OpenMedia.ca calls for national day of action against usage-based Internet billing

An open Internet group fighting usage-based billing has collected more than 460,000 signatures on an online petition against the practice.

Now, Vancouver-based OpenMedia.ca is calling on opponents of Internet metering to help it gather signatures on paper petitions.

On February 26, the group will hold a national day of action as part of its Stop the Meter campaign.

In an e-mail sent to supporters today (February 16), OpenMedia states:

Because of you, the CRTC was forced to reconsider its decision to allow usage based billing (Internet metering) to take over Canada. This was a big win for the pro-Internet community, but this is far from over. The review of Internet metering is open for public comments, but we can be sure that Big Telecom is exerting significant pressure on the CRTC to move forward with less affordable Internet access. We need your help to call on the CRTC to stop the meter and end Internet caps.

OpenMedia is encouraging supporters of affordable Internet access to print out the petition, hold rallies, and get the word out at public places in their communities.

In Vancouver, they will gather at 1 p.m. outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The signed paper petitions will be collected by OpenMedia and then sent to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.