Cabinet accepts small telcos' appeal over local competition

OTTAWA – Industry Canada has officially acknowledged receipt of the appeal filed by many of Canada’s independent phone companies over recent CRTC decisions around the introduction of local competition. As Cartt.ca reported, 21 telcos represented by the Ontario Telecom Association (OTA) plus the nine members of Quebec’s Association des companies de telephone du Québec (ACTQ) want the CRTC to keep the subsidy mechanism that was in place prior to the ‘Obligation to Serve’ decision, and to make changes to the local competition regime. In addition, the telcos are seeking a stay of the CRTC’s recent rulings on the matter. According to...