BCE Inc. is seeking to appeal a regulatory decision that will allow independent companies to sell internet services to their customers using its fibre network in Ontario and Quebec, saying it is at risk of suffering irreparable harm.

The parent company of Bell Canada filed documents with the Federal Court of Appeal late Thursday requesting permission to appeal the CRTC’s temporary ruling, and for a stay of the decision pending the outcome of the court process.

“The decision will have far-reaching impacts on Canadians’ access to high-speed internet beyond the interim period in which it is in effect,” the company said in its filings.

The CRTC announced on Nov. 6 it would require large telephone companies, namely Bell and Telus Corp., to provide competitors with access to their fibre-to-the-home networks within six months.

The regulator said the timeline would allow companies to prepare their networks and develop information technology and billing systems.

The move is meant to stimulate competition for internet services in Ontario and Quebec, where independent internet providers now serve 47 per cent fewer customers than they did two years ago.