I read once that we pay the highest rates for mobile data (or at least I think I did) in the world but I don’t recall reading why. Maybe it had something to do with near-monopolies or infrastructure?
Are there any changes coming that may change this?
No, it’s absolutely lobbying and regulatory capture. When I worked in the telco space, back when long distance competition came to Canada, the CRTC was a constant revolving door of lawyers and company VPs from the telcos. The running gag in our office was that if a decision didn’t go our way, that the C-Suite would have to fire someone for the failure, so they could go work at the CRTC and influence the next decision in our favour.
But it wasn’t a gag. Three of my co-workers from that time ended up taking their turns at the CRTC as analysts and commissioners.
Not mobile, but I remember TekSavvy blasting the CRTC head for having some pints with his buddy, the CEO of Bell. You know, as the head of an impartial regulatory body should.
https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2021/06/24/teksavvy-blasts-crtc-chair-for-having-beers-with-bell-exec-at-pub/