www.ubb.evil

Just like how the snake ruined the day of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, some groups of people are causing heavy rain on our parade in the world wide web. The same smart fellas who became filthy rich charging us a bundle for home phone, cable, cell phones, and other wireless services have staked their claim in the world wide web. They already started in Canada.

CRTC, the commission that regulates radio, television, and telecommunications, recently allowed Bell, Rogers, and Telus to charge its internet broadband customers like me through "Usage Based Billing" or UBB.

It all began with the ramblings about "Net Neutrality." Just exactly what is meant by it?  For someone who knows little about how the world wide web is managed, I just got more confused after googling it.  Luckily, my nephew in New York is one of the coolest geeks in the industry.

In layman's language, he explained. "Today, no matter how you use the internet, it all costs the same and is delivered at the same rate--that is to say, as fast as the network can handle, given how everyone else is using it. When you check your email, Facebook, or watch videos, it's all the same. This is what is meant by Net Neutrality. Two kinds of parties are interested in changing the rules around it."  He was pertaining to the internet providers like Bell, and content providers like CNN.

What they are saying now is that with the growing traffic in the world wide web, these internet providers will be forced to start directing them.  You know what will happen if they are left to their own evil designs. They just might end up giving the fast lane to the other people with deep pockets like CNN. It's either we pay up more or we lose our equal chances in the world wide web.

"As far as I am concerned I have lost a job that I love due to the CRTC allowing the internet service providers to screw me," says Spencer Hart of Deadline Media. He makes commercials and short films in Lethbridge, Alberta. His business makes him a heavy internet user, distributing his product on-line and communicating with clients over the internet as well.  Hart was paying $56 a month for internet, then his provider called to say that with the new system he'll be paying $600.

Adding insult to injury, they say that it does not even cost 2 cents per gigabyte for the ISP's. In my case, I pay Bell $45 a month for a plan that includes 2 GB.  Every freaking GB over this will cost me $2.50. How much more money do they need?

Please register your name to petition for the removal of Usage Based Billing in Canada - STOP THE METER

To the rest of the world, get involved with the issue of Net Neutrality.