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Quebecor’s president and chief executive officer Pierre Karl Peladeau arrives at the Competition Bureau for mediation talks on the Roger-Shaw deal on Oct. 27 in Ottawa. Dave Chan/Tausi Insider Dvai Ghose is principal at Ghose Investment Corp. His clients include Telus Communications Inc. He is the former head of global research and strategic development for Canaccord Genuity Group. On the surface, there is sense in allowing Rogers RCI-B-T to buy Shaw SJR-B-T if the latter’s Freedom Mobile is sold to Quebecor QBR-B-T, as is currently proposed. Since 2009, Quebecor has successfully built a fourth wireless carrier in Quebec, won about 20 per cent of market share and helped drive lower pricing. Having Freedom under Quebecor would surely alleviate any concerns that a combined Rogers-Shaw would unfairly dominate the market. So why hasn’t this been enough to win the support of the Competition Bureau, which is currently challenging the deal before the Competition Tribunal? Here is the real p...

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...

Shaw and Rogers have been trying to make the case throughout the hearing that the proposed sale of Freedom to Videotron would benefit consumers. Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press A wireless communications specialist says Freedom Mobile under Videotron Ltd. would be a strong competitor in the telecom market as the hearing on Rogers Communications Inc.’s RCI-B-T $26-billion proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. SJR-B-T continued. William Webb, chief technology officer at Access Partnership and a Shaw witness, told the Competition Tribunal Monday that Freedom under Quebecor Inc.-owned Videotron would not lack access to the assets or services it would need to be as effective a wireless competitor as Freedom under Shaw. Webb also said that Freedom’s costs to develop a 5G network under Videotron’s ownership would be significantly reduced. Freedom does not offer 5G connectivity and does not own 3500 MHz. 3500 MHz is spectrum that has become key for 5G innovation. Webb said the comb...

Canada’s competition tribunal said on Thursday it had not arrived at a decision regarding the $20-billion merger between Rogers Communications Inc RCI-B-T and Shaw Communications Inc SJR-B-T. “The Tribunal wishes to advise the public that it intends to provide 24-48 hours notice on its website of the time and date of the issuance of its decision,” the competition watchdog said in a notice on its website. The much-awaited decision on the merger, one of the country’s biggest, will put an end to a 20-month-old dispute with the antitrust authority. The agency had blocked the merger on grounds that it would reduce competition. The companies had proposed selling Shaw’s Freedom Mobile Inc to Quebecor Inc to facilitate the merger, but the bureau rejected the plan saying Quebecor was not a viable competitor with the merged entity. https://www.tausiinsider.com/competition-tribunal-yet-to-decide-on-roger-shaw-merger-will-give-notice-ahead-of-decision/?feed_id=327064&_unique_id=6410fe91...