OTTAWA- The Canadian federal government has begun to roll out new policy goals for the Canadian radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), with the main focus being on giving more options for consumers and encouraging better competition.
The new directives are going to be opened for comment and changes until July 19th, when they will be enforced. The idea behind these new policies is to try and stimulate more competition for the CRTC. One of the many proposed directives is one that would make large telecom companies offer more space on their internet networks to smaller competitors.
It’s known as “wholesale internet,” which the CRTC had mandated back in 2019, but would undo in 2021. The reversal of the order forced smaller companies to raise their prices however.
While the new directive would not bring back their 2019 decision, it would require bigger providers to “to continue to give access to competitors at regulated rates so they can offer better prices and more choices to Canadians,” according to the CRTC’s website where the directives can be found.
Another directive change would shift the CRTC’s focus towards improving their hybrid mobile virtual network operator, or for short MVNO, as need be.
MVNOs are barred from operating in Canada due to a 2021 ruling by the CRTC that forces providers to have their own wireless infrastructure, which MVNOs do not. The only way a MVNO can operate in Canada legally is by operating regionally with their own networks that work off of networks in areas they don’t operate in.
“The government is prepared to move to a full MVNO model, if needed, to support competition in the sector,” the government reported.
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