Vidéotron appeals winback rules for high-speed Internet
Vidéotron ltée wants the CRTC to reverse an earlier ruling forcing it to wait 90 days before attempting to lure back high-speed Internet customers who switch to a competitor. Filed March 5, the application takes issue with Order CRTC 2000-789 which categorizes Vidéotron as a dominant player in the high-speed Internet market, and as such, subjected it to a 90-day winback restriction. The cableco points out, however, that its relative share of the high-speed ISP market in Quebec dropped from 71% to 56% between March 31 and Dec. 31 last year. In comparison, it claims Bell Canada’s market share during that same period increased from 29% to 44%. Vidéotron also challenges the scope of the new rules, saying they apply to all of its retail Internet services. If the CRTC decides to retain the winback rules, Vidéotron says they should be applied equally to all facilities-based high-speed ISPs, and not exclusively to Vidéotron and to cable modem technology.