Canada’s telecom regulator, the CRTC, announced it will keep requiring broadband providers to lease their networks to rivals in an open-access model, despite strong opposition from major players like Rogers, Bell, and Cogeco. The Big Telecoms argue the rule will deter billions in network investment, but Telus could benefit by gaining access to new high-density markets outside its footprint.
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed the decision, saying it will boost competition and lower costs, citing a year of consultations with experts, the Competition Bureau, and 300+ public submissions.
“The CRTC is an independent and quasi-judicial tribunal that regulates the Canadian communications sector in the public interest,” Joly said in a statement. “According to the policy direction, the CRTC is responsible for considering how its decisions affect all forms of competition and investment, as well as how they foster affordability and lower prices, amongst other factors. Their decision to uphold the mandatory wholesale access framework was based on extensive consultation with experts, the Competition Bureau, and over 300 public submissions. To that end, the government is declining to alter the CRTC’s decision to expand mandatory wholesale access.”
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