The Competition Bureau says Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. they have agreed on a preliminary precautionary measure that prevents them from closing their $ 26 billion merger proposal until the Competition Court hears a challenge from the commissioner.
The regulatory agency says Rogers and Shaw have also accepted the commissioner’s request for an expedited court hearing process.
On May 9, the office filed a motion to block Shaers’ purchase of Shaw, arguing that the transaction would lead to worse service and higher prices for consumers.
He also alleged that eliminating Shaw as a competitor would nullify the progress made in competition in Canada’s telecommunications industry over the years.
Rogers and Shaw said they will continue with the deal and fight the commissioner’s efforts to block it.
Other government agencies, including the CRTC, have already signed parts of the agreement under certain conditions, but opposition from the Competition Bureau is emerging as an unexpectedly big hurdle.
In March, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne made it clear that the government would not allow the merger to go ahead if it meant that Rogers would retain all of Shaw’s wireless spectrum licenses, most of which consist of Freedom Mobile and its approximately two million mobile phone customers. in Ontario, BC and Alberta.
The Champagne ministry has not yet signed the agreement.
According to the office, Rogers has agreed to do nothing “that would limit Shaw’s ability to operate, maintain, improve or expand its wireless business.”
A Rogers spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBC News on Monday.