So, just how big is Big Telecom? Our friends at the Canadian Media Concentration Research Project, led by Carleton University Professor (and OpenMedia friend) Dwayne Winseck, have sought to answer exactly that question. In a new blog post they ask: Ever wonder who the main companies are that make up and shape the
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OpenMedia.ca: Your feedback made this possible: stay tuned for our Election Report Cards next week!
Well, the calendar has just flipped over to October, which can only mean one thing: we’re just under three weeks from an election that’s going to be absolutely crucial for our digital future. There’s no doubt this election represents a crossroads for Canada’s Internet. There’s so much on the line:
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Geist: Make universal, affordable broadband an election issue.
Less than 3 weeks away from the election, and still no mention of universal, affordable broadband Internet access…Why are political parties silent on this issue? Article by Michael Geist for the Toronto Star The long election campaign of 2015 has featured a myriad of daily policy announcements as the three
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Toronto Star: Bridging Toronto’s real digital divide
It turns out more choice = more savings in Canada’s broadband Internet market. But there’s a catch – the digital divide isn’t just rural/remote vs. urban anymore. Check out how over 70% of people in Canada’s largest city are being left behind when it comes to super-fast fibre Internet. And
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Big Telecom could slip new slow lane powers into a U.S. bill that has nothing to do with the Internet
A few days ago, OpenMedia helped our campaign partners at Demand Progress add the names of thousands of Internet users to a historic legal defense of the Net Neutrality rules that are currently being challenged in court by Big Telecom in the U.S. As you may recall, the rules being
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Oxfam points out that without a major redistributive effort, hundreds of millions of people will be trapped in extreme poverty around the globe no matter how much top-end growth is generated.And Michael Valpy writes that the Cons have gone out of their
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Candidates are being flooded with our emails, and it’s working!
It’s election time! And your OpenMedia team has been working very hard to make sure Canadians have a direct and easy way to demand candidates from all parties speak up for the Internet we love and deserve. That’s why we’ve launched a handy tool for you to tell your candidates to
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Elizabeth May becomes first party leader to endorse OpenMedia’s pro-Internet Action Plan
All The Reports_OG.png Digital rights group is calling on all political parties and candidates to endorse pro-Internet plan crowdsourced from over 250,000 Canadians September 15, 2015 – Green Party leader Elizabeth May has become the first party leader to endorse OpenMedia’s crowdsourced pro-Internet action plan. In an open letter to
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Globe and Mail: Apple’s monthly instalment price plan for unlocked iPhones eludes Canada
Why can’t we have nice things like U.S.’s monthly instalment price plan for iPhones here in Canada? Article by Christine Dobby for The Globe and Mail Apple Inc. revealed a new way to buy its flagship device last week – the option to pay for unlocked models of its newest
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: A day in the life of dial-up or: Why we need affordable, world-class service for 100% of Canadians
Below is a guest blog from Carol Vlassoff, an OpenMedia community member and resident of Hawk Lake Quebec who faces barriers to affordable, high-speed Internet access in her community. It is widely believed that all people in today’s world must be able to access the Internet in order to exercise and enjoy their basic human rights.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Aphabeatic: Germany’s broadband plan shames Canada (again)
Germany will have affordable internet connections of at least 50 Mbps by 2018. The Harper government promised 5 Mbps by 2019. Enough said… Which party do you think will do a better job at ensuring Canadians get faster, cheaper Internet? Let us know in the comments below! Article by Peter
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Arstechnica: Videotron provoking net neutrality fight with unlimited music
Instead of giving Big Telecom giants the power to choose which online apps and services are more expensive, why don’t they treat all services equally? Let’s put Canadians in the driver’s seat – not these out of touch telecom giants. Article by Peter Nowak for Arstechnica Quebec wireless provider Videotron
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Over 250,000 people shape action plan to save the Internet
ottawa_ourdigitalfuture.png Digital rights group OpenMedia releases comprehensive election platform packed with ideas crowdsourced from Canadians August 27, 2015 – It’s as if the entire city of London Ontario banded together to save the Internet. Shaped by more than 250,000 people and launching today, Canada’s Digital Future is a crowd-sourced election
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Yahoo: Super-fast gigabit Internet service finally coming to (some) Canadians
Our own Josh Tabish explains in this article the importance of high-speed fibre Internet for all Canadians and why it took Canada so long to adopt this technology. Artice by Brian Chin for Yahoo News If you’re tired of waiting for your TV shows or movies to finish downloading, you
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Are Canada’s Big Telecom giants hiring U.S. firms attacking VMedia Inc., a small Canadian ISP?
Why is a foreign, U.S.-based public relations firm attacking a small Canadian indie ISP, VMedia, Inc.? That’s a question some Canadians may be asking in response to a recent public debate over the direction of Canada’s digital future. Over the past few weeks, a debate about the future of independent
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Globe & Mail: Indies ask CRTC to open networks, lower prices
Good news – indie cell phone companies have launched a new CRTC challenge, aimed at opening our wireless networks and lowering prices for all Canadians. Speak out at https://UnblockCanada.ca Article by Christine Dobby for The Globe and Mail A group of independent Internet providers has launched a challenge of a
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Nowak: "A worse proposition than almost anywhere"
It’s official: the price is too damn high. And that’s the message that the CRTC needs to hear from you. Send your message at http://unblockcanada.ca/?src=fba Article by Peter Nowak for Alphabeatic Bell has officially announced the availability and pricing of its gigabit fibre broadband service, and it’s as expensive as expected. The
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Globe & Mail: Bell’s new fibre service comes with a super-high price tag attached
In Sandy, Oregon residents pay just US $60 a month (about $80 Canadian) for symmetrical gigabit fibre Internet. Here in Canada, telecom giant Bell is charging $150 for a service with capped upload speeds. If you’ve had enough, speak out at UnblockCanada.ca today. Article by Shane Dingman for The Globe
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Geist: Isn’t it time we gave Canada’s Net Neutrality protections some teeth?
Canada’s telecom giants are continuing to over-promise and under-deliver when it comes to speed and connectivity. Isn’t it time we started penalizing ISPs who flout the rules? Article by Prof. Michael Geist Canada’s net neutrality rules, which require Internet providers to disclose how they manage their networks and
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: In a win for Canadians, CRTC promises fair rules to increase independent choice and affordability for fiber Internet access
crtcannouncement_1024.jpg New rules ensure that Canadians will be able to access an affordable range of services from a variety of providers outside Canada’s telecom giants July 22, 2015 – A major ruling today from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) signals a significant step forward for Canadians’ ability to
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