Comments on: The limited power of the cable http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/ Technology and Innovation news in Montreal Fri, 11 May 2012 12:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: hugh http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1867 hugh Fri, 24 Aug 2007 21:02:51 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1867 sigh. i don't know exactly what the CRTC is supposed to be doing, but by objective measures (that is, Canada's rankings for digital/mobile access) we are doing poorly. especially wrt to the cutting edge of innovation - ie big juicy broadband and mobile data. at least bell and videotron haven't merged yet. god, imagine that nightmare. sigh. i don’t know exactly what the CRTC is supposed to be doing, but by objective measures (that is, Canada’s rankings for digital/mobile access) we are doing poorly. especially wrt to the cutting edge of innovation – ie big juicy broadband and mobile data.

at least bell and videotron haven’t merged yet. god, imagine that nightmare.

]]> By: Carl Mercier http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1859 Carl Mercier Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:17:06 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1859 @heri: i ran a web server at home for years with bell (port 443 ssl, not sure if i had port 80 open). dynamic ips are not a problem, just update them with a service like zoneedit. dynamic IPs very rarely change anyways. Of course, this server was extremely low traffic, not sure i'd have done the same thing if I was MySpace. @heri: i ran a web server at home for years with bell (port 443 ssl, not sure if i had port 80 open). dynamic ips are not a problem, just update them with a service like zoneedit. dynamic IPs very rarely change anyways. Of course, this server was extremely low traffic, not sure i’d have done the same thing if I was MySpace.

]]> By: Heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1855 Heri Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:54:41 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1855 chris lamothe: i dont get it. were you able to setup a home web server with Bell??? i find it highly unlikely, even if they open port 80. ADSL customers are assigned a dynamic IP. chris lamothe: i dont get it. were you able to setup a home web server with Bell??? i find it highly unlikely, even if they open port 80. ADSL customers are assigned a dynamic IP.

]]> By: Chris Lamothe http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1810 Chris Lamothe Thu, 23 Aug 2007 01:04:36 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1810 I've switched between Bell and Videotron a few times. Videotron blocks port 80 and if you read their contract you aren't allowed to run *any* form of server whatsoever. So technically I'm not even allowed to test my code at home. After a few tries I'm back with Bell, and I have to say I don't notice any manipulation of my downloads. but I also know their service isn't consistent from one area to the next. I’ve switched between Bell and Videotron a few times. Videotron blocks port 80 and if you read their contract you aren’t allowed to run *any* form of server whatsoever. So technically I’m not even allowed to test my code at home. After a few tries I’m back with Bell, and I have to say I don’t notice any manipulation of my downloads. but I also know their service isn’t consistent from one area to the next.

]]> By: Heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1785 Heri Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:36:05 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1785 Tux: i agree the situation sucks. it reminds me what happenned in france. 10 years ago, there was france telecom who ruled the telecom landscape in that country, france was lagging with practically noone having high speed internet. What happenned was that entrepreneurs came, mainly from the construction industry (for instance Bouygues), and they invested millions to offer affordable plans, and yet very advantageous for consumers. Nowadays, France is one of the most advanced in telecom in Europe, customers get quadruple play services (ie digital TV, hi-speed internet, VOIP telephony, and cell phone) at a monthly fee still lower than you get for videotron's extreme service. i am not saying that entrepreneurs from the construction industry should do the same in québec, but that the situation can change. it only takes one company to shake those dinosaurs. Tux: i agree the situation sucks. it reminds me what happenned in france. 10 years ago, there was france telecom who ruled the telecom landscape in that country, france was lagging with practically noone having high speed internet. What happenned was that entrepreneurs came, mainly from the construction industry (for instance Bouygues), and they invested millions to offer affordable plans, and yet very advantageous for consumers. Nowadays, France is one of the most advanced in telecom in Europe, customers get quadruple play services (ie digital TV, hi-speed internet, VOIP telephony, and cell phone) at a monthly fee still lower than you get for videotron’s extreme service.

i am not saying that entrepreneurs from the construction industry should do the same in québec, but that the situation can change. it only takes one company to shake those dinosaurs.

