MONTREAL and TORONTO – Bell and Rogers have both sided with the NDP in the party’s call for an emergency meeting with the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology to review the federal government’s wireless policy.
First proposed in a motion tabled by NDP Industry critic Chris Charlton, the meeting was officially scheduled to take place Tuesday, and will be held in camera.
“Public hearings are the ideal opportunity for open and constructive dialogue among consumers, government and industry to find a solution to the problem of the wireless loopholes,” said George Cope, Bell Canada and BCE president and CEO, in a release.
“Spectrum is a natural resource and the lifeblood of Canada’s wireless networks. It’s important that the government take the time to get this policy right,” said Rogers CEO Nadir Mohamed in a separate statement.
Calls to amend a trio of loopholes in the government’s wireless policy has been one of the key messages in this summer's public lobbying campaign waged by Bell, along with Telus and Rogers.
The incumbents, as well as several organizations, have voiced their concern that a policy that was initially intended to assist newer entrants compete, instead provides unfair advantages to a foreign carrier like Verizon to enter the Canadian market.
Cartt.ca reported last week that a recent survey by Nanos Research (commissioned by Telus and Bell), found that 81% of Canadians believe that neither foreign- nor Canadian-owned telecommunications companies should be favoured in the upcoming 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction.
