GATINEAU, QC – Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau has issued a request for information (RFI) to help gather facts about Rogers’ proposed acquisition of Shaw.
The RFI – which highlights the areas of interest to the Bureau– invites market participants and Canadians to submit relevant information to assist the Bureau with its investigation.
The Bureau is investigating whether the proposed merger is likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition for mobile wireless, wireline internet and broadcasting services – which are provided by both companies.
The Bureau is seeking information to further assess potential impacts on competition in the following areas:
Mobile wireless services to consumers
Consumer and small business internet services
Fibre transport services
The supply of programming to television providers (or Broadcasting Distribution Undertakings [BDUs])
The provision of relay distribution services to BDUs
The Bureau encourages all those with relevant information to share this information with the Bureau by October 29, 2021. Any information shared with the Bureau will be kept confidential.
The Bureau is using all of the tools at its disposal to advance its investigation. This includes recently obtaining court orders requiring Xplornet, Bell, TELUS and Vidéotron to produce information related to mobile wireless services that is relevant to the Bureau’s investigation.
The Bureau’s review is ongoing and no conclusions have been made at this time.
Information provided to the Bureau in connection with its mandate will be protected as confidential, subject to certain exceptions explained in the Information Bulletin on Communication of Confidential Information Under the Competition Act.
The Bureau works to complete our reviews as expeditiously as possible based on the complexity of the transaction and steps necessary to gather the facts and evaluate the evidence.
Wireless services refer to the provision of mobile communication services including voice, text, data, mobile broadband internet, and applications to consumers and business users of mobile devices
Wireline services refer to any wireline telecommunications service including voice services (i.e. telephone), data services, television, internet access, or bundles of these services
Transport services refer to point-to-point telecommunication service between two locations which can be intra-city (within a city), inter-city (between two cities), or inter region (between two regions)
Broadcasting services refers to a range of services offered in relation to television broadcasting, and includes both business-to-business services (e.g. the provision of relay distribution services or the supply of television channels to BDUs) and consumer services (i.e. the supply of television channels or OTT services to consumers via subscriptions)
The Competition Bureau, as an independent law enforcement agency, ensures that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace.