The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that the CRTC chose to release its much-awaited decision on basic telco services a few days before Christmas. Guest columnists Paul Beaudry and Martin Masse writes that the decision came with a $750-million industry-sponsored "gift" to Canadians. Recognizing that access to broadband services was "vital" to Canada, the CRTC set a goal of giving all Canadians access to download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (mbps) and upload speeds of at least 10 mbps. In an unusual show of restraint, the regulator steered clear of imposing retail-rate regulations on Internet service providers. This led some observers to argue the targets were not ambitious enough. Mr. Beaudry and Mr. Masse think on the contrary that Canada's broadband market is already healthy and competitive, and does not require more interventions. Its decision to create a new funding mechanism for the development of broadband in rural and remote areas is yet another example of its central-planning mindset. The commission itself admits that Canada has a robust broadband market. One should ask whether the existence of a regulator created during the era of natural monopolies is still warranted.