Iristel says true competition only way to improve telecom in Canada's North

WHITEHORSE, YT – The head of Toronto-based telecom Iristel Inc. told the CRTC today telecommunications in Canada’s northern region will only truly thrive in an environment that allows competition and innovation rather than the current status quo of Northwestel’s monopoly. Speaking at the public hearing reviewing the regulatory framework and proposed modernization plan for Bell-subsidiary Northwestel, Iristel president and CEO Samer Bishay explained in a prepared statement that it planned to tell the Commission that the northern incumbent telephone company “has squandered millions of dollars of annual public subsidies with little upgrades in service…Simple things like call display are not...