SaskTel has asked the Federal Court of Appeal to review a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that requires the company to share its fibre network with other internet providers.
The policy was issued back in August and mandates SaskTel to give third-party resellers access to its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network by February 2025.
SaskTel filed its application for judicial review on September 12, 2024, with legal representation from Dentons Canada LLP, according to documents obtained by iPhone in Canada.
The crown corporation argues that the CRTC’s decision will hurt its ability to recover the money it invested in building the network, especially in rural and Indigenous areas. SaskTel claims the decision does not consider the unique challenges of serving Saskatchewan’s widely spread population.
SaskTel also says as a publicly owned Crown corporation, it has a different mission than larger private companies, which focus more on profits. SaskTel is asking the court to either cancel the CRTC’s decision or send it back for reconsideration with new guidelines.
The CRTC wants to increase internet competition in Canada, but at the end of the day, incumbents still control access and pricing. The court has not yet set a date for a hearing.
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