Olivia Chow Cares about Competitive Broadband
Today, I received an unexpected, but pleasant e-mail in my inbox. Looks like Olivia Chow read my somewhat automated e-mail from The Campaign for Competitive Broadband site and actually responded.
Herein lies the e-mail:
Dear Emma,
Thank you for your recent letter on sustaining broadband competition in Canada. It seems obvious that high-quality, affordable and across-the-board access to broadband internet is an important lynchpin in Canada’s innovation and technology agenda for the foreseeable future.
I agree with you that the presence of competition to provide broadband service plays a key role in the economy of tomorrow, and I believe that the policy direction of the federal government should be focussed on fostering as much competition as possible, not stifling it.
My caucus colleague, Charlie Angus, is the New Democrats’ Critic for Digital Issues. He has led the way in the House of Commons on internet-related files like this one. I’ve passed your letter along to him as well, so he can keep you up to date on our Party’s efforts on this file.
Thanks again for taking the time to bring this important issue to my attention.
Sincerely,
Olivia Chow, MP
Trinity-Spadina
This line in particular made me happy: “I believe that the policy direction of the federal government should be focussed on fostering as much competition as possible, not stifling it.”
I truly hope this isn’t just lip service and that Olivia Chow truly means that. It would give me a little, juuuust a little hope, that perhaps people up on that hill in Ottawa are listening to us.
(I also learned that focussed is a correct – and Canadian! – way of spelling ‘focused’ – who knew?!)
This e-mail was hot on the heels of an article in the Globe and Mail yesterday on discussions in the U.S. on net neutrality and how it could impact Canada. An excerpt:
“In light of what we’ve seen today, [the CRTC ruling] will be particularly telling because the benchmark now isn’t just what the CRTC heard during this hearing, the benchmark now is our neighbours to the south,” Prof. Geist said. “The CRTC will in many ways be measured up against what the FCC is doing in the U.S.”
If the CRTC is going to be socially measured, especially against the FCC (which has Obama’s backing of the idea of net neutrality), this might be the push the CRTC needs to make a long-awaited and long-overdue fair and honest ruling on the idea of ISP throttling.
As I’ve said before, I really don’t believe protests work or that the government really listens to us minions but these two items? Might have given my wee little cynical heart a little hope.
It’s not much. But it’s something.
dearest emma, my beloved cynical roommate,
protests do often work, as does voting. it is most certainly a slow and painful process BUT shouting and voting have on occasion elicited change. case in point: women can vote, schools are no longer segregated, barack obama is president, gay couples can marry in canada, we can all have free abortions! hurray!
so perhaps in spite of your cynicism you can recruit more minions and we can all holler and complain and write angry blog posts enough that one day, maybe one day, bell and rogers will actually have to become competitive, and stop being suck jerks.
dare to dream my friend!
so holler on, even if you don’t think it will work, holler on!
as ever your optimistic – blind faith in the universe – roomie,
maggie xoxo
dearest emma, my beloved cynical roommate,
protests do often work, as does voting. it is most certainly a slow and painful process BUT shouting and voting have on occasion elicited change. case in point: women can vote, schools are no longer segregated, barack obama is president, gay couples can marry in canada, we can all have free abortions! hurray!
so perhaps in spite of your cynicism you can recruit more minions and we can all holler and complain and write angry blog posts enough that one day, maybe one day, bell and rogers will actually have to become competitive, and stop being suck jerks.
dare to dream my friend!
so holler on, even if you don’t think it will work, holler on!
as ever your optimistic – blind faith in the universe – roomie,
maggie xoxo
What’s really funny is that I RECEIVED THIS EXACT SAME EMAIL from Olivia hahaha
Who’s automating who now, Emma?
What’s really funny is that I RECEIVED THIS EXACT SAME EMAIL from Olivia hahaha
Who’s automating who now, Emma?
Well, Kyle, I totally expected that. Imagine how many times she gets contact from us plebes!
The thing is: at one point, she actually WROTE THIS ORIGINAL PIECE.
That’s all that matters to me.
Well, Kyle, I totally expected that. Imagine how many times she gets contact from us plebes!
The thing is: at one point, she actually WROTE THIS ORIGINAL PIECE.
That’s all that matters to me.
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