Telus cuts download limits in half, sparking Reddit debate

This infographic, which is based on data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reveals that Canada places 23rd in terms of cost of megabit-per-second (mbps) of access, more than ten times that of Japan, and three to four times more than South Korea, France or Portugal. It’s not too often a Canadian story makes it to the front page of the ultra-hip site Reddit, but Telus managed to do just that yesterday when it was discovered by one user that it will cut its download limits in half.

User ” pfak” discovered that, starting February 2013, Telus says the following caps will apply TELUS High Speed Internet plans:

High Speed Lite – 15 GB/month
High Speed – 100 GB/month
High Speed Turbo – 150 GB/month
High Speed Turbo 25 – 250 GB/month

The story has sparked a debate of nearly a thousand comments on the website that bills itself as “the front page of the internet”.

User “1of42” who echoed a thought voiced by many when he called on Canada’s national broadcasting regulator.

“Where’s the CRTC in this? Isn’t it part of their job to ensure a competitive marketplace?”

User “Oprah_Pwnfrey” said the decision would make him switch:

“I am calling telus today to have my service switched to another company. The only reason I kept telus was because they didn’t have, or at least didn’t enforce the caps they have. This is not acceptable with modern technology. If this is the norm now, the future certainly isn’t friendly.”

User “headsh0t” took a slightly different tack, and said there are options for high-volume downloaders:

“There is a 250mbps plan with a 1TB cap, which is pretty hefty for home use, that is $115/month (or $1380/year) plus ten times the speed. There is no way you’re going to be pulling more traffic than 1TB a month for home use. If you do happen to need more then that then you clearly use more than mostly everyone in the country and you definitely should be paying more for unlimited use on a 250mbps line.”

Still, he said: “The fact still stands that data caps on any provider should be moving UP not DOWN. That is just ridiculous in a world that is becoming more and more digital with higher demands for constant entertainment and information streaming.”

According to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, Canadians pay far more for high-speed internet access than other developed nations. The infographic above, which is based on data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), reveals that Canada places 23rd in terms of cost of megabit-per-second (mbps) of access, more than ten times the price of Japan, and three to four times that of South Korea, France or Portugal.

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