Federal Government Intervenes, Approves WIND Mobile for Canada

The federal government has overruled the federal telecom regulator to allow Globalive to offer cellphone service in Canada as WIND Mobile.

"We have concluded through normal review that Globalive meets the Canadian ownership and control requirements," Industry Minister Tony Clement said in a press conference Friday morning.


Six weeks ago Rogers, Telux, and Bell joined forces to prevent Globalive to enter the Canadian market place. The three companies have long been over charging Canadians for wireless service with Rogers having a monopoly on GSM devices until very recently.

According the National Post, the CRTC initially said Globalive's corporate structure violated foreign-ownership rules, as Egypt's Orascom Telecom Holding SAE held too much control through debt financing.

The federal cabinet has the power to change CRTC decisions under the federal Telecommunications Act. Clement is satisfied that the debt financing provided by Orascom does not constitute foreign control. "We are satisfied that in this particular case [Globalive's] board of directors cannot be controlled by the foreign investor."

The decision is effective immediately and Canadians now eagerly wait an alternative to their wireless service provider. You can give WIND Mobile your ideas and suggestions