Telecom Trends

MTS Allstream has turned to the public for support of its cabinet appeal. The official comment period has closed on the Gazette Notice, but the broad coalition of ISPs on the Competitive Broadband home page is looking to influence Cabinet to overturn the CRTC's Decision from last December.

Under the Telecom Act, Cabinet has one year from the date of the original decision to act on the appeals.

The website contains various links to the materials filed by MTS Allstream and a Top 10 list of reasons why the coalition would like to see the Commission's decision overturned. It includes a reference to the flawed OECD study that erroneously said that Canada has among the highest cost, slowest broadband:

Canada already has more expensive and slower broadband services than many countries. Within the OECD, Mexico and Turkey are the only countries where broadband services are more expensive.

The Competitive Broadband coalition misses the point that Canadians already enjoy among the world's highest levels of intermodal competition - the vast majority of us have access to broadband service over twisted pair, coaxial cable, fixed and mobile wireless as well as satellite.

Cabinet has to balance the interests of value added service providers, such as those represented in this new Coalition, against the interests of facilities based service providers - the companies making massive investment in infrastructure in a competitive environment.

Canadian Press covers the story here.