Canada Sleeps Through War to 'Save the Internet'

CANADA SLEEPS THROUGH WAR TO 'SAVE THE INTERNET'
[SOURCE: The Tyee, AUTHOR: Bryan Zandberg]
[Commentary] Known for their abnormal sleeping habits, Canadians are missing a really good policy debate. One and a half million Americans have signed a petition for the US Congress in support of Network Neutrality -- but only 217 Canadians have done the same. It's not that the fight over net neutrality doesn't matter in Canada. At issue in the frozen tundra, as in the United States, is whether telecom companies can favour some Internet sites over others by charging different rates to different customers and making some sites much easier to access than others. Critics say the practice threatens the Internet's level playing field and would stifle smaller independent voices on the web. At stake is nothing less than democratic speech in the Canadian modern era, says Kevin McArthur. "I mean this is The People vs. Larry Flint all over again, only this time it's digital." Odd then that public debate on the issue in Canada has been a non-starter. Especially when, between the two countries, it's Canada where the World Wide Web is most poised to become the latest plaything of the rich and the powerful.
http://thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2007/01/17/NetNeutrality/