News Summary

The Canadian government, through Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and responsible for economic development in Quebec, has expressed support for the CRTC’s decision to allow network infrastructure sharing for fibre internet. This initiative, piloted last summer, aims to offer Canadians more choices by enabling smaller internet providers to utilize the infrastructure of larger carriers. The ruling also permits major players to resell on each other’s infrastructure, with Telus launching fibre services in Ontario and Quebec using Bell’s network. While Telus welcomes the decision, Bell and Rogers oppose it, citing potential negative impacts on investment and competition. Cogeco has also criticized the ruling and intends to challenge it through the Federal Court of Appeal. Despite opposition, the federal government’s backing is expected to enhance competition and choices for Canadian internet consumers.