Internet Usage Caps

 I just found out that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) just allowed internet service providers to charge $1 for every GB used over 25 GB per month. They say that it is to limit people who use tons of bandwidth. This is stupid because:

1. It costs providers one cent per GB. They'd make 99 cents to each extra dollar.

2. What about public libraries? A library's public wi-fi certainly uses more than 25GB per month, and I doubt libraries could afford those kinds of costs. Schools too, for that matter.

3. From an environmental standpoint, it will set back environmental programs that are doing well right now, like online textbooks and marking through the internet, that save a lot of trees from being cut down. 

4. There are many charitable organisations who use the internet as their primary way of advertising because they can afford it. It becomes less affordable when people must use up their valuable bytes to learn more about them. 

Of course, there would be even more results, but a lot have to do with things I don't know anything about,  like Canada's digital competitiveness (I just read that phrase on the petition site for the issue.) We can't even boycott these providers, because these providers are virtually every major phone and internet company. Boycotting them would mean losing TV and phone service as well, because these are usually sold in packages. Canadians have until March, and until then we'll be protesting. 

Thank you, I needed a rant.

<3 Gabi

Socks today: Well, I'm actually not wearing right now, but I should go put my new slipper-socks on. They're striped and fuzzy.