Statement by the Government of Canada on Bell Canada Petition of CRTC Wholesale Decision

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 11, 2016) - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, made the following statement today:

"The Government of Canada understands the need for accessible, reliable and affordable high-speed Internet so that middle-class and low-income families can fully participate in the digital economy.

"We are committed to increasing higher-speed broadband coverage and supporting competition, choice and availability of services for Canadian consumers and business users. Wholesale broadband is a proven regulatory tool for enabling retail competition in the Internet service market.

"The CRTC's decision to extend wholesale broadband regulation to fibre to the home means the CRTC has updated its regulatory approach to keep pace with changing technology and consumer demand. The decision strikes the right balance between the private sector having incentive to invest and consumers having a competitive choice.

"Therefore, the Governor in Council is denying Bell Canada's petition and letting the CRTC decision stand.

"Enabling competition in telecommunications is a government commitment, and we will continue to foster a strong investment environment for telecommunications services to keep Canada at the leading edge of the digital economy.

"We are encouraged by the many recent private sector announcements about investing in fibre in Canadian cities, and we will be consulting Canadians on how our $500-million commitment in Budget 2016 will be used to extend broadband service in rural and remote communities."

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Twitter: @MinisterISED