Hopes were high that the Canadian Radio-television-Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) would reject the buy-out of Shaw Communications by Rogers. There can be no circumstances, when you reduce the major players in the industry from four to three, that it benefits Canadians. It is the raw greed of the incompetent management of Rogers today that the CRTC is feeding.
And that is the problem. Chair and CEO Ian Scott of the CRTC must still think he works in the business. He is pals with the head of Bell Canada He knows Bell, Rogers and Telus—the triumvirate. He thinks there should no more Shaw Communications. He said in his report that “the competitive landscape would not be unduly affected and that the transaction would be in the public interest.”
I would still like to know who the joker is in Ottawa who decided the CRTC should also be known as “Ian Scott and his Harem”? The other eight commissioners are all female.
Of course, I might have a problem with the new Rogers. When I decided to move from my waterfront condo to an apartment in the older part of Barrie, I had to arrange for telephone, Internet and television hook-ups. I had a good deal with Rogers at the condo for around $100 per month. When I asked for a quote from them for the new place, Rogers quoted me just under $200 per month for the same service I had for about half the price. When I asked why, the call-centre respondent said honestly that they controlled the telephone room in the new building. No deals to be had.
I went back to Bell and took a chance on the new fibre-optic service. While I never have got the bandwidth I pay for, I grudgingly continue to use Bell for Internet and TV.
I occasionally price the resellers of the same fiber-optic service but when you work out all the come-ons, you are paying the same rate as you would from Bell.
Canadians are paying outrageous rates for their telecommunications, be it cell phones, Internet or television services. And you can lay the blame on a CRTC that appears to work for the communications companies and not for us.
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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry
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