Wednesday, January 30, 2008
AT&T wants to invest in Canada
AT&T (NYSE: T) has called for Canada to relax its foreign investment restrictions.According to AT&T, the current rules are the most restrictive of any country in the OECD and the rules
impose inefficiencies in the delivery of critical telecommunications services that harm consumer and business users throughout Canada's economy and limit economic growth in Canada.
AT&T's proposed remedy for the restrictions to be eliminated completely, or as an interim alternative, that foreign ownership restrictions be relaxed for telecommunications services providers with market share of less than 10% in any telecom services market.
AT&T's submission points out the lack of symmetry with relaxed US rules that have enabled T-Mobile USA, wholly owned by German Deutsche Telekom, to become a significant market player south of the border.
AT&T's submission includes references to Canadian studies (such as the Telecom Policy Review Panel and the Commons Committee on Industry, Science and Technology) that appear to contradict some of the assertions set out in the CRTC's position paper, the subject of yesterday's posting.
A senior leader of AT&T will be delivering a keynote address at The Canadian Telecom Summit in June.
Technorati Tags:
ATT, Competition Policy
Posted by Mark Goldberg @ 1/30/2008 07:55:00 AM 
Comments:
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Having been a former customer of AT&T's for many years, I am no great fan of this corporation or its own monopolistic practices. (Did anyone else enjoy the irony of reading these notes from an AT&T source?)
Nonetheless, on this point I am in complete agreement with them. By restricting the entry of foreign participation in the telecomm industry, the Canadian government serves to support the existing oligopoly. And, where oligopoly exists it is to the benefit of the participating firms at the expense of consumers.
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Nonetheless, on this point I am in complete agreement with them. By restricting the entry of foreign participation in the telecomm industry, the Canadian government serves to support the existing oligopoly. And, where oligopoly exists it is to the benefit of the participating firms at the expense of consumers.
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