COMPETITION IN PUBLIC LONG-DISTANCE TELEPHONE MARKETS IN CANADA

A recent decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunicati ons Commission allows entrants to interconnect with incumbent telephon e companies for purposes of providing switched (public) long-distance service. The decision represents a potentially very important step tow ards promoting competition in Canada's telecommunications industry; ho wever, continued regulation of the industry, restrictions on foreign o wnership and mandated cross-subsidization of local access from toll re venues raise grounds for concern that the actual consequences of the d ecision will fall short of the potential.