Tag: shaw

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Rogers argues against calls to delay CRTC hearing about Shaw acquisition

Rogers Communications wants an upcoming regulatory hearing about its proposed acquisition of Shaw to move forward as planned despite the ongoing dispute between Rogers family members over control of the company.

As reported by The Globe and Mail, Rogers (the company) submitted a regulatory filing to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Tuesday. The filing argued against calls to delay the November 22nd hearing from advocacy groups and rival telecom companies.

The Globe reports that two advocacy groups and BCE filed delay requests on Monday, while Telus followed suit on Tuesday — all sought to delay the regulatory hearing until the uncertainty around who controlled Rogers Communications was resolved.

As a quick refresher, Edward Rogers — son of the late Ted Rogers, who founded the company — is locked in a dispute with his mother Loretta Rogers and sisters Martha Rogers and Melinda Rogers-Hixon over the company’s board. Edward had attempted to oust CEO Joe Natale and replace him with former chief financial officer Tony Staffieri. However, after a butt-dial allegedly revealed the scheme to Natale, Edward was voted out as the board chair.

While no longer chairperson, Edward was still on the board as a director and promptly announced plans to remove several members (including the new chair) from the board and replace them, which effectively brings us up to date with the Rogers family now feuding in a Vancouver courtroom over whether Edward legally can replace the board. A decision is expected from the judge on Friday.

Those interested can read a complete timeline here.

Rogers argues that the family is “aligned” on the importance of the Shaw deal

With all that chaos going on, it’s no surprise that some have questioned whether to move forward with a hearing about an acquisition valued at $26 billion. Arguments for the delay include that it’s unclear which of the two boards currently has the authority to oversee the company’s affairs. Another argument is that the outcome could lead to changes in the Rogers executive team and it’s unclear if new executives would respect assurances in the proposed Shaw deal made by the old team.

Rogers countered those arguments in its filing, saying that it and Shaw’s “commitment to this transaction has never wavered.” Additionally, Rogers said any commitments made by the company will be honoured “regardless of any changes to the directors and officers that may occur in the future.”

It’s worth noting, however, that the Rogers company is embroiled in a lawsuit with Quebecor’s Vidéotron over an alleged breach of the companies’ shared network agreement. Vidéotron claimed in the lawsuit that a new chief technology officer (CTO) who disliked the agreement joined Rogers in 2018 and exacerbated issues.

Rogers Communications also argued in its CRTC filing that delaying the hearing would lead to delays in the CRTC’s review of the deal and create more “uncertainty in the marketplace.”

“The Rogers family and Rogers are aligned on the importance of this transaction. They fully support the application that Rogers has filed with the commission. They have stated this publicly multiple times,” Rogers said in the filing.

A spokesperson for the CRTC told The Globe that it was reviewing the requests for a delay.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Shaw stands by Rogers acquisition in Q4 fiscal report

Shaw Communications used its latest quarterly fiscal report to reaffirm its support for the company’s pending merger with Rogers.

The statement of faith from the Calgary-based telecom comes at a precarious moment, as Rogers is currently in the middle of a messy and highly publicized leadership struggle.

Meanwhile, the Rogers/Shaw merger — valued at $26 billion — continues to face intense scrutiny from government, competitors, and consumer advocates, many of whom argue that the merger will drastically narrow Canada’s telecom market and reduce competition.

In the company’s Q4 fiscal report, CEO Brad Shaw stated that management at Shaw “reiterate our continued commitment to work with Rogers to close the transaction.”

He also went on to say that “it is not appropriate for Shaw to comment on recent events at Rogers.”

In the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021, Shaw reported a net income increase of 44 percent to $252 million.

The report also noted that around 60,500 new wireless customers joined Shaw in Q4, with the company adding roughly 295,000 new wireless customers in the 2021 fiscal year.

This brings Shaw’s total customer base to more than 2.1 million.

For comparison, in fiscal year 2020, Shaw added somewhere over 160,000 new wireless subscribers for a total customer base of just over 1.8 million.

Shaw’s support aside, the acquisition still needs to be approved by three different government regulators: the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Competition Bureau, and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

The CRTC’s public hearing on the Rogers/Shaw deal is scheduled for November 22nd.

