The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Monday started the final of several reviews to find a balance between customer access and rules that would set limits on investment. The CRTC wants to ensure that customers can best utilize emerging technologies.
The CRTC review will focus on whether cable and telecom companies should be obligated to share the “last mile” of their services, which represents the customer’s doorstep, with other smaller competitors. The goal is to provide consumer choice with competitive sustainability.
Big providers such as Rogers, Shaw, Bell Canada and Telus are expected to insist they should be allowed to continue control of last-mile fiber lines in order to obtain a return on their investment.
Fiber-optic technology is a large improvement over old copper phone lines and coaxial cable. It allows consumers to experience a wider pipe of bandwidth to place Internet phone calls and smoothly stream videos from various services. This also provides consistency in households where many people are using the connection simultaneously.
The CRTC hearings are smiliar to current issues being considered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. In that case, the FCC is weighing whether Internet service providers should be regulated as common carriers like the telephone companies. Doing so would create a level playing field, set a standard of service and likely increase competition in markets controlled by a single provider. It would also preserve net neutrality, the principle upon which the Internet is built.
Earlier in 2014, the CRTC conducted hearings regarding the future of wireless and television. After the hearings, it made telecoms stop the practice of forcing cancellation fees on customers who did not provide notice of terminating their service. On the wireless front, the CRTC is still debating rules for roaming and required sharing of towers.
