“Broken Jalopy”: Bell Accuses Telus of Blocking Inter…

Bell has filed an urgent application with the CRTC on February 11, 2026, targeting Telus for allegedly blocking internet competition in Western Canada. The filing by Bell claims that Telus is intentionally maintaining “unworkable” systems to prevent Bell from…

Bell has filed an urgent application with the CRTC on February 11, 2026, targeting Telus for allegedly blocking internet competition in Western Canada. The filing by Bell claims that Telus is intentionally maintaining “unworkable” systems to prevent Bell from offering fibre services to consumers in British Columbia and Alberta. According to Bell, it intends to use the CRTC’s wholesale fibre rules to enter the Western market, where broadband prices are historically higher.

However, Bell states that Telus has failed to provide the necessary automated systems to make this possible. The application notes that “Telus has yet to meet its commitment to the CRTC that it would have an automated wholesale ordering process and platform in place by June 13, 2025,” which was eight months ago. Bell argues that this creates a massive disadvantage for Western Canadians who are being deprived of the same competitive choices currently available in Ontario and Quebec.

The filing highlights a perceived double standard, pointing out that Bell already provides Telus with “fully functional, automated ordering and activation systems” in Eastern Canada. In contrast, Bell claims that Telus’ processes in the West are manual, slow, and prone to errors. In a statement to iPhone in Canada, Robert Malcolmson, Bell’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer, confirmed that the company has officially called on the CRTC to “ensure greater Internet competition in Western Canada.” Malcolmson explained that Bell intends to leverage the CRTC’s wholesale fibre policy to provide new options for consumers in British Columbia and Alberta—two provinces where residents “already pay more on average for broadband” than those in Eastern Canada.

However, Bell alleges that Telus has actively “prevented competition in Western Canada” by failing to provide a functional wholesale service, effectively missing a regulatory commitment to launch an automated ordering platform that was due eight months ago. To illustrate this point, Bell explicitly included a quote in its (heavily redacted) filing from an independent third-party ISP, Every-Day Computers.

Bell used this specific analogy to argue that “equity” should be applied both ways, saying “‘equity’ does not mean Telus gets a Cadillac service from Bell while providing a broken Jalopy to independent ISPs.” Bell is now asking the regulator for immediate intervention to force Telus to upgrade its systems. The company argues that “It’s time for the CRTC to step in and ensure consumers in B.C.

and Alberta benefit from greater Internet choice.” The filing by Bell this week comes after the CRTC granted Telus’s request for interim relief on the matter on February 5, which Bell said at the time it respected the decision and would soon file a response. Update: Telus accused Bell of using “unlawful” tactics to stall competition in Ontario and Quebec. In that February 5 filing, Telus claimed that Bell admitted to degrading its wholesale fibre service as “leverage” to force Telus into making commercial concessions regarding its own network in Western Canada.

Telus warned the regulator that if Bell is allowed to sabotage wholesale services with impunity, it would weaken competition in Bell’s primary territories and cause “severe harm” to consumers. This escalating legal battle now sees both companies accusing each other of using technical barriers to protect their respective home markets. Last year, Telus was able to launch its PureFibre internet service in Ontario and Quebec, thanks to the CRTC’s ruling that allowed it to leverage Bell’s internet network.

The CRTC in 2023 mandated that telecoms in Ontario and Quebec need to allow competitors with temporary access to high-speed fibre networks, in the name of increasing competition. If Bell’s application is successful, it could pave the way for Bell to finally launch its competitive fibre internet packages in the West, potentially bringing down costs for residents in both provinces. Telus has not responded to the allegations, but stay tuned as this saga is far from over its seems.

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