Source: Shaw

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Rogers’ boardroom blitz: a timeline of telecom turmoil

October has been a busy month for Rogers, as family drama and power struggles within the telecom company’s board of directors continue to make for some strange headlines.

Here’s a timeline to help you keep track of what’s happened so far this month on Succession: Canadian Telecom Edition.

September 29th: Rogers issues a press release announcing that chief financial officer Tony Staffieri is leaving the company. No reason is given for Staffieri’s departure.

October 8th: Alexandra Posadzki at The Globe and Mail publishes an exclusive scoop that Staffieri was, in fact, booted from Rogers, after he and company chairperson Edward Rogers — son of the late Ted Rogers, who founded the company — tried to oust CEO Joe Natale.

The plan failed — more on that in a minute — and Staffieri, who was supposed to slide into the CEO seat in this scheme, took the fall and lost his job.

Allegedly, Staffieri and Natale hadn’t gotten along for a while, and a power struggle to see who could remove the other from their position first began sometime in early 2021.

Moreover, while Edward threw his hat in with Staffieri, fellow board (and family) members Loretta A. Rogers, Martha L. Rogers, and deputy board chair Melinda M. Rogers-Hixon continued to back Natale.

October 18th-20th: Insider sources suggest that Edward Rogers is trying to reshuffle the board of directors, seemingly in retaliation for not supporting his plot to install Staffieri as CEO.

October 21st: The Globe and Mail publishes a second, extremely funny scoop. Apparently, Natale got wind — pun very much intended — that there was a scheme to unseat him because Staffieri accidently buttdialed him while in the middle of said scheming with Edward Rogers.

(A moment of silence to appreciate the irony of a telecom company boardroom drama where an accidental phone call is a major plot device.)

A few hours later, the Rogers board votes to remove Edward Rogers as its chair. While no longer chairperson, Edward remains on the board as a director.

Remember Edward’s rumoured plan to fire half the board and replace them with people who don’t disagree with him? Well it turns out that was true, as that same night Edward releases a statement announcing his intentions to remove John Clappison, David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks, Ellis Jacob, and John A. MacDonald (the new chair) from the board.

October 22nd: The morning after butt-dial gate, Rogers — the company, not the man — issues a formal response to Edward’s statement. The response, which positively drips with contempt, acknowledges Edward’s intention “to remove the majority of the independent directors of Rogers Communications Inc. and replace them with nominees of the Rogers Control Trust through a written resolution without convening a meeting of shareholders,” but emphasizes that the Company™ “is not aware of this mechanism ever having been utilized in respect of a public company in Canada.”

So why does this all matter, beyond being kind of entertaining to follow?

It matters because Rogers is currently trying to get its contentious March 2021 purchase of Shaw Communications okayed by the Canadian government.

The deal, valued at $26 billion, is still pending approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Competition Bureau, and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

While Shaw has reasserted its commitment to the merger in the wake of all Rogers’ boardroom blitz, perceived instability in the company’s higher echelons could be another strike counted against Rogers.

This would be in addition to the many, many, many, many, many concerns about how the takeover could further reduce competition in Canada’s telecom market and result in higher prices / less choice for consumers.

Source: Rogers, (2); The Globe and Mail, (2), (3), (4), (5)

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Ookla Q3 report names Telus Canada’s fastest mobile operator

Telus has kept its crown as Canada’s fastest mobile operator, according to a slew of new statistics in Ookla’s Q3 Canada Market Report for 2021.

For context, Ookla is the owner and operator of Speedtest.net, a free web service that analyzes your Internet’s performance.

According to data gathered from its speed-tracking tool, Ookla says Telus was the fastest mobile operator in Canada during Q3 2021, with a ‘Speed Score’ of 81.93.

Shaw came out on top as the country’s fastest fixed broadband provider, while the title of fastest 5G went to Bell for its median 5G download speed of 183.39 Mbps, narrowly beating Telus’ 176.38 Mbps.

