The new phone service is a cost-effective alternative , though only available to Americans for now. Article by Dianne Buckner for CBC News Google is about to launch a new cost-effective mobile phone service for Americans only. And as the news spreads, it may trigger a new round of grumbling in
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OpenMedia.ca: Federal Court of Appeal allows Bell Mobility to challenge university student, single mother, seniors’ organization and others in court over recent CRTC ruling on Mobile TV
big_telecom_headquarters.png April 2, 2015 – Today’s the Federal Court of Appeal announced that Bell Mobility will be allowed to challenge a recent CRTC decision prohibiting the telecom giant from making competing apps and services more expensive. The decision means that Bell could potentially seek legal costs from university student Ben
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: AlphaBeatic: A wolf in Fido’s clothing
Last week we wrote about new plans from Rogers-owned Fido to make competing apps and services more expensive (details here: http://bit.ly/1DgdmP7). Today, it looks like they are continuing on this path to violate #NetNeutrality, announcing a new deal that will make certain music streaming services more expensive on their networks.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC: You won’t believe why Bell blacklisted this teenager’s phone
Well folks, it looks like Bell is at it again – and they’re taking price-gouging to new lows. They’re abusing their power to push Canadians into buying new phones instead of used ones – and are going as far as unfairly disabling phones. Article by Kathy Tomlinson A Montreal father
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Are Rogers and Fido planning to make competing mobile services more expensive for Canadians?
Your OpenMedia team recently got wind of new plans afoot by Rogers’ subsidiary Fido to make competing apps and services more expensive over their mobile networks, and it’s certainly cause for concern. Based on a recent article from Mobile Syrup, it appears that the carrier intends to create unfair incentives
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Expert Report reveals which telecom companies have your back when it comes to being transparent about protecting privacy
privacy_nonca.png Report provides Canadians with an at-a-glance tool to rate their Internet provider’s transparency around privacy safeguards. Indie ISP Teksavvy “stands out” as the best of the 10 major retailers measured. March 12, 2015 – A report published this morning has revealed that Canadian Internet providers are still falling short
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC: There’s never been a better time to improve scrutiny of our spy agencies
Edward Snowden reveals just how weak Canada’s spying oversight framework is. Article by CBC News U.S. National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden says Canada has one of the “weakest oversight” frameworks for intelligence gathering in the Western world. read more
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Hilldog16 on SnapChat?
I have a Snapchat account. I’ve not used it in years because it was making my cell phone too full. Imagine if Hillary Clinton had a Snapchat account too, for government business? Her’s would be used for an illegal purpose, like her personal email was. You may recall Sarah Palin
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: AlphaBeatic: The making of an Internet activist
Thanks to community member Ben Klass, the CRTC ruled that Canadian wireless companies can’t slow down competing services in favour of their own – a huge step towards securing mobile net neutrality in this country. Check out this great Q and A about what keeps Ben fighting for the open
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Globe: Spectrum auction may bring some surprises
Could we finally see more choice in Canada’s wireless market this year? Article by Christine Dobby for the Globe and Mail Mobilicity says it has not yet secured the financial backing it needs to take part in an upcoming auction of wireless airwaves. read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC: Cancel your TV, Internet, and phone whenever you want
Goodbye, 30-day cancellation notices! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Article by the CBC Canadians no longer have to give a 30-day notice to cancel or change their television, internet or landline telephone service, the CRTC says. In a release, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: iPhone in Canada: Bell loses huge class action suit
There’s no end of good news lately when it comes to Big Telecom getting smacked down. Article by Nick Salerni for iPhone in Canada Bell Mobility has lost a class-action lawsuit appeal that found the Canadian carrier liable to thousands of subscribers in Canada’s three northern territories over fees for
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: James Moore spectrum announcement hailed as a positive step forward to enable greater wireless choice and lower prices
gatekeepers-share.png In response to outcry for Canadians, Industry Canada has taken steps to ensure Canadians have greater access to affordable, independent wireless providers December 18, 2014 – Industry Minister James Moore has announced new measures aimed at improving wireless service for Canadians. OpenMedia welcomes the announcement, which will reserve a
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: I’m Boring, Ignore Me: Supreme Court Ruins Privacy
I think people who say they are too ordinary, law abiding, and boring for police to violate them, are more wishing that were true than stating a fact. Will the police keep the phone as it keeps generating evidence? For how long? Can you refuse to provide your password or
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Toronto Star Editorial: The Supreme Court got it wrong
Cell phone searches are deeply invasive and represent a huge violation of Canadians’ privacy, according to the Toronto Star. What do you think? Article from The Toronto Star When Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government killed the long-form census, it insisted that Canadians needed to be shielded from “coercive and intrusive”
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: OpenMedia takes detailed input from 30,000 Canadians to crucial CRTC hearing that will decide future of Internet access in Canada
10418983_10152770578749759_4936705458735744107_n.png Canadians are urging the CRTC to ensure access to affordable, independent Internet providers December 1, 2014 – Canadians are sending a clear message to decision-makers at the CRTC today: protect our right to affordable, independent, high-speed Internet. That message is being delivered by community-based OpenMedia.ca, who will be making
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC: Bell’s app ratings are too good to be true
Bell’s been caught red-handed trying to boost their ratings in the Apple app store by having senior managers write up fake reviews. Now they might get booted from the app store. Womp womp. Article by Sophia Harris for the CBC As soon as Bell Canada launched a new version of
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Could Bell get kicked out of Apple’s AppStore for breaking the rules and rigging the rankings?
If you’re an enormous telecom conglomerate, and you release a new app to unfavourable ratings, what do you do? You could invest some of your vast resources into listening to customers and making the app better — or you could get your senior managers to leave fake reviews to mislead
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Star: Canadians are tired of the same-old-same-old in wireless providers
Why choice will improve Canada’s wireless market. Article by Michael Geist for the Star Last year’s explosive battle over the potential entry of wireless giant Verizon into the Canadian market may be a distant memory, but the debate over the state of wireless competition remains very much alive. Industry Minister
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: First decision to come out of CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV consultation is a win for Canadians
DemandChoice_button.jpg November 6, 2014 – In response to this morning’s announcement by the CRTC regarding new rules that will allow Canadians to cancel or change their Internet, television, or telephone services without giving 30-day notice, OpenMedia.ca Campaigns Manager Josh Tabish said, “We are pleased to see that the first decision
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