From the title, you may have been expecting this post to discuss mobile cellular phones. No, I am not reporting on a new study linking cel phone use to higher idling and increased release of green-house gas.

I saw a news clip about the Canadian Environment Minister summoning Canada’s car manufacturers to a meeting, where sources say she’ll lay out plans for regulating car emissions.

And you ask, how does this relate to telecom? This is from a conservative government – one that might be expected to keep hands off industry – let market forces rule. If consumers want cleaner cars, then the market will produce them and people will reward the manufacturers that produce them. Right?

According to an unidentified Conservative insider quoted in the story:

Canada has to have regulations that are valuable, enforceable and implementable – to do what they’re supposed to do.

As we watch for the implementation of the recommendations of the Telecom Policy Review Panel, it is perhaps worthwhile watching how this government deals with another of Canada’s key economic industries.

In an unusual display of unanimity, cable companies and telcos alike asked the CRTC not to publish aggregated market forecast data. The CRTC is gathering the company specific data as part of the information for its fresh look at the Local Forbearance Decision.

The arguments put forward by the carriers are varied, but include our concerns that the CRTC failed to ask a bunch of service providers for their information and many who were asked haven’t bothered responding. Other concerns include data inconsistencies (some carriers have December 31 year ends, others use August 31; some carriers refuse to submit forecasts beyond those years approved by their boards), securities disclosure concerns, ability for the public to derive company specific information, etc.

Beyond voyeuristic pleasure, each carrier challenged whether a purpose is being served by disclosing the information. The CRTC should let carriers keep their private information private.

For aggregate market information, people know to call my partner in The Canadian Telecom Summit: Michael Sone. Happy Birthday, Michael!