By Ahmad Hathout
Telus CEO Darren Entwistle said Friday that Canadians value reliability over price, as he lamented the wireless industry’s trend of price matching in a race to the bottom he said he doesn’t understand.
“Why can’t we have a price premium if we have better product features, but more particularly better customer service for our clients,” he said on the company’s first quarter earnings conference call. “Why do we always have to price match, price match, price match in a race to the bottom? Why can’t we build the culture of psychology, a set of competencies to be able…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Quebecor executives said Thursday that the company is prepared to fight a defensive price battle with its major regional rival to maintain a price advantage they said it needs to grow its market share.
Two quarters ago, the company announced that it would need to make overdue price increases to its internet plans because it was feeling some unnecessary downward pressure on its revenues.
But the company has seen cable revenue gains of just $2.6 million from the fourth to the first quarter, with the price increases fully baked into the latter period. To explain that, Hugues Simard…
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Quebecor’s Freedom Mobile announced Wednesday it has signed a multi-year agreement to be the presenting sponsor of the Calgary Stampede’s nightly Grandstand Show.
Running all 10 nights of the Stampede from July 4-13, this year’s Grandstand Show will be headlined by Albertan country music singer-songwriter Carolyn Dawn Johnson, a 17-time Canadian Country Music Award winner. The show will also feature performers from the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts and the Grandstand Band, along with jaw-dropping stunt acts, a pyrotechnic display, a new drone show and the Stampede’s signature nightly fireworks finale.
“We are extremely proud to announce…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers executives said Wednesday that the cable giant has been getting “substantial interest” from institutional investors about a stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).
“We’re in discussions with folks who are interested in the assets we own and are soon to acquire,” Rogers CFO Glenn Brandt said during the company’s first quarter earnings conference call with analysts. “It’s premature for me to start speculating on when that might result in a transaction. I would say we are engaged in those conversations in earnest. We are more aware than the market is reflecting right now of the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Federal Court of Appeal on Tuesday set a date for next month to hear an appeal challenging the CRTC’s decision to choose Quebecor’s rate to access Rogers’s wireless network.
The hearing will begin at 9:30 am on May 28 in Ottawa and will centre on Rogers’s contention that the regulator, in July 2023, chose a rate to access its wireless network during final offer arbitration that was “materially lower” than the rate it proposed, running offside of the “just and reasonable” provision of the Telecommunications Act.
The result, Rogers argues, is that the lower rate will not allow…
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No details yet as to what the alleged breaches are