Bell Mobility is taking Canadians to court so it can keep artificially inflating the price of competing apps and services

In an effort to make Internet services more like cable TV, Bell is trying to overturn a CRTC decision forcing the company to respect net neutrality and treat independent video services fairly on their network

Commenting on the case, OpenMedia Campaigns Manager Josh Tabish had this to say: “It took over a year of unpaid hard work from citizens like Ben Klass to convince policy-makers that Bell should not be allowed to artificially inflate the price of competing apps and services. And now, instead of listening to Canadians and the CRTC, Bell is dragging the little guy to court so they can regain the power to markup independent services like Netflix by up to 800%.”

Tabish continued: “Bell is doing everything in its power to make the Internet more like cable TV. They want the power to pick and choose what we see by forcing competing services into a more expensive toll lane online. Immediate action is needed to stop these discriminatory practices, and move us in a direction that improves choice – that means splitting network infrastructure off from the telecom giants to create a level playing field. Over 30,000 Canadians have called for exactly this, and we delivered their message to the CRTC back in December.”

Last January, OpenMedia and experts at The Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) supported Mr. Klass’ complaint by filing an official intervention into the proceeding. More recently, the community-backed organization took the detailed input of over 30,000 Canadians to the CRTC, urging them to take bold steps toward opening Canada’s networks and ensuring we have access to a wide range of affordable, independent Internet services.

Canadians have been asking that the CRTC compel Canada’s mobile phone and Internet giants to treat all apps and services equally at https://UnblockCanada.ca

About OpenMedia

OpenMedia is an award-winning community-based organization that safeguards the possibilities of the open Internet. We work toward informed and participatory digital policy by engaging hundreds of thousands of people in protecting our online rights.

Through campaigns such as StopTheMeter.ca and StopSpying.ca, OpenMedia has engaged over half-a-million Canadians, and has influenced public policy and federal law.

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Contact

Josh Tabish

Campaigns Manager, OpenMedia.ca

1-778-990-1218

[email protected]