Obligation to Serve: Bell Aliant threatens to cut off services if the subsidy isn't fixed

By Perry Hoffman

GATINEAU - Bell Aliant Regional Communications says that if the obligation to serve subsidy regime isn’t fixed, it may have no choice but to cut off certain services to some of its most costly markets. The revelation came under questioning from CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein when he asked Bell Aliant executives what the company would do if the Commission didn’t accede to its wishes and change the local subsidy regime. Dennis Henry, VP of regulatory affairs for Bell Aliant was blunt in his response that some of the more expensive regions to serve may lose some telephony services. He...