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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Ottawa must stop the CRTC's misguided, dogmatic internet decision
Frédéric Perron is the president and chief executive officer of Cogeco. We will one day look back at 2025 and marvel at how Canadians from coast to coast, and their governments, came together to confront a new economic reality by doing everything possible to accelerate economic growth, increase productivity and remove regulatory barriers to investment and innovation. All Canadians, that is, except for the CRTC. On Friday, June 20, the CRTC tripled down on a decision that would let the Big Three telecommunications firms resell services through the internet networks of their rivals. That will lead to less competition and investment in the broadband infrastructure we need to thrive as a country. The wholesale framework was intended to benefit smaller players who lack the infrastructure they need to compete effectively. It was meant to allow them to access – and sell their services through – the infrastructure of bigger rivals. That framework was not intended for the reverse – for Telus, Rogers and Bell to not only resell each other's networks but those of their much smaller competitors as well. Under this policy, the Big Three can use regulation, which is normally designed to curb the dominance of big players, to get even bigger. Despite overwhelming evidence that continuing this flawed policy will hurt investment and competition – and broad opposition from competitors across the country – the CRTC is sticking to it. The CRTC's approach directly threatens crucial investments, hurts competition and undermines long-term affordability for Canadians. As telecommunications are now fundamental to all major national projects – from housing to AI – this decision undermines the very foundations of Prime Minister Mark Carney's agenda and Canada's economic future. Local and regional internet providers, unions, consumer groups, competition experts and others have all called upon the CRTC to exclude the Big Three from leveraging regulation to access other providers' networks. The regulator's decision ignores all those voices. Why are Canada's largest telecom companies selling stakes in their core infrastructure? It is now time for the cabinet and Industry Minister Mélanie Joly to step in and overturn the CRTC decision to save real, long-term competition in this vital arena. The Big Three already control all but a small fraction of the Canadian telecom market. The CRTC's flawed policy gives them a regulatory tool to further expand their market dominance, allowing them to ride on the networks of smaller, regional competitors at subsidized rates. This will translate into less choice and fewer affordable services. Regional telecommunication providers such as Cogeco play a key role in bringing competition and reliable connectivity to thousands of communities across the country. Our future growth – and the future of internet competition in Canada – is being challenged by this misguided CRTC decision. This will have significant, adverse consequences for Canadian consumers and communities: reduced network investment, compromised rural connectivity, fewer jobs in regional communities and, ultimately, less choice and higher prices. Canadians have elected a government focused on strengthening Canada's economy and ensuring Canadians have the tools they need to preserve their economic sovereignty and expand opportunity. It's time for Ottawa to intervene to maintain the conditions for sustainable competition and for Canada to win.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Report on Manitoba Telus outage reveals how many 911 calls weren't able to connect
A new report into a Telus network outage in March reveals how many people were unable to get through to 911. Nearly 60 people were unable to get through to 911 during a Telus network outage in March. In a new report to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) from Telus on June 16, the company said an outage started just after 10 p.m. on March 22 and lasted until March 24 after 1 p.m. Telus said the outage involved facilities that connect Telus to Bell's 911 network, which directs calls to Brandon's Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Telus said a technician was sent out shortly after the outage started to investigate what happened. 'The Telus technician who attended to the outage did not follow the accepted protocols between Bell and Telus to alert about an outage affecting 911 circuits and did not follow Telus' standard practices by failing to escalate the issue with the company,' the report reads. Telus said the technician who responded has been disciplined. Telus' 911 team learned about the outage on March 24 around noon and worked with Bell to fix the issue, the report said. During that nearly 40-hour period, Telus said 59 people tried to call 911 around 177 times but were unable to get through. Dean Switzer's family and friends tried to call 911 around 18 times on March 23 when he suffered a heart attack. A family friend who is an RCMP officer was eventually able to get an ambulance to the house, but the 55-year-old died later that night. Telus said equipment failure was the reason for the outage, but the company doesn't know why the equipment failed. 'The failure on the Bell facilities lasted approximately four minutes. However, this failure has the effect of causing failure of the eight Bell network circuits leased by Telus, which comprise both primary and redundant connections and whose function is to deliver 911 traffic from Telus' wireless network to Bell's 911 network destined for the Brandon PSAP.' Following the outage, Telus said it has reviewed what happened and has now put in an alternate route to ensure 911 calls can still connect in the case of another network failure. If this option also fails, Telus said calls will be rerouted to its operator service team. 'This new call routing will provide an added layer of reliability and resiliency to the enhanced 911 call environment. Telus confirms that with these backup processes in place, 911 calls will continue to complete even with an equipment outage of this kind.'
