Bell told to prove networks are clogged

The Globe and Mail has reported that federal regulators have ordered Bell Canada to provide tangible evidence that its broadband networks are congested to justify the company’s Internet traffic-shaping policies.

In a letter sent to the Canadian Association of Internet Providers and Bell Canada Thursday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission set out its plan to tackle the issue of traffic shaping, also called throttling, on the company’s broadband networks.

The CRTC has requested further information from both Bell and CAIP – an industry group representing about 50 independent Internet service providers – and said it plans to issue a final ruling based on CAIP’s complaint before the end of September.

In April, CAIP launched a complaint with the CRTC, charging that Bell’s traffic shaping policies are illegal, and asked the regulator to issue a stop order against the telecom giant.

On Wednesday, the CRTC denied CAIP’s request for interim relief, which allows Bell to continue to slow down certain types of Internet traffic flowing on the wholesale networks it provides to other ISPs.

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