Broadband competition at stake?

Later today, the CRTC will be releasing its decision on its Notice of Consultation 2009-261, Proceeding to consider the appropriateness of mandating certain wholesale high-speed access services, as I discussed briefly last week. The file has been open for a year and a half, triggered initially by the CRTC as a follow-up to a wholesale DSL access service decision.

The proceeding was expanded by combining the issue with a request in March 2009 by Cybersurf to gain access to a mandated central office-based ADSL access service and cable head-end network access service.

There are some who have said that the decision will determine the viability of broadband competition. Will independent ISPs be able to compete if the CRTC does not rule in their favour. On the other side, the incumbent telephone companies have argued that the decision may determine the viability of fibre to the home investments in some communities.

Later today, we will see how the Commission adjudicated between these strongly expressed warnings.

Will Canada move to mandate more wholesale access to broadband facilities? Will the CRTC treat the residential market differently from the business services market?

How will the parties respond?