The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that four years ago, Rogers made a hostile bid for Cogeco using a carrot-and-stick approach: Accept our rich offer or face a street-by-street battle for cable customers in your core Quebec and Ontario markets. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that Cogeco turned down the carrot, spurning an $11.1-billion takeover. Rogers is now following through on its promise to target its Montreal-based rival's clients with technology the largest U.S. cellphone provider used to win market share from cable companies. In response, Cogeco announced plans last month to launch its own cellphone service, backed by Halifax-based Eastlink and a second unnamed national network, probably Telus. Canada's telco industry, already rocked by Quebecor's acquisition of Freedom Mobile last year, is about to become even more competitive. Cutthroat battles for cellphone and cable subscribers are welcome news for consumers and vindication for federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who promised lower prices when he signed off on Rogers's acquisition of Shaw once the two companies agreed to sell Freedom Mobile. All this competition is, however, likely to put pressure on telco profits.