High court rejects bid to deflate Wind Mobile

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from a competitor to end the operation of Wind Mobile in Canada due to the foreign interests that are behind the company. The decision was released Thursday morning.

The Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 2009 said Globalive Wireless Management Corp. should not be allowed to be a telecommunications service provider in Canada because of its foreign control. However, the federal cabinet overturned that decision, allowing Globalive to operate despite the financial and operational support from Egypt-based conglomerate Orascom, which has since merged with European giant Vimpelcom.

Rival wireless service provider Public Mobile Inc. has challenged the legality of the government overturning the initial decision of the CRTC.

It was continuing to challenge Globalive’s status in Canada despite a ruling from the Federal Court of Appeal last June in the company’s favour. Telus Corp. was part of the previous case, but was no longer involved in challenging Globalive’s legitimacy in Canada before the courts.

Ottawa professor Michael Geist said before the decision the case “is largely moot given the government’s indication that it will be making changes to the telecom foreign investment restrictions.”