Not really here either. I am not in the area where the only small ISP providing unlimited is. The couple that were in range all went to the pay per use once they got a wack of people to switch to them.

First I had unlimited Rogers and they went pay/use so I switched to Bell and they quickly also went to pay/use and a few of the smaller ones also went pay/use but a little cheaper. They all just want you to get onboard then they do what they want, not to mention all the BS hidden charges they try to tack on. Once you call them on it, they easily remove them (well after getting yelled at and threatened with action) but how many don't bother. It's legal rape.

Global Bandwidth costs ~$0.10/GB and the Bell/Rogers already charge about $0.70/GB.  They already are limiting your Bandwidth by speed, so this Metered system is actually Double Charging for the same thing.  If they want to switch to a per GB billing system, then they have to unlock the speeds.

As a Canadian I was just preparing to dig into our laws to see if double billing is illegal (I remember seeing something about it being so when I took law in Grade 12 & 13).  Then we had the original petition (back in Feb. 2011) which stopped the CRTC dead in its tracks and got them to put a hiatus on the metered system.  I had hoped this would just go away, but with the CRTC dragging it's heels on making a decision (was supposed to be in two months ago), I just asked the CRTC for an update.  They told me the hearings were still ongoing, and would not say anything else.

The real problem most of us have is that there is still a lot of Canada that is not on fiber.  Add to that the pathetic 25 GB / month cap (combined DL and UL!) that the basic package will have.  Finally add the insult that they want to charge $1 to $2 per GB (!!!) if you go over.  That is massive price gouging, on an already aggressive pricing structure.  I will not be double billed for crap speeds with a crap cap.

They do not want to charge companies nearly as much as they do private individuals.  So we will be picking up the tab for companies that have TB range daily transmissions (simulations, etc.).  Relatively speaking, there is a lot of Governmental and Business internet use by Bell (who has the monopoly on all the trunk lines in Canada) is only after us. 

As for the person who said they were sick of carrying the rest of us since they only use 500MB/mo - If the companies were being honest, then it would simply be a pay as you go system from the start with no speed caps (unless you want 2MB +).  At $0.50 / GB you would quickly see their profits disappear, and their 7-8 figure bonuses too.  You see, they refuse to release actual compiled data on the usage per person in the country.  That can only mean that this proves the average person is closer to using as much as you do, so this is just another lie about how their base costs have gone up 300% in the last year (when the truth is closer to 3%).

Basically, I think this is a money grab since the copper lines are failing at an ever-increasing rate due to the minimalistic upkeep they have been paying up here in Canada.  Remember, it is better for Execs of monopolies to make more in bonuses then to insure the viability of their company (Hydro One anyone?).  The copper lines need to be replaced, and if they took that out of their current profits then they would not take home such large bonuses.  In the states, from what I have heard there is a much higher chance of being on fiber, and the basic speeds are much higher making the double billing much more palatable.

Now here is an interesting point to consider:

Most metered systems have massive problems actually monitoring accurately.  If you can show that they were inaccurate then they cannot charge you any overage at all, for that month.  They may argue, but just tell them you are willing to take it to the relevant supervisory agency/dept. for your Country.  Think of it like a cop with a broken speed gun trying to say (in court) that you must have been doing +20 Km/h since they gun seems to work up to that speed, and it is only after that it tends to get flaky.  The judge would kick the case out so fast, the cop would have whiplash.  If you simply stick with your logical point that their system does not accurately measure your usage, they will give up (since it could go to class action if it became a public case - not to mention the torches and pitchforks arriving at their HQ).

They may also say that you were over last month, but they just figured that out now so they are adding it to this month's bill.  Do not let them for the same reason.  Inaccurate measurements are always in your favor.   They have tried this scam on quite a few people (US and Canada), but most are smart enough not to fall for it.  

The last piece of advice, is to record all conversations with telecom companies.  They are usually none-too-bright and will admit to many things on the phone (such as their system being highly inaccurate). 

All Canadians: Sign up on the above petition (or I will hunt you down, take a picture, and ban you for life from Timmies).

Cheers,

4Aces

It comes from their own testimony when charging the smaller companies for the use of lines.

July 15, 2011 – After presenting a purportedly pro-Internet stance at the hearings on usage-based billing (Internet metering) this week, Shaw has announced that its upcoming online video service, Movie Club, will be exempt from its data caps.

This is a blatant attempt to gain an unfair advantage over online services like Netflix, as well as against Shaw’s smaller competitors in the Internet service market.

“It’s unfair for Shaw to restrict access to competing services by making them more expensive to use than Shaw’s own services,” says Steve Anderson, Executive Director of pro-Internet group OpenMedia.ca. “It clearly demonstrates that Internet metering isn't about paying for use; it’s about prioritizing Big Telecom’s services in order to hogtie the competition and assert dominance in multiple markets.”

OpenMedia.ca appeared at the usage-based billing hearing the day before Shaw, and stood up for Canadians by opposing price gouging by Big Telecom. While Shaw positioned itself as consumer-friendly, the corporation’s actions foreshadow a vision of the Internet where ISPs gets to pick and choose which services their customers use.

Anderson continues: “The launch of this service at a time when the regulator is holding a hearing on pricing rules should be seen as an admission that these rules are about preventing competition, not increasing the quality of access for most Canadians; Shaw and the other Big Telecom companies are showing an utter disregard for the nearly half a million Canadians who signed OpenMedia.ca’s Stop The Meter petition.”

To counter this move, which will threaten Internet openness and the digital economy, OpenMedia.ca is encouraging Canadians to continue to send a message to Shaw and to the CRTC via the Stop The Meter petition.

 http://stopthemeter.ca/

Thanks for those links Doc. Added to the OP 

Actually, I'm the least worried about Shaw's internet. Their internet packages are turning into unlimited and extremely high bandwidth packages. In the upcoming changes, the cheapest/most restricted packages will have 7.5megs download with unlimited bandwidth, or 50megs download with 400gigs bandwidth (this one is already here). When a network upgrade goes through my area, there will be the option for 250 megs download with unlimited bandwidth too.

Also, from what I've heard from Shaw networking people, they don't track internal Shaw-to-Shaw bandwidth, because it doesn't have to leave their internal network (Big Pipe, I believe it's called), so it doesn't really cost them anything. That's on regular internet bandwidth usage. Advanced file sharing users would limit their own connections to Shaw IP blocks so a large portion of their bandwidth wasn't even tracked. I can see why their internal only Movie Club might not cost any bandwidth then.

Whatever. All I know is that I'm getting 400gigs bandwidth per month (and I'm not paying outrageous rates, more like 50$ a month). I do feel for those out there with crap for options. I agree there really should be laws protecting them against being forced into only one option, and especially if caps are like 5gigs per month.

Sorry if this changes things a little, but it seems tangentially related.

One thing I could never understand, is why cellular packages are allowed to get away with this kind of crap a lot more than standard ISPs. Is it suddenly "alright" to limit internet access and charge per use when it's over a cell phone or other hand held cellular service?

Most articles I see talk about how "ISPs want to limit/charge like cellular service now", like cellular service can do it, fine, but an ISP doing this is monstrous. I would think people would be up in arms about the crap cellular service we have accepted in North America compared to most other countries world wide too.