Globalive launches new public push against Rogers-Shaw merger

Globalive has launched a brand new avenue for individuals to share their issues concerning the Rogers-Shaw merger with members of the federal authorities.

NoMerger.ca supplies a template message opposing the merger and permits Canadians to share it with their Member of Parliament primarily based on the postal code they supply.

“The Rogers-Shaw merger will solely scale back competitors and enhance costs. Inform [Minister François-Philippe Champagne] to comply with the recommendation of the Competitors Commissioner and the Standing Committee on Business and Know-how and reject this merger,” the template reads.

Anthony Lacavera is the founding father of Globalive and has been one of many many persistent voices in opposition to the merger.

Globalive had beforehand provided to purchase Freedom Cellular when Rogers and Shaw agreed to promote it. The corporate’s $3.75 billion offer was rejected in favour of Vidéotron’s $2.85 billion offer. Lacavera was the founder and CEO of Wind Cellular earlier than the corporate was offered to Shaw and rebranded to Freedom.

The $26 billion Rogers-Shaw merger wants approval from three events. The Competitors Bureau sought to dam it by a listening to with the Competitors Tribunal, which backed the telecoms. The bureau will current its case to the Federal Court of Appeal Tuesday.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee (CRTC) authorised the broadcasts side of the merger in March 2022. Nonetheless, a current software from TekSavvy asks the CRTC to look at Rogers’ plans to lease its broadband community to Vidéotron at a cheaper price than wholesale charges, which it alleges violates the Telecommunications Act. The CRTC has but to reply to the applying.

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne should present the third avenue of approval.

This isn’t the one time Lacavera has pushed for the Innovation Minister to cease the merger. He launched a similar measure on his personal website final 12 months, asking Minister Champagne and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to finish “the pretend competitors in wi-fi.”

Lacavera informed MobileSyrup the unique measure on his private web site was in response to lots of the early issues he heard for Canadians on the merger. But it surely solely focused Minister Champagne and Prime Minister Trudeau. He was additionally getting comparable requests on how individuals may contact their MPs immediately, ensuing within the creation of NoMerger.ca.

Whereas each web sites are comparable, Lacavera mentioned he wouldn’t do away with one or the opposite. “We’re checking the shape inputs to make sure there aren’t any bots or duplicates.”

The brand new web site launched Tuesday, and 4,000 Canadians have despatched emails within the first 24 hours.