Federal anti-trust lawyers have sought an injunction against the takeover of Shaw Communications of Calgary by Rogers Communications Inc. as in-house Privy Council research showed consumers opposed the deal, says Blacklock's Reporter..The proposed $26-billion buyout involving two of the nation’s four largest telecom corporations will now be delayed at least a year and possibly blocked altogether. .“Canadians pay some of the highest prices for wireless services in the developed world,” the Competition Bureau wrote..“The Bureau investigation found Shaw has consistently put competitive pressure on the Big Three” — Rogers, Bell and Telus — “through significant long term investments to improve the quality of its network.”.Canadians pay an average $2,124 annually for telecom services, according to yearly monitoring by the CRTC. Fees average $69 per month for internet, $49 a month for mobile services, $34 for telephone landlines and $25 for cable TV..“The Competition Bureau’s investigation concluded the proposed merger would substantially prevent or lessen competition in wireless services,” wrote staff..“Vigorous competition is essential for Canadians to access affordable, high quality wireless services.”.Anti-trust lawyers will seek a court injunction to halt negotiations and ask the federal Competition Tribunal to block the deal altogether. The action is expected to delay any final decision on the buyout of Shaw until 2023 at the earliest..The protest coincided with the Privy Council’s release of focus group research showing most Canadians surveyed oppose the deal..“Most participants felt the deal should be rejected,” said a pollsters’ report..“There was a general sense of negativity toward the merger and a feeling it would not be a positive development for the average consumer. Questioned whether they felt it would be a good or bad thing for consumers if this deal were to be approved, participants were mostly of the opinion this merger would not benefit Canadians.”.Findings were based on focus group questionnaires in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Québec. The Privy Council paid The Strategic Counsel $2.4 million for the report as part of a year-long series of focus group topics nationwide..Rogers has 11.3 million wireless subscribers across Canada. Shaw has 2.1 million wireless customers in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
