OTTAWA – The federal government should not heed the recommendation of the telecom policy review panel to scrap the win-back rule, says Vonage Canada.
Understandably, the VoIP pioneer wants to keep the rule prohibiting incumbent telcos from contacting customers who’ve left for competitors, such as Vonage, within 12 months.
“The win-back rule has been an effective and necessary measure to combat the strong market players’ dominance and give newer, smaller entrants an opportunity to compete against the monopoly telephone companies,” says Bruce Robertson, director of marketing programs, Vonage Canada.
Vonage is on the whole pleased at the thrust of the report, released Wednesday, to deregulate telecommunications as much as possible. But there should be measures to do it gradually and fairly, Robertson said in a statement. "Deregulating too quickly, before the playing field has been levelled with more and fair competition, will risk entrenching a duopoly of dominant telephone and cable companies, all with similar products and pricing, leading to little competition and choice for consumers."
It shouldn’t be open season on telecom services, Robertson said. “Vonage hopes the government ensures the incumbent telephone companies and cable companies will not be allowed to practise anti-competitive behaviour such as predatory pricing that will in the long term negatively impact Canadians, stifle competition, and hinder innovation."
Vonage was also pleased the panel recommended maintaining free and open Internet access. "Vonage has been fighting to protect ‘net neutrality’ so that Canadians have the freedom to do what they want with their Internet access, including taking advantage of VoIP phone service," Robertson said.
Industry Minister Maxime Bernier said he will be reviewing the 400-page report in the weeks and months ahead to consider the Conservative government’s response. The three-member independent expert panel was appointed a year ago by the Liberals to examine Canada’s telecom policy.
