The NDP became the last of the major parties to release its platform [pdf, 1.1MB] and its digital policy certainly differentiates it from the rest. It sets out 6 points:
- We will apply the proceeds from the advanced wireless spectrum auction to ensure all Canadians, no matter where they live, will have quality high-speed broadband internet access;
- We will expect the major internet carriers to contribute financially to this goal;
- We will rescind the 2006 Conservative industry-oriented directive to the CRTC and direct the regulator to stand up for the public interest, not just the major telecommunications companies;
- We will enshrine “net neutrality” in law, end price gouging and “net throttling,” with clear rules for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), enforced by the CRTC;
- We will prohibit all forms of usage-based billing (UBB) by Internet Service Providers (ISPs);
- We will introduce a bill on copyright reform to ensure that Canada complies with its international treaty obligations, while balancing consumers’ and creators’ rights.
Further, under the heading of Home-grown Film and TV Production, there are 4 additional points, including preservation of foreign ownership restrictions:
- We will ensure Canadian TV and telecom networks remain Canadian-owned by maintaining effective regulations on foreign ownership;
- We will re-focus the mandate of the CRTC to promote and protect Canadian cultural industries;
- We will provide sustained funding for the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, enhance federal film incentives and develop a targeted strategy for the promotion of domestic films in Canada;
- We will set license requirements for broadcasters based on clear, binding and enforced performance standards for broadcasters, including increased Canadian drama.
What does this mean in practice? Under an NDP government, there could be a new internet services tax – internet service providers will be taxed to fund some kind of universal broadband services fund, meaning consumer prices will go up. The NDP will regulate internet business models, by prohibiting “all forms of usage-based billing”.
Should I be troubled by the NDP confusing the AWS and 700 MHz spectrum bands? For $4B, you would think the party would learn a little bit of jargon.
Your perspectives?
Mark I think the focus of any government wrt a digital policy should focus heavily on competition. If the NDP focuses their regulation on competition, then I agree with it.
With UBB or AVP being forced down the throats of indy ISP’s and backed by the CRTC, the playing field is not fair therefore it’s not quite a free market.
Competition is the answer.
I like some of the proposals. In the end, we will pay to someone, our own ISP, or the global *tax*. Better to pay for all, than just to some. I support the copyright actions, Canada is a tad lax on enforcing them, and I know whole DJ companies that operate on Illegal downloads, thus creating problems for honest business that are struggling to match price/competitiveness.
I don’t like that the ISP market is held by only a few large competitors. While I hate mine, I won’t switch because the only reasonable competition isn’t much better, or lacks the services I use.
On the *bottom line*, I don’t feel that any Gov Promise will be upheld, so the Shiny New NDP policy will be forgotten in no time, like all other compaign promises. But the Internet is a good *hot button* for Political action. I see services in the US for $19 that cost me $45 in Canada. I also see major players controlling the market and I would like to see some control taken away from them.
I am not an authority on the subject, just like UBB, but follow closely Mark’s blogs and Tweets on the subject (treating him as the *Subject Matter Expert*). I can have opinions, that may not be objective at all, but even with Facts, people still believe what they will, and will oppose things blindly anyway.
/blogoff
Wow, tackling a lot of the right issues while somehow entirely missing the point of all of them.
Terribly over-prescriptive remedies being proposed. Prohibit #UBB entirely, wtf?! There was never anything wrong with #UBB. The *principle* at stake was the big ISPs abusing dominant control of the network to inhibit emerging innovation and competition. Excessive use of #UBB was one way to do that but there are many others. By banning #UBB the NDP is doing nothing to address the core issues while simultaneously banning a perfectly good business practice (when not used to excess).
What we don’t want don’t want to encourage from a regulatory perspective is #UBB with high and sharp marginal cost discontinuities designed to cap consumer and business network usage so that ISPs can avoid investing in incremental infrastructure.
What we *should* actively encourage is #UBB a reasonably low rate (and should be declining over time with moores law) that actually aligns the incentives of ISP and user to flow as many bits through the network as possible.
In other words, what we want to see are volume-based business models rather than penalty-fee based business models from ISPs. Even though both are technically usage based in their billing.
But subtleties like these seem to be lost on everyone. Is it really that subtle?
Sounds good…
If my bill is gonna be $60 for 60GB either way, I’d rather most of the money go to the government than to big ISPs that would just end up eating it.
I doubt they’d put a 100% tax on it. Plus, once the government finds out the REAL cost of a GB, the general public would satisfied. The UBB/AVP/Cost-per-Click schemes would end up in the history books.
One of the problems that always gets ignored in terms of a digital content strategy is how to stimulate Canadian cultural industries on the one hand(good) and promote open access to the Internet in general(good) when OTT services like Netflix poses serious threats to the achievement of these goals. Why? Because Netflix and others will pursue north American rights to broadcast content and that undermines the Canadian rights that Canadian cultural industries rely on to pay the rent. Not taking a side in particular, just noting debate gets difficult once we move past generalities. Unfortunately politicians like to support both sides of this debate, which is nice, but ultimately does not address a very difficult policy issue.
“What does this mean in practice? Under an NDP government, there could be a new internet services tax – internet service providers will be taxed to fund some kind of universal broadband services fund,”
Where did you read that in the platform? Did you just come to your own conclusion about this?
The plank: “We will expect the major internet carriers to contribute financially to this goal” is what I read as a tax on internet.
Also likely an increased tax on cable systems and other BDUs, and on over-the-top video if the CRTC can manage it:
“We will provide sustained funding for the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada, enhance federal film incentives and develop a targeted strategy for the promotion of domestic films in Canada”
Mark,
In that context, I can conclude from the below statement that it would bring ISP prices down significantly, correct?
“We will enshrine “net neutrality” in law, end price gouging and “net throttling,” with clear rules for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), enforced by the CRTC;”