From tlauriau at magma.ca  Tue Jan  9 22:20:32 2007
From: tlauriau at magma.ca (Tracey P. Lauriault)
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:20:32 -0500
Subject: [Free.Culture.Carleton] [CivicAccess-discuss] net neutrality
	panel discussion: ottawa
In-Reply-To: <24D7B748-03C7-4A1C-82BB-614090785B88@sympatico.ca>
References: <24D7B748-03C7-4A1C-82BB-614090785B88@sympatico.ca>
Message-ID: <45A45B80.5040700@magma.ca>

also a post here:
http://serendipityoucity.blogsome.com/2007/01/09/net-neutrality-feb-6-7pm/
> move this around if you can!
>
>
> ****************************************
>
> Net Neutrality: A Public Discussion on the Future of the Internet in  
> Canada
> February 6, 2007 , 7 pm
> Admission: Free
> Ottawa Public Library Auditorium
> 120 Metcalfe St.
>
> Moderated by Pippa Lawson, Executive Director, Canadian Internet  
> Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) at the University of Ottawa
>
> Panelists:
> * Michael Geist:  Professor of Law, Research Chair of Internet and E- 
> Commerce Law, University of Ottawa
> * Ren Bucholz:  Electronic Frontier Foundation Policy Coordinator,  
> Americas
> * Andrew Clement:  Professor, Faculty of Information Studies,  
> University of Toronto; Principal Investigator, Canadian Research  
> Alliance for Community Innovation and Networking
>
> Please join us for a an important public discussion on the future of  
> the Internet in Canada. Network neutrality recently became a major  
> issue in the United States when telecommunications companies issued  
> public statements asking for the ability to charge Internet content- 
> providers for preferential access to Internet users. That meant that  
> big corporations, especially media conglomerates, would get to  
> Internet users fastest while smaller ones, which would be unable to  
> pay the "tolls", would be left trailing. Meanwhile, Internet users  
> could be restricted from using certain applications, and would likely  
> have to pay more to access content of providers that weren't part of  
> the telecommunications company's exclusivity deals.
>
> Net neutrality has been an issue in Canada for at least two years,  
> but the release in March 2006 of the Telecommunications Policy Review  
> Panel's Final Report renewed both corporate and public interest in  
> the topic. In the United States, net neutrality is currently on hold  
> as legislators debate the issue; in Canada, the federal government is  
> considering major changes to telecommunications regulation and its  
> commitment to network neutrality is uncertain - hence the need for  
> public debate before more decisions are made.
>
> We are also inviting politicians to attend this panel discussion, and  
> we hope that with a good turnout, our policy-makers will understand  
> what an important issue network neutrality is for Canadians, and that  
> the separation of telecommunications companies from content providers  
> is in the interest of all Internet users. While the Internet has  
> largely been managed as a democratic commons there are hints that it  
> can become a privately-controlled medium. The 2005 move by Telus to  
> block customer access to the "Voices For Change" Telecommunications  
> Workers Union website is but one example of a private-sector threat  
> to network neutrality.
>
> For more information on the topic, please visit the following  
> websites and online news articles:
>
> Battle over 'net neutrality' arrives in Canada
> http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2006/11/02/tech-neutrality.html
>
> The Telecom Policy Review: The Rest of the Story
> http://michaelgeist.ca/index.php? 
> option=com_content&task=view&id=1181&Itemid=85
>
> The Alternative Telecommunications Policy Forum
> http://www3.fis.utoronto.ca/research/iprp/cracin/ 
> alttelecompolicyforum.ca/
>
> Net Neutrality in Canada
> http://www.neutrality.ca/
>
>
> If you are unable to attend, please note that a video of the event  
> will be made publicly available. Please contact us for link information.
>
> We hope to see you there! Please do not hesitate to contact us if you  
> have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
>
> Cheers,
> Sabina Iseli-Otto (sabina at alumni.uwo.ca) & Danielle Dennie   
> (danielle.dennie at mail.mcgill.ca), librarians at large
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> CivicAccess-discuss at civicaccess.ca
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>
>
>