The majority of Canadians would prefer that domestic companies be given an advantage in the marketplace over foreign-owned companies, according a Nanos poll commissioned by Telus Corp. (TSX:T) and Bell Canada Enterprises (TSX:BCE).
The telephone survey found that 70% of respondents would favour Canadian companies getting a leg up over foreign companies if the government were to create an advantage in the marketplace in any industry.
Fifty-three per cent of those polled thought both foreign and Canadian-owned companies should be able to buy a wireless company, while 42% thought only a Canadian-owned company should be able to acquire wireless providers that are up for sale.
Forty-one per cent of respondents said that price was the most important aspect of cell phone coverage.
According to the survey, more Canadians would prefer to see lower prices on gas (45%) and university tuition (33%) than would like to see lower prices on cell phone plans (7%).
The margin of error for the poll is 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, with 2,000 respondents participating.
Telus, Bell and Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX:RCI.b) have been working overtime to convince Canadians that Ottawa's current rules around wireless competition are unfair and need to be changed.
U.S. telecom giant Verizon (NYSE:VS) is considering buying Wind Mobile and Mobilicity. The smaller companies were granted wireless spectrum in a process the federal government designed to encourage more competition from smaller, newer entrants.
In June, Ottawa shut down Telus' bid to buy Mobility for $380 million.The acquisition would have required a government-approved transfer of Mobilicity's spectrum licenses to Telus.
Telus, Bell and Rogers say that Verizon's entry to the Canadian market could mean job losses for telecommunications workers.
They also want a crack at more wireless spectrum that is currently off-limits to them in the upcoming auction, and are concerned that a large foreign telecom would use infrastructure the Big Three have invested in.
