The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s ruling requires Bell and Telus to sell wholesale access to smaller providers in Ontario and Quebec within six months, at a maximum markup to their own costs of 30 per cent. It’s an interim decision, pending a fuller review of what Canada’s bigger, older telephone and cable companies must provide to upstarts and at what prices. Bell promptly slashed its plans to expand its fibre-optic reach to more homes and businesses, saying it will spend $1 billion less on the effort in 2024 and 2025. (The Logic)

Talking point: Making its case for urgency, the CRTC cited a 47 per cent decline over two years in the number of Ontario and Quebec customers served by independent internet companies. Bell and Telus have bought several of them; the association representing most of the remaining ones welcomed the CRTC decision but with reservations that it applies only to Bell and Telus and only in the two central provinces for now. In contrast to Bell, Telus told The Logic only that it’s reviewing the decision.