The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has decided to steer clear of regulating the Internet as it does broadcast media and phone companies.
It had been considering the move for the third time and concerns continued that its effort in that sphere would create new taxes to pay for Canadian content.
Having said that, the CRTC has asked the courts to clarify the status of service providers and whether they should adhere to the same provisions as television in delivering Canadian content. Both could have major impact on Internet firms.
The CRTC chairman believes Canada needs a comprehensive digital strategy. It shelved any further review, though, for the next five years.
