www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Communications regulator CRTC’s decision has been overturned by the Canadian Government which has allowed Ezyptian –based  mobile newcomer Globalive Wireless Management, backed by Orascom

telecom, to launch its services in Canada.
Globalive, which operates under the name Wind Mobile, acquired spectrum rights for CDN 442 million in August 2008.  At present, the company has built most of its network and would launch service in Toronto and Calgary this month.

CRTC announced in October that the company was operating against telecom law requiring a minimum level of Canadian ownership. Orascom owns slightly more than 65 percent of the equity in Globalive and nearly all of its debt, which the regulator felt gave the foreign investors too much control over the company’s daily operations.

While overturning the CRTC’s decision, Industry Canada, the government ministry said that 80 percent of Globalive’s voting shares are held by Canadians. Besides, the company is based in Toronto and should be considered Canadian and allowed to start services in order to stimulate competition on the mobile market.

The decision has been welcomed by Wind but rival mobile operator Telus which said that this will give an “unique advantage” to Wind, after other companies were told they could not bid with foreign investors in the spectrum auction.