From: Dallas Kostna[SMTP:info@bndinfo.com]
Sent: September 25, 2001 2:33 PM
To: procedure@crtc.gc.ca
Cc: reg.affairs@mts.mb.ca
Subject: Re: Price cap review and related issues / MTS
To whom it may concern,
Re: Price cap review and related issues / MTS's proposal for an upgraded
internet service for rural Manitobans.
I have been a loyal MTS customer for several years. I am also an
Information Technology professional. Just before MTS became a private
company, Manitobans were assured that the quality of service would not
drop and rates would not increase. After a few years of privatization,
MTS has not been able to keep either promise, particularly as far as
rates are concerned.
I realize that there are rural Manitobans without high-speed Internet
connections (or possibly any Internet connection). I'm sure these
citizens realized the implications of their relative geographical
location before they moved to their residences. MTS's proposal is to
spend $55 Million dollars over 10 years for 24,600 Manitobans. That's
roughly $2235.00 per rural Manitoban.
MTS's currently-offered technology involves DSL technology. This
technology is fine for static web browsing and e-mail, but clearly
inferior for dynamic content, mostly due to DSL's low upload speed.
Considering that dynamic content is growing much faster than static
content, DSL will be problematic at best in 2009. The notice we
received from MTS does not specify the technology they will be
employing, but if it's DSL, MTS is clearly wasting its customer's money.
I don't want to jump to conclusions, however. Will MTS be delivering a
technology that is fully ready for IP6 and Internet2? Both of these
technologies (or their successors) will be prevalent by 2009. Would
satellite technology not be better suited for the job?
If MTS wants to provide Internet access to rural customers, that's
great, however this should be done at MTS and the customer's expense.
Urban, employed citizens are tired of subsidizing everyone else. Not
only that, but we are entering a recession.
People near the poverty line need phones just as much as those well
above that line. There should be inexpensive phone service BEFORE rural
citizens have Internet access.
Sincerely,
Dallas J. Kostna, BEd.
President
B & D Information Services