OTTAWA – A non-partisan group made up of 150 CEOs from Canada’s leading companies is appealing to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to makes changes to federal telecommunications policy to ensure it does not discriminate against Canadian companies and unduly favour foreign wireless carriers.
In a letter sent Friday by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, council president John Manley (who is also a Telus board member) called on the PM to consider levelling the wireless playing field by amending policy to grant Canadian incumbents the same access to bid on wireless spectrum as it would to a foreign operator such as Verizon. Manley wrote that while the council “generally does not take a position on sector-specific issues, our Board feels there are broader principles at stake that have implications for all CCCE members.”
He added that “a healthy investment climate requires clarity, fairness and predictability in government policy and regulation.” With respect to telecommunications policy, the council argued that should mean both domestic and foreign companies should be able to acquire newer entrants such as Wind and Mobilicity.
New York-Based Verizon has reportedly been considering entering the Canadian market by putting forward a $700 million bid for struggling carrier Wind Mobile Canada – current policy prohibits any of the big three incumbents from being able to acquire newer entrants.
In addition, the council requested that Ottawa consider requiring large foreign companies that wish to enter the Canadian market to be subject to the same infrastructure build-out requirements as the incumbents.
The council’s letter echoes recent appeals from Bell, Telus and Rogers asking Ottawa to “play fair” and close the loopholes in a policy that was originally intended to aid new entrants, and not, they argue, make it easier for large foreign operators to enter the Canadian market.
