The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has imposed interim rates for 'disaggregated' wholesale high speed access services in Ontario and Quebec, applicable to the two provinces' largest copper/fibre access network operator Bell Canada, as well as the three largest cablecos in Ontario/Quebec – Rogers, Videotron and Cogeco – all of whom must now offer the interim wholesale rates to competing ISPs wishing to access their networks. The CRTC's announcement says that the availability of disaggregated wholesale services will enable competitors 'to become more innovative by giving them a greater degree of control over their service offerings' including access to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) facilities. The regulator notes that an in-depth review to establish final rates for these wholesale services is ongoing, but in the meantime it decided to make these services available at interim rates 'to foster competition in the broadband internet market'. Transition to the new wholesale access model in other regions of Canada will be announced at a later date, the CRTC added.

For more information, access the link to the CRTC's decision here.

Thanks to TeleGeography