Canada’s wireless lobby and two incumbent service providers are opposing a broad exemption for Telesat Canada from new contribution rules even though the facilities-based satellite carrier primarily serves the broadcasting market. They argue that since some of Telesat’s customers are providing other "non-programming" services, they fall under the purview of the Telecommunications Act and, as such, revenue gained from those customers is contribution eligible. The arguments are made in submissions filed as part of Gazette Notice DGTP-008-01, a petition to the governor in council requesting that Telesat be exempted from the contribution regime (RoW, Oct. 15/01).

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