A major telecom merger is weeks away from happening. And if we allow it to go ahead, it will not only drive up some of the lowest broadband and wireless costs in the country -- it could spell the end of the last publicly owned telecommunications corporation in Canada.

Bell wants to buy out Manitoba Telecom Services. Both corporations’ shareholders have already approved a deal that would hand Bell market dominance in a province that enjoys some of the lowest telecom fees in the country. No wonder 77% of Manitobans oppose the deal.

But it gets worse: neighbouring SaskTel -- the only crown telecom corporation remaining in Canada -- would be under intense pressure to privatize. And with Harper-clone Premier Brad Wall licking his chops at the prospect -- only popular opinion is keeping the profit hungry wolves at bay.

This merger won’t do anything to improve service. It’s about profit. Tell the CRTC to reject the merger.

SaskTel is a lesson in why privatizing an essential service is great for CEOs and shareholders -- and horrible for ordinary Canadians. Before the merger, MTS paid virtually no corporate taxes -- while SaskTel returned nearly $500 million to taxpayers in just five years -- all the while offering better service for lower fees. But you can bet this will all be on the chopping block if Brad Wall and his Bay Street cronies get their way.

If there’s anything SumOfUs knows how to do, it’s fight corporate mergers. Over 500,000 SumOfUs members have spoken up to try to stop the Monsanto-Bayer mega-merger -- and of course, hundreds and thousands of us stopped Comcast from buying out Time Warner in the US -- which would have created a monster telecom near-monopoly. With Bell eyeing MTS, we’re not far off from that in Canada -- unless we stop it.

Join us and demand the CRTC and Canada’s Competition Bureau stop this terrible merger.

More information