REDDIT GIVES THE CRTC A PIECE OF ITS MIND.

TORON TO • Canada’s telecom regulator was inundated with comments urging it to ban differential pricing when it opened consultation on the controversial practice to Reddit users for the first time.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunica- tions Commission turned to the popular online discussion forum last week in a bid to solicit comments from a segment otherwise unlikely to participate in or even be aware of the upcoming public hearing on differential pricing.

Also called zero-rating, differential pricing is the practice of charging different prices for different types of data traffic or exempting some data, such as music streaming, from charges altogether.

More than 1,180 users commented during the fiveday discussion that will be included as part of the traditional consultation that culminates with a five-day public hearing later this month.

That’s an unusually high volume for the commission’s regulatory proceedings when compared with comments submitted via the website.

“While we can’t comment on the substance of the comments received as the process is ongoing, we are very happy that many Canadians took this opportunity to make their opinions count,” CRTC spokeswoman Patricia Valladao wrote in an email.

The decision to seek comments on Reddit proved controversial in itself. While some argue it simply cast a wider net, other argued it provided a tilted picture of views on differential pricing as Redditors tend to lean the same way on Internet governance issues.

Reddit users skew younger, male and tech-savvy — not the usual suspects for a process dominated by legal and regulatory experts.

In this discussion, many Reddit users took the opportunity to call for an end to data caps, even though that issue is tangential to the hearing. The majority opposed differential pricing, citing concerns that it flouts the principle of net neutrality, where all traffic is treated equally, and could lead to price hikes. They argue providers should compete on speed, not volume.

Other opponents of differential pricing include consumer groups and net neutrality advocates who argue it favours certain content and limits competition, especially if a provider favours their own content. Major providers including BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. are in favour of the practice, calling it a consumer perk that results in more choice.

The tactic entered the public eye after Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron offered wireless plans with unlimited music streaming. It lets consumers stream songs all day without worrying about their data limits, but other data-hungry activities such as video streaming count toward caps.

But the surge against the practice on Reddit counters a Nanos poll of 1,000 Canadians commissioned by Bell in June. It found three-quarters of Canadians support or somewhat support unlimited access to music or video streaming services without data charges, according to documents submitted to the CRTC.

The Competition Bureau has called for a partial ban on differential pricing, arguing it should be allowed if the provider doesn’t get a financial benefit from pushing certain data. (Under that system, Videotron would be allowed to continue its unlimited music service because it lets consumers choose their music streaming app of choice and are not compensated by the apps.)

The public hearing begins Oct. 31.

CANADIANS MAKE THEIR OPINIONS COUNT.