This action alert is re-purposed from: The CRTC Should Stop Internet Gatekeepers

In the coming days the federal communications regulator will issue a landmark ruling that has huge implications for Canadians’ access to the Internet. The CRTC decision will determine whether Bell and other big telecoms can continue to “throttle” Internet service. Please take a few seconds to tell the CRTC to stop Internet throttling. Your voice could be the deciding factor!

The commissioners have already twice delayed releasing their ruling, suggesting that they are struggling to make a decision. We need to make it very clear to the CRTC which side the Canadian public is on. Find out how to help at: http://saveournet.ca/content/take-action.

Tell the CRTC to stop Internet throttling now!

The menace of Net Neutrality pops into the mainstream news from time to time but, unless you are an hyper-informed citizen or public policy wonk, 'tis a bit hard to grok the issues which manage to get some pundits very worked up.

Part of the comprehension conundrum is caused by the inter-disciplinary nature of the issue which mixes free/controlled market economics, Internet routing protocols, monopolies and (lack of) competition and the tension of public vs. corporate (Telco) investment in the "last mile" technology which delivers your internet.

The confusing nature, and the difficulty of framing the argument to maintain status quo (sort of anyhow), results in many stakeholders tacitly ignoring the issue and hoping the Telcos/cable companies will simply "do what's best" for the consumer.

A few months back at Vidfest 2008 in Vancouver, I attended a panel about Net Neutrality presented by Jason Roks, Steven Andersen and Kris Krug surfing along to the discourse with relevant sites to add depth to the conversation. From the questions from the audience, it is a clear that most people do not understand the issue and, as a result, the big firms (Telus, Bell, Rogers) have the public by the IPs so to speak. Afterwards, over beers, we discussed the need for a Common Craft video to explain the issue ;-).

At first glance, one could think that the Telcos/cable companies have a right to "protect" - meaning shape, mold, direct the bits traveling via "their" network - however they choose. Also, one can assume that the policies of traffic shaping only affect a small, rogue-ish segment of Internet users. I find both of these assumptions to be misleading and beneficial to the conglomerates who seek to control the public's Internet access patterns.

As a supporter of extending the benefits of free market economics and democracy to all segments of the population, and harbouring a disdain for the scant choices for the "last mile" access, I've assembled a primer of talking points, web links, campaign logos, and miscellanea as a starting point to get educated about this topic.

First off, ... to explain the crux of the concern from my vantage point:

Consumers have little or no choice when choosing access providers carrying IP traffic to the home - usually only the incumbent rights-holding phone and cable company. (Some of) these de facto monopolies are, or aim to, unilaterally decide which traffic is prioritized on their network for delivery to you.

The Telcos decisions could be based on technical issues (i.e. hyperbolic concerns over peer to peer sharing), or other insidious reasons including censoring of controversial content, and directing traffic towards paid advertisers and payola-paying business partners rather than immediate delivery of the customer's desired content.

Consumers need marketplace choice, some degree of Telco company policy transparency, and the ability to access the essential public resource of the Internet without hinderance.

Chime in with a comment if there is a great resource to add to the mix, or with your way of explaining this complicated issue in plain-ish English.

Spreading the word

The 2008 Media Democracy Day event in Vancouver is Oct. 25th 2008 and features a batch of excellent panels and noteworthy speakers headlined by Rex Wyler, co-founder of Greenpeace.

With many critical issues affecting net users and publishers, the Media Democracy event will address copyright in flux, open access to the Internet, and the tension between mainstream and independent and grassroots media.

Raincity Studios' CEO Robert Scales is joining Leslie Shade – Associate Professor Concordia University, Jeff Davis - Vancouver Open Network Initiative Cooperative, Mike Tippet – Co-founder of NowPublic to discuss "The Battle for New Media and Open Communication" at 3:15 ~ 4:30.

Net Neutrality is a *big* topic which will be addressed more in a primer post next week but in the meantime, check out this interview by Nicole Scott with Kris Krug on bnetTV.com. Kris offers some savvy suggestions about how to "frame" the conversation about net neutrality by emphasizing digital human rights in Canada with a suite of progressive policies towards access, privacy and competition.

VIDFest is Vancouver's International Fest for all things around the new and interactive media space and is produced by New Media BC and Telefilm.

KK is on duty as a poster boy for the event - his hoodie sweatshirt and scruffy face adorning magazine ads throughout Cascadia and the event kicking off next week, so here's a quick guide to get you up to speed.

First, be sure you are subscribed to the VIDFest RSS feed and friend up the VIDFest Flickr photostream.

There are several parts to the May 21-24th event - well really, 11 parts when combined with the two-day Vancouver International Game Summit 2008. Here's the official blurb:

VIDFEST is eleven events over four days, including conferences, an awards gala, an international partnering forum, a pitch fest, and a recruiting fair.