Meanwhile, Vidéotron kept it steady for yet another fiscal quarter, earning the title of Canada’s most consistent mobile operator in Q3 with a score of 87.4 percent

In terms of geography, Ookla found that Newfoundland and Labrador are Canada’s fastest regions for both fixed broadband and mobile, clocking in a median download speed of 124.22 Mbps

Calgary was named the city with the highest population with the best median fixed broadband download speed (134.33 Mbps), while Halifax won the mobile download speed category (113.10 Mbps).

Finally, the report claims that while Samsung devices earned the fastest combined performance scores in Q3 with a median download speed of 64.14 Mbps, edging out Apple’s 58.12 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest popular device overall with a median download speed of 164.63 Mbps.

Past Ookla reports from 2021 found that Canada is no longer among the top 10 fastest countries for internet speeds, that 5G speeds in Ottawa are middling compared to other capital cities, that Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park boasts the fastest download speeds amoung Canada’s national parks, and that SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service performs best in Saskatchewan.

Source: Ookla

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Select Metro Vancouver busses and SkyTrains now offer free Wi-Fi

Roughly two years after announcing that Translink riders in Metro Vancouver will have access to free Wi-Fi in 2020, the transit commission and Shaw’s plans are finally coming to fruition.

Translink announced on Tuesday that its free Wi-Fi is now accessible on select buses, SkyTrains and stations in Metro Vancouver.

Currently, six RapidBuses, three SkyTrains, the Edmonds Station and the Carvolth Exchange feature Shaw’s Wi-Fi, with the system-wide rollout expected to complete in 2026. Additionally, posters and signage will indicate if the vehicle you’re on offers free Wi-Fi.

“We know that free Wi-Fi is something our customers want, and I’m so excited to start delivering this important feature to elevate the customer experience,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a press relesae. “Free Wi-Fi means that our customers can use their transit time for leisure, work, or better connecting with family and friends without spending their money on data fees.”

It’s worth noting that customers on SeaBuses and in SeaBus terminals in Metro Vancouver can already use free Shaw Wi-Fi as part of a prior TransLink and Shaw rollout.

Customers can learn how to use the free Wi-Fi and monitor status updates on the transit’s Wi-Fi installation over time here.

Image credit: @TransLinkNews

Source: Translink

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Competition Bureau issues request for information about Rogers-Shaw deal

Canada’s Competition Bureau has issued a request for information (RFI) to gather facts about Rogers’s proposed Shaw Communications acquisition.

In a notice posted on the Bureau’s website this week, it welcomed market participants and Canadians to “submit relevant information to assist the Bureau with its investigation.”

Specifically, the Bureau says it’s investigating whether the proposed merger “is likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition for mobile wireless, wireline internet and broadcasting services.”

Additionally, the Bureau says it’s seeking information to assess the impact on competition in several areas, including mobile wireless services to consumers, consumer and small business internet services, fibre transport services, supply of programming to television providers and more.

Earlier this year, the Bureau said that it received a “higher than normal volume” of feedback over the proposed Rogers-Shaw deal — it later pledged to conduct a “thorough” review of the acquisition. In August, the Bureau also received court orders to advance its review of the deal.

The Competition Bureau is one of several regulators that must review and ultimately approve the proposed acquisition for it to move forward. Along with the Bureau, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will examine the transfer of broadcasting assets. The Commission will hold a public hearing about the proposed acquisition on November 22nd.

Currently, Rogers, Bell and Telus are arguing about the deal via submissions to the CRTC. Most recently, Rogers accused Bell and Telus of trying to block the acquisition to avoid competition.

The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) will also need to approve the transfer of spectrum licences.

Should Rogers receive regulatory approval, the Shaw deal will likely close in the first half of 2022.

Those looking to submit information to the Competition Bureau’s RFI have until October 29th, 2021 to do so. Further, the Bureau says it will keep any information shared with it confidential. You can make an RFI submission to the Bureau here.

Source: Competition Bureau

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Rogers accuses Bell, Telus of opposing Shaw deal to avoid competition in CRTC filing

A recent Rogers filing to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) accuses Bell and Telus of opposing the proposed Shaw merger to avoid competing with a stronger broadcaster.

In the document Rogers filed, the carrier claims that acquiring Shaw would enable it to compete with Telus and Bell more effectively. According to The Globe and Mail, Rogers also claimed it would help the company compete against foreign competitors like Netflix.

