The ruling by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) means AboveNet Communications Inc. of White Plains, N.Y. can lease unused -- or "dark" -- fiber from a Canadian carrier and "light" it to sell services.

As a result businesses here may soon have a wider range of Canadian and foreign-owned telecommunications providers to buy high speed services from.

"We think it's a great decision," Rajiv Datta, senior vice-president and chief technology officer of AboveNet, said Friday of the CRTC ruling.

"It's the right decision for [business] customers in Canada."

AboveNet, which offers optical, Ethernet and IP-based connectivity at speeds of 100 Mpbs and over to enterprises and carriers, plans to start operations in Toronto sometime next year through a Canadian subsidiary he said.