stopping the initial takeover bid from Big T…
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Your Voices Were Heard: ITU Makes Important Step Towards Transparency
We’ve had some major victories lately in making sure that the rules around telecommunications keep public interest at the centre. You recently spoke out against Bell’s attempted takeover of …
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Globe and Mail: The high costs of Arctic broadband
Canadians in the north are on the brink of a digital divide as aging networks, service outages and prohibitive costs all continue to affect everyday communications services. It’s a struggle that…
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Geist: Setting the Stage for the Next Decade of Open Access
A group of researchers from around the world have been discussing a plan for ‘open access’. Their goal is one that would remove barriers to obtaining educational materials online so that the worldwide community could benefit from shared research and knowledge. Education is one of the many reasons that the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Huffington Post: Netflix exec says "Canadians have almost third-world access to the Internet"
Big telecom companies across Canada are continuing to employ ‘usage-based billing’, an punitive billing practice that restricts data allowances. Though many of you fought back against UBB via the Stop The Meter campaign—you prevented it from being imposed across the entire Internet service market—Big Telecom continues to use it to
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The CRTC made a priority list – We’re checking it twice
The CRTC is making attempts to emphasize affordability, access and a focus on citizen issues with a revised priorities document that was released late last week. By shifting towards an outlook that keeps the best interests of Canadians first and foremost, rather than heeding to corporate industry-defined mandates, the CRTC
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