CRTC denies small telcos' appeal over local competition

OTTAWA – The CRTC has rejected a request to stay its recent decisions on introducing local phone and broadband competition in areas served by small independent phone companies. The Commission said Friday that the request made by the Ontario Telecom Association (OTA) and Association des companies de telephone du Québec (ACTQ) failed to demonstrate that their member companies will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of being granted their stay requests, and that “the balance of convenience favours not granting the stay requests”. The Commission also asked the small ILECs to track and maintain a record of all relevant costs associated...