Canada Finally Orders Open-Access

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ordered, in August 2024, that all broadband providers in the country open their networks to competitors on a wholesale open-access network. The original unbundling order applied to broadband provided on both cable TV and fiber networks. The original ordered that open-access be implemented by February 2025. Similar to what happens in the U.S., various aspects of the rule were appealed at the CRTC. Through orders issued in June and August, the CRTC has modified a few requirements, but largely affirmed its original order and intent to require open-access. While the order refers to this as open-access, a better analogy for the Canadian product is akin to what we call resale in the U.S. In Canada, the underlying network owner is still configuring the speed and delivering the product, and the open-access company is rebranding the product and selling and billing it to customers.