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yesterday

Ottawa Upholds CRTC’s Fibre Wholesale Access Rules

Based on over 300 public submissions, the government affirmed the regulator’s independent mandate for competition through ongoing market oversight.

The Telus sign outside the company’s offices in downtown Toronto, is photographed on July 27, 2021. Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail.
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Overview

  • The federal government has declined to modify the CRTC’s mandatory wholesale access framework for fibre networks, leaving the regulator’s August 2024 expansion intact.
  • The framework allows Bell, Rogers, and TELUS as well as regional carriers to lease capacity on rivals’ fibre lines at regulated rates nationwide.
  • Minister Mélanie Joly said the decision reflects extensive consultations with experts, the Competition Bureau, and more than 300 public submissions.
  • Eastlink, Cogeco, SaskTel, and the Competitive Network Operators of Canada had petitioned the Governor in Council to exempt the largest providers, but their appeal was rejected.
  • The CRTC has committed to close monitoring of the broadband market and to adjusting its policies to sustain both competition and investment incentives.