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Telecom Order CRTC 2026-212

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Gatineau, 20 August 2026

Public record: Tariff Notice 66

Videotron Ltd. – Destandardization and withdrawal of third-party Internet access speed tiers

Summary

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the Commission) is working to increase choice and affordability of Internet services by promoting greater competition between service providers, while ensuring continued investments in high-quality networks. One way it supports this is by ensuring wholesale services are provided in accordance with a fair and transparent regulatory framework.

In this order, the Commission is ensuring that consumers who rely on Videotron Ltd.’s (Videotron) lower-cost, lower-speed options continue to have access to affordable high-speed Internet services.

The Commission received an application from Videotron proposing to destandardize four aggregated third-party Internet access (TPIA) speed tiers: 5 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 1 Mbps upload, 10 Mbps download / 1.5 Mbps upload, 15 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload, and 20 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload. Videotron also proposed to withdraw two disaggregated TPIA speed tiers: 0-5 Mbps download / 0-1 Mbps upload and 6-10 Mbps download / 0-1.5 Mbps upload.

Regarding the four aggregated TPIA speed tiers, the Commission finds that destandardizing the speed tiers would not be in the public interest because it would disproportionately affect competitors and considerably increase their access costs. This would, in turn, impact end-users, especially those who rely on Videotron’s lower-cost, lower-speed options. The Commission therefore denies the destandardization request.

Regarding the two disaggregated TPIA speed tiers, the Commission finds it appropriate for Videotron to withdraw them because there are no customers on those speed tiers.

Application

  1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the Commission) received an application, dated 9 October 2025, from Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of its subsidiary Videotron Ltd. (Videotron), proposing changes to its General Tariff for third-party Internet access (TPIA) services.
  2. Specifically, Videotron proposed to destandardize four aggregated TPIA speed tiers: 5 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 1 Mbps upload, 10 Mbps download / 1.5 Mbps upload, 15 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload, and 20 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload. It also proposed to withdraw two of its disaggregated TPIA speed tiers: 0-5 Mbps download / 0-1 Mbps upload and 6-10 Mbps download / 0-1.5 Mbps upload.
  3. Videotron noted that these speeds have not been available to new retail customers for several months. Moreover, it submitted that, pursuant to Telecom Decision 2006-77 and Telecom Regulatory Policy 2010-632, it is under no obligation to offer a TPIA speed to wholesale customers that it does not offer to its own retail customers. Given that it currently has wholesale customers on the aggregated TPIA speed tiers, Videotron proposed to destandardize them. This would allow current end-users to retain the service with their service provider at the same civic address. Given that there are currently no customers on the disaggregated TPIA speed tiers, Videotron proposed to withdraw them.
  4. Videotron requested an effective date of 8 December 2025 for its application.
  5. The Commission received interventions from one individual and from Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet Inc. (ColbaNet).

Positions of parties

Interveners

  1. The individual submitted that, given Videotron’s application, the company should update its capacity-based billing (CBB) rate with a newly calculated value.
  2. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet opposed Videotron’s application and requested that the Commission deny it in its entirety. They submitted that Videotron did not provide any technical justification for withdrawing or destandardizing the indicated speeds and that its request was based solely on commercial strategy. They added that Videotron participates in the Connecting Families Initiative,Footnote 1 which provides the 10 Mbps download / 1.5 Mbps upload speed, and that Videotron offers a “Business Internet 15” package, which provides its 15 Mbps download /10 Mbps upload speed. In Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet’s view, the availability of these services negates Videotron’s statement that these speeds have not been available to its own retail end-users for several months.
  3. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet highlighted that the Commission denied a request to destandardize certain speeds within Cogeco Communications Inc.’s (Cogeco) TPIA tariff in Telecom Order 2023-2 because (i) Cogeco had not provided sufficient grounds to justify the destandardization, (ii) it would disproportionately affect competitors, and (iii) switching to a higher-cost speed would place an uncompetitive burden on competitors. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet submitted that Videotron’s application was comparable to Cogeco’s and that the Commission should therefore consider Videotron’s application in the same manner.
  4. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet also submitted that approving Videotron’s request would disproportionately impact competitors. ColbaNet specifically identified itself as a wholesale customer of the aggregated TPIA speeds proposed for destandardization by Videotron. It stated that it uses these lower-speed tiers to equip stores with payment terminals, collect sensor data (e.g., temperature and humidity), and serve residential customers who may be in financial difficulty. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet submitted that, if approved, the least costly speed tier would increase in price by 85%, which would lead to unsustainable competitive conditions. Additionally, they both identified CBB as a concern. Specifically, Bravo Telecom stated that the impact of a rate increase associated with moving to higher-speed tiers would create an increased burden on competitors when considering the additional impact of CBB.
  5. Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet also indicated that the rates for Fizz, Videotron’s flanker brand, are regularly lower than the wholesale TPIA service rates for competitors. Bravo Telecom stated that the proposed withdrawal would therefore place competitors in an untenable price-squeeze situation. ColbaNet indicated that competitors must also pay for the cost of bandwidth (i.e., CBB), which further increases their expenses on top of the increased rate. ColbaNet proposed two rate structure alternatives, and Bravo Telecom requested that the Commission implement a unified rate structure of $12.79 for all the 0-30 Mbps download speed tiers.
  6. Finally, Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet submitted that Videotron’s proposal to allow current end-users to retain their service at the same civic address discriminates against certain groups of customers, namely tenants, students, and low-income households, which are characterized by high residential mobility. They stated that this would contravene the 2023 Policy Direction,Footnote 2 which mandates the Commission to foster affordability for all Canadians. They suggested that if the Commission approves any part of Videotron’s application, it should direct Videotron to ensure that current end-users can retain their service based on their account instead of based on their civic address.

