Late last week, the CRTC announced its interim wholesale rates that smaller internet companies will pay incumbents, for access to their fibre networks, nationwide.
The CRTC boldly proclaimed cheaper internet and choice was coming, thanks to its interim rates set for Bell, Telus and SaskTel. These would be areas in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan (SaskTel).
“Today’s decision will provide Canadians with new options for Internet, television, home phone, and smart home services. We are already seeing competitors using fibre access to bring new offers in Ontario and Quebec, and we look forward to this broader access benefiting even more Canadians,” said Vicky Eatrides, Chair and CEO of the CRTC, in a statement last week.
Well, that sounds fine and dandy, but smaller telecoms such as Freedom Mobile, which is owned by Quebecor, isn’t taking part.
“The CRTC’s decision on access to fiber Internet networks is very disappointing. We had hoped for a decision that would reflect market realities and allow us to offer Freedom Mobile customers prices that would help lower their telecom bills, as we’ve been doing with wireless services for nearly 18 months,” said Karl Péladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor, in an issued statement to iPhone in Canada on Sunday evening.
“Unfortunately, the CRTC’s decision leaves us no room for maneuver and will prevent us from launching our services on these networks,” added Péladeau.
Once you take a look at the interim rates set by the CRTC for smaller companies to access Bell, Telus and SaskTel’s internet networks at wholesale, you’ll understand why companies won’t want to play ball. Take a look at just some of the pricing below–these are supposed to be wholesale rates:
Bell Canada (Ontario and Quebec) Aggregated wholesale fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) Access Rates:
Telus Aggregated FTTP Access Rates:
Telus Aggregated FTTP Capacity-Based Billing (CBB) Rates:
SaskTel Aggregated FTTP Access Rate:
On top of these prices for internet, there are charges for FTTP installs, moves or changes with a site visit, from $244 to $301, for example.
These seemingly expensive wholesale rates means there’s not a lot of profit to be made by smaller companies, by reselling internet to customers at these prices, and definitely will make them think twice about considering an internet business venture.
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To be expected from the CRTC.
What's the CBB rate for Bell?
A promo for Bell at my house right now is 3Gbps for $75.. less than the wholesale rate.
That's embarrassing
This article confused it a bit. It's actually even worse than they described. Wholesale must pay access fee per customer AND a rate for the data that goes across the incumbent network. The data rate is called CBB and they have to commit to a certain rate.
Come on they claim another company owns freedom while no Rogers does and is why freedom has 5G
No, Quebecor bought Freedom quite awhile ago. They use their own network and while they have a roaming agreement with Rogers, that isn't the same thing as ownership.
There is no 5g
THellus and BHell and Robbers are trying to fleece whatever money they can from whoever they can because they know the copper/fiber/cellular gravy train is starting to come to an end.
Satellite cellular services are just starting to appear. Eventually it's going to make terrestrial geographically wired and wireless services obsolete once the bandwidth/convenience reaches an inflection point with the cost of the service.
it might take another 5 to 10 years to get their, but it's gonna happen, and the big 3 are going to head towards financial insolvency when it does.
This doesn't make sense.
Satellite coverage isn't nearly good enough now, and the cost to launch is massive – Starlink is one of the more well known examples, and it costs $140/mo for 150mbps down. For $20 less, you get 2000mbps down (>10x faster) with Rogers. Due to the infrastructure costs, and how the inverse square law works – physical media will always be faster than wireless.
Ya I have high speed internet and I have data on my phone so that's enough for me..these prices are high
The CRTC is created to provide the illusion of competition to provide incumbents the ability to overcharge Canadians. We pay triple the rates others in the world pay. They should be abolished and full blown competition allowed.
Go jack off Poilievre a bit more their buds
Not sure what this has to do with Poilievre as he isn't the current leader of Canada. You seem to know what the internet is but lack the knowledge on how to use it for any sort of research…
Freedom is owned by Rogers so this is all just misleading information, how many are Indians working for you as bhenchods love to twist what gets said and is why Hindindians are hated in Canada, 60% of Canadians are tired of hindindia
Freedom is not owned by Rogers. Rogers bought Shaw which freedom was owned by but as part of the deal they had to sell freedom to Quebecor so that Rogers wouldn't own it. Facts matter.
Dude, you might want to keep your racist bullshit to yourself!
And while you're at it, do some research.
Rogers doesn't own Freedom Mobile as they had to sell it as a condition of their purchase of Shaw, Shaw was the previous owner before the sale to Rogers and Freedom was sold to Quebecor who also owns Videotron in Quebec.
I used to have freedom. I switched because of garbage service. I am now with Telus.
CRTC IS A GOVERNMENT BODY CONTROLLED BY THE TELECOM CARTEL.
The 2, 3, and 4 letter agencies that are supposed to regulate almost always become disgustingly corrupted. Pierre pollievre is a better choice when it comes to that, but will still need far more work even with his caucus in
I pay $57/month for gigabit fiber from Bell. The fact that the wholesale rate is more is embarrassing.
The CRTC is yet another Ministry that should be disbanded in dihonor and a new ministry created!!! They have been LIEING to us for v3 bdecades offering fair competition and cheaper rates yet everytiime someone does so they allow extra charges as penalties for the big players so the consumers lose oy AS USUAL! The most simplest way and screw Canaian content BECAUSE if it's good enough it will maken the stage, PERIOD! The solution is VEFRY simpple!!! Open up the markets to EU and USA players and prices will drop OVER 50% in ONE NIGHT!!!