TORONTO — Canada's small Internet service providers are appealing a recent CRTC decision against their efforts to offer wireless services using the networks of Bell, Telus and Rogers.
The Canadian Network Operators Consortium wants big telecom companies to be required to provide access to their wireless networks, similar to how they're required to provide access to their cable and phone lines.
In the CRTC's wholesale wireless decision released in May, the regulator said it would not mandate access to wireless network in order to allow third-party companies to re-sell wireless services.
Bell, Telus and Rogers had argued that the case for building new infrastructure would be undermined if third-party carriers could piggy-back on the bigger networks without building any towers of their own.
CNOC said in its appeal that it wants the CRTC to mandate that the wireless connection to the consumer is shared but each company has to invest in its own communications backbone.
The group represents more than 30 small ISPs from across the country including Primus, Teksavvy, and Distributel.