Reply

  1. Videotron replied to Bravo Telecom’s and ColbaNet’s interventions, stating that they did not prove that Videotron had failed to meet its obligations regarding the destandardization and withdrawal requests. Videotron submitted that its application fully complies with the speed-matching requirement.Footnote 3
  2. Regarding Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet’s claim that some speeds were still available to retail customers, Videotron stated that the Connecting Families Initiative is limited to a small number of Canadians who meet specific income and age criteria, and that the speed in question is not available to other Videotron residential customers. Additionally, it stated that the 15 Mbps speed has not been offered to residential customers for several months and that, according to the service description and terms and conditions listed in its General Tariff for TPIA services, it may offer the speed to business customers.
  3. Lastly, Videotron indicated that Bravo Telecom’s and ColbaNet’s comments regarding changes to the TPIA rate structure are unrelated to its application. Videotron indicated that interveners had an opportunity to present their views on that subject during a separate Commission proceeding regarding the wholesale high-speed access service framework, specifically, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2023-56.

Commission’s analysis

  1. The Commission considers it appropriate to approve Videotron’s request to withdraw the two disaggregated TPIA speeds, since there are no customers on those speeds.
  2. Since there are still customers on the four aggregated TPIA speeds that Videotron has requested to destandardize, the Commission considers it appropriate to apply the factors used in Telecom Order 2023-2. In that order, the Commission determined that, in addition to the speed-matching requirement, it must consider three factors when reviewing an application for destandardization: (i) whether sufficient grounds were provided by the applicant to justify the proposed destandardization, (ii) whether the proposed destandardization disproportionately affects competitors, and (iii) whether the proposed destandardization is uncompetitive in nature. The Commission considers that the specifics of Telecom Order 2023-2 are comparable and relevant to Videotron’s destandardization application.
  3. While Videotron submitted that it should not be required to continue to provide the TPIA service because it meets the speed-matching requirement, the Commission must consider this in conjunction with the three factors set out in Telecom Order 2023-2.
  4. Regarding the first factor, the Commission considers that the record does not provide sufficient grounds to support Videotron’s request to destandardize the proposed aggregated TPIA speed tiers. Videotron did not provide justification or rationale to support its request, beyond its statement that it meets the speed-matching requirement.
  5. Regarding the second and third factors, the Commission considers that the proposed destandardization of the identified aggregated TPIA speeds would disproportionately affect competitors and place a burden on competitors that would be uncompetitive in nature. As noted by Bravo Telecom and ColbaNet, if the proposed destandardization were to be approved, the lowest-speed tiers of Videotron’s aggregated TPIA service would no longer be available to competitors and the lowest-speed tier rate available to smaller ISPs would increase in price by 85%. The Commission considers that this cost increase could have a significant impact on Videotron’s wholesale customers, including ColbaNet.
  6. The Commission is of the view that the impact on competitors would also affect end-users, especially those who rely on Videotron’s lower-cost, lower-speed options. The Commission notes that the potential impact on the competitive environment would run counter to the policy objectives of fostering reliability, affordability, efficiency, and competitiveness outlined in paragraphs 7(b) and (c) of the Telecommunications ActFootnote 4 and the key objectives of competition, affordability, and high-quality telecommunications services outlined in paragraphs 2(a), (b), and (c) of the 2023 Policy Direction.Footnote 5
  7. The Commission considers that Videotron’s application did not meet the three factors applicable to destandardization requests. Accordingly, the Commission denies Videotron’s request to destandardize the four aggregated TPIA speed tiers.
  8. Regarding Bravo Telecom’s and ColbaNet’s proposals related to the TPIA rate structure, the Commission considers that these requests are beyond the scope of the current proceeding.
  9. Regarding the intervention from the individual requesting that Videotron update its CBB rate with a newly calculated value, the Commission finds that this request is also beyond the scope of the current proceeding. The Commission notes that CBB rates for Videotron and all other incumbent cable carriers remain under consideration as part of Telecom Notice of Consultation 2023-56.

Conclusion

  1. In light of all of the above, the Commission:
    • denies Videotron’s proposal to destandardize the four following aggregated TPIA speed tiers: 5 Mbps download / 1 Mbps upload, 10 Mbps download / 1.5 Mbps upload, 15 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload, and 20 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload; and
    • approves, effective the date of this order, Videotron’s proposal to withdraw the two following disaggregated TPIA speed tiers: 0-5 Mbps download / 0-1 Mbps upload and 6-10 Mbps download / 0-1.5 Mbps upload.
  2. Revised tariff pages are to be issued within 10 calendar days of the date of this order. Revised tariff pages can be submitted to the Commission without a description page or a request for approval; a tariff application is not required.

Secretary General

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