I am writing to express my disagreement with the proposed change of Internet billing that was introduced by the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Committee (CRTC) in May 2010. It is my firm belief that implementing the usage-based billing (UBB) will be harmful to Canadian society in various aspects. The one I find particularly disturbing is the deepening of the “digital divide” between Canadians of differing means.

Capping and metering the Internet will undoubtedly lead to an increase of the overall cost of Internet access for end users, thereby deepening the divide between who can and cannot participate online in Canadian society.

Not only is such a step contrary to the CRTC’s broadband accessibility mandate, it also seems somewhat backward to limit our use of Internet while we witness the ever expanding range of online services.

Whereas big Internet providers argue that usage-based billing essentially means treating all costumers equally, we must acknowledge that increasing Internet fees will widen the group of Canadians, for whom the Internet is an expensive, unaffordable commodity. And since we can hardly argue against the educational and innovative value of Internet, the danger of deepening digital divide emerges.

Regarding the Internet as a regular utility is favourable for big corporations that will profit from implementing the usage-based billing. We need to recognize that such a perspective is misleading, since the Internet does not have limits in the same way water supply does. Citizens with low income will be forced to limit their use of Internet, which can have an undesirable effect on the development of our society as a whole. This is a chance for Canadians to fight for unmetered Internet and make their own decisions. I encourage everyone to sign the Stop the Meter petition at http://stopthemeter.ca.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Stop the Meter campaign, and why it is wrong to bring in User Based Billing to Canada.