Newcomers peck for market share

Canada's traditional telecommunications monopolies have seen their market share eroded by alternative carriers since the country's long-distance telecommunications business was deregulated in 1992. The Stentor alliance of 11 provincial telephone companies has seen its share of the long-distance voice market decline from 75% to less than 65%, and the alliance is now to be loosened. The next area of competition will be the local market, with the regulatory agency having already announced interim regulations for number portability.