Canada’s costly Internet access a ‘violation’
By Jared Clinton
When it comes to Internet access, Canadians aren’t getting the bang for their buck when compared to countries of similar economic standing.
Canadian Internet access is, “almost a human rights violation,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos told reporters during a September Merrill Lynch Media, Communications and Entertainment conference in Los Angeles .
“Canada does pay some of the highest prices for some of the worst Internet (access) in the industrialized world,” said Lindsey Pinto, the communications manager for OpenMedia.ca, a company working towards affordable Internet service for all Canadians.
Canadians see some of the steepest pricing in bandwidth overages and can face throttling – a process in which Internet providers control the speed of a user’s Internet.
Pinto said “big telecom” has a “strong ability to price gouge” because with little competition, they can afford to.
Jared P.D. Clinton 