Globe: BCE put on hot seat at hearing on Web pricing

By Iain Marlow for The Globe And Mail

The country’s telecom regulator has cast doubt on BCE Inc.’s (BCE-T38.240.491.30%)argument that fast-growing Web traffic requires new usage-based pricing measures, setting the tone for regulatory hearings that will help shape the future of Internet pricing in Canada.

At the same time, critics say the entire regulatory exercise misses the essential point: That Canada’s strict Internet download limits are the real problem for consumers and threaten innovation in an increasingly digital economy.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ordered the hearings after intense public outrage greeted the agency’s approval of a previous proposal from BCE Inc. That would have allowed the company to tack on additional charges for smaller Internet providers that lease space on Bell’s massive network to offer Internet plans with much larger download limits than their larger rival. Read more »

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