Tag: affordability

YOU ARE HERE 📍: What’s happening in the fight for fair Internet wholesale rates
Your voice, delivered! On June 22, we submitted YOUR input directly to the CRTC in their historic review of Internet wholesale rates.

Your voice, DELIVERED: OpenMedia community urges CRTC to dethrone Big Telecom’s fibre monopoly!
We submitted input from nearly 4,500 people to the CRTC, urging the Commission to force Big Telecom to provide fibre wholesale access to indie ISPs!

Wholesale and fibre explained
Wholesale rates and fibre connection play an integral role in our telecom industry. Here's what you need to know.

Bill C-288: Taking your voice to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science, and Technology
With your help, we told the government that people deserve to get what they’re paying for when it comes to Internet speeds.

OpenMedia calls on new chair of CRTC to prioritize competition, affordability, and everyday people’s needs
Canada’s Internet is dangerously adrift. OpenMedia’s letter to new CRTC chair Vicky Eatrides urges her to put us back on track.

Taking your right to repair message on Bill C-244 to the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology.
We took your voice to parliament, will they act now?

Guest Blog: National Capital Freenet (NCF) is “still fighting for change after 30 years”
Minister Champagne’s refusal to revisit the CRTC’s Internet price hikes has hurt independent providers’ efforts to close the digital divide.

DEBUNKED! Did Minister Champagne actually stop the Rogers-Shaw buyout?
Or did he approve it? The truth is: Champagne rubber stamped the affordability-crushing deal. Here’s how he pulled off the sleight of hand.

Minister Champagne’s 3 Simple Steps to Collapsing Internet Competition in Canada
Our “Minister of Collapse” must undo this affordability disaster of his own making.

Why should I care about “Right to Repair”?
You own your device. So how can manufacturers block you from fixing it?

Thousands tell CRTC to oppose new hidden fee on cell phone and Internet bills
Today’s the last day to add your voice to the public record against Telus’s new credit card processing fee.

New antitrust laws could save you from Big Tech’s choke-hold
What are Antitrust laws, and why should you care? Your questions answered

CIVIL SOCIETY JOINT STATEMENT: 28,000 voices warn—Innovation Minister Champagne is on the hook to curb telecom monopolies after the Rogers outage
OpenMedia and Leadnow call on Minister François-Philippe Champagne to end Canada’s telecom monopolies and guarantee affordable and reliable high-speed Internet for everyone in Canada.

Your voice, DELIVERED: OpenMedia’s submission to the government’s CRTC policy direction consultation is in!
Nearly 16,000 members of the OpenMedia community have spoken out to shape the future of the CRTC. Thank you for adding your voices!

What is the CRTC? And why should I care?
Laying out what the CRTC is and how it affects the daily life of Canadians.

Your voice, DELIVERED: OpenMedia community speaks out 50,000+ times demanding Cabinet reverse the CRTC’s Internet price hikes!
This week, we delivered 33k petition signatures alongside 17k more community emails sent calling on Ministers to undo the CRTC’s 2021 wholesale rates ruling.

Your voice, DELIVERED: OpenMedia’s latest petition to stop Rogers from buying Shaw is in!
To date, the OpenMedia community has called on the government a whopping 34,700+ times to block Rogers-Shaw. Talk about a deafening response!

Rogers-Shaw: Taking your voices to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
On February 16, we told the committee in no uncertain terms: the Rogers-Shaw merger is detrimental for Canada.

It’s time for a public interest champion to take over at the CRTC
We need a CRTC chair without ties to Big Telecom.

2021 report shows Canada’s cell phone prices STILL among most expensive globally
Rewheel’s 2021 report yet again confirmed the ugly truth: People in Canada continue to pay some of the highest prices in the world for our wireless services.

OpenMedia to Cabinet: MVNOs are the only path to cheaper cell phone prices
OpenMedia and CIPPIC just filed a submission urging Cabinet to order the CRTC to mandate MVNO wholesale access in Canada.
Election 2021: Where the parties stand on cell phone affordability
Lower cell phone bills are on the agenda for some parties this election. Others? Not so much.

