The telecommunications firms said mediation on Monday and Tuesday “did not result in a resolution” of the regulator’s objections to the deal. (The Logic)

Talking point: The Competition Bureau is seeking to block Rogers’s $26-billion acquisition of Shaw, arguing it would eliminate a low-priced wireless option and prevent competition in the mobile market. Rogers wants to sell Shaw’s Freedom Mobile to Quebecor for $2.85 billion, a move it argues addresses any concerns about cellphone-plan prices. But the bureau has asked the Competition Tribunal, which will rule on the agency’s attempt to block the merger, to prevent any divestiture until a final resolution is agreed. The tribunal has offered another mediation slot in October, or else it’ll hear the case in November and December. Even if the telecom firms manage to block the bureau’s block, the deal will close much later than their initial target of this year’s just-ended second quarter. Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne has also said he won’t allow the “wholesale transfer” of Shaw’s wireless licences to Rogers. Rogers shares closed down nearly two per cent on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Shaw dropped more than three per cent.