TORONTO — In a move it says is meant to revive dwindling competition for internet services in Canada's two largest provinces, the CRTC will allow independent competitors to sell over the large telephone companies' fibre networks in Ontario and Quebec.
The review, which has received more than 300 interventions, included an expedited probe of whether big carriers should provide smaller competitors with access to their fibre-to-the-home networks. The CRTC said it is also setting interim rates that smaller competitors will pay for access to fibre networks, which will support both competition and continued investment in high-quality networks.The move is meant to stabilize the market in areas where it will make a significant impact on choice and affordability for consumers, in line with Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne's direction earlier this year for the CRTC to enhance consumer rights, the regulator said.
No decisions have been made yet as to whether there will be a similar move affecting internet services in other provinces.Israel Latest: Biden Discusses ‘Tactical Pauses’ With Netanyahu