TPIA: Retroactive payments on wholesale rate decision an unconstitutional tax, Bell argues

By Ahmad Hathout OTTAWA – As part of its argument before the Federal Court of Appeal against a decision by the CRTC to slash the wholesale rate internet resellers pay to use incumbents’ networks, Bell Canada said forcing the big telecoms to give back the price difference over three years is effectively a tax that only Parliament can impose. “The Telecommunications Act does not empower the CRTC to levy taxes,” Bell said in its official argument, filed Thursday. “Therefore, if the Retroactive Payments are a tax, they are unconstitutional” and outside the jurisdiction of the CRTC. Last summer, in a...