Champagne orders ISED to start expedited consult over TTC access rights

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced that he is directing his department to launch an expedited consultation process regarding network access to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). "While all carriers expressed an interest in a coordinated solution, progress in negotiations has been limited. Despite my request to do so, the carriers have not reached an agreement. That is why I am taking action to address this situation, " Champagne stated in a Monday press release. The minister is directing the department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) to revise the licences of BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., and Quebecor In to ensure that all TTC riders have service "in all tunnels and stations, followed by voice, data and text as soon as technically feasible." "Access to reliable telecommunications services—and to emergency services in particular—is a critical public safety matter, and I will take all necessary actions to protect the interest of Canadians," Champagne stated. In April Rogers announced it had reached an agreement to acquire the Canadian arm of BAI Communications, an Australian company that obtained the rights to build out the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) wireless network in 2012. No company signed on to use the network except Wind Mobile in 2015 (now Quebecor's Freedom Mobile). Since Rogers acquired the BAI, Bell has requested access. In June it brought forward a Part 1 application before the CRTC requesting it prohibit Rogers from providing access to its customers on TTC until it enables access for all carriers. Bell claimed Rogers is “seeking to deny or delay access for as long as possible for the majority of Canadians who have chosen another wireless carrier.” Telus Corp. backed Bell's application, arguing that Rogers is conferring itself an undue preference "because other carriers cannot build their own infrastructure in the TTC, Rogers is able to play a gatekeeping role to the ." In its intervention, Telus also noted it engaged ISED to order Rogers to waive its exclusive access rights to the TTC network as a remedy to what it said is a breach of Rogers’ conditions of license. “This enforcement is critical so that Rogers cannot prevent other carriers from being able to negotiate with the TTC to install their own infrastructure,” Telus wrote of its ISED intervention. “Furthermore, ISED must enforce the COL to ensure that the COL remains an integral feature of the facilities-based competition regime that ISED has a spectrum objective.” Rogers insists that it provided the companies with a framework for shared access and has offered to enter into binding arbitration on an expeditious timeline. Rogers said access to the DAS is purely a matter between Rogers, Bell, and other carriers and commission intervention "in what are ordinary course contractual and technical discussions among sophisticated parties is inappropriate, unprecedented, and simply unnecessary in the present circumstances.”

Champagne orders ISED to start expedited consult over TTC access rights

News | July 24, 2023

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

Champagne orders ISED to start expedited consult over TTC access rights

News | July 24, 2023

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

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Related Stories

Privacy commissioner says TikTok wind up has no impact on investigation as company takes government to court

CRTC planning consult on cabinet order that it revisit blocking Big Three’s wholesale access to fibre in Ontario, Quebec

Ericsson invests $634 million in R&D in Canada

TikTok to challenge Canadian wind up order in court

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us