Internet levy harmful to consumers, Rogers says

A proposal to impose a levy on Internet service providers to fund the creation of Canadian new media content is an "unlawful" idea that would harm consumers and create barriers to net access in this country, says Rogers Communications Inc.

The Toronto-based telecommunications and cable giant made those arguments today at the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission, which is holding public hearings on the thorny issue of new media regulation.

As part of that probe, the federal broadcast regulator is mulling the idea of imposing a new charge on Internet service providers, or ISPs, to fund the creation of Canadian content for new media platforms like the Internet. It is a contentious idea that critics say will create added costs for consumers during the current economic downturn.

For their part, ISPs like Rogers and Shaw Communications Inc. have already filed various legal opinions with the CRTC that cast doubt on the lawfulness of such a levy. That prompted CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein to acknowledge today that brewing legal battle will likely be resolved in court.