CRTC imposes $7.5 million penalty on Bell for violations of Telecommunications Act

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is imposing $7.5 million in penalties on Bell Canada, owned by BCE, for violations of the Telecommunications Act.

The regulatory agency says Bell denied permit applications from Quebec's Videotron that would have given it access to the telecom giant's telephone poles.

The CRTC says this delayed Videotron's network deployment and created a competitive advantage for Bell.

Ian Scott, chairman and CEO of the CRTC, says the decision proves that the regulatory agency "will not hesitate to use the tools at (its) disposal" to maintain competitiveness in the broadcasting and telecom industry.