No More Unlimited Internet Plans For Canada

I thought it was a joke, but no, it is now impossible get unlimited internet access in Canada.

The Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced it, and now there’s no more unlimited access unless overturned by the government.

Instead of delving into the arguments (I’ll link to the Vancouver Sun article at the bottom of this post.) I would like share my thoughts on the effect this could have and what you should do now.

Canada is one of the most connected countries in the world and for some reason way behind when it comes to business over Internet. Want to shop clothes online? Most clothing stores’ sites don’t service Canada. Are you an online affiliate? If you’re successful, you’re probably in the US, and so on.

If you’re in the online business, you just know Canada is like a giant baby. Decisions like these are the ones that make it a hassle for things to evolve online here.

Netflix, a service where you can download movies by monthly subscription, just entered Canada.  BAM! CRTC with a flurry to the solarplexes. What the heck?!

Imagine behavior once you know Internet is limited… And perhaps this is the future. But we can’t force this evolution from Canada’s standpoint. The US, UK, France, Venezuela, Mexico, they all have unlimited Internet access plans and seem to be doing alright. Beyond that, they’re setting expectations businesses and consumers look for – but not in Canada

What to do now?

Contact your politician of choice ask them to revise this decision. I’ll just Tweet Stephen Harper…

Vancouver Sun Article: Usage-based Internet billing: how it works, what it costs

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