Cables inside a server room are pictured in Toronto. (Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Canada’s telecom watchdog, the CRTC, has made a final decision on a long-running debate about how internet services are shared among companies. The ruling allows major players like Bell and Rogers to offer internet services using fibre-optic networks built by other companies—but only in areas where they don’t already operate as the main provider.
This decision comes after months of back-and-forth, public feedback, and temporary rulings. The main clash was between telecom giants BCE Inc. (Bell) and Rogers Communications, who were opposed to the idea, and Telus, which supported it under certain conditions.
Why the Debate?
Bell has strongly opposed this rule. Their argument is simple: if big companies are required to share access to the networks they’ve spent billions building, they might stop investing in future improvements. They say it weakens the drive to build a better, faster internet.
On the other hand, smaller internet providers—and Telus—believe that giving access to fibre networks levels the playing field. Telus, which has less presence in areas like Ontario and Quebec, believes this move would increase competition where they don’t have infrastructure, ultimately giving customers more affordable options.
CRTC’s Final Say
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) believes it has struck a fair middle ground. It ruled that sharing fibre networks should be allowed, but only outside a provider’s home territory. So, if Rogers builds a fibre network in Ontario, Bell or Telus could use it there—but not in their home base where they already dominate.
The CRTC stressed that this decision aims to encourage more competition without stopping companies from investing in better infrastructure. They expect this change will only cause a slight dip in the market share of large regional players in the short term.
What’s Next?
The CRTC says it will keep a close eye on how these changes affect the market. So far, they’ve seen early signs that competition is heating up—but they admit it’s still too early to say if this strategy will succeed long term.
This decision is expected to reshape how Canadians access the internet, especially in underserved or heavily monopolized regions. While the big players worry about the impact on profits and network growth, others see this as a step forward in creating a more balanced and customer-friendly internet market in Canada.
