Ottawa forces Rogers to share TTC network
INDUSTRY MINISTER ANNOUNCES CARRIER MUST WORK WITH RIVALS ON FACILITATING WI-FI ROLLOUT
New licence conditions come into effect Sept. 11 that will force Rogers Communications Inc. to facilitate infrastructure access for other carriers to the wireless network across Toronto’s subway system, the federal industry minister announced in Toronto on Monday.
Under the new conditions, all passengers on the Toronto Transit Commission subway system, regardless of carrier, must have cellular connectivity by Oct. 3.
“It is simply unacceptable that so many subway riders still do not have access to wireless services,” Industry Minister François-philippe Champagne said in a news conference in Toronto on Monday. “I’m here today to tell you that those days are over. Time is up.”
Champagne is requiring all carriers offering service in the city to have commercial agreements for service on the TTC within the next 100 days. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, headed by Champagne, said it expected carriers to work together to meet those deadlines.
“Make no mistake. Should mobile carriers fail to meet these conditions, I will not shy away from taking further action as appropriate,” Champagne said.
The announcement comes after Rogers launched 5G service for its own customers on parts of Toronto’s subway system on Aug. 23, skirting an ongoing dispute with other telecom providers that are seeking access to the network for their customers as well.
Currently, wireless service in parts of the underground system is limited to customers of Rogers, Freedom Mobile and Videotron Ltd., which acquired Freedom Mobile this year.
Debate over the TTC contract was sparked when Rogers announced on April 11 that it was acquiring BAI Communications Canada, which has held the exclusive rights to build cellular and Wi-fi networks across the subway system since 2012.
Rivals Telus Corp. and Bell later called for the network to be a “joint build” between the major telecom players and said both Bell and Telus would be willing to buy the contract if Rogers wasn’t willing to implement such an approach.
TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said the current proposal between BAI and Rogers is a private business transaction that Bell or others could have entered into at any time over the past 12 years.
“To suggest, as this letter does, we tear up the contract reached after an open and public bidding process and instead award our wireless services to another consortium without a public tender is a non-starter for the TTC,” Green said in response to Bell and Telus.
Amid the dispute, Champagne vowed to step in if the telecom providers didn’t reach an agreement to ensure wireless service is available for all riders on the subway system.
When no agreement was reached, the minister launched a consultation process in July in a bid to speed up negotiations among major carriers. The carriers had until Aug. 8 to submit responses and until Aug. 28 to respond to each other’s submissions.
In a letter to the minister in early August, Rogers argued it should be allowed to add cellular service for its own customers in the Toronto subway network without waiting for an ongoing dispute with its rival carriers to be resolved.
Since launching 5G service in parts of the subway system, Rogers has touted its service in ads across the TTC and on social media.
A Rogers spokesperson attributed the delays in reaching commercial arrangements with other telecoms to its rivals.
“This approach reflects what we’ve been proposing all along — to bring 5G services to all riders as quickly as possible,” a Rogers spokesperson said after the announcement on Monday. “Bell and Telus have been dragging their heels and the federal government is now forcing them to work with us in earnest to make connectivity possible for all riders.”
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the Sept. 11 announcement should allow residents to breathe a sigh of relief.
“We hope that the companies will get the message and they will co-operate and get together so that Torontonians get the service they deserve and they need,” Chow said.