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I've already discussed noteworthy submissions to the CRTC net neutrality proceeding from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (privacy and DPI), Pelmorex (wireless net neutrality) and Canadian creator groups (P2P for distribution). While the submission from the Open Internet Coalition has attracted some media interest, I think several others deserve attention. Interestingly, the B.C. Government, through Network B.C., has also jumped into the fray. According to their submission (zip file):

Net neutrality should be accepted as the bedrock upon which the Internet rests. Net neutrality also depends heavily on investment in robust and scalable network infrastructure. However, “aggressive traffic shaping” practices contributes little to network infrastructure investment and only leads to a short-term false sense of security that existing and legacy networks can be squeezed to meet future capacity requirements. Further, the use of aggressive traffic shaping practices potentially defers what should be ongoing network upgrade practices thus potentially leading to the need for massive network investments in the future.

Starting from this position, the B.C. government argues that:

Aggressive traffic shaping as a net management practice, particularly where an ISP is reliant on a solitary Gateway Service Provider, is antithetical to the policy objectives outlines in section 7(a)(b)(g)(f) and (h) on the Telecommunications Act.

The submission is important since it highlights the growing prominence of the provinces in Internet access issues. As more provinces invest in networks to provide access to all their residents, the net neutrality issue could attract attention in federal - provincial matters.

Michael Geist is a law professor and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa.