Update: This story is from a year ago, but it’s still a reminder of the internet situation here in Canada.
Netflix executives have publicly bashed Canada’s internet caps before, and now they’re again on the offensive, reports GigaOM (via The Loop).
Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said the following at the Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment conference in Los Angeles Wednesday, referring to the low broadband caps in place by Canadian internet service providers such as Bell and Shaw:
“It’s almost a human rights violation what they’re charging for internet access in Canada,”
The company previously modified their streams to have Canadian access use less bandwidth, due to low internet caps by providers. Sarandos admitted on Thursday Netflix growth in Canada could improve in broadband access did not have caps and expensive overages, noting:
“The problem in Canada is… they have almost third-world access to the internet.”
Ouch.
Two years ago the issue of user-based billing for internet was a hot button issue, as Ottawa had to step in and overturn a CRTC ruling. Netflix previously included Canada in its performance charts for top networks, but lately has omitted our data.
We have previously reached out Joris Evers, director of corporate communications at Netflix for an explanation, but all he could tell us in June was “Nothing yet for Canada. We’re looking at that though.”
Click here to sign up for Netflix–it’s $7.99 per month and the first month is free.
