Use NAFTA talks to lift Canadian telecom protections, prof argues
OTTAWA — Canada’s overall economy — not just consumers — would benefit if Canada were to open its telecom industry to greater competition through upcoming North American free trade talks, says a University of Toronto professor who’s been studying the industry’s impacts.
Getting to that point at the NAFTA negotiating table, however, may just be wishful thinking, says another academic who predicts U.S. demands for greater access to Canada’s telecom market won’t survive to the final round of bargaining.
In its objectives for the NAFTA renegotiation, the Trump administration included telecommunications among a list of trade irritants made public last week, saying it wants to promote the competitive supply of telecommunications services and secure commitments “to provide reasonable network access for telecommunications suppliers.”
University of Toronto professor Walid Hejazi says opening the telecom industry to foreign players would result in new jobs, increased productivity across a wide range of industries and cheaper wireless rates for consumers.