Q&A: Regulatory environment has pushed Bell, Rogers to spend outside telecoms, says CTA president

Robert Ghiz thinks the Liberal government’s policy objectives are fine and dandy, but he wants to remind them — everything is reliant on telecommunications. Ghiz, president of the Canadian Telecommunications Association, has lauded Ottawa’s efforts to drive investment and diversify the national economy, but he also wants to make sure the telecoms sector is supported so more individuals and businesses can get connected. Ahead of next month’s federal budget, the former P.E.I. premier caught up with The Wire Report to discuss Prime Minister Mark Carney’s vague promise of a “sovereign broadband backbone,” why Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc.’s Bell are seemingly investing less in the industry, and whether he plans on sticking around after a decade in his job. I wanted to start with a high-level look at what the Canadian Telecommunications Association is focused on right now. What’s top of mind for you? Top of mind is the government’s busy trying to diversify trade, diversify our economy, and our main focus is making sure decisionmakers realize that all those things are wonderful, but what they need is connectivity. Now, there’s also some deficiencies in the market where there’s rural and remote areas of the country, whether it’s cellular or wireline, that need more investment, and we need to make sure there’s a regulatory environment that still supports investment. We were very pleased with the government’s introduction of the productivity megadeduction, and everything we’re hearing about where the government wants to go are good things, but ensuring we have resilient networks is also extremely important. Once a network’s built, the spending’s not over. It needs upgrades. It needs to make sure that it’s compatible with different weather patterns, and we need to make sure we’re maintaining networks. Those are things we’re out trying to promote and there’s lots of bills we’re following, and some proceedings at the CRTC that we’re preparing for, so there’s never a shortage of issues in the telecom industry. We’re expecting the federal budget early next month. Is there anything you’ll be looking for? Like I said, we’re happy with the productivity megadeduction, but we’d like to see it introduced sooner rather than later. This one is up to the CRTC, but we’re also hoping the CRTC reviews its decision to allow the three largest carriers in Canada to become wholesalers. We still think that has a negative impact on investment, which we’re seeing. Yes, they thought they were trying to do something to promote more competition, but they need to balance it out. Prime Minister Mark Carney (Nepean, Ont.) caught some telecoms folks off guard when he teased a “sovereign broadband backbone” at the recent Canada Investment Summit. I’m wondering what you and your members made of that? I’m looking for more details. It’s interesting, and we’re happy to hear anytime the prime minister is talking about telecom. I like to be glass half-full, so this gives us an opportunity to make sure we educate the government on where their priorities should be if they want improved telecommunications in Canada. So, just the fact that it’s top of mind is a good thing, but we’re waiting to hear more details. We’re going to be meeting with different government officials to figure out what the government’s plan is for that. I was also curious if you’ve heard anything about the telecommunications competition roadmap, which the government promised this past spring. We’ve received very few details. Do you have any thoughts on that? Right now, you’re seeing robust competition everywhere in Canada to win over more customers. So, when the government talks about a roadmap, we’re going to be there talking to officials to make sure they realize that Canada is in a good position when it comes to competition. When you compare us to other G7 countries and Australia, we’re in a good spot. Our wireless prices have come down, even when the price of everything else is going up. I hope that roadmap would help create a more productive Canada, and that really means getting more Canadians connected. That’s what we’re focused on. Over the past year, we’ve seen two of Canada’s biggest carriers focus their spending outside of telecoms. Rogers recently completed its multi-billion-dollar purchase of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, while Bell has made substantial investments in artificial intelligence and data centres. Should Canadians be concerned that the largest telcos are prioritizing their spending in other areas? You want a robust telecom market in Canada, but they’re going to put their dollars where they think they can make a return on their investment. They borrow money and they’re also publicly traded companies, so they need to be able to get a return on their investment. So, they’re going to look for areas where they can get a return, and that’s why we want to see a better environment with regards to investing in telecom. I’m not going to go into what individual members do because that’s their own business. But, overall, you want to see Canadian companies investing where they can get a return and, in terms of what I do, I want to see that be in telecom and I want to see more Canadians connected. On a personal note, you’ve been in this job for nearly a decade. Are you planning on sticking around? I feel extremely privileged to represent one of Canada’s most important, if not the most important industry. I’m coming up on 10 years in this job. I’m still enjoying my job and I think I have the confidence of the board. So, as long as I have the confidence of the board and I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I’m planning on sticking around for a little while longer. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. dlegree@thewirereport.ca

Q&A: Regulatory environment has pushed Bell, Rogers to spend outside telecoms, says CTA president

Telecom |
By Davis Legree
|October 23, 2026

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Q&A: Regulatory environment has pushed Bell, Rogers to spend outside telecoms, says CTA president

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