Thursday 24 March 2011

Latest Deferral Account News for 24 Mar 11

Update of 08 Jun 11 available here.

The word coming out of Ottawa is that the other shoe has dropped on the Deferral Account issue.

As reported in my previous blog, Rogers threatened to appeal to the federal cabinet any decision by the CRTC to approve Bell’s use of Deferral Account funds to provide broadband service using 3G HSPA cellular technology. Nevertheless, the CRTC moved ahead and approved the Bell application.

Rogers did indeed file a petition and is asking the federal cabinet to direct the CRTC to rescind the decision and establish a competitive process to allow potential Bell competitor to gain access to the Deferral Account funds if they can provide the equivalent or better broadband service more cost effectively than Bell’s proposal.

The impact this appeal process will have on the Deferral Account schedule is unknown at this time.

The full Rogers submission can be accessed at this web address.