CRTC to Quebec ILECs: Open up competition or risk losing your subsidy payments

OTTAWA - The CRTC is threatening to withhold subsidies to four Quebec small ILECs for delays in opening up their networks to local telephone competition. Cogeco Cable claims the delays have prevented it from offering competing triple-play bundles (telephone, Internet, television) to those regions. The regulator denied Cogeco the settlement it sought, but instead issued a Notice of Consultation regarding the potential withholding of subsidy payments to CoopTel, Téléphone Guèvremont Inc., Téléphone Milot Inc., and Sogetel Inc. The decision stems from the failure of the ILECs to complete an interconnection arrangement based on leased circuits for each local interconnection region involved...