Industry committee  I have to agree. Actually, MTS Allstream has long been an advocate for cost-based pricing and competitively and technologically neutral pricing, so we're not frozen in time. We seem to be very good at breaking up dominance, not very, very good, but better than at actually anticipating that as services become available in the market, the underlying infrastructure also has to become available on a wholesale basis.

Industry committee  I would agree with Ms. Song. Since almost all services are deregulated on a retail basis, there has to be a framework that supports competition through wholesale regulation and that ensures access to incumbent networks. Those networks, by and large, were built over a long period of time under a very different framework, one that guaranteed an opportunity for return on investment.

Industry committee  Actually I believe my colleague here said the rest is all gravy. I'm not disputing that. What I think is that certainly with more usage and as usage grows.... And by and large every network provider wants usage to grow, but they want to be able to be compensated for the usage. So the policy will recognize that there is some cost to investment and that those accessing the network, both wholesale and retail, have to pay that cost, but not over and above that cost to a particular provider simply to allow that one provider to offer the service they want or to stifle competition.

Industry committee  Actually, I'd just ask them whether they'd feel as comfortable introducing retail usage-based pricing if they were not able to impose it on their wholesale customers.

Industry committee  I think that's been the struggle for the commission all along, recognizing that although there is a mandate to allow market forces, that mandate was really directed at the retail market, and unless there's reasonable wholesale access and a framework that's technologically neutral--so as technology evolves, wholesale access continues to evolve with it--there will not be adequate competition.

Industry committee  The CRTC has no way of guaranteeing that Bell is even charging its customers UBB in the same manner that Bell is imposing UBB on competitors for their customers' traffic. Placing so much discretion in the hands of a dominant market player can only diminish competition and, with it, crucial innovation and investment in Canadian broadband infrastructure and productivity-enhancing applications and services.

Industry committee  Good afternoon. I am the vice-president of regulatory affairs at MTS Allstream. MTS is the incumbent telephone company in Manitoba. We offer an array of telecommunications services, including high-speed Internet and IPTV services. Outside of Manitoba we are the leading competitor to Bell and Telus, offering state-of-the-art business services throughout the country.