Shaw’s CEO on selling his 50-year-old family telecom business to Rogers: ‘Frankly, it sucks’

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In one of the few interviews he’s ever given, Shaw’s CEO says the telecom’s sale to Rogers will establish a strong fourth network and is the best option for Canadian consumers

How does it feel to be the leader who sells a family-controlled business that has only had three CEOs over 50 years – the founder and his two sons? In a wide-ranging interview this week, Mr. Shaw said: “It’s humbling. Frankly, it sucks.”

Mr. Shaw sat down for an interview at Freedom’s head office in downtown Toronto – a spanking-new mix of modern black wood and tan carpets. The space opened just as COVID-19 hit; the majority of its 600 employees – from Freedom and Shaw – still work remotely.

“Turning down the deal would be a lose, lose, lose proposition” for consumers, the industry and shareholders, Mr. Shaw said. Analysts expect the company will stop putting money into Freedom Mobile if regulators turn down the deal, as the cellphone company has fallen further behind rivals while Shaw has waited for the deal to close.

The drawn-out regulatory process “has made us even more resolute on these being the absolute best deals for Canada,” Mr. Shaw said. “As a company, and as a family, we’re more committed, and we’re going to work with the government to see through this process.” “The traditional, current competition paradigm does not fit either telecom customers or telecom companies in Canada,” he said in an interview. For example, he said the bureau is attempting to apply one set of rules to three very different groups of cellphone and internet customers: subscribers in urban centres, rural communities and remote locations.

 

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If Shaw/freedom feels like they can’t compete with Telus Bell and Rogers then the solution is to split up Telus Bell and Rogers as they have gotten too big for any new entry to the market to be able to offer any competition.

Your touchy-feely stamp on the company worked really well for you, didn't it?

And then you thought wifi was going to be the saviour of the company and you wasted millions on that, and rebranding it 3 times. You finally bought Freedom, a POS network that you had to throw even more money at.

You guys should go with Fonus mobile

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