CRTC Aims to Increase Internet Competition in Ontario and Quebec by Allowing Competitor Access to Fibre-to-Home Networks
November 13, 2023
In March 2023, the CRTC announced a major public proceeding to improve Internet services competition. As part of the proceeding, the CRTC launched an expedited process to determine whether competitors should be able to access the fibre-to-the-home networks of large telephone and cable companies on an interim basis. Today’s initial decision is the result of that expedited process.
The record of the proceeding, which includes over 300 interventions, shows that competition in the Internet services market is declining. In recent years, the percentage of customers served by competitors has decreased dramatically. This decrease is most significant in Ontario and Quebec, where independent competitors now serve 47% fewer customers than they did just two years ago. At the same time, several competitors have been bought out by larger Internet providers. This has left many Canadians with fewer options for high-speed Internet services.
On a temporary and expedited basis, the CRTC is providing competitors with a workable way to sell Internet services using the fibre-to-the-home networks of large telephone companies in Ontario and Quebec, where competition has declined most significantly. The CRTC is also setting the interim rates that competitors will pay when selling services over these fibre-to-the-home networks. These rates were chosen to allow Canada’s large Internet companies to continue investing in their networks to deliver high-quality services to Canadians.
The CRTC is continuing to work on this proceeding and looks forward to a public hearing that will start on February 12, 2024.
