CRTC decision on internet tariffs | Conflict of petition, appeal and interest charges

Kareem Benessih
Tap

The petition, which was launched in the next few days condemning the “scandal”, has so far garnered 30,000 signatures, while Texas, one of Canada’s leading independent suppliers, filed a petition notice in court earlier this week. Federal appeal to overturn CRTC decision.

At the dock: Federal Body President Ian Scott, whose impeachment was called for in a petition sent to the Federal Cabinet of Texas on May 28, is a special effort. It was reported in the spring that Mr. Scott had met at a bar without witnesses on December 19, 2019, with Bell’s then Chief Operating Officer and now its CEO Mirko Bibik.

“Now, CRTC leaders have had beers with Bell and are completely undermining the credibility of government promises made to Canadians,” Andy Kaplan-Mirt, vice president of regulatory affairs and distributors, denied in a June 24 press release. This is notoriety. ”

Two prefaces

Texasawi learned by consulting the lobbyists’ registry that the CRTC president alone had met Bell, Tellus, Rogers and Shaw leaders at least 11 times in the last 4 years.

In 2017, CRTC Commissioner Raj Shaun was removed from his post on similar charges.

“Canadians have the right to ask what they want [le ministre François-Philippe] Champagne with [Ian] Scott, important decisions for low internet rates and hundreds of millions of dollars are on the table, ”he said Tap Jean-Philippe Bock, CEO of EBOX, the largest independent supplier in Quebec. “The final decision to raise prices is contrary to Justin Trudeau’s liberal promise that the middle class will pay lower telecommunications prices.”

Many independent providers have been announcing since May 27 a steady increase in their internet packages, especially for their new customers.

“Error of law”

In connection with Texas’ request to the Federal Court of Appeals filed on Monday, the CRTC’s recent “surprising” decision was followed by the same court backing the Supreme Court, which struck down major suppliers seeking to overturn the 2019 decision. .

By repeating the 2016 tariffs, Texavi argued that the CRTC “violated its right to procedural justice and erred in law or jurisdiction”, and we noted in the press release that the CRTC was already classified as high tariffs. Texavi alleges that the latest CRTC ruling could increase its wholesale internet costs by 20% to 80%.

The decision of the Federal Court of Appeal is pending, which will not be given for months, Texavi will call the Trudeau government. “After many years of litigation and delay, it is now clear that the solution to this failure lies with the Cabinet,” we read. The Cabinet must reinstate CRTC’s 2019 Final Tariff Order, which is a process of years, based on tons of evidence. ”