A common straw man that Big Telecom uses to justify high prices is that Canada is just bigger than other countries, which we are led to believe somehow necessitates more costly services. The truth is, it's the lack of fair access to independent providers that is the primary driver of high prices.

This week, Industry Minister Christian Paradis finally began to respond to the recommendations in our report that would help facilitate new independents entering the telecom market, currently dominated by the Big Three. But instead of listening to the stories we helpfully pulled together for them, Big Telecom lobbyists have responded by essentially plugging their ears and callously refusing to take ownership over these experiences.

The government is on the defensive. Since OpenMedia.ca released our community-powered report on Canada's cell phone market, Canadians have been sending it to their MPs, calling for their support. But the Conservatives are trying to work their positive spin, supporting Big Telecom and saying that everything is just fine. We've decided to address their claims point by point, so that it's clear that bold action is necessary to improve Canada's cell phone market. If the Conservatives are serious about ending price-gouging, and ensuring that Canadians have real choice, fairer contracts, and reliable service, they must do more to facilitate new independent service providers.

A friend of mine introduced me to the term "topless meetings." Before you forward this to your HR manager, the expression refers to a tabletop staying free of devices during meetings. No laptops. No iPhones. No iPads. No Blackberries. Nothing that requires a charge. The idea underpinning device-free meetings is that such gadgets can prove more distracting than helpful.

Rogers is claiming that its right to free expression trumps truth-in-advertising regulations in a case where the company was cited for an alleged misleading campaign. We, as customers, look forward to the day when Rogers extends that same principle to us.

The lesson, be careful of your perception, be careful of your slogans and make sure that your words and advertising can not be taken the wrong way. Many businesses have learned this the hard way over the years, especially when translating ads into different languages

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