TORONTO – A query about shifting CRTC regulations got Rogers Communications founder Ted Rogers to take a few swings at government and his telco competition this morning.
During the company’s second quarter conference call with financial analysts, one asked about the potential for changing CRTC regs and what that might do to Rogers’ business plan. While no one mentioned the VOIP decision (and the Cabinet demand that the CRTC reconsider it) or the local forbearance decision (and the appeal filed by the traditional telcos, plus Industry Canada’s demand the CRTC let market forces rule), these were the issues at hand.
RCI president and COO Nadir Mohammed confirmed that the company is pushing as hard as it can to capture "high value customers," or multiple product customers, and to "drive hard and get those sales early" knowing there’s an appetite for regulatory change, he said.
Now, if you’ve ever listened to these calls, you know this topic is irresistible for the CEO to toss in his two cents, too.
"You know, we still in cable have many restrictions where the satellite (companies) can do things with better rules than we do," said the founder.
The DTH rules installed over seven years ago were made, said Rogers, "so that they would be able to take customers from us, which they have to the tune of millions.
"That’s seven years. We’ve been in the business of local telephony one year and already the phone company is squawking because we were given equal treatment. And on the basis of that (treatment) hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars (were invested in cable plant) if you take all of cable companies across Canada," he explained.
"You did it on the basis of what the rules are, so to change them abruptly now would (cause) people in the future (to question) if they’re making investment decisions, how can they rely on government decisions and government rules?"
He called the CRTC requirement that telcos drop to 75% market share before regions are considered competitive, "eminently reasonable," Because "three or four or five" other competitors will share the other 25%
"We’re down to 62% (cable penetration of homes passed) so I don’t know what on earth they’ve got to squawk about."
– Greg O’Brien
