Telecom companies will have to keep selling access to their wires even to large competitors where those rivals don’t have networks of their own, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ruled. Bell immediately called for the federal cabinet to overrule the regulator, while Cogeco vowed to fight the “terrible decision” until it’s changed. (The Logic)
Talking point: The main impact of the CRTC’s ruling is to give Telus the same rights as small independent internet providers get to buy wholesale access to networks like Bell’s. (Friday’s decision affirms a previous ruling to this effect, which Telus supported.) The regulator found that letting companies that are big in certain regions readily compete in others is good for consumers. Bell says this disincentivizes it from investing in its own network. Small ISPs like TekSavvy, meanwhile, argue that the government regulations the CRTC is applying were not meant to make them compete with more big players.