Opinion Source: Telecommunications in Canada MUST be Regulated Warns Toronto-based Internet Service Provider

Attention: Business and Telecommunications Editors

Telecommunications in Canada must be regulated argues Ashok Kalle President of Toronto-based Internet Service Provider, Pathway Communications.

"The decision by Industry Canada to allow deregulation of the telecommunications market will hurt consumers of long distance, VoIP and other telecommunications/online services in the long-run," says Kalle. I am clearly in agreement with comments made by Liberal MP and consumer affairs critic Dan McTeague who attacked the new regulations as a 'bad news announcement by a government that has a tenuous hold on power.'

"I agree that the decision will give consumers some short-term gains in a price war early on, but consumers will suffer in the long-term," adds Kalle. "There were good reasons why these regulations were put in there in the first place. It is extremely important to have strong competition. But companies who have been in business for a few years and trying to enter the voice space cannot compete against a company that is 100 years old and built with public funding. It is clearly not a level playing field as Bell, Telus and others argue."

I would like to arrange a briefing with Pathway's (www.pathcom.com) Ashok Kalle to brief you on how these proposed regulation are regressive to the Canadian telecommunications marketplace and how new and existing companies entering into the market need time to develop the infrastructure and customer base to compete with the former monopolies.

Email: sheldonr@sackepr.com