Help to keep broadband competitive in Canada.

Earlier today, I received an email from my ISP (Internet Service Provider) TekSavvy Solutions Inc. . In short, it states that the CRTC recently made an interim decision that would likely cause all wholesale ISPs to go out of business. This would leave us with only Telus and Shaw in B.C. and Alberta, Bell and Rogers/Cogeco in Ontario, and Bell and Videotron/Cogeco in Quebec.

With no competition, they would be able to use DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) to detect the sites you view and create direct advertising in your browser based on your site views and file downloads. Using these same technologies, they could also turn the internet into a pay-per-website service similar to how you pay for different TV channels.

Go to the website mentioned within their email to send a message via email to Industry Minister Tony Clement, Prime Minister Harper, Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff, and your MP. The website describes the issue in a nutshell, and gives multiple reasons why cabinet should reverse the decision.

See the body of the email after the jump.

Hello,

We need your help -- we need you to lend us your voice and state your opinion on a recent CRTC decision that could allow the incumbent phone companies (such as Bell and Telus) to discontinue offering services (Internet and phone) to wholesale providers which in effect would eliminate competition in Canada.

With no competition to help fuel the market; Internet innovation could come to stand still and prices for broadband access could skyrocket out of control.  The incumbents would also be free to do with the lines as they please.  This would open up future privacy invading Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technologies and direct marketing/advertising based on *you* and *your families* internet activities and habits.

They could also use this same technology to turn the Internet into a pay-per-website service the same way that TV is a pay-per-channel service. Can you imagine a world where you have to pay to use the Google website to search for information?  Then, if you find what you are looking for you may be restricted to the content because your ISP doesn't have a "peering" agreement with said company.

Please help us stop this major potential catastrophe.

All concerned consumers please visit:
http://www.competitivebroadband.com/consumer/

All concerned businesses please visit:
http://www.competitivebroadband.com

Read the information presented and decide for yourself.

Once you've decided what you think is right, you can click the "Make a Difference" link, fill out the form with your details and send a pre-written message to Minister of Industry Tony Clement, Prime Minister Harper, the Opposition Leader, and your local MP or choose to write your own.

Together we can make a difference.
Thank you,
TekSavvy Solutions, Inc.