Frequent readers of my blog will recall that I had experienced long hold times and frustrating customer service from Teksavvy when I had problems with my DSL connection. When I dug into the issue, part of the cause was the fact that their cable provider was not resolving issues in a timely manner. Now fast forward to today. The CRTC has posted a Telecom Part 1 application from a group called CNOC which is Canadian Network Operators Consortium of which Teksavvy is a member. The purpose of a Telecom Part 1 application is to resolve disputes between providers. In this case, CNOC wants the following according to the application [Warning: ZIP file]:
- Specific orders designed to improve a number of practices, procedures and processes followed by the Cable Carriers in providing wholesale services to ISPs.
- A series of Quality of Service Indicators designed to ensure that Cable Carriers comply with their existing legal duty to meet service intervals for installations, repair and disconnections with the same standards applicable to the Cable Carriers’ own retail operations. These Indicators are backed by a Rate Rebate Plan that creates a financial incentive for the Cable Carriers to meet the standards applicable to the Indicators.
The public has 30 days to submit comments. From there, the applicants then have 10 days to reply to the interventions. After that the CRTC then examines all of the written submissions and issues a decision. Kudos to CNOC for doing this because if an incumbent is not playing fair in terms of providing access to their networks as they are required to do, then they need to be held accountable. Hopefully in this case, they are held fully accountable.
CNOC Argues That TELUS Doesn’t Need Loopholes When It Comes To Providing Internet Access
Posted in Commentary with tags CNOC on January 27, 2025 by itnerdFor a few months now, TELUS has been promoting a petition that they want you to sign so that you can push for better choice when it comes to Internet choice in Ontario and Quebec. Now I covered their Internet offering here and at the time I wasn’t impressed. And to be fair to TELUS, more choice and more options are a good thing. But a group called The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) are pointing out that TELUS are one of the “big three” telcos in Canada. And as such don’t need “loopholes”. They argue that TELUS isn’t telling the whole story when it comes to this petition. Regulated wholesale access is meant to remove barriers for local and regional carriers so they can bring additional competition to Canada’s broadband market. It was not intended to help Canada’s Big Three dominant telecom companies from growing even larger. They also argue that the CRTC must act and close this loophole.
The organization has set up this website that goes into the issue more: www.breakfreefromthebigthree.ca
My take on this is as follows. When TELUS first popped up with this campaign, I found it to be as the kids say “sus” or suspect for the reasons that CNOC points out above. So I didn’t report on it. CNOC today has pretty much validated my thinking. Canadians do want more choice. Not just in Internet access, but in all telco services. The TELUS argument really doesn’t advance that goal in my mind. Thus I would argue that Canadians should continue to press politicians to enact real change to get real competition in the Canadian telco space.
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