The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that the CRTC is broadening a directive that large telephone companies provide rivals with access to their fibre networks in an effort to improve competition in the Internet market. The Globe's Alexandra Posadzki writes that Tuesday's decision from the CRTC, which will come into effect in February, expands upon an earlier, temporary directive that applied only to Ontario and Quebec, markets where Internet competition had seen the most significant decline. The nationwide policy comes as the telcos have seen their stock prices under pressure owing to a combination of factors. Shares of BCE and Telus were down following the CRTC's announcement, while the broader stock market closed higher. The regulator said last November, when it issued its temporary directive, that it would review whether to apply the policy to other provinces and make it permanent. The CRTC said it expects to have interim rates in place by the end of 2024, with final rates to follow. Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi said the final rates will be key to determining the impact on the sector. If they are set too low, it "could lead to negative consequences" for the telephone companies, he said in a note.