Bell plays favourites and Europe aims to improve broadband

Bell users in Quebec apparently enjoy more than double the amount of bandwidth usage allowance than those in Ontario.

A Broadband Reports reader points out the dramatic difference between the Bell Essential Plus plan offered in Quebec and Ontario. In addition to a better and lower price, Quebec users enjoy a 60 gig bandwidth allowance per month with their plan, while Ontario users get a relatively measly 25gig allowance. Click here to view the comparison between Bell’s “arbitrary Internet Overcharging schemes…in North America.”

In other parts of the world, we are witnessing progress in broadband development. In only one year, broadband speeds in Europe have risen drastically from 2009. In 2010, 29% of its broadband lines ran at 10Mbps or more. Last year, only 15% could run at that speed.

"Fast broadband is digital oxygen, essential for Europe's prosperity and well-being...but we need to do more to reach our very fast broadband targets." said Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda.

Europe is facing a rising rate of broadband users but a small percentage of high-speed broadband lines. Currently, only 5% of its current broadband lines can run at 30mps and only 0.5% at 100Mbps or higher.

The EC is setting out to provide every European citizen access to a speed of 30Mbps or more by the year 2020 and half of its 220 million households in the region access to 100mbps broadband.

Read more about the Europe Commission's Digital Agenda.

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