Wishpond
Trending >

Don’t listen to Rogers, Bell and Telus on Verizon’s “loophole” advantages, says analyst

Telus
Telus
“This is one of the positive outcomes of a policy that was meant to promote competition,” says Neeraj Monga, Executive VP and Head of Research for Veritas Investment Research.

Canada’s incumbent wireless companies knew the rules about a fourth player entering the market, and won’t be successful in changing them ahead of Verizon’s potential entry into the Canadian market, says one analyst.

Neeraj Monga, Executive VP and Head of Research for Veritas Investment Research was on BNN’s “Business Day” yesterday to talk about the hot topic of the U.S. wireless giant entering the Canadian market.

Monga’s appearance came as Canada’s big three incumbent wireless players, Bell, Rogers, and Telus, were intensely lobbying the government and Canadian public, arguing that they are at a disadvantage because current rules allow a new entrant to buy smaller Canadian carriers, buy more wireless spectrum than they can, and to piggyback on their wireless spectrum, rather than building their own.

“A company of this scale certainly doesn’t need handouts from Canadians or special regulatory advantages over Canadian companies,” said BCE CEO George Cope in an open letter. “But that is exactly what they get in the new federal wireless regulations.”

Telus CEO Darren Entwistle warned of a “bloodbath” if Verizon is allowed to enter the Canadian market.

“…it’s going to be prohibitively expensive and suck a lot of money out of the industry,” he told the Financial Post. “Money that won’t go to infrastructure and technology, money that won’t go into rural coverage or support lower prices.”

Monga says these concerns are now coming to the fore now because this is the first time the incumbents have seen a strong competitor like Verizon consider entering the market. He thinks there is little chance the Canadian government will change the rules that the “big three” are describing as loopholes.

“I do not consider these rules in place to be loopholes,” says Monga. “The government had mandated that it has a policy of promoting a fourth wireless carrier in every province of Canada. One could argue whether that policy was correct or not, but the fact that the governemnt has a policy, it has created a framework in which all new player and entrants are supposed to play. And this policy has been in place for more than a year now, and all the rules that are being bandied about or talked about as loopholes right now, they have existed, and the incumbents have known about these rules.”

Monga says the incumbents are right to be concerned that Verizon would be a threat to their business. The analyst says Verizon is a very large and very successful company, and telecom markets the world over have become increasingly globalized in their ownership. He thinks there is a 75% chance Verizon will come to Canada.

“This is one of the positive outcomes of a policy that was meant to promote competition,” he says.

Click here for the full interview.

More Cantech Wireless

 

We Hate Paywalls Too!

At Cantech Letter we prize independent journalism like you do. And we don't care for paywalls and popups and all that noise That's why we need your support. If you value getting your daily information from the experts, won't you help us? No donation is too small.

Make a one-time or recurring donation

About The Author /

Cantech Letter founder and editor Nick Waddell has lived in five Canadian provinces and is proud of his country's often overlooked contributions to the world of science and technology. Waddell takes a regular shift on the Canadian media circuit, making appearances on CTV, CBC and BNN, and contributing to publications such as Canadian Business and Business Insider.
insta twitter facebook

Comment

  1. It’s long overdue. The three monopolist companies that have been gouging us for years are finally going to have some real competition. Hurrah!

  2. Everyone thought the income trust policy was set, too – right up until it suddenly wasn’t.

  3. Rogers and Bell have been treating their customers like crap for years, ripping us off and not don’t even talk about their poor and rude attitude. They’ve been treating us unfairly for years and now they’re complaining about unfairness? Give me a break.

    In fact Rogers stills owes me $16,000 for calling my workplace causing me to get fired!

    Rogers and Bell have no right to cry unfairness now….

  4. It is high time Rogers and Bell went down but, that won’t happen. Because they have the Canadian Government in their back pocket. Talk about being liars and thieves.

Leave a Reply