Groups Ask CRTC for Public Proceeding Examining P2P Throttling

Issue Goes Well Beyond Current Dispute Involving CAIP and Bell

July 3, 2008

The Campaign for Democratic Media (CDM) today called upon the CRTC to initiate a public proceeding to examine the discriminatory traffic-shaping policies of Canada’s facilities-based Internet Service Providers. CDM issued the call in a submission to the CRTC in support of the Canadian Alliance of Internet Service Provider’s (CAIP) application to have Bell cease and desist from its throttling of P2P internet traffic.

“P2P applications are an emerging and important form of telecommunications. In fact, their efficiency and adaptability mean that they may become the dominant means of communication in the future,” states CDM’s submission.

“As a technology still in its relative infancy, it is unclear what innovative and essential applications P2P protocols may eventually facilitate,” the submission continues. “Should the Commission countenance Bell’s current approach to traffic-shaping, it will effectively place Bell and other incumbent carriers in a position to decide which of the new and constantly emerging applications will receive widespread uptake.”

CDM is gravely concerned by the widespread throttling of Canadians’ internet traffic. As indicated by Rogers’ recent admission that it throttles P2P traffic, the current proceedings before the CRTC will not fully address the problem. Considering the important privacy, competition, consumer choice, freedom of expression and innovation issues raised by these practices CDM believes that the CRTC must initiate a thorough and transparent public proceeding to examine traffic-shaping.

CDM and the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) have created a wiki designed to build public knowledge around the diverse and growing uses of P2P technology.

CDM submission: www.cippic.ca or www.democraticmedia.ca

Wiki of P2P uses: http://p2peducation.pbwiki.com/.

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For further information contact:

Steve Anderson, CDM National Coordinator at (604) 837-5730 or stephenaATsfu.ca

or

Nick Dodd, CIPPIC Intern at (613) 562-5800 x.2553 or ndoddATcippic.ca

Robert Hester, CIPPIC Intern at (613) 562-5800 x.2553 or rhesterATcippic.ca

Campaign for Democratic Media! is a national, non-profit, non-partisan media reform network working to increase informed public participation in Canadian media policy formation. They strive to generate policies that will produce a more competitive diverse and public service-oriented, media system with a strong non-profit and non-commercial sector.