Overview

• The federal government declined to change the CRTC’s June framework, solidifying nationwide access to existing fibre networks at regulated rates.
• The policy enables Bell, Rogers, TELUS and smaller Internet service providers to offer services outside their traditional regions to boost competition and lower costs.
• Bell Canada responded by cutting $500 million from its investment plans and slowing its fibre expansion by 1.5 million homes this year.
• TELUS pledged a $2 billion broadband rollout across Ontario and Quebec over five years, attributing the expansion to the wholesale access framework.
• The CRTC committed to ongoing market surveillance and will exempt new fibre builds from sharing requirements for five years to balance affordability with fresh infrastructure investment.