I think that we need to have an understanding of what is meant by the relevant geographic market. Competition agencies have a method for defining geographic markets throughout the world. This is not something that is used in Canada alone.
We could spend a great deal of time debating what should constitute units as small as the local exchanges or larger units. However, we have to be able to define what is meant by a geographic market and we have to view these things on a geographic market by geographic market basis.
I find it passing strange that, when an established telephone company in a given geographic market is deregulated, there is no concern for the fact that this company may have up to 100% of the market, whereas companies that want to combine their activities in order to obtain a market share that is considerably less than 100%, through mergers or acquisitions, would be subject, in the same market, to a review by the Competition Bureau.