I suppose my point could be distilled to the following: I’m glad that you are happy with the value you’re getting, however, I think it’s a step towards a future where Bell wants a bigger and bigger cut of your Internet action. They are becoming (one of) the gate-keepers of Internet innovation within Canada.

So, while you’re content with 20Mbps Internet + TV for $130 (no doubt better than competing services), you also have to acknowledge that they have unfairly positioned their IPTV service to be more appealing than other Internet-based alternatives.

As intelligent, Canadian consumers, we should demand more of them.

FibeTV is the launch name of Bell’s new IPTV service. It’s being launched in the fall of 2010 across several cities.

More information is available at http://fibetv.bell.ca/en/features/introduction/

We’ve started a Canadian IPTV community forum over at http://bellent.currentinternet.com — over 70 subscribers and enthusiasts there discussing the various ins and outs of the system. Looking forward to seeing you there.

This is a post about the current price point I’m paying for Internet + TV and my satisfaction level with it, Sohail.

Perhaps paying $30 in overage charges works for you, but I don’t think many other Canadians are as excited at the prospect of paying an additional $30 on top of what they already pay.

You’re absolutely right in your observation that broadband service levels have come a long way in the last 10-15 years. However, we have only to look at our global peers to see that we’re still being left behind when it comes to broadband innovation. The US telecoms still feature far less restrictive caps, let alone the service providers in progressive nations like Japan, Korea, Sweden, and even elsewhere in Europe.

Innovation will happen where producers and consumers are not paying a tax to, or competing with, the infrastructure providers. This is a key point you’ve thus far failed to address.

In a future where we are increasingly reliant upon the cloud and Internet-based content, AND where the costs of network operators are decreasing, can the anemic caps be seen as anything *except* an opportunity to take a few more dollars from the pockets of Canadians?

In the face of this, your jubilation at the prospect of paying an additional $30 is truly remarkable.

Not sure what you’re complaining about… price for exceeding the cap? You know, I used to have a 3Mb DSL line that cost me more than $200 a month. Today, I have 22Mb x 7Mb that costs < $100 and that’s AFTER the $30 cap. I have nothing to complain about.

The problem with Bell’s offering is that they unfairly discriminate against all other competing services. Do you prefer to watch Comedy Network online? Hulu (or any Canadian alternative)? Netflix streaming? YouTube? Perhaps you’re interested in one of the upcoming Android-based set-top boxes that will pull media in from all over the Internet? Tough luck… all these competing services are metered against the anemic bandwidth cap (which at last check was 60GB/month).

If IP-based media convergence is all about doing it on Bell’s terms, you can count me out.

I would not be so harsh. There’s a problem with your service that it has gone down so much. Most Bell Entertainment users I know over at http://bellent.currentinternet.com are enjoying 20/5 service right now. It used to be 25 but it was scaled back a bit recently.

And while there are stability problems, I won’t lie, this is a beta test right now and the whole idea is to test out this platform before it launches. I hope early adopters see the value in a package that is 50% off and are willing to contribute to Bell’s surprisingly aggressive stance in introducing IPTV to Canada in a big way.

This technology could revolutionize TV with the convergence we’ve all been dreaming about for many years. And bring interactive entertainment to the masses that haven’t bought into watching TV on small screens that Apple is forcing on us.