Industry Canada Minister Tony Clement has announced that the Federal Government plans to appeal the recent Federal Court ruling regarding Globalive's Wind Mobile service. In a February 4 decision, Justice Roger Hughes of the Federal Court ruled that Cabinet made errors in law when it when it overrode a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Commission (CRTC) to withhold a wireless license from Wind Mobile, maintaining that the portion of the company owned by non-Canadians exceeded regulatory restrictions. Justice Hughes stayed his decision by 45 days to give Globalive time to respond.
The court appeal of the Cabinet's decision to grant Wind Mobile a license was brought by another new wireless carrier, Public Mobile.
"We are pleased that the Government has decided to appeal the Federal Court's decision," said Anthony Lacavera, Chairman of Wind Mobile (shown at top of story). "From the beginning, Industry Canada and then Cabinet maintained, with a full knowledge and understanding of the facts of our structure, that we are fully compliant with the Telecom Act rules, and we are pleased that the Government is vigorously defending its decision."
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1 comments »
indabiz February 17, 2011, 17:39 pm
Heavily conflicted here. On the one hand, I hate how much I'm paying for access to services and believe that meaningful competition (not bogus subsidiary companies like Chatr) will force lower prices, better service or, hopefully, both. On the other hand, we either have laws or government by whim. If the feds don't have the will to change laws regarding foreign ownership, then back off and let the legislated definitions dictate the propriety of off-shore investment.
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