Telecommunications

"The proposed Rogers-Shaw merger was back in the news last week as Canadian Industry minister Francois Philippe Champagne held a mid-week press conference to announce that the original deal was dead, but that a reworked deal that brings in Videotron might be a possibility if certain government expectations on restrictions on transferring spectrum licences and consumer pricing outside of Quebec were met."

"Rogers Communications Inc. is preparing for the fight it had been trying to avoid -- a hearing at Canada’s Competition Tribunal over its proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc."

“So instead of pursuing a remedy that gives up on existing competition in the hope that another player might one day fill the void left in the wake of the merger, the best outcome for Canadians in this saga is one word from the commissioner to the Rogers and Shaw families: No.”

“We need competition laws that enable a greater number of diverse competitors to provide services in our markets, and provide redundancies in the infrastructure underlying our daily life. When key networks are monopolized, our economy becomes more fragile as private interests retire redundant infrastructure with impunity.”

“In other words, if a merger creates a significant amount of cost savings, it is legal under Canadian law, even if it hurts consumers. These cost savings often come from laying off staff, which may exacerbate the harm these mergers can inflict on Canadians. Ultimately, the increased revenues from higher prices and cost savings accrue to business owners and shareholders, exacerbating economic inequity.”