The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that the CRTC has set interim rates for what smaller Internet providers will have to pay to use the established telco fibre networks. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says the pricing comes as the CRTC works to expand nationally a mandate already in two provinces requiring the telcos to share their fibre networks. The CRTC says the interim rates are based on an analysis of detailed costing information filed by the large telephone companies that own fibre Internet networks, such as Bell, Telus and SaskTel, and are meant to reflect the costs those companies incurred to build them. Smaller providers will have to pay prices ranging from $65.25 to Telus for fibre-to-premises in Quebec, $68.94 for access to Bell networks, $77.57 for access to SaskTel and $80.41 to access Telus fibre in Alberta and British Columbia. The regulator has also released pricing for installation, service charges and other costs. The CRTC announced in August it would require those companies to give competitors access to their networks for a fee -- the decision applies to networks countrywide come February. In response, Bell said it would reduce its network spend by $1.1-billion in 2024 and 2025.
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