Ontario telecom in dispute with landlord over revenue sharing demands

Southwest Ontario service provider Hay Communications Co-op Ltd. is asking the CRTC to step in on its dispute with the property manager of several multi-dwelling units (MDUs) over the terms of accessing the premises. According to a Part 1 application filed by the telecom company on Nov. 4, published by the CRTC on Nov. 10, Williams & McDaniel Property Management is demanding Hay Communications agree to share the revenues it earns from the residents of its buildings in exchange for continued access to the properties. Hay Communications argues that this amounts to an “entry fee,” which is against the rules of the MDU access framework, and wants the CRTC to order Williams & McDaniel to drop its demand. There are three MDUs at the centre of this dispute: two in Exeter, Ont. at 500 Acheson Street and 65 William Street, and another in Grand Bend, Ont. at 10 Summer Grove Road. Hay Communications says it had an oral access agreement with the previous manager of the properties since installing fibre-based facilities in them back in 2013. That arrangement continued when Williams & McDaniel took over management in 2018. “Then, in May 2025, Williams & McDaniel advised Hay Communications that henceforth continued access to the Premises would be conditional on Hay Communications’ agreement to a ‘marketing and profit sharing agreement’...,” the company writes. “Hay Communications has no interest in bargaining for marketing benefits,” it says. “However, Williams & McDaniel is not presenting the marketing and profit sharing agreement as an optional consideration. Instead, Williams & McDaniel is attempting to compel Hay Communications to enter into this arrangement as a condition for maintaining access rights to deliver services to residents of the premises over Hay Communications’ own facilities.” Hay Communications describes the revenue sharing agreement demanded by Williams & McDaniel as a “transparent attempt to gatekeep access to the premises in exchange for entry fees.” It notes that the CRTC has determined that “access fees for the right to enter MDUs that are in the nature of an admission or an entry fee are not appropriate.” “Williams & McDaniel’s conduct threatens to deprive residents of the premises of their preferred choice of service provider. In doing so, Williams & McDaniel would eliminate competitive benefits at the premises that the MDU access condition has successfully fostered for over twelve years,” the telco argues. Hay Communications highlighted the fact that Williams & McDaniel was involved in a previous MDU access dispute in front of the CRTC back in 2023. That complaint was filed by Execulink Telecom Inc. regarding several buildings in Tillsonburg, Ont. Execulink withdrew the application after Williams & McDaniel eventually granted access. Hay Communications said this “suggests” that Williams & McDaniel’s “objectionable conduct” is happening despite its familiarity with the CRTC and its rules. Hay Communications is seeking the usual MDU access remedy from the commission. If the demand is not withdrawn within 15 days of a CRTC decision, other carriers would be forbidden to service new clients. After 30 days, they cannot upgrade existing customers. If the demand continues after 45 days, all telecom service to the premises would be halted. phalentm@thewirereport.ca

Ontario telecom in dispute with landlord over revenue sharing demands

Regulatory |
By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald
|November 11, 2025

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Ontario telecom in dispute with landlord over revenue sharing demands

Regulatory | By Phalen Tynes-MacDonald |November 11, 2025

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