Internet policy review threatens higher cable bills
By Deirdre McMurdy, Sympatico / MSN Finance
The federal broadcast regulator has launched extensive hearings that explore whether the internet has become another channel for broadcasting and need to have its own Canadian content rules and other guidelines for its future evolution.
It all sounds sufficiently high concept and non-threatening, but for consumers - specifically the millions of cable customers in Canada - this process has a potentially pricey outcome: if a tax is imposed on cable companies to help pay for the production of new Canadian content, that will almost certainly be passed along to end users. That means internet access will become more expensive at a time when few households are able to pay more for anything.
That sort of economic hurdle is all the more problematic in light of the fact that in the last budget, the federal government earmarked $225 million to expand broadband capability to under-served areas, especially in rural regions of the country.
Exercises in policy contemplation may be commendable in principle, but given the financial distress of broadcasters (who have been hard hit by a collapse in advertising sales) and the tough times most Canadians are now facing in making ends meet, now may not be the time to indulge intellectual curiosity - or to charge higher fees on what has become an essential service.
Posted by: Diane | Feb 17, 2022 8:06:27 PM
No way should the internet be considered a broadcasting channel. There are too many other types of information to be found on the net. It should be left as world wide and open to anyone, anywhere. If national broadcasting regulators become involved (Canada or otherwise), the freedom of the net will be severely compromised. Even for personal use, it has become an essential service, not to mention the businesses that use the net to communicate with their offices.
Leave the internet alone! Don't turn it into another tax grab.
Posted by: wtf | Feb 18, 2022 12:39:43 PM
r u kidding me, big brother wants to impose a new tax grab, and regulate
our lives some more, when are we as canadians going to say that is enough already
and we think russia,cuba are communist states
Posted by: malarkey | Feb 18, 2022 4:21:54 PM
familiar equation these days.........take freedom away and charge more....
hey, doesn't china control the internet?
doesn't the gov't decide what a person can or can't see/read?
or witness? or research?
or report? or say?
and so, to some degree....think?
this is the ONE real reason why the internet is so popular.....it's OURS.
all other media is owned and used by gov't/corps who use those mediums for their purposes (sales, opinion steering, sales,sales, sales. did i mention sales?).
suppose it was only a matter of time before 'they' showed up at the party and the party ended.
Posted by: SP | Feb 19, 2022 9:48:08 AM
Canadian content on the internet? Well if that is the case we can quit funding Canadian Arts for the next 50 years. Seeing as there are about 2-6 Billion people in the world who have nothing on the internet the 30 million Canadians are grossly over represented on the internet.
So... we should get a tax refund right? I mean, the good Canadian artists are able to generate audiences who are willing and happy to help make them rich. Crappy Canadian artists are a dime a dozen and are constantly whining for Government welfare..err..."Arts Grants!"
Posted by: doc9 | Feb 19, 2022 12:16:19 PM
we are canadains what we dislike doesn,t matter goverment rough shod,s over our lives we will be sure they will find a way
Posted by: daytimedolphin | Feb 20, 2022 10:19:16 AM
Well there you go if you whine loud enough you get your way. It is bad enough we working poor can hardly afford the internet now what make them think that we would like to see crap on the internet. I thought this was a free country, I thought we could watch and surf when ever we like. Canadian broadcasting sucks anyways, and us rural residence we can't get high speed, and with the money that is suppose to go for that horse crap.
Thank you
Posted by: rae | Feb 22, 2022 8:16:29 AM
it's just the Governement wanting to steal more money off us again. Hey why don't the Government make people that want kids get a kid licence, you need a marriage licence why not a kid licence and also a relationship licence incase you might want to date someone. The kid licence has to be renewed and the older the kid gets the more you have to pay. GST and PST TAXES don't forget because it's a service that the Communist Canadian Government allow you the honour to live in THEIR country. Canada SUCKS
Posted by: vic | Feb 22, 2022 10:14:17 AM
The reason the internet runs as well as it does is simple the Gov. is not involved.If they get their fingers and minds to work we all know what the end results will be. Gov. you are not wanted nor needed stay out!!!
Posted by: rae | Mar 4, 2022 8:17:03 AM
simple solution. cancel the internet and go back to the way life was before we had it. Your kids will have to have an imagination once again. You won't be stuck chatting endless hours online and the perverts, scammers and thieves will lose more potential victims.
Posted by: rae | Mar 4, 2022 8:29:00 AM
this is not a free country. Whatever idiots thinks that just look at your tax deductions on your pay check if you actually work. Then all the other taxes on top of more taxes like the new personal car and truck tax an extra 60 dollars which makes your car sticker 134.00. The government got away from new licence plates so they can charge you more. Canada is worse than communism, freedoms are vastly disappearing and we are being robbed daily by corperations and the expected to bail out loser companies that have already robbed us blind. Canada is vast becoming a third world country and good luck to you if you can make it here. It's a fiflty, unsafe and poorly run country by government criminals who have the nerver too call themsleves honorable. Thier disgusting, ignorant and don't care about the citizens or the country.