Submission + - Candian ISPs Can Legally Shape Traffic (theglobeandmail.com)
afiske writes: The Globe and Mail reports that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decided today to allow internet service providers to engage in traffic shaping. From the article:
"In its ruling the CRTC said home customers will have to be told 30 days in advance if their service provider is going to use some form of traffic management, and how it will affect their service. Wholesale customers – such as smaller service providers – must get 60 days notice. The regulator said preference should be given to 'economic' measures, such as charging more for higher bandwidth, or giving discounts in off-peak hours. These are more transparent and allow customers to make informed decisions, the CRTC said. The commission said the ruling 'appropriately balances the freedom of Canadians to use the Internet for various purposes with the legitimate interests of ISPs to manage the traffic thus generated on their networks....' Service providers will be able to put traffic management practices in place on retail services without the commission's approval, but if wholesale customers are treated in a more restrictive way than home clients, the CRTC must be asked in advance. The commission noted that service providers can only block content or slow down time-sensitive traffic, such as video-conferencing, with its approval."
"In its ruling the CRTC said home customers will have to be told 30 days in advance if their service provider is going to use some form of traffic management, and how it will affect their service. Wholesale customers – such as smaller service providers – must get 60 days notice. The regulator said preference should be given to 'economic' measures, such as charging more for higher bandwidth, or giving discounts in off-peak hours. These are more transparent and allow customers to make informed decisions, the CRTC said. The commission said the ruling 'appropriately balances the freedom of Canadians to use the Internet for various purposes with the legitimate interests of ISPs to manage the traffic thus generated on their networks....' Service providers will be able to put traffic management practices in place on retail services without the commission's approval, but if wholesale customers are treated in a more restrictive way than home clients, the CRTC must be asked in advance. The commission noted that service providers can only block content or slow down time-sensitive traffic, such as video-conferencing, with its approval."
