A key part of Canada's Internet was just sold to Japanese telco KDDI

Allied Properties sale of their data centre portfolio to KDDI includes 151 Front Street W., the site of TorIX which is the main Internet Exchange Point for the country. While that's not necessarily an issue, I kinda figured it was at least a little bit notable but I've not seen it mentioned aside from an investment context.

Unfortunately, it seems like it's less consequential than it should be because Bell Canada apparently still refuses to peer at TorIX and only connects to other ISPs through the US which means that eg. if I'm on Rogers in Toronto and you're on Bell, any communications between our computers have to flow through American controlled systems even though we're in the same city because that's how Bell chooses to have things set up.

Whereas, for pretty much everything else in Toronto, it'd move between networks via TorIX. Which is now in a building owned by a Japanese company instead of a Canadian REIT.

TemporaryBoyfriend,

Bell Canada apparently still refuses to peer at TorIX and only connects to other ISPs through the US

Huh. The NSA must be sending them a metric fuckload of money to be doing that (or, alternately, subsidizing their interconnection through ISPs in the USA). Given the relative size of Bell to all other Telcos/ISPs in Canada, they must have more than 50% of Canadian internet traffic, of which the other 50% is who we’re communicating to…

Album,
@Album@lemmy.ca avatar

What? We have other internet exchanges and who cares who owns the building? The exchange is not owned by the building owner.

BuoyantCitrus,

It’s not the only IXP, just the largest.

It’s not really any particular problem, I just think it’s the sort of thing that’s worth being aware of at least. So I pointed it out. I did overhype the headline (should have put the building housing a key part…) but did indicate in the post that they bought the building and not control of TorIX itself and that

While that’s not necessarily an issue, I kinda figured it was at least a little bit notable but I’ve not seen it mentioned aside from an investment context.

It was also an opportunity to highlight Bell’s unnecessary sending of traffic through the US which I think should have a higher profile though I’m not a strident nationalist and might actually be sorta okay with it if it was actually legit more efficient or something but it sounds like it’s done for business reasons eg. to pressure smaller players into private peering.

I’d like to see infrastructure have a higher profile in general. I really appreciate connectivity, electricity, running water, roads, etc. and thing the investments we make there pay off. But it seems to often fall prey to being easily underfunded in favour of some attention grabbing but ultimately underwhelming pet project calculated to garner votes. Like tech debt being swept under the rug in favour of shiny features.

juusukun,

ISPs and mobile providers in Canada are awful. Makes sense that our packets would be sent to another country before being sent to our neighbours.

More people need to look at ISPs and mobile plans in other countries. It’s insane how much we get charged here for how little.

Maybe that Japanese company could shake up the industry.

NotAPenguin,

Critical infrastructure like this shouldn't be owned by corporations

lightrush,
@lightrush@lemmy.ca avatar

You’re funny. That’s not how we do things around here.

cyborganism,

Honestly, our telecoms network for phone and internet should belong to each province, the same way electricity and Hydro Québec is owned by Québec.

lightrush,
@lightrush@lemmy.ca avatar

Now let’s check who owns the various Hydros. Start with Ontario?

zephyreks,

Honestly I’d love to see companies that are owned by the government but exist to make money.

It would be widely unpopular as a business model, but how else do you manage public infrastructure without falling deep into corruption?

FlareHeart,
@FlareHeart@lemmy.ca avatar

We used to have them. They were called Crown Corporations and were in the hands of the provinces that they resided in. However, almost all of them have been sold to private companies instead of being maintained as publicly/government owned services. Saskatchewan still has a few left, but there is a push within the Sask Party to sell them out from under the province.

Cybermass,

Weird how as the crown corporations have disappeared everything in Canada has gotten more and more expensive 🤔

It's almost like crown corporations make a profit to fund their service, and corporations make a profit to figure out how to make a bigger profit.

glandrid,

I think you’re on to something here…

NetHandle,

This sounds like an interesting topic that I know nothing about, thank you giving me more to add to my reading list.

FishersDonut,

Dang, that doesn’t seem good.

lightrush,
@lightrush@lemmy.ca avatar

Japanese telco vs Canadian corporate landlord 🤔

Not sure which is worse.

BuoyantCitrus,

It’s just the building, seems fine really but like, maybe less of a non-event than the almost no attention it appears to be getting.

Or you mean the part where Bell unnecessarily routes Canadian traffic through the US just cause they can get paid more that way? Ya that doesn’t seem good to me either but has been widely known for years now and apparently we’re okay with it.

Vampiric_Luma,
@Vampiric_Luma@lemmy.ca avatar

First I’m hearing about it. It all reads stinky and I don’t like it. But a great educational rabbit hole to explore at work tomorrow, thank you for helping me be aware!

As for the land purchase,

KDDI is a Japanese telecommunications provider and Fortune Global 500 company that owns and operates data-centres in Asia, Europe and the United States through its subsidiary, Telehouse.

ooo global fortune isn’t enough, they gotta get telehouse EVERYWHERE I see it!!!

Buutt as an investment opportunity, what’s the play here? I couldn’t help but notice that little bit, “Allied will use approximately $1 billion of the proceeds to retire debt and the balance to fund its…”, related hmm? I don’t see why not, but will it even go through?

The sale finalizes on 3rd quarter which also seems really fast, but there’s still time for shenanigans.

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