There is a movement in Canada by the CRTC (Canadiat Radio and Television Corporation) that could lead to PAY-PER-USE Internet service (like being billed excess minutes/data on your cellphones). Without going into too much detail, this could lead to a catastrophic downfall in internet useage in Canada. You never know, it could even happen in the US.I am posting this here because it WILL affect many flight simulator community purchases made from Canada, affecting business models of companies such as iFly, PMDG, Aerosoft, etc.... potentially pushing them to make more CD based addons. Why? Because we would already be paying for internet, we would be paying to purchase the product, then we would be paying some more because downloading the huge products would push many people past this potential internet useage limit imposed by pay-per-use service. And we all know how much bandwidth FS users take (just imagine online flying and gaming).If you feel it is wrong, and fellow Americans please support us visit www.openmedia.ca and sign the petition!!!Sacha

BANDWIDTH! We need more BLOODY BANDWIDHT!!!!!!Oh, the HUMANITY!(Honestly . . . geez, that's f***ed up!)

this issue has been coming up every 1/2 for about the last three-ish years in the US. ISPs are looking for ways to increase cash and charging for how much you download, vs. how fast you download. little traction has been gained for this to happen because of large negative customer reaction.ISPs are increasingly upset they are being driven to create faster networks and not charge more money for the service. think netflicks allowing an increasing number of moves to be viewed on-line - netflicks make moeny, but the ISPs carry the delivery charge.as stated by the OP if my ISP charged for amount of download i would first 'jump' to another ISP (i'm lucky as i have five or six ISPs that can provide service to my home).if all ISPs went to a 'the amount of download model' i would drop my internet use by 95%. i would also demand that my favorite sites reduce their bandwidth demands (ie, AVSIM's forum would need to roll-back their design to what was used four of more years ago as the current software has many little things that make for a large download volume over the day/week/month)with what i have said above a move by ISPs to a 'charge for volume' model would cause a significant drop in Internet use ... and commerce. such a decrease in the billions/trillions spent on-line would be allowed by business or gov't.--

Good call Sacha! Yeah CRTC is trying to screw us good here...

I got a call from Bell last summer to offer me fiber optic for a great deal with one catch, limited bandwidth. This is to counter NetFlix I suppose (for our USA friends Bell and most other ISP also offer television services).In the past I always had unlimited band width but now I am limited to 90GB month with Fiber Optic. One hour of NetFlix in HD is appox 1GB...On a normal month we use 25GB in the house here for internet use (I watch live streaming horse racing that eats most of that I assume), and I buy my share of payware stuff, even still it is not even close to the 90GB but if we did get something like NetFlix it would eat into that 90GB in no time.So fellow Canadians be sure to review any new contracts you agree to!

I signed!!!!This is getting out of hand now, It seems everything is costing a heck of a lot more nowadays, and inflation seems to be climbing at an alraming rate on everything, Ill tell you this, my wages are definetly not keeping up. Going at the curent rate Canada and the U.S will become a thord world country in no time!!!!

Our ISP offers various plans, with various speeds and limits. Regularly they increase the speeds and volume of each plan. We're not even close to using what the limit was years ago, average use is 5 GB a month, limit years ago used to be 10, we're up to a limit of 50 now... Meanwhile, prices remain the same, among the highest in this part of Europe. I'd rather they lower the price and keep the speeds and volume. If paying per use would mean a fairer price, then I'm all for it. And in essence, that's what's already happening, different plans/prices, different speeds and volumes. What's the problem with an even preciser system? I mean, you pay electricity per unit, water, why not bandwidth? You can choose between different energy companies, choose between ISP's, let the market do its job.And let those who consume GB's pay for it. *Shrugs*I'd say some form of internet access could be considered a basic human right and I know facilities are offered to those who can't afford it here, but more than that is a luxury.

Without going into too much detail, this could lead to a catastrophic downfall in internet useage in Canada.

Yeah, a big dent in piracy?! Not sure how that will negatively impact developers though...:(

I signed!!!!This is getting out of hand now, It seems everything is costing a heck of a lot more nowadays, and inflation seems to be climbing at an alraming rate on everything, Ill tell you this, my wages are definetly not keeping up. Going at the curent rate Canada and the U.S will become a thord world country in no time!!!!

Before you say that come see what we are going through in Greece and then reconsider... Let's see how much more I can afford to have internet at all over here where the new world order tests it's strength

Hello,Well in Egypt they had no such problems as the internet was cut as a whole :( Interesting subject but unfortunately in the wrong forum Regards.Gus.

User Pay is the only way. Use more,pay more.Coming soon to a highway near you- Scanners that read your licence plate and bill you monthly for the "Highway (or Bridge) Miles Consumed." Used in many places already.I say bring back the CDs!ARPS - And won't your wife be interested to read that Bill!

Going at the current rate Canada and the U.S will become a third world country in no time!!!!

England applied to join the third world last year but their application was turned down!What I can't understand is this .... if you make more use of the Internet by using more bandwidth downloading movies or gaming online then why shouldn't you expect to pay extra to do this? We tend to live in a world nowadays that expects to have more but pay less for it.BTW, I don't download music or movies and I don't fly online.David

We tend to live in a world nowadays that expects to have more but pay less for it.David

there is a reason for that in most cases.

Yep....greed.

Or the Low income family next door who wished that bread would have stayed the same price!!Greed is not always the case

Essentials are a lot different than the amount of bandwidth you might have per month.