Big Telcos to Cabinet: Forget "very disturbing" facts - hike Internet prices

Canadians can speak up, say "No" Internet price hikes at Paylesstoconnect.ca

CHATHAM, ON, Jan. 20, 2020 /CNW/ - TekSavvy Solutions Inc. (TekSavvy) today urged Canadians to visit paylesstoconnect.ca to voice their support for a historic CRTC decision to lower Internet prices.  Canada's Big Telcos, such as Bell and Rogers, petitioned the federal cabinet to cancel the decision and hike Internet prices instead. The Big Telcos' price hike petitions are open for public comment until February 14.  

The CRTC's decision lowered the wholesale rates Big Telcos charge small ISPs, like TekSavvy. The CRTC found Big Telcos broke its rules and fabricated costs to inflate their rates for competitors, keeping prices high for Canadians. During its 4-year rate-setting process, the CRTC condemned the Big Telcos' Internet rate-fixing as "very disturbing", lowered their rates and ordered them to repay overbilled amounts back to March 2016 (estimated at $325 million). 

The Government of Canada stood up for telecom consumers by directing the CRTC to promote competition, affordability and consumers' interests. Following the CRTC's decision, TekSavvy immediately began passing the benefits on to consumers, lowering Internet bills and upgrading services for hundreds of thousands of customers - until Big Telcos halted the CRTC's decision in court.  The Big Telcos have since filed numerous appeals to overturn the decision and thwart any benefit to consumers or competition.  

"The Big Telcos game the system with impunity, kneecapping competitors while Canadians pay the price," said Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy's VP Regulatory and Carrier Affairs. "Cabinet should not only reject their Internet price hike petitions, but hold the Big Telcos accountable for their anti-competitive activities while the CRTC opens up the mobile sector to wholesale competition too."

"When Big Telcos game the system, we all pay more," said Janet Lo, VP Privacy and Consumer Legal Affairs. "Canadians have been clear that they expect lower prices and more choices to stay connected." 

Visit Paylesstoconnect.ca to make your voice heard.

About TekSavvy
TekSavvy has been proudly serving Canadians with reliable telecom services for more than 20 years and has won numerous awards for the quality of its service and for its commitment to fighting for consumers' rights online. With offices in Chatham, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec TekSavvy is Canada's largest independent telecom company with over 300,000 customers from coast to coast.

SOURCE TekSavvy Solutions Inc.