It comes as a response to requests made to the CRTC by Bell and Telus to deny Rogers’ acquisition. Both carriers raised concerns that the Rogers/Shaw merger would make the company’s broadcasting distribution market too large.

Specifically, the two telecoms argued that Rogers would control 47 percent of the English-language broadcasting distribution market (distribution of TV channels through cable, satellite or internet) if the proposal went through. Shaw’s broadcasting distribution business includes a satellite TV service called Shaw Direct and cable networks in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northern Ontario. Bell and Telus say that if Rogers achieved that scale, it would gain control over the availability of programming services.

However, The Globe and Mail notes that Rogers countered those claims by pointing out that Bell is already the largest broadcasting distributor and that the company attempted to buy Shaw as well.

First, Rogers claimed in the submission that Bell had a larger market capitalization than Rogers and Shaw combined and called Bell’s concerns “ironic.” Further, Rogers said that if Bell had gone through with its attempted acquisition of Shaw, it would be advocating for approval of a deal that would create an even larger broadcasting distributor than what Bell’s currently opposing.

The Globe and Mail points out that although Bell attempted to acquire Shaw, it ultimately chose not to because it wasn’t willing to take on the regulatory risk.

CRTC to hold public hearing about merger on November 22nd

Of course, Bell and Telus aren’t the only companies opposing the acquisition. The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance, which represents Canada’s independent internet, television and telephone providers, also filed an intervention. So did Cogeco Communications, which Rogers repeatedly attempted to acquire last year. Moreover, Corus Entertainment warned that the Rogers/Shaw merger could harm Global News.

There are also other regulators scrutinizing the proposed Rogers/Shaw merger. The Competition Bureau is reviewing whether the merger will result in less competition, while the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) will need to approve the transfer of spectrum licences. The CRTC’s role is to examine the transfer of broadcasting assets, and it will hold a public hearing on November 22nd.

It’s particularly interesting to see the carriers leverage competition as an argument both for and against the deal, given that so far, critics have lambasted the proposal for its potential to reduce competition and harm Canadians. Much of the criticism has been directed at wireless since Shaw owns Freedom Mobile. Should the wireless brand end up with Rogers, it’d further reduce the already lacking competition in Canadian wireless.

However, Freedom could be sold off as part of the deal, and Quebecor’s Videotron has indicated it might buy up the wireless business to help expand beyond Quebec. Ultimately, there’s still a long way to go in this process, and things could change significantly in the coming months.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Corus warns Rogers/Shaw merger could hurt Global News

Corus Entertainment is arguing that local news in Canada could take a substantial hit if federal regulators allow Rogers to complete its purchase of Shaw.

Corus spun off from Shaw in 1999 and currently operates a number of Canadian television channels, including W Network, HGTV Canada, Showcase, Food Network Canada, and — most important to this story — Global Television and News.

According to reporting from The Globe and Mail, Corus still receives around $12 million per year from Shaw, as per a federal rule that broadcast distributors must redirect five percent of their broadcasting revenues towards supporting Canadian content and local news.

In a letter to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Corus warned that Global News would suffer without this five percent, as Rogers has already indicated that, should the acquisition go through, those funds would be redirected to its own news property, City TV.

Corus further contended that the loss in funding could reduce the quality of local news in cities and regions where Global News is already the primary — if not sole — broadcast news outlet.

Rogers’ purchase of Shaw, announced in March 2021 and valued at $26 billion, is currently under review by the CRTC, Canada’s Competition Bureau, and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

A number of parties have chimed in for and against the purchase.

For example, competitor telecom companies and internet service providers including Bell, Telus, Quebecor and Teksavvy have all come out swinging against the merger, echoing industry experts’ concerns that the deal will reduce competition and result in higher prices and fewer options for consumers.

Meanwhile, some analysts are suggesting that the deal could go through, provided Rogers sell off Freedom Mobile and Shaw Mobile to address concerns that the acquisition would give it an unfair monopoly in Canada’s wireless market.

According to The Globe and Mail, the CRTC received over 300 interventions during their call for comments on the acquisition, which closed on September 13th.

The public hearing is scheduled for November 22nd.

