Rogers Wireless-GTAA court date likely not until mid-January
The lawsuit Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. launched against the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) last month won’t likely get its first court date until mid-January 2003. Rogers confirmed to Report on Wireless last week that a previously expected court date of around mid-September wasn’t going to get done and it now anticipates a date in January.
The wireless operator is suing the GTAA over a decision to deny Rogers a construction permit to add wireless infrastructure equipment on top of the Sheraton Gateway Hotel at Pearson International Airport. While Sheraton owns the building, it leases the space from the GTAA, which has the right to approve or deny structural changes to the building including adding telecommunications infrastructure equipment.
Rogers has claimed that this is a "calculated" refusal by the GTAA to try and force Canada’s wireless carriers to ante up with a better leasing agreement. In early July, the GTAA powered down wireless infrastructure equipment owned by all the carriers including Rogers, Bell Mobility, Telus Mobility and Microcell Telecommunications Inc. (RoW, July 9/02).