The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that the federal cabinet has directed the CRTC to reconsider whether the country's three largest carriers should be allowed to resell Internet services over each other's networks at regulated prices. The Globe's Irene Galea writes that the move could alter a controversial part of the wholesale regime aimed at improving telecom competition. The cabinet's directive late last week spurred a number of telecoms and industry groups to weigh in on the issue, prompting a rare near-consensus in the industry. Cabinet's concern is that allowing the Big Three carriers -- Rogers, BCE's Bell and Telus -- to access each others' networks at mandated rates could allow those players to use their market dominance to steamroll local competitors. In a statement, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said cabinet had concerns about "the viability of small and regional internet service providers that provide alternatives" and about maintaining investments in infrastructure. Cabinet has given the CRTC 90 days to review this aspect of the interim wholesale regime, which requires Bell, Telus and SaskTel to grant competitors access to their fibre optic Internet networks at mandated prices.
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