By Peter N Henderson
OTTAWA, Sept 18 (Reuters) – The Canadian government is
focused on an upcoming auction of prized wireless spectrum, and
not on the possibility of lifting foreign ownership restrictions
on Canada’s big telecoms companies, Industry Minister James
Moore said on Wednesday.
The Conservative government eliminated foreign ownership
limits on telecoms companies with 10 percent or less of the
market but has maintained limits on the large players, including
BCE Inc, Rogers Communications Inc and Telus
Corp.
Asked by Reuters about the possibility of getting rid of
those limits, Moore said the government was concentrating on an
intensely watched auction of wireless spectrum, where it is
encouraging new entrants to challenge the Big Three.
“Our policy is the auction and we’ll see what happens
through the auction,” he responded.
Tuesday was the deadline for companies to register for the
auction, which begins Jan. 14. Moore declined to say whether any
new foreign companies had signed up, noting his department would
put out the list next Monday.
In the run-up to Tuesday’s deadline, the three big phone
companies had engaged in a high-profile spat with Moore over the
auction rules, which they said unfairly favored big foreign
companies.
Moore promised to take the side of the consumer in its
telecommunications policy, and endorsed the decision by the
regulator, the Canadian Radio-television Communications
Commission, to study roaming rates.
“I certainly think it’s a worthwhile inquiry. This is a
concern that Canadians have had for some time and we’ll see what
the examination uncovers and maybe recommend some things,” Moore
told reporters.
