Bell to Ottawa: Your Internet Rules Are Holding Canada Back

Bell Canada has launched a new campaign asking the federal government and the CRTC to rethink a recent decision that it says is hurting future internet upgrades.

The campaign, called “Build. Connect. Grow Canada.”, highlights how Bell and other companies have poured billions into building fibre internet networks for homes and businesses. Bell says it has already spent about $23 billion since 2020 to expand its network to 7.8 million homes and businesses.

But Bell claims current CRTC policies are making companies pull back. The decision lets incumbents Telus, Rogers, and Bell sell access to each other’s fibre networks. Bell argues this makes it less worthwhile to invest in expanding their own networks, especially in smaller or rural areas.

Because of the rule, Bell says it has cut $500 million from its spending this year and has cancelled plans to expand fibre internet to 1.5 million more locations. The company says this will mean fewer jobs and slower internet growth, especially for remote and Indigenous communities.

“As Canada faces threats to its economy and sovereignty, it is more important than ever to encourage investment from strong Canadian companies like Bell that want to build, connect and grow Canada. We are calling on the CRTC and federal government to implement smart policies that will unlock billions in private sector investment that keeps Canada’s networks strong while powering, transforming, and growing our economy,” said Robert Malcolmson, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer, in a statement on Monday.

A survey Bell commissioned in April by Spark Advocacy and Spring Omnibus Survey, cites most Canadians (about 79%) don’t believe this decision will lead to lower internet prices. Another 74% say they worry Canada will fall behind if companies stop building better networks.

Recently, Bell pulled out of an internet project in Northern Labrador, while at the same time announcing it has partnered with PSP Investments to launch Network FiberCo. This is a joint venture with Ziply Fiber (which Bell recently acquired) to expand last-mile fibre networks to underserved U.S. areas, backed by over US$1.5 billion in potential funding and aiming to reach up to 8 million locations.

Bell is now asking Ottawa and the CRTC to reverse the policy to “unlock billions” of private money and get back to building faster, more reliable internet across Canada.