GATINEAU, Que. – Canadian consumers won’t get better deals on wireless data if mobile virtual network operators are introduced into an already competitive market, but such a move would slow an ongoing major upgrade to the national communication backbone, Bell Canada and Bell Mobility executives testified Wednesday.
Speaking at the second day of public hearings before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in Gatineau, Que., Bell Canada chief executive Mirko Bibic said any form of MVNO mandate would an “aggressive” regulatory intervention.
Bibic reminded CRTC commissioners that Canada is taking “the next big step” in building its communications backbone, which requires simultaneously installing ultra-fast fifth-generation wireless networks and more fibre optic infrastructure.
“Those are two fundamental things for the next generation of the Canadian economy,” Bibic said.