Bell Canada Launches Crappy Download Video Store Just As It Gets Scrutiny Over Traffic Shaping

from the odd-timing dept

Bell Canada is having something of an odd week. It's finally coming under regulatory scrutiny for its traffic shaping efforts -- and also ran into unexpected problems in its attempt to go private. So why would it choose this time to launch a dreadful new video download store that is pretty much guaranteed not to get any use in the first place? The system seems to have all the worst features of the various movie download sites that have failed so miserably in years past: extremely limited selection, annoying and buggy Microsoft DRM and high prices. Fantastic deal, right? But, even more bizarre is the very concept of launching a movie download site at the very same time you're claiming that the old internet tubes are getting way too clogged, requiring those traffic shaping efforts. If it's such a problem, why would Bell Canada then contribute to the clogging in that way? Maybe they think they need the additional traffic to "prove" why traffic shaping is necessary. Of course, since the service won't get much use, that plan probably won't get very far.
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Filed Under: canada, drm, traffic shaping, video downloads
Companies: bell canada


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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 23 May 2008 @ 4:36pm

    Well, duh. Who didn't see this coming? It's the same reason that Comcast is seeking to "partner with P2P torrent services". So that htey can filter out everything else, but allow P2P specifically for services that *they* offer (so they'll suck up your bandwidth that you're going to get banned over AND charge you for it AND prevent you from using a competitor).

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Shuryno, 23 May 2008 @ 5:08pm

    Seriously

    Bell is teh Evil. It's one of the worst companie in Canada, The only reason they still have customers is the fact they own all DSL network in Quebec and most in Canada.

    I hope new infrastructures will see be installed and that real competitors will arise. No business can survive with this type of behavior if you don't have a (former)monopoly. This is not their only problem, everything about them is wrong. It's sad , because it's the biggest private companie in Canada(Probably won't be for very long)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    PierreB, 23 May 2008 @ 5:27pm

    Bell does it again

    Bell has an uncanny ability to choose the worst technology possible and follow that by a mediocre implementation.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    PRMan, 23 May 2008 @ 6:05pm

    Of course everyone will use it...

    ...there won't be any competition!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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