Tausi Insider

A Freedom Mobile store on Queen St. West near Spadina Ave. in Toronto is photographed on Sept 26, 2022. Fred Lum/the Globe and Mail Independent internet service provider Distributel Communications Ltd. attempted to acquire Freedom Mobile, the wireless carrier that Rogers and Shaw have agreed to sell in an attempt to win regulatory blessing of their $26-billion merger, the Competition Tribunal heard on Thursday. Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. ran a sale process for Shaw’s Freedom Mobile, Canada’s fourth-largest wireless carrier, earlier this year. In June they announced that they had struck a deal to sell Freedom to Montreal-based Quebecor Inc. for $2.85-billion. Christopher Hickey, the director of regulatory affairs for Distributel, provided testimony on behalf of the Competition Bureau as part of a weeks-long Competition Tribunal hearing into the proposed merger of Rogers and Shaw. Explainer: A cheat sheet on why the Competition Bureau is taking the Rogers-S...

The public hearing that will determine the fate of Rogers Communications Inc.’s RCI-B-T proposed $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-B-T has turned out to be not so public after all – despite the Competition Tribunal committing to an “open court process.” Because of its potential implications for users of critical wireless and internet services, the merger of Canada’s two largest cable companies has attracted far more public attention than most hearings held by the Competition Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body that adjudicates on matters of civil competition. Many observers describe the hearings thus far as opaque and are calling for more transparency in the tribunal process. Repeatedly, during the first week of hearings, lawyers for both the cable companies and the Competition Bureau, which is attempting to block the merger, asked the judge to go into confidential sessions that have dragged on for hours. In addition, critical documents such as witness statements and t...

Britain’s competition watchdog said on Tuesday U.S.-listed oil field services firm Baker Hughes Co’s acquisition of Altus Intervention could reduce competition among U.K. oil and gas operators. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it was concerned that the loss of rivalry between the merging companies could lead to higher prices, reduced choice and lower quality services for businesses in the U.K. that purchase coiled tubing and pumping services. In the U.K., both Baker Hughes BKR-Q and Altus supply various well intervention services – essential services used by oil and gas operators to manage well production. Baker Hughes said it was reviewing the regulator’s findings and would work constructively with the CMA. The U.S. company added that the regulator had not questioned the deal rationale but only highlighted overlapping businesses in the areas of coil tubing and pumping services in the UK. Altus did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The CMA said...

Brad Shaw, the CEO and executive chair of Shaw Communications Inc., appears before a CRTC hearing in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 22, 2021. Dave Chan/Tausi Insider A Competition Bureau lawyer grilled Brad Shaw, the CEO and executive chair of Shaw Communications Inc., SJR-B-T about the roughly $2.3-billion his family stands to receive if their company is successfully acquired by Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T Mr. Shaw told the Competition Tribunal on Wednesday that his family made the “extremely difficult” decision to sell the business they had run for 50 years to Rogers for $26-billion because it was the right thing to do for all of the company’s shareholders and other stakeholders, including its customers and its employees. The company was losing market share to Telus in its internet and TV business, had not recouped the billions it had poured into its wireless division, and didn’t have the scale to make the investments needed to remain competitive, Mr. Shaw said. The Shaw family con...

The Rogers Building in downtown Toronto. CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters It is not necessary to own a cable network in order to successfully operate a wireless carrier, Rogers Communications Inc.’s RCI-B-T chief technology officer told a Competition Tribunal hearing into Rogers’ proposed $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc SJR-B-T. The comments by Ron McKenzie, the chief technology and information officer at the Toronto-based telecom giant, speak to a core issue in the merger case: whether Quebecor Inc. QBR-B-T will be able to successfully run Shaw’s Freedom Mobile without owning cable infrastructure in Western Canada. The Competition Bureau is attempting to block the merger of Canada’s two largest cable companies, arguing that the deal will reduce competition in the wireless industry, leading to higher cellphone bills and poorer service. The Competition Tribunal adjudicates on matters of civil competition and is hearing arguments on the proposed deal. Explainer: How the Rogers-Sha...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Competitive intelligence, or CI, is a crucial component of business strategy. It helps you understand your competitors, identify new opportunities and better predict market trends. Competitive intelligence is a continuous process, not a one-off briefing document. It is also not just about the competition. It also includes insights into your client and their needs, which can help them to get ahead of the game in their industry. You'll be able to anticipate trends and opportunities before they happen, giving your clients a competitive advantage over their competitors and allowing them to grow their business faster than those who don't have access to this kind of information. Related: Your Business is Failing Because You Have a Bad Strategy. Here Are 5 Hacks for the Perfect Business Strategy Don't rely on what you think your clients or competitors want We often assume that we know what our c...

Ian Scott, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, during his keynote speech at the 2019 Canadian Telecom Summit, on June 2, 2019. Fred Lum/Tausi Insider Ian Scott says he never really considers the legacy he will leave after departing as leader of Canada’s telecom regulator. Soon, the industry will do it for him. Mr. Scott is almost certainly entering the final weeks of his five-year term as the chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission – the chief watchdog for the broadcasting and telecom industries. According to the commission, Mr. Scott’s term will end Jan. 4, 2023, but a new chair has yet to be announced. His initial term was already extended four months. As with each chair before him, Mr. Scott was faced with numerous competing demands: calls for greater competition; investment in physical networks; and support for smaller and regional telecoms fighting the industry incumbents for market share. All this...

Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-B-T has reported a drop in revenue and wireless growth during its fourth quarter, as the company draws closer to hearing a final verdict on its $26-billion takeover by Rogers Communications Inc. The quarter could be among the Calgary-based cable and wireless company’s last to report as an independent entity. The Competition Tribunal is expected to issue its decision on Rogers’s RCI-B-T takeover of Shaw within months after four weeks of hearings during November and oral arguments planned for mid-December. The Competition Bureau is seeking to block the merger, arguing that the deal will lessen competition in Canada. Shaw on Tuesday reported $1.36-billion in revenue for the three-month period ended Aug. 31, down 1.5 per cent from a year ago. Its net income for the quarter was $169-million, down 33 per cent from $252-million during the same period last year, partially as a result of an $83-million increase in income taxes. In contrast to its competitors, whic...

Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-B-T has reported a drop in revenue and wireless growth during its fourth quarter, as the company draws closer to hearing a final verdict on its $26-billion takeover by Rogers Communications Inc. The quarter could be among the Calgary-based cable and wireless company’s last to report as an independent entity. The Competition Tribunal is expected to issue its decision on Rogers’s RCI-B-T takeover of Shaw within months after four weeks of hearings during November and oral arguments planned for mid-December. The Competition Bureau is seeking to block the merger, arguing that the deal will lessen competition in Canada. Shaw on Tuesday reported $1.36-billion in revenue for the three-month period ended Aug. 31, down 1.5 per cent from a year ago. Its net income for the quarter was $169-million, down 33 per cent from $252-million during the same period last year, partially as a result of an $83-million increase in income taxes. In contrast to its competitors, whic...

The Competition Tribunal hearing into the proposed $26-billion merger of Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T and Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-A-X has shifted to the potential cost savings that would be generated by combining Canada’s two largest cable companies. Cost savings, or efficiencies, are a critical issue because Canadian competition law allows a merger to close if it results in lower total costs for the combined business – even if the merger lessens competition. The provision in question is called the efficiencies defence and is contained within section 96 of the Competition Act. Rogers and Shaw are not publicly disclosing the dollar value of the efficiencies that they expect their merger to generate, although several witnesses have testified on behalf of the companies with regards to these calculations. That testimony has occurred largely out of the public eye, during confidential sessions, and documents relating to the expert testimony are heavily redacted. Shaw Communicati...

Finance Minister Paul Martin and Secretary of State for Financial Institutions Jim Peterson, right, in Ottawa on June 25, 1999. FRED CHARTRAND/CP Keldon Bester is a co-founder of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project and a fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Where is Paul Martin when you need him? In the late nineties, Canada’s banks had decided competition wasn’t for them. RBC and BMO announced their nuptials in January, 1998, and CIBC and TD followed suit in April of that year. Though the scale of RBC’s proposed purchase of HSBC is nowhere near that of the proposed consolidation in the nineties, regulators should learn from then-minister of finance Paul Martin and take a firm stance against Canada’s largest bank absorbing a competitor. The brazenness of the bank’s consolidation plans 20 years ago cannot be overstated. Canada would have gone from five major banks to two megabanks and a ticking clock on the future acquisition of their remaining competitors. B...

Google is challenging a record European Union antitrust fine that took aim at the Android operating system’s role in restricting mobile competition and consumer choice. The company said Thursday that it filed the appeal against the €4.125-billion ($4.3-billion) penalty “because there are areas that require legal clarification from the European Court of Justice,” the EU’s top court. Google previously appealed to a lower tribunal, which had slightly lowered the original €4.34-billion penalty in a decision largely siding with the European Commission. It’s the largest-ever antitrust fine issued by the commission, the 27-nation bloc’s top competition watchdog. In its 2018 decision, the commission found that the dominance of Google’s Android resulted in less competition and consumer choice. The U.S. tech giant had argued that free and open-source Android resulted in cheaper phones and spurred competition with its chief rival, Apple. Android is the most popular mobile operating system, beat...

The Competition Tribunal hearing into the proposed $26-billion merger of Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. is set to wrap up and final oral arguments are set to be heard on Dec. 13 and 14. Melissa Tait/Tausi Insider After 18 days of testimony, scores of witnesses and tense moments of cross-examination, the Competition Tribunal hearing into the proposed $26-billion merger of Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T and Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-B-T is coming to a close. While the tribunal typically takes months to render a decision, Federal Court Chief Justice Paul Crampton, who is overseeing the hearings, said he would like to release a decision before Christmas if possible. Oral arguments are set to be heard on Dec. 13 and 14, more than a week after Thursday’s conclusion of the evidentiary portion of the hearing. The Competition Bureau is asking the tribunal to block the merger of Canada’s two largest cable companies, a deal in which Quebecor Inc.’s QBR-B-T Videot...

The Biden administration filed a complaint on Thursday aimed at blocking tech giant Microsoft’s MSFT-Q $69 billion bid to buy “Call of Duty” games maker Activision ATVI-Q, over concerns the deal would deny rivals access to popular games. Microsoft, which owns the Xbox, said in January 2022 that it would buy Activision for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history. In its complaint, the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust law, said that Microsoft had a record of buying valuable gaming content and using it to suppress competition from rival consoles. “Microsoft has already shown that it can and will withhold content from its gaming rivals,” said Holly Vedova, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “Today we seek to stop Microsoft from gaining control over a leading independent game studio and using it to harm competition in multiple dynamic and fast-growing gaming markets.” Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company would fight the FTC. “Whi...