CANADA

Proposed bill would force internet providers to disclose download speeds during peak periods

Story by Ryan Tumilty • 

OTTAWA — Canadians could soon get a clearer picture of the gap between the promise and the reality of their internet service, through a private member’s bill moving through the House of Common with all-party support.


Cables connected to an internet server supply an office Thursday, September 10, 2020 in Belleville, Ont.© Provided by National Post

Conservative MP Dan Mazier introduced the bill earlier this year, and this past week it passed second reading in a unanimous vote. The bill would require that instead of identifying only their maximum download and upload speeds, internet service providers would have to provide their average speeds, specifically during peak usage periods.

“Being from rural Canada, I totally understand the whole concept of not being connected. And I know Canadians are generally frustrated anytime you talk about the kind of service they are getting,” Mazier said in an interview with the National Post about his legislation.

Most internet companies describe the speed of their service in advertisements as “up to” a certain download speed. Mazier said that maximum speed is often much higher than what the companies deliver in the evenings when Canadians are home streaming video or browsing the internet.
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“It is eliminating that theoretical or ‘up to speed’ so right now they can sell you that kind of service and this criteria, when it works for them, not when it works for the user,” he said.

If Mazier’s bill passes, the CRTC would be required to hold public hearings about the new guidelines and then swiftly implement a standard, forcing internet companies to make the new information public. Mazier said the CRTC already defines peak time as between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. and could use that standard for the speed issue as well.

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which oversees the .ca domain name, did a survey of Canadians in 2021 and found that only a third of people felt they were getting the speed their service provided advertised all or even most of the time. That number was highest in Quebec, where it was about 50 per cent and lowest in Alberta, where just 23 per cent felt they consistently got the service they paid for.

The survey also found 25 per cent were not aware if they were getting the speed that had been advertised to them.

Canada also has among the highest prices in the world for broadband internet service. A survey the federal government does every two years found in 2021 Canadians paid more than almost every nation in the G7 as well as Australia, where prices can be half what Canadians pay in a given month.

Australia has passed similar legislation to Mazier’s bill and has even gone so far as to fine companies for making misleading statements about the capabilities of their service.

Mazier said the past two years with the pandemic have seen many people relying on internet services more often and Canadians deserve to know what they’re paying for, something the companies seem unwilling to do on their own.

“What I can’t get over is, there are still companies that have not adjusted and are not telling consumers what they’re actually offering for speed, so this needs to be legislated, he said.

Mazier said he was pleased to get all-party support for his legislation.

Many private member’s bills never get through the House of Commons, and should Mazier’s bill clear that hurdle it will also have to get past the Senate. He said he believes the other parties realize the potential for the bill and he is hopeful it will move quickly through the rest of the legislative process.

“This was a really good opportunity for all parliamentarians to stand up for consumers.”

Twitter: RyanTumilty

Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com