Cogeco’s Jetté concerned about MVNO tariff negotiations

MISSISSAUGA - Even at the earliest stages of the CRTC’s new mobile virtual network operator regime, incumbents are already obstructing the goals of the decision, according to the CEO of one of the companies tipped to be the biggest beneficiary of the new regime. Speaking at the opening day of the 2021 edition of the Canadian Telecom Summit, Cogeco Inc. CEO Phillippe Jetté told attendees that his company can be a “solid scale player” in the wireless market, “but there are critical regulatory elements that need to be addressed for the government to see the benefit of increased competition in the wireless service market.” “The tariffs recently filed by the incumbents to the CRTC are contrary to the content and to the spirit of the recent CRTC MVNO decision,” Jetté said. In particular, he pointed to incumbent tariff filings that lack a complete service description. “This is simply inappropriate, and makes it difficult to understand which service elements are included in the MVNO access service. In other words it makes it difficult, near impossible, to determine what service the MNO will actually be providing to a prospective MVNO,” Jetté said. The CEO of the MVNO hopeful also said that the stipulated restrictions in incumbent tariff filings are seeking to effectively shorten the seven-year mandate envisioned by the CRTC. “Some national MNOs -- and they are not talking together -- are proposing terms and conditions that would effectively shorten the seven year term set out by the commission in a completely arbitrary manner,” Jetté said. Cogeco is one of the company’s widely expected to take advantage of the CRTC’s new MVNO regime, in which the regulator declined to put in place a broad-based MVNO mandate in favor of a restricted model granting mandated access for regional carriers with some level of spectrum holdings. In a quarterly earnings call with analysts last week, Jetté said that the company hopes to enter into rate negotiations by the spring or summer of 2022 at the earliest. Immediately following the decision in April, Jetté praised the CRTC’s decision in a press release. “Cogeco advocated a balanced regulatory approach, one that meets the desire of Canadians for increased competition in wireless services by reducing barriers to entry while ensuring ongoing investment in networks. The decision released by the CRTC yesterday is an important step forward toward that goal,” Jetté said at the time. — Reporting by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca and editing by Jenna Cocullo at jcocullo@thewirereport.ca

Cogeco’s Jetté concerned about MVNO tariff negotiations

News | November 15, 2021

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us

Cogeco’s Jetté concerned about MVNO tariff negotiations

News | November 15, 2021

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Telus’ arguments for incumbent access to wholesale regime not supported by competitors

CRTC finalizes terms of Uvagut TV distribution

Bell won’t participate in subsidized broadband projects if wholesale access for Big Three continues, signs agreement with CNOC

CRTC announces changes to Broadband Fund

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us