Last week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission made a ruling that could change the quality of every Canadian’s Internet connection. On the request of Rogers and Bell, the CRTC allowed Internet service providers to “shape” Internet traffic through a process known as throttling. Throttling would allow ISPs to slow downloading through peer-to-peer file sharing, video streaming, and other high-bandwidth activities with only marginal oversight from the CRTC.
This decision, like so many others made at the highest echelons of our country, disproportionately affects students. As one of the most wired groups in Canada, university students tend to be the largest data consumers. Our computers have ceased being just word processors; they now function as a library, classroom, movie theatre, and television. We live in an age when global connections are necessary and crucial for higher education: journal articles need to be downloaded, online courses need to be streamed, and web-conferences need to take place. These new restrictions imposed by the CRTC will restrict students’ ability to fully utilize their learning capabilities.
The ruling threatens the central concept of net neutrality—an idea that seems to be in rapid decline in Canada. Net neutrality is the basic premise that all Internet traffic should be considered equal. Whether we like it or not, ISPs have gained control over when we can access the Internet, and at what speed. As a result of this new ruling, you may no longer be able to stream that 6 p.m. lecture at the cost or speed you’re used to. When ISPs are able to shape how people use the Internet, the net can no longer be considered neutral.
Throttling, in its basic form, shows that all Internet traffic is not created equal. Streaming of television shows or online classes will be relegated by acceptable, “throttled” Internet traffic, which will get full bandwidth.
My question is: why haven’t heavy data users, students among them, spoken out? Have we just accepted that Bell, Rogers, and the other ISPs get to increase our charges while minimizing our access? Have we decided that net neutrality doesn’t matter, and that we’re fine with being treated as second-class Internet users?
Here I thought neutrality meant unbiased usage, where according the CRTC and the ISPs, it means regulation. The telecommunication companies say this is only about ensuring better efficiency to their customers, but in reality, it creates two classes of users. Sadly enough, I, like many university students, will now be in the disadvantaged Internet user category, and there’s little that I can do about it. So download, stream, and be merry; for tomorrow we will be throttled.
