Pro-Investment Policies Critical to Canada's Wireless Future: Ghiz

TORONTO, June 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadian policy makers considering changes to the regulatory framework surrounding Canada's wireless industry must ensure any changes made are ones that respect and continue to drive the facilities-based investments required to deploy and expand advanced wireless networks. This was emphasized today by Robert Ghiz, President & CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) during an afternoon keynote address at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto. Mr. Ghiz noted that nobody questions the importance of quality services, coverage and reasonable prices, but questioned the idea that radical change to Canada's wireless regulatory framework is needed in order to achieve these outcomes.

" Canadian wireless policy has been based on facilities-based competition," said Mr. Ghiz, who noted this was the only market structure delivering sustainable competition and encouraging the level of investment necessary to serve a country with Canada's unique attributes. These policies have been instrumental in the development of sustainable competition, evidenced by the entry of regional facilities-based carriers into the market and lower wireless prices. "Deviating from policies that prefer facilities-based competition, policies that have enabled world-class wireless quality and coverage, as well as a significant downward trend in prices, will interrupt our positive momentum."

Mr. Ghiz also noted that radical changes may put services and further service expansion in rural areas at risk. "Who will tell Canadians, who do not yet have connectivity, or that are waiting for network upgrades, that their needs were sacrificed for the hope that a change in policy might deliver marginally lower prices to Canadians in major urban centres?"

For a complete copy of Mr. Ghiz's remarks, please visit www.cwta.ca.

About CWTA
CWTA is the authority on wireless issues, developments and trends in Canada. It represents companies that provide services and products across the wireless sector. Representing the industry before all levels of government and various regulatory agencies, CWTA actively promotes the industry with the goal of ensuring continued growth of the wireless sector in Canada. CWTA administers a number of initiatives on behalf of its members, including corporate social responsibility programs and the national common short codes program.

SOURCE Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association