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Google urges CRTC to use restraint with Online Streaming Act
Published Jun 25, 2025 • 3 minute read A sign is displayed on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif., Sept. 24, 2019. Photo by Jeff Chiu / AP OTTAWA — Google asked the federal broadcast regulator Wednesday to exercise caution and restraint in regulating online platforms. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Representatives from Google, which owns YouTube, appeared before a CRTC hearing on market dynamics. It's one of a series of hearings being held as part of the regulator's work to implement the Online Streaming Act, which updated broadcasting laws to capture online platforms. Arun Krishnamurti, senior counsel at Google Canada, said most content made available on social media platforms is already exempted from regulation under the Online Streaming Act. But the company is pushing back against the prospect of mandatory data sharing. The CRTC has said it wants to collect data on revenues and programming expenditures from both traditional and online players, and make that information public. Google is arguing the proposal raises privacy and confidentiality concerns and could disrupt the market in unintended ways. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's also taking issue with the application of 'undue preference' rules on online platforms. Read More Those rules state that a CRTC-licensed entity can't give itself or another party an undue disadvantage or advantage. That means, for example, that a cable company that also owns a broadcasting division can't give its own channels an unfair advantage. Krishnamurti said undue preference rules were designed for traditional players that own both telecom and broadcasting divisions. That includes companies like Bell and Rogers, broadcasters that own TV channels but also sell cable and satellite TV subscriptions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Google urges the commission to exercise caution and restraint,' he said. 'There's simply no rationale for transposing these regulatory tools onto online undertakings. It would be highly inappropriate for open platforms like YouTube, in particular.' CRTC commissioner Bram Abramson pushed back on that argument as he questioned the Google representatives. He said the concept of undue preference goes back to railways and is also used in telecom regulation. Krishnamurti said Google's platforms don't prevent anyone from uploading content. 'Those rules around undue preference were particularly designed for where … there was choice being made, where services were being kept out of view of users and viewers,' he argued. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Abramson responded: 'I would have thought if there's a rule saying don't colour outside the lines and somebody says, well, we don't need that rule because we always colour inside the lines, that there'd be a pretty good fit between those two.' Abramson also asked the Google representatives if they would still have an issue with sharing data, such as information on finances and audience size, if concerns about personal and commercially sensitive data could be addressed. He noted that request was put forward during the hearing by those who make programming content. 'I think we still have significant concerns for a variety of reasons,' responded Krishnamurti. 'It's not clear where the commission's authority to require the disclosure of that information to a commercial partner emerges from.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Both traditional and online players are appearing at the hearing. Last week, music streamer Spotify said the CRTC shouldn't impose rules meant for radio on streaming services. Bell and Rogers called on the CRTC to loosen existing rules for traditional players, taking aim at regulations governing how cable channels must be packaged and disputes about carriage of cable channels. The CRTC is scheduled to hear from Apple on Thursday, while Amazon is set to appear next week. Spotify, Amazon and Apple are fighting in court an earlier order requiring streamers to make CRTC-ordered financial contributions to Canadian content and news. Toronto & GTA NHL MLB Ontario Other Sports
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Google urges CRTC to use restraint with regulating online platforms
Participants make their way through a Google booth and display at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — Google's representatives are asking the federal broadcast regulator to exercise caution and restraint in regulating online platforms. They say there is no rationale for the CRTC imposing traditional regulatory tools on online platforms. Google is appearing today before a CRTC hearing on market dynamics, held as part of the regulator's work to implement the Online Streaming Act, which updated broadcasting laws to capture online platforms. Google, which owns YouTube, says in its opening statement that legislation already exempts from regulation most content made available on social media platforms. But the company is pushing back against the prospect of mandatory data sharing. It's arguing the proposal raises privacy and confidentiality concerns and could disrupt the market in unintended ways. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025. Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Google urges CRTC to use restraint with Online Streaming Act
OTTAWA – Google's representatives are asking the federal broadcast regulator to exercise caution and restraint in regulating online platforms. They say there is no rationale for the CRTC imposing traditional regulatory tools on online platforms. Google is appearing today before a CRTC hearing on market dynamics, held as part of the regulator's work to implement the Online Streaming Act, which updated broadcasting laws to capture online platforms. Google, which owns YouTube, says in its opening statement that legislation already exempts from regulation most content made available on social media platforms. But the company is pushing back against the prospect of mandatory data sharing. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. It's arguing the proposal raises privacy and confidentiality concerns and could disrupt the market in unintended ways. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
