Wednesday, May 02, 2007

CRTC vs The Public Interest

The CRTC was created to protect the interests of citizens today it protects the interests of telcos and communications media oligopolies in Canada.

The former monopolies can now vary rates among customers depending on where they live, and other factors. The companies had asked for permission to vary rates, in order to help them compete with cable rivals such as Rogers Communications Inc., that face no restrictions when they offer local service.

Companies such as Rogers will have about 18 per cent of Canadian telephone customers by the end of the year, according to a report by Convergence Consulting Group Ltd. that was released this month.

Stuart Langford, the sole CRTC commissioner to dissent, said the ruling removes any consumer protection except for clients who subscribe to the most basic service. "Incumbent phone companies can charge whatever they like; the sky's the limit," he wrote. "Consumers are left with two choices: pay or do without."

Monday's ruling will remove any incentive for new entrants to compete with the former monopolies, now that the CRTC "has given incumbent phone companies so much power to crush competition before it even gets started," Langford said.


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2 comments:

  1. "...today [the CRTC] protects the interests of telcos and communications media oligopolies in Canada"

    So you'll support efforts to get the CRTC disbanded?

    ReplyDelete
  2. No I would restructure it with labour, jounralists, DIY activists and consumer representatives and have it advocate to open up the market to DIY broadcasting, that cable was supposed to give us for their licensing. See my Death of Channel 10.

    ReplyDelete