A person navigates to the on-line social-media pages of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on a cell phone in Ottawa on Monday, May 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has set temporary rates that smaller internet providers must pay to access the fibre networks of Canada’s major telecom companies.
This move is part of the CRTC’s wider plan to make big telecoms share their fibre infrastructure, expanding on a mandate already in place in Ontario and Quebec to the rest of Canada.
“This decision gives Canadians more options for Internet, TV, home phone, and smart home services,” said CRTC CEO Vicky Eatrides. “We’ve already seen competitors offering new services in Ontario and Quebec using fibre, and we’re excited to see this expand to more Canadians.”
The interim rates were calculated based on detailed cost information submitted by major network owners like Bell Canada, Telus, and SaskTel. The charges reflect the expenses these companies incurred building their fibre networks. Smaller providers will now pay varying rates: $65.25 to Telus for fibre access in Quebec, $68.94 for most access to Bell networks, $77.57 for SaskTel access, and $80.41 for Telus fibre in Alberta and British Columbia. The CRTC also released rates for installation and service fees.
This pricing update follows an August CRTC announcement mandating that big telecom companies grant network access to competitors nationwide, starting in February. The ruling builds on a temporary decision from last year that only applied to Bell and Telus networks in Ontario and Quebec.
Bell has voiced concerns about these policies, citing a potential $1.1 billion reduction in network investments over 2024 and 2025 due to the impact on its business case. Last year, Bell laid off 4,800 employees, partly attributing the cuts to regulatory changes, and indicated it might cut network spending further in the future.
The CRTC emphasized that this decision applies only to existing fibre networks, recognizing the high cost of fibre infrastructure. New fibre networks built by major telecoms will remain exclusive to them for the first five years.
Smaller providers welcome the expanded access but have raised issues about the implementation process. Meanwhile, the CRTC said it’s working to finalize terms and rates, a complex task that requires further input from telecom providers.
