The CEO of Quebecor, Pierre Karl Péladeau, returned to the accusation against Bell, which he again accused of wanting to “protect its quasi-monopoly” in fiber optic distribution “by all means”.
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Mr. Péladeau was invited to testify with his team at the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) public hearings on Thursday morning and launched numerous salvos against the Canadian telecommunications giant.
He says Bell unreasonably inflates prices for other companies to access its fiber-optic distribution network in a way that makes it nearly impossible for competing companies in parts of the country where it is practical the only company to survive is the only one that has developed a fiber optic network.
“Similarly, Bell's Internet offerings are irrefutable evidence that the company engages in exclusionary practices whose sole purpose is to force its competitors to reduce their profit margins,” he told CRTC members.
This dynamic is making life difficult for Videotron, owned by Quebecor, which like other telecommunications companies wants to penetrate deeper into the Canadian market.
The CRTC recognized the problem and forced Bell and Telus to give their competitors access to their fiber optic networks in Quebec and Ontario within six months. This decision was welcomed by Mr Péladeau, but was challenged by Bell in the Federal Court.
After Bell announced a 9% cut in its workforce last week, some of its officials told the CRTC on Wednesday that the decision forced them to consider reducing investment in its fiber-optic network.
A threat “worthy of Bonhomme Sept Heures,” said the head of Quebecor.
In the event of a decision to comply with the CRTC requirement, Bell officials advocated setting conditions for sharing their network, such as caps on allowable speeds or access restrictions.
To solve the problem, Quebecor representatives advocated the introduction of a fixed national tariff that would be the same across the country.
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