]]> By: Patrick http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1778 Patrick Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:40:07 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1778 tux: The community effort should be oriented to the next spectrum auction and pressuring the government to set aside space for new entrants, to bolster competition. carl: In the McDonalds example, I don't know about parfaits but for chicken nuggets for example, yes they are cheaper in the states, they also taste like shit (more than here), there are more regulations here for food, that also affects price. But you're right, not enough competition for broadband. tux: The community effort should be oriented to the next spectrum auction and pressuring the government to set aside space for new entrants, to bolster competition.

carl: In the McDonalds example, I don’t know about parfaits but for chicken nuggets for example, yes they are cheaper in the states, they also taste like shit (more than here), there are more regulations here for food, that also affects price.

But you’re right, not enough competition for broadband.

]]> By: Carl Mercier http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1737 Carl Mercier Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:58:40 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1737 Heri: Bell's been perfect at home for many years, but we literally started calling them "Hell" here at the office :) Heri: Bell’s been perfect at home for many years, but we literally started calling them “Hell” here at the office :)

]]> By: Tux http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1733 Tux Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:11:06 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1733 Someone ought to organize some kind of community effort to depose Bell and Videotron. I know there are other DSL companies in town, but is no one really competing with the big boys? Doesn't seem so, but I think people would switch in droves if there was a cheaper, faster, less limited service, with technical support hopefully NOT staffed by binder-reading low-achievers, Indians, or robots. With all the tech and money in Montreal, surely SOME person with money/influence can see the opportunity... meanwhile, now I've gotta count my gigs. :\ Someone ought to organize some kind of community effort to depose Bell and Videotron. I know there are other DSL companies in town, but is no one really competing with the big boys? Doesn’t seem so, but I think people would switch in droves if there was a cheaper, faster, less limited service, with technical support hopefully NOT staffed by binder-reading low-achievers, Indians, or robots. With all the tech and money in Montreal, surely SOME person with money/influence can see the opportunity… meanwhile, now I’ve gotta count my gigs. :\

]]> By: Heri http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1730 Heri Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:57:10 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1730 patrick. right. but if it's the case, it's another reason why videotron should not limit the bandwidth. tux. i dont know. i know a guy who wanted to start a cellphone company here. he had the funds to do it, but apparently the CRTC said otherwise. i would say the governements arent doing enough to push the envelope, companies arent pushing enough. carl mercier: i have less problems with Bell -- the thing is that Bell is perfect until you have a problem and then it's quite impossible to do anything once you get in touch with their customer support. when i moved out, they continued to send me receipts for 5 months for the old account for $4. each month, someone would tell me they would fix it. anyway, i am not sure now what we can do. I don't think videotron or bell are going to change their policies after reading this post. the best maybe write a petition to the CRTC. patrick. right. but if it’s the case, it’s another reason why videotron should not limit the bandwidth.

tux. i dont know. i know a guy who wanted to start a cellphone company here. he had the funds to do it, but apparently the CRTC said otherwise. i would say the governements arent doing enough to push the envelope, companies arent pushing enough.

carl mercier: i have less problems with Bell — the thing is that Bell is perfect until you have a problem and then it’s quite impossible to do anything once you get in touch with their customer support. when i moved out, they continued to send me receipts for 5 months for the old account for $4. each month, someone would tell me they would fix it.

anyway, i am not sure now what we can do. I don’t think videotron or bell are going to change their policies after reading this post. the best maybe write a petition to the CRTC.

]]> By: Carl Mercier http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1722 Carl Mercier Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:04:16 +0000 http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/08/20/the-limited-power-of-the-cable/#comment-1722 @Tux: "Why aren’t any service providers pushing the envelope?" Because there's a serious lack of competition. And that's in just about everything. Did you know that a parfait is $1 at McDonald's in the USA, but that it costs $2.29 here? Why? Because there's more competition in the fast food industry in the USA. Just about everything is more expensive than it should in Canada. It is indeed very frustrating. @Tux: “Why aren’t any service providers pushing the envelope?”

Because there’s a serious lack of competition. And that’s in just about everything.

Did you know that a parfait is $1 at McDonald’s in the USA, but that it costs $2.29 here? Why? Because there’s more competition in the fast food industry in the USA.

Just about everything is more expensive than it should in Canada. It is indeed very frustrating.

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