SAINT JOHN – Saying it, too, thinks the CRTC’s decision stinks, eastern Canadian telco (and BCE division) Aliant reaffirmed today its commitment to offer voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) telephony to Atlantic Canadians in 2005.
While Thursday’s CRTC decision determined that Aliant’s VoIP service will be price regulated, the company remains committed to bring this new technology to the region.
Aliant faces a different competitive market than its fellow incumbents as it has been locked in a battle for several years with MSO EastLink, which continues to make strong inroads in the voice market in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
“Aliant will deliver VoIP to our customers later this year despite these regulatory restrictions,” said Jay Forbes, president and CEO of Aliant. “We are building on our long standing relationships with customers by conducting technical trials to ensure our IP communications will be the best choice for Atlantic Canadians. We are confident that this new technology is a key to prosperity in our region… we are disappointed with the CRTC’s decision to price regulate VoIP and plan to appeal this decision.
“This decision is not surprising, as the CRTC has a track record of issuing rulings that do not support customer choice or allow full competition to benefit customers," Forbes continued. "Once again, the CRTC has demonstrated that it does not understand the Atlantic Canadian marketplace, or what customers want.
“The CRTC’s rationale is flawed. The Internet is currently not regulated and we have full competition in our market. Attempts to price regulate Internet voice traffic for one company in a fully competitive market do not make sense. Decisions such as this could limit future investment and innovation in our region," concludes Forbes, echoing the company line.
Aliant will also re-step into the TV market too, this year, offering digital TV over DSL, to take some swings back at EastLink.