OpenMedia takes out full-page Ottawa Citizen ad inviting CRTC Chair Ian Scott for beers
On July 17th, OpenMedia placed a full-page ad in the Ottawa Citizen inviting CRTC Chair Ian Scott for a beer to discuss Internet regulation — just like he did with Bell!

CRTC Offers Far Too Little, Far Too Late in Stuttering Bid for More Cell Phone Competition
Penned by Tamir Israel from Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), this deep dive into the April 15th CRTC MVNO decision outlines how the Commission’s regulatory solution offers slim hopes for Canada’s cell phone market.

Setting the record straight: How the CRTC’s decision on MVNOs tanks cheaper cell phone prices
The CRTC made the decision rejecting full MVNOs to benefit Big Telecom — not you.

The BTL…What? What is the BTLR report and what it means for the future of our Internet
The report grants the CRTC far-reaching powers over media, but fails to provide systemic solutions to the issue of telecom affordability and access.

BC just released their report on the cell phone affordability consultations. What’s next?
The BC government has released a report on cell phone contract that will shock no one.

Your Internet stories are up in Ottawa!
You shared your Internet stories with us. We plastered them in ads. Our decision makers won't be able to ignore these.

What does a Liberal minority government mean for Canada’s Internet?
The verdict of the election is here. So what is going to happen to the future of digital policy in Canada?

Need a break from the election? Here are some happy memories
The past year has been a rollercoaster on the digital rights front. But together, the OpenMedia community has achieved a lot. Here’s an overview of our wins and what’s on the horizon.

Smaller Internet providers are dropping their prices and you can thank the CRTC for it
Back in August the CRTC significantly cut down the rates for what Big Telecom can charge smaller providers for network access. As a result, a handful of smaller Internet service providers are already passing that benefit on to their customers.

Will this be the election that breaks up the Big Three?
The winner of this election will determine whether Canada’s telecom oligopoly continues to rule or makes way for new competitors and lower prices.
BREAKING: New CRTC Announcement means more choice and cheaper Internet prices for Canadians
By lowering wholesale broadband Internet rates, the CRTC is lowering barriers for small Internet providers to enter the market!

The B.C. government wants to hear your cell phone horror stories—let’s make sure they listen
The B.C. government has announced its plan to improve customer protections for cell phone users and it could result in much needed, ground-breaking changes.

OpenMedia welcomes government’s Connectivity Strategy to bring rural communities online with high-speed Internet access
The strategy puts a focus on areas traditionally underserved and often left offline

Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel releases its “what we heard” interim report
The report contains few surprises and a variety of different themes relevant to the future of the Internet in Canada

OpenMedia welcomes government’s new policy direction to guide CRTC
Directive marks a significant step forward in putting people before Big Telecom

OpenMedia Community-Funded Poll Reveals 75% of Canadians Support Right to Repair!
With an election nearing, our federal candidates should be looking at the widespread support for national Right to Repair legislation.

NDP releases plan to bring Internet affordability to Canada
OpenMedia welcomes the plan, and the critical attention to issue of Internet affordability in Canada.

What’s the ‘5G hype’ all about?
5G: The next generation of hyperconnectivity and surveillance with a side of international power struggle.

Success! We delivered your voices to the CRTC to overhaul Canada’s mobile market
This week we delivered over 18,000 voices to the CRTC along with our detailed policy submission to overhaul Canada’s mobile market and bring customers affordability, choice and better access. Thank you for speaking out and here’s what’s next!

Thank you for speaking out and telling the CRTC: Put people before Big Telecom!
We submitted over 14,000 voices to the government in support of a new policy direction for the CRTC that puts people first. Thank you for speaking out — this could be the beginning of a new era for Canada’s telecom market!

A game changer for the CRTC
The government has issued a new policy direction for the CRTC that puts customers at the forefront. But it is up to us to ensure the new direction stands a chance to change the playing field.

