Rogers CEO Guy Laurence on Wednesday defended the communications giant's decision to raise cellphone rates despite higher revenue and profits, saying it was necessary to cover the high cost of building and maintaining mobile networks. Laurence said that fourth-quarter competition in the wireless sector was the most intense in Canadian history as it competed hard against BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. for the first wave of customers who signed two-year contracts following a 2013 CRTC decision limiting cancellation fees.