Rogers, Shaw, Quebecor, Cogeco and the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance are lobbying to change federal laws over the construction of 5G. The carriers want the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to establish one consistent set of nationwide rules, as they need municipalities and utilities to cooperate with them in laying more fibre cables and adding specialized cell towers to deploy the technology. As part of their lobbying push, they’ve made submissions to an expert panel looking at amending federal broadcast and telecom legislation. One of those includes an opinion from former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Michel Bastarache, who found that the federal government could give the CRTC authority over the issue. (Globe and Mail)

Talking point: Under the Telecommunications Act, the CRTC can regulate access to certain types of municipal infrastructure, like rights of way. But laws aren’t clear on other types of municipal property, like wireless equipment and older, wired networks. If regulatory changes aren’t made in “a reasonable amount of time,” Canada will see an uneven rollout of 5G across the country, Chima Nkemdirim, Shaw’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, told The Globe and Mail, because some municipalities and utility firms will be easier to work with than others. But some disagree with that view. One issue the telecoms are disputing is the rates they’re charged to get access to provincial power poles, which must be set by provincial utility authorities. The Ontario Energy Board increased its rates in 2018, a move that the telecoms opposed. Groups like the Coalition for Cheaper Wireless Service say giving the telecoms cheaper access could raise consumer electricity rates.