Canada Opens Incumbent Networks in Huge Win For Indie ISPs In a landmark ruling, Canadian regulator the CRTC has opened incumbent fiber networks to layered, over the top broadband competition. The CRTC ruling requires that incumbent Canadian ISPs like Bell must now give smaller ISPs like Primus, Distributel or TekSavvy access to their last mile fiber networks. The ruling initially impacts Ontario and Quebec, but will cover all of Canada in time.

It's a huge ruling for independent ISPs who were against the ropes due to usage-based billing charges in Canada just a few years ago. It's the kind of news incumbent ISP executives in the States and Canada have had nightmares about for years because it opens the door to increased competition. Under the CRTC's new proposal, independent ISPs will have "disaggregated" access to the end user at a regional point of access much closer to the consumer. Smaller ISPs are then responsible for transport of data from this own regional interface to their own central office, connectivity that's either owned or leased. "As Canadians participate more actively in the digital economy, they will need access to higher Internet speeds to power their broadband homes and businesses," CRTC boss Jean-Pierre Blais said in a statement. "By continuing to mandate certain wholesale services, and including access to fibre facilities, we are continuing our work to drive competition so Canadians have access to more choice, innovative services and reasonable prices. At the same time, we fully expect that companies will continue to invest in their networks, including in fibre technology, to meet the growing needs of consumers." There's some additional conversation to be found in our There's some additional conversation to be found in our Canadian broadband forums . It's now just a matter of waiting for incumbent ISPs to actually open up their networks to independent ISPs and greater competition.







News Jump Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news AT&T's CEO Has A Familiar $olution To US Broadband Woes; EarthLink Files Suit Against Charter; + more news 5G Doesn't Live Up To Hype, AT&T's 5G Slower Than Its 4G; Cord-Cutting Now In 37% of Broadband Households; + more news FCC Cited False Broadband Data Despite Warnings; ZTE, Huawei Replacement Cost Is $1.87B, But Only $1B Allocated; + more ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 25 comments

neelc0

join:2014-03-31

Somers, NY 7 recommendations neelc0 Member America needs this also I really wish the FCC implemented last mile access for Incumbent ISPs here in the US. We Americans could really do with our own version of TekSavvy after our countless number of bad service, data caps, and price increases. ohreally

join:2014-11-21 6 recommendations ohreally Member Britain did it before that BT opened up access to its VDSL and FTTH networks as early as the initial trials (where they got numerous ISPs on board to test it with real customers).



Now the US just needs to do the same thing.