OTTAWA – Add the Canadian Association of Internet Providers to the list of organizations unhappy with the government’s decision not to overturn the CRTC’s decision on broadband competition.
CAIP says it is “profoundly disappointed”, and questioned whether the Federal Cabinet understands “that competition, innovation and choice for consumers hinges upon fair and equitable access to telecommunications infrastructure by competitors".
"To grow and flourish in a manner that benefits Canadians, the competitive Internet industry needs continued regulatory oversight of wholesale services", said CAIP chair Tom Copeland, in a statement. "Without this oversight Canada will continue to have only two dominant sources of Internet access in most markets: the incumbent phone company and cable company".
As previously reported by Cartt.ca, CAIP joined MTS Allstream and other telco providers in an online public awareness campaign designed to highlight the issues associated with access to telecom infrastructure by competitors. CAIP said that the ‘Campaign for Competitive Broadband’ resulted in more than 100,000 messages being sent to federal officials.
Cabinet has asked the CRTC to review Canada’s current policy framework to ensure the right tools are in place for competition and innovation to thrive in the broadband access market.