Source: The Globe and Mail

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Freedom/Shaw offers one of the cheapest ways to get an iPhone 13 for $0 upfront

If you stare at carrier websites for long enough, you’re liable to go insane.

Maybe that’s what happened to me. Maybe not. The jury is still out on this one. But I am pretty sure that Freedom has the best deal on the iPhone 13 in Canada right now if you want to get one for $0 upfront.

The thing with carriers is they do some really messed up stuff with math. I’m not sure whether to applaud them or fear them, but the way they make numbers dance is impressive. I recently wrote about how much more you’d pay a Canadian carrier for an iPhone 13 compared to buying it directly from Apple. While the Big Three generally cost more than getting an iPhone from Apple, several regional carriers offered significant discounts.

SaskTel, Freedom and Videotron offered discounts ranging from $50 to over $500 when customers get an iPhone on a two-year plan. SaskTel generally offered the largest discount and thus lowest price on an iPhone.

However, as with anything involving a carrier, there’s more than meets the eye. First, to take advantage of these deals, you need to also get a plan with the carrier, and that’s where things get dicey. While SaskTel had the lowest cost for an iPhone, it also has the most expensive plans of the three carriers. Videotron had the cheapest plan, but the most expensive iPhone cost. That left Freedom in the middle, and when you tally everything up, it offers one of the absolute lowest costs for getting an iPhone on a carrier plan.

There may be other, lesser-known carriers I missed, but of these major regional carriers, Freedom definitely is the cheapest (except in Alberta and B.C., which I’ll explain below). Also, if you want a plan other than the cheapest possible option offered by each of these carriers, the lowest overall cost may change. I recommend doing the math to see which makes the most sense in the long run.

And, if I missed a carrier with a hidden good deal, or messed up some math somewhere, please let me know in the comments!

All right, let’s do some math

I will break down the math I did with each carrier to show the total costs you’d pay for an iPhone. Since it’s the most expensive option, I’ll start with the iPhone 13 Pro Max and include pricing for the other models below based on the same math (note calculations use 128GB pricing).

SaskTel

Starting with SaskTel, the carrier offers a roughly $500 discount on iPhone 13 models if you use its ‘Plus Pricing.’ Customers can choose an upfront cost (I went with $0 for this and all other calculations), a monthly device fee and a monthly rate plan. SaskTel’s cheapest rate plan option with the iPhone 13 Pro Max was $80, which means the calculation looks like this:

$0 upfront + ($42.75 device cost + $80 plan) * 24 months = $2,946 ($1,026 for the phone and $1,920 for the plan)

It’s worth noting that SaskTel also lets you choose to ‘Save on your plan’ and get a $20/mo discount. However, doing so removes the device discount, which means the device cost becomes $66.25/mo, and the plan drops to $60. The total works out to $3,030 with the same calculation as above, so it’s slightly more.

Videotron

Videotron is interesting because it currently offers 50 percent off its lowest plan, which is $65/20GB. That makes it $32.50 for six months. Over two years however, the plan would cost you $1,365 ($32.50 * 6 months = $195, and $65 * 18 months = $1,170).

This is by far the cheapest plan, but when you factor in the cost of an iPhone 13 Pro Max with Videotron, the total cost over two years doesn’t work out in customers’ favour:

$0 upfront + ($61.25 * 24 months) = $1,470 for the phone, + the $1,365 plan = $2,835 total over two years

Note the calculation is formatted slightly differently to account for the changing plan price.

Also, for fun, I calculated the Videotron cost if the 50 percent deal remained for the duration of the contract. In total, customers would pay $2,250 over two years. Unfortunately, that deal doesn’t exist.

Freedom/Shaw

Finally, Freedom offers a perfect balance of iPhone and plan price to ultimately become the cheapest option over two years. First, Freedom charges a $53/mo Tab fee for the iPhone 13 Pro Max and mandates a minimum $60/mo plan. That works out to:

$0 upfront + ($53 for the phone + $60 for the plan) * 24 months = $2,712 ($1,272 for the phone and $1,440 for the plan)

Also, it’s pertinent to note that Shaw, which owns Freedom, actually offers better pricing in Alberta and B.C. where it operates thanks to its incredibly cheap $45 plan. Shaw offers the same device cost as Freedom, which means that you’d pay $2,352 over two years for the iPhone 13 Pro Max at Shaw Mobile. However, I chose to focus on Freedom here because of its wider availability.

