Competition watchdog says wholesale deal could be appealed to the CRTC
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau said in a filing to the Federal Court of Appeal on Friday that the tribunal’s decision to allow Rogers to buy Shaw assumed the fulfillment of commitments from the merging parties that could actually be challenged at the CRTC.
Those commitments include Rogers supplying Videotron – the target buyer of Shaw’s Freedom Mobile – with long-term access to its infrastructure at below market rates, which are regulated by the CRTC.
“The Tribunal failed to consider that these arrangements could be challenged by third parties…
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By Steve Faguy
MONTREAL — Cogeco is launching a wireless service in Canada. Or at least, it’s almost certain. The question now isn’t so much whether it will launch, but how and where.
Speaking to analysts and journalists on Friday ahead of the company’s annual general meeting, Cogeco CEO Philippe Jetté confirmed a dedicated team of 30-40 people is in place working on a wireless network plan, with many other employees contributing to it, and major capital expenditures have been budgeted for the rollout.
The remaining step before the real work begins is to await the CRTC’s determinations on specific rules for…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications reported a dip in revenue and net income for the quarter that ended on November 30, possibly one of its final quarterly reports before being acquired by Rogers Communications.
The Calgary-based company reported a 1.2% decrease in revenue for its fiscal first quarter of 2023, to $1.37 billion, a decline in net income by 14.3% ($28 million) to $168 million, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) declining 2.5% — all compared to the same period the previous year. Part of its pared down net income was due to transaction-related costs.
The telecom added a…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau will argue later this month that the Competition Tribunal erred in the steps it took when it determined that there would be no lessening of competition if Rogers is allowed to purchase Shaw.
In an amended appeal filed Friday, the competition commissioner, through the attorney general, said the tribunal navigated the primary question of whether such a merger would lessen competition incorrectly.
The commissioner said the tribunal incorrectly combined the analysis of both the Rogers-Shaw merger with the remedy sale of Shaw’s Freedom assets to Videotron, rather than first evaluating the competition questions for…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Canada’s largest independent internet service provider is urging federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to block the transfer of Shaw’s wireless spectrum assets to Videotron over concerns that the latter will receive favourable wholesale rates compared to competitors.
The Competition Tribunal earlier this month provided reasons for denying an application to block Rogers from purchasing Shaw, saying Videotron – the regional carrier that is lined up to buy Shaw’s Freedom Mobile as a condition of the deal’s approval – would be a strong competitor in the market and would take market share from the major players in…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Telus Corp. has filed a lobby registration with the City of Toronto to talk about infrastructure resiliency.
The purpose of the registration, approved January 5, is to “discuss infrastructure resiliency with a focus on climate change and impacts on critical services, including telecommunications networks.”
The lobby category is filed under emergency planning and restoration.
The largest city was just one of many affected in the nationwide blackout in July of Rogers’s network, which impacted governments and private sector services.
The fallout from the blackout led to a commitment from the major telecommunications companies to support each other during…
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With nearly three decades of communications policy and regulatory experience under his belt, Ian Scott has quite a bit to say as he leaves his CRTC leadership post today. Listen in as Scott asserts his “vision” for the commission and what it truly means to serve the public interest.
Scott doesn’t hold back on accomplishments, such as narrowing the digital divide, consensus building, and the biggest challenges faced on the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications fronts since 2017.
Scott, never a media-hound, is blunt and frank when addressing criticisms of his tenure. This is a no-holds-barred conversation that includes a few personal…
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OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal today decided it will hear on January 24 the Competition Bureau’s appeal of the decision by the Competition Tribunal to reject its challenge of the Rogers acquisition of Shaw.
The court and the parties in the matter landed on the date after a 1 hour and 15 minute case management conference today.
The bureau filed a court challenge the day after the tribunal released its decision on Thursday. It obtained the temporary emergency suspension of the decision until the Federal Court decides on the matter.
The tribunal released reasons for its determination…
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Federal Court of Appeal holding conference today on hearing issues
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – In approving the Rogers and Shaw combination, the Competition Tribunal said the evidence shows Freedom under Videotron “would not in fact have a smaller scale” as opposed to its ownership under Shaw.
“Videotron will have more revenue, more wireless subscribers across the country, and more spectrum,” the tribunal said in its reasons for approving the deal released yesterday, which follows its announced decision on Thursday night.
“In addition, Videotron’s national presence will give it the ability to offer new incentives to businesses that operate nationally,”…
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OTTAWA — The Competition Bureau said this evening that it has obtained from the Federal Court of Appeal a temporary suspension of the tribunal’s decision last week that denied its application to stop the merger between Rogers and Shaw.
The bureau filed an application in the Federal Court of Appeal seeking to have the decision reviewed, the day after the tribunal ruled within 15 days since the conclusion of hearings that a Videotron with Freedom mobile wireless assets would create competition in the market and that the Rogers-Shaw combination would not lessen it.
The bureau said in a…
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