Shaw is now Canada's largest cable company after receiving CRTC approval to proceed with its purchase of Mountain Cablevision. Shaw offered to buy the Hamilton-based BDU back in July. Rogers tried to block the acquisition citing a near decade-old non-compete arrangement it had with Shaw, but that argument was dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court last month. The Commission officially approved Shaw's application on Thursday, October 22, 2009, meaning that Mountain's ownership and control will be changed to 1474888 Alberta Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Shaw Communications Inc. Approximately 135 employees, 41,000 cable customers, 29,000 Internet subscribers, and 30,000 digital phone lines will be folded in to Shaw as part of the deal. Shaw said in its CRTC application that it plans to expand Mountain's range of broadcast services, and increase the speed, range and quality of its Internet and telephony services. It also pledged to expand the cable plant into smaller areas not currently served within Mountain's serving territories.
Source: Cartt, 10/23/2009