Federal government announces $1.7 billion investment for high-speed Internet, but questions as to implementation remain
The new coordinated broadband fund is a critical commitment from the government, but missing details on the implementation of the plan leave doubt as to how far this promise will go.

Our submission to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Act review is in — thanks for speaking out!
We submitted our views to the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Act review on behalf of the OpenMedia community to foster an open and innovative Internet in Canada. Thank you for adding your voices!

Together We Accomplished a Lot: 2018 Year in Review
As the new year begins we look back at everything we’ve accomplished together in 2018 for online access, privacy and free expression. None of this would have been possible without our amazing community — THANK YOU!

Canadians’ mobile data usage slow to increase, while Big Telecom’s revenues continue to grow
CRTC’s annual report shows that data usage serves the greatest revenue growth for Bell, Telus and Rogers

CRTC’s wireless affordability decision will further Canada’s digital divide
Today’s decision on low-cost data-only plans treats those who need affordable plans as second-class citizens.

The Future of Canada’s Internet Is In Our Hands
Our best chance in decades to put the public interest at the heart of the laws that govern Canada’s Internet is here. This is how we seize it.

Minister Bains: Enough talk, bring MVNOs to Canada and lower our cell phone bills
Minister Bains' response to lower our cell bills leaves much to be desired. So with your help, we ramped up our efforts to put pressure on the Minister to walk the talk by putting bus stop ads in Ottawa. Check them out and thank you for your support!

CRTC report reveals low-income Canadians spending up to 8% of monthly income on communications services
Lower cost options are desperately needed to ensure that people are not left behind

It’s time to bring Canada’s wireless market out of the Stone Age — here’s how
Why do people in Canada still pay some of the most expensive cell phone bills in the industrialized world? Here's how it all went down, where we are now, and where to next:

I was worried. Now, I’m filled with gratitude.
Your support fuels our work and the people who are behind it. Thank you so much!

‘Connecting Families’ is the very least big telecom could do
Low-income affordability plan is a welcome step forward, but leaves too many homes behind.

The Big Three’s ‘low cost’ data plans are a bad joke
Half a gigabyte of data for $30 per month won't make the cut for people who are struggling to pay for their cell phone bills (if they can afford a phone at all) and are increasingly hungry for data.

Net Neutrality and affordability at the heart of the Canadian Telecom Act review
Questions about funding Canadian Content leave the Internet Tax problematically on the table in the Broadcast Act review
Internet Tax proposed by CRTC would raise cost of online access for everyone in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly, and 70% of Canadians have all said no to an Internet Tax that would raise monthly bills, deepen digital divide, and force vulnerable Canadians offline

Here’s what happened when we met with Minister Bains
Our Executive Director, Laura Tribe, met with Minister of Innovation Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, to deliver your voices and talk about the future of Canada’s Internet. Here’s the rundown:

We’re meeting with Minister Bains and want to take your voices with us — what should we tell him?
Next week our Executive Director, Laura Tribe, is meeting in person with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development to talk about Canada’s broken wireless market and the need for a national broadband strategy. Tell us what you want us to tell him!

Critics call Big Telecom’s low data plans ‘embarrassing’
"It's embarrassing and quite frankly it's rude to think that these are functional plans,"

CRTC failed Canadians, again. Over to you, Minister Bains
Last week the CRTC shut the door on an opportunity to bring Canadians more mobile choices and lower prices. So we are looking to Minister Navdeep Bains to step in and help affect change.
CRTC rejects opportunity to bring increased competition to Canada’s wireless market
All eyes turn to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains to address affordability with wholesale mobile access and mandate set-rates for MVNOs

Lower cell phone bills are about more than affordability. They help to bridge the digital divide
The need for affordable cellphone plans in Canada is essential to bridge the digital divide and provide more Canadians with the array of socio-economic benefits the Internet affords.
OpenMedia works to keep the Internet open, affordable, and surveillance-free. We create community-driven campaigns to engage, educate, and empower people to safeguard the Internet. Take action now
View all campaigns