TekSavvy calls on Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to block Rogers’ $26-billion takeover of Shaw.
Peter Nowak, the independent service provider’s (ISP) spokesman, says the Minister must take action before ISPs are “squeezed out.”
The merger, which will also see Vidéotron acquire Freedom Mobile, previously received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The Competition Bureau, another entity that must provide approval, sought to block the merger.
Unsuccessful in its initial bid, the bureau will present its case to the Federal Court of Appeal on January 24th. It was the Competition Bureau’s efforts to block the merger that revealed Rogers’ plans to rent its broadband network to Vidéotron at “preferential rates,” TekSavvy says.
“With competitors leaving the market, the federal government’s own data confirms Canadian internet prices are skyrocketing during an unprecedented cost of living crisis.”
The Minister previously stated he’ll wait to see how the legal proceedings go before making any decisions.
Image credit: TekSavvy
Source: TekSavvy
