Rising from the deep, forty stories tall...

Post #81,855

by jake123

2/15/03 12:18:16 AM

Hey:)

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If they change their minds, let me know and I'll be all over it. You won't need to ask twice.

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As for what happened to my domain... I moved and the ISP blew the move completely. Actually, as it turns out... the way the DSL industry is structured in Canada is kind of arcane. My ISP is in competition with an ISP called Sympatico, which is owned by Bell Canada Enterprises. Bell Canada Enterprises also owns a company called BellNexxia, which has the monopoly on DSL wire provision... that is, they provide the connection from this house to my ISP. Their monopoly is in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. They were playing games... 40 days worth of games. I finally got hooked up about a week ago.

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I ended up talking to some people about it up here, including a politically active lawyer friend of mine. He's already kicked it upstairs... I was talking to him earlier today and he told me it got really clear really fast to the regulatory bodies that BellNexxia had been screwing around with some companies and making nice to others... to which there is a parent company fiduciary relationship if you know what I mean.

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While I was probably the largest pain in the ass to all the parties concerned while this was going on (I was on the phone every day about it) I wasn't the only person who was having problems... found some guys in Quebec who were in a similar boat. Nothing quite like a clear demonstrable pattern of behaviour on the part of a monopoly damaging real consumers to make the politicians take notice... action makes them look good at pretty much zero risk. My problems fixed now, fortunately, but if it also means that other people don't get bent over than that'll make it even better.

--\r\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\r\n* Jack Troughton                            jake at consultron.ca *\r\n* [link|http://consultron.ca|http://consultron.ca]                   [link|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] *\r\n* Kingston Ontario Canada               [link|news://news.consultron.ca|news://news.consultron.ca] *\r\n-------------------------------------------------------------------

Post #81,858

by static

2/15/03 12:25:37 AM

Sounds like DSL Down Under.

Basically, the national telco (Telstra) own all the copper. They also own an ISP, BigPond, whose retail offerings are distinctly below par. Especially the broadband ones. Telstra wanted to monopolise the DSL market completely. It took complaints from other ISPs who wanted to provide DSL for the regulator to tell Telstra "you're providing DSL or we fine you an astronomical figure - per day - until you do."

Wade.

Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed

Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please

-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne.

Post #81,862

by boxley

2/15/03 12:38:26 AM

telstra big in cell market as well?

they were a customer of my last company, cell billing between cell co's
thanx,
bill

will work for cash and other incentives [link|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html|skill set]

questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
"France," he noted, "has neither winter nor summer, nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks, it is a fine country."
Mark Twain

Post #81,864

by static

2/15/03 12:45:33 AM

Oh yes.

Telstra are like our very own Microsoft: they would like all telecommunications in Au to go through them. POTS, mobile (cell) phones, long distance, international, Internet of all kinds, cable TV and I'm sure there are other markets they'd like. They'd also like the Federal Government to sell the remaining 51% of ownership so they can get on with making obscene amounts of money like any other large corporation.

Unfortunately, rational voices who say Telstra needs to be broken up so the underperforming parts have to reform or fail are not being listened to. As it happens, politics are keeping the sale from happening for entirely different reasons. :-/

Wade.

Is it enough to love
Is it enough to breathe
Somebody rip my heart out
And leave me here to bleed

Is it enough to die
Somebody save my life
I'd rather be Anything but Ordinary
Please

-- "Anything but Ordinary" by Avril Lavigne.

Post #81,870

by jake123

2/15/03 1:11:50 AM

Similar indeed

Must be a commonwealth thing or something. BCE owns all the copper, and charges BellNexxia, who in turn charges Sympatico (who are not bad from a strictly massmarket consumer perspective but suck if you are at all clewfull and want to do something other than surf and email) and the outfit I use. However, the regulatory agence (CRTC) know that riding herd on these guys (and the other regional monopolies) is very important, and seem to take their job pretty seriously. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the reason that bellnexxia and sympatico are different companies with an "arms length" relationship is because the law here requires BCE (and telus and etc) have to pass all structural changes past them first, and also all new tech that might have an impact on other more open aspects of telecom (like ISPs). I think the CRTC feels that the initial years of the Internet were resisted by companies like BCE (who saw the its potential to kill their long distance profits) and it was the other outfits that actually opened up that market... and that having the 600 pound gorilla come in after the fact was something that doesn't wash well with the man on the street up here.

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I guess you could say that the usual street level POV on Ma Bell and the banks is that we've decided not to lynch them... yet. Even better, the lawmakers know this too. Now if only the VPs at these companies could figure out the "yet" part of that statement and its implications for their long term personal survival if they get too greedy...

--\r\n-------------------------------------------------------------------\r\n* Jack Troughton                            jake at consultron.ca *\r\n* [link|http://consultron.ca|http://consultron.ca]                   [link|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca|irc://irc.ecomstation.ca] *\r\n* Laval Qu\ufffdbec Canada                   [link|news://news.consultron.ca|news://news.consultron.ca] *\r\n-------------------------------------------------------------------

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