MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay), says Bell is "throttling" information traffic on the Internet and ripping off ordinary Canadians.

Angus accused Industry Minister Jim Prentice of allowing telecom giants like Bell Canada to choke off Internet traffic from smaller third party competitors.

Speaking in the House of Commons today during Question Period, Angus said consumers and innovators are at the mercy of a few large telecom empires.

"Consumers who have paid for access are being ripped off. Badly needed competition is being stifled and most of all, this government is sitting back while a few telecom giants are given free reign to monkey wrench with the flow of ideas," said Angus.

Angus says Prentice doesn't understand the importance of maintaining a fair and "neutral" Net that allows all information to flow freely.

"This government's hands-off approach to hands-on interference is bad news for Canada's innovation agenda. The telecom giants have no right to decide which ideas are pushed into the fast lane and which ideas are left on the back roads," said Angus.

The NDP contends Prentice is failing Canadians when it comes to ensuring an innovation agenda for Canada.

"Net neutrality is a cornerstone of an innovative economy. The consumer and the innovator need to be in the driver's seat. Not Ma Bell. Not Videotron. Not Rogers."

I'm glad at least one person in parliament is trying to bring attention to the huge issue of net neutrality.

Further news coverage on this story:
The Star: Bell throttles its Internet competitors
The Globe & Mail Prentice mum on ISP throttling debate

Hack the planet