OTTAWA – The Governor in Council has denied Bell Canada's petition to appeal the CRTC’s wholesale wireline decision granting third party broadband resellers access to newly built fibre-to-the-home or premises (FTTH/FTTP) infrastructure.
In a statement Wednesday, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains stressed the government’s commitment to competition, choice, and increasing higher-speed broadband coverage, calling wholesale broadband “a proven regulatory tool for enabling retail competition in the Internet service market.”
"The CRTC's decision to extend wholesale broadband regulation to fibre to the home means the CRTC has updated its regulatory approach to keep pace with changing technology and consumer demand”, he said in the statement. “The decision strikes the right balance between the private sector having incentive to invest and consumers having a competitive choice.
"Therefore, the Governor in Council is denying Bell Canada's petition and letting the CRTC decision stand.”
As Cartt.ca reported, Bell appealed the CRTC's decision one day after the Justin Trudeau Liberals swept into power in Ottawa on October 19, claiming it favoured “resale over investment” which it predicted would lead to less capital for FTTH networks, fewer FTTH deployments in smaller communities, lost jobs and a less competitive economy. Bell’s appeal was roundly denounced by independent ISPs and consumer groups.
The Consumer Choice Coalition, a group that includes the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada, among others, was quick to applaud the government's decision to reject Bell's request.
“The CRTC very clearly and responsibly consulted on the issues, and considered all of the evidence and views before it,” said Geoff White, counsel to the coalition, in a statement issued in response to the government’s decision. “Cabinet standing behind the CRTC, instead of second-guessing it, is the right public policy, and the best consumer outcome.”
“This is the best outcome for Canadians who continue to face a lack of choice and high prices for internet service,” added PIAC executive director and general counsel John Lawford. “Cabinet, in letting the CRTC’s decision stand, clearly understands that the CRTC’s decision promotes innovation and enables Canada’s digital economy.”