What about Apple and other carriers?

For the sake of comparison, I also included the cost if you were to buy a phone directly from Apple using the company’s 24-month 0 percent APR financing. In short, for the iPhone 13 Pro Max, you’d need a plan that costs $48.45/mo or cheaper to match or beat Freedom’s total $2,712 price over two years. I’ve listed my calculation and Apple’s financing costs below, along with the plan price needed to match or beat Freedom’s total price.

$2,712 Freedom cost - $1,549 Apple cost = $1,163 plan cost / 24 months = roughly $48.45

  • iPhone 13 Pro Max – $64.54/mo financing ($1,548.96 total) | $1,549 outright | $48.45 or cheaper plan
  • iPhone 13 Pro – $58.29/mo financing ($1,398.96 total) | $1,399 outright | $48.70 or cheaper plan
  • iPhone 13 – $45.79/mo financing ($1,098.96 total) | $1,099 outright | $49.20 or cheaper plan
  • iPhone 13 mini – $39.54/mo financing ($948.96 total) | $949 outright | $36.95 or cheaper plan

It typically doesn’t make sense to get an iPhone from the other carriers unless you’re willing to make some concessions. My previous calculations found that you’d pay more financing an iPhone 13 through one of the Big Three or their flanker brands than you’d pay to buy the same phone direct from Apple. That calculation didn’t include the cost of plans, but since most of the Big Three plans start at $80+ per month, they’re definitely out of the running.

Things are a little different with the flanker brands, where you can get a plan as low as $45 per month. Plus, if you don’t mind paying some money upfront and you can get by with a $45/4GB plan, you can actually save just a little with Fido, Koodo or Virgin Plus compared to Freedom (excluding with the 13 mini). Anything more than the $45 plan will cost more in the long run. Here’s the math for the iPhone 13 Pro Max on Koodo:

$801 upfront + $792 over 24 months ($33/mo) + $45/mo plan ($1,080 over 24 months) = $2,673 over two years

  • iPhone 13 Pro Max: $2,673 total ($801 upfront)
  • iPhone 13 Pro: $2,519 total ($647 upfront)
  • iPhone 13: $2,211 total ($339 upfront)
  • iPhone 13 mini: $2,056 total ($184 upfront)

It’s worth noting that Fido and Virgin both offer slightly lower upfront costs and slightly higher monthly costs, but the end result is within a couple dollars of Koodo’s (e.g. the 13 Pro Max costs $795 upfront and $2,675 total with Fido and Virgin).

If you managed to stick with me through all this confusing nonsense, you should now have a fairly clear idea of which way to get an iPhone 13 for cheap with a carrier in Canada. I’d argue it shouldn’t be this confusing to figure out pricing like this, but unfortunately, it’s not up to me.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Bell joins Quebecor, TekSavvy in opposing Rogers/Shaw merger

Bell has reportedly joined the chorus of voices renouncing fellow telecom giant Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw Communications, according to a filing obtained by The Globe and Mail.

In the filing, which was submitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Bell allegedly argues that the takeover would give Rogers control over nearly half of the country’s English-language television distribution market, including cable, satellite and internet.

Announced in March 2021, the Rogers/Shaw merger is valued at a whooping $26 billion, including debt, and is currently under review by Canada’s Competition Bureau.

While the deal is already signed, the purchase still needs to be approved by federal regulators — a task that has proven difficult as telecom carriers and industry experts alike are vocally warning that the acquisition will quash competition and lead to higher prices for consumers.

Analysts are suggesting that the deal might be allowed to go through if Rogers evens the scales by divesting itself of Shaw’s wireless properties, Freedom Mobile and Shaw Mobile.

Bell’s official stance against the merger is interesting, given that the company made — and later withdrew — its own offer to buy Shaw prior to Rogers sealing the deal.

The public hearing for the Rogers/Shaw acquisition is scheduled for November 22nd, 2021.

Source: The Globe and Mail