The Globalive ownership hearings conclude tomorrow.

Last night, redacted versions [ pdf, 3.9MB] of last week’s in-camera session were released. Globalive and Orascom had completely reworked their corporate structure (removing a layer of holding companies) and developed a new operating term sheet between the two days of hearings.

It is worth pointing out a few highlights from Thursday’s transcripts.

At page 94, CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein appeared to summarize the Commission’s concerns when he said:

You addressed an awful lot of points on the structure, et cetera, but the fact is that the same company owns the majority of the debt — owns practically all the debt, owns the majority of the equity and is also your principal service supplier, and you this morning said that that Service Agreement is also another way of getting your return on investment et cetera. So there are 3 large levers in one hand and that hand is not Canadian.

On page 95, the Chair defines the issue as a legal one:

Basically what you are asking for is a conditional approval, you know, without a clock, but basically give it and as soon as markets will allow us, we will Canadianize this thing so that there can be no question about it.

Except I don’t have that authority. That is the issue. I mean if the Act allowed for something like that, then, you know, your business point, we all three hear it and they are very cogent et cetera, but it is not a business issue, it is a legal issue. It is a question that there are three major levers in the hands of a non-Canadian and does [that] amount to control or not.

These levers of control would appear to be the focus of tomorrow’s closing arguments.

The Kids Internet Safety Alliance, KINSA, is presenting a benefit concert featuring Jim Cuddy (of Blue Rodeo fame) on October 29.

Tickets are $150 which includes the concert, an open bar, hors d’ouevres and snacks.

It should be an intimate evening at the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto and the proceeds are for a good cause.

Sponsorships are available. For tickets and information, call 416-682-5502.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6YZo0ZIGSU]

The CRTC has granted interim approval to NanoFibre Inc. for its Basic Listing Interchange File Agreement, which calls to mind the existence of smaller fibre to the home (FTTH) / fibre to the premises (FTTP) service providers across the country.

NanoFibre operates in the Columbia Valley in BC and it is one of many smaller ISPs that demonstrates that there are facilities-based options beyond the incumbent telephone companies and cable companies.

The fact that NanoFibre can raise capital, build, operate and serve smaller communities begs a number of questions.

The Village of Radium Hot Springs, Columbia Ridge and Spirit’s Reach have fibre running past the front door of over 1,500 residences and businesses and more buildings are being connected every day. We have placed fibre in the ground within Pedley Heights, Copper Point and a new subdivision in Fairmont Hot Springs.

How many other FTTH companies are operating under the radar screen in Canada?

So, Bell Aliant is operating FTTH in cities in New Brunswick and NanoFibre among a number of others operating in BC. FTTH in different types of markets, from coast to coast.

How many FTTH / FTTP connections will be listed in next year’s Communications Monitoring Report?

One of my blog posts from last week, about The broadband numbers racket, was picked up by Circle ID, an website with news and information about developments affecting internet and infrastructure. There was a comment posted yesterday that included:

It seems like all these global broadband “ranking” evaluations are as nebulous as the college football BCS rankings. Worse actually.

My concern is that not enough scrutiny has been given to the rankings produced by reputable organizations perhaps because of a mistaken belief that such groups could not have issued a flawed report.

It is time for the media and reputable commentators to recognize that the OECD’s broadband rankings report had methodology problems and cannot be relied upon.

We’re closed on Monday for Yom Kippur, so no blog post. See you later this week.