A parliamentary committee says a proposed takeover of Shaw Communications by Rogers Communications should be rejected by the CRTC. In a report tabled Friday the report, which is not binding on the CRTC, says the regulator should think first about what it calls the affordability and accessibility interests of Canadians. It cited Freedom Mobile, Shaw’s wireless carrier, as a critical fourth wireless provider that competes with the Big Three of Rogers, Bell and Telus. The report came a day after Ottawa pledged to block the wholesale transfer of Shaw’s wireless licenses to Rogers as part of the deal. The deal is under review by three different federal regulators including the Competition Bureau and the CRTC as well as spectrum regulator Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). BNN
