m u s i n g s

If you didn't die during the recent faux-storm, you are probably aware of the UBB/CRTC headlines. (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2011/02/03/crtc-internet-clement.html?ref=rss)

There is something gnawing at me.

First, let me say, Tony Clement has done a fine job - probably not him all alone in a cape and pair of tights with "FREE NET MAN" emblazoned on his chest - he, no doubt, had some pretty sharp advisers, or at least pretty shrewd advisers thinking about the next election. And to his credit, I believe it is HE who is Tweeting and responding to folks on Twitter and not some PR community management staffer. Kudos. I like that.

I am concerned however. I see this turning into a nightmare - call me skeptical (Hey, you're skeptical!) but when it comes to monopolies the users never win. Visions of Insurance Rates, The LCBO, gas prices, Post office and  TTC run through my head.

Bell and Rogers have too much clout. There is as much competition here as there is in the grocery business where Loblaws and Sobeys check with each other to harmonize the price of lettuce.

What has happened is the right thing - but, like a lot of government bodies and pseudo government orgs they will take this in stride, move at glacial speed and this will blow over and we will be going forward on auto pilot again.

My fear is that UBB will get passed when all the media hub bub has blown over and we "sheep" or, more appropriately, we "chicken" see some other SHINY (Peck, peck, peck ... Oh, look its shiny!) thing and forget all about this. After all watching "Dancing with the Stars" or the "Young and Restless" is far more important than serious thought. And the net is turning into cheap TV. (More on that as I am finishing up a post about online videos.)

The CRTC will pass this, it gets rubber stamped; you get a nice Blue/White or Red/White letter signed by the VP of something or other and up go your rates. They have done it before, they will do it again.

When I think of the CRTC I see rooms-full of lawyers. Sure we got a quarter of a million folks to sign a petition. But as Malcolm Gladwell (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell?printable=true#ixzz12gJf6DTg) pointed out - that is a weak linkage it will not cause change. It really did not take much effort for us to sign this - it was a petition meme. 

What worries me is our proven inability to see things through to the end.