Thousands of Canadians ask Ottawa to audit impact of Rogers-Shaw deal

A grassroots initiative asking the federal government to investigate the impact of the Rogers-Shaw merger has received more than 3,000 endorsements in a matter of days. The campaign, launched by the advocacy group OpenMedia earlier this week, wants people to send letters calling on Industry Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.) to evaluate whether Rogers Communications Inc. has satisfied the agreed-upon conditions negotiated to secure federal approval of the deal. Among other things, Rogers committed to creating up to 3,000 new jobs in western Canada and investing $2.5 billion to expand 5G coverage in areas previously serviced by Shaw. At the time, ex-industry minister François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice—Champlain, Que.) said the $26 billion deal would only be green lit if it resulted in lower telecoms prices for Canadians. Champagne also said he’d be watching the sector “like a hawk.” Three years later, OpenMedia believes none of those promises have been fulfilled, and wants to remind the Liberal government that Rogers faces a $1 billion penalty for non-compliance. “Back in 2023, Canadians were told our government was putting conditions on the $26B Rogers-Shaw deal that would make it a win for all of us,” reads the organization’s website. “The deal would be closely monitored and came with teeth.” “ the spirit of that promise is being broken in plain sight.” OpenMedia drafted a template letter that Canadians can send to Joly, who succeeded Champagne in the industry portfolio, asking for “an independent public audit of Rogers’ compliance with every commitment, with the underlying data examined published.” The group wants the House industry committee to launch a study into the telco’s compliance under the deal, during which Rogers officials and government representatives would be “compelled to testify.” Neither Joly’s office nor Liberal MP Ben Carr (Winnipeg South Centre, Man.), the industry committee chair, immediately responded to The Wire Report’s request for comment. According to Matt Hatfield, OpenMedia’s executive director, the letter has already been signed by more than 3,000 Canadians. “We’re hoping this will get their attention,” said Hatfield in an interview with The Wire Report. “I’d expect…, over the next couple weeks, we’ll probably end up with more than 10,000 .” Hatfield said launching an investigation would be an “easy step” for the government, suggesting it’s in the government’s political interests to hold Rogers accountable. “We’ve had a few years to see how the deal has gone… and, as citizens and laypeople, some of the conditions that were applied to the deal are not working,” he said. “Rogers is not meeting its commitment , if they’re failing to meet the commitments, there should be penalties.” Since the merger, Rogers has created 2,600 jobs in western Canada, falling short of the promised 3,000 positions, though the agreed-upon deadline isn’t until April 2028. Rogers also maintains it’s “on track” to fulfill the requirement, per annual reports published as part of the merger process. The company has also shed personnel in recent months, offering buyouts to approximately 10,000 employees, which Conservative and NDP MPs attributed to the government’s approval of the Shaw takeover. The telco giant’s projected capital spending has also fallen by 30 per cent for 2026, which Rogers leadership has blamed on an unfavourable regulatory environment. The company is now expecting to invest between $2.5 billion and $2.7 billion in new capital projects, down from an earlier forecast of $3.3 billion to $3.5 billion. During a speech in April, CEO Tony Staffieri said Rogers has completed a major investment cycle to build out its 5G and fibre networks, but certain future projects have become “uneconomical” and will be cancelled. It’s unclear whether Rogers will its specific promise of investing $2.5 billion to expand 5G networks in western Canada. As of March, the company had invested $1.6 billion in the region and has categorized its own progress as "on track." When asked by The Wire Report, Rogers declined to comment. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Thousands of Canadians ask Ottawa to audit impact of Rogers-Shaw deal

Regulatory |
By Davis Legree
|June 17, 2026

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Thousands of Canadians ask Ottawa to audit impact of Rogers-Shaw deal

Regulatory | By Davis Legree |June 17, 2026

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By Davis Legree
|June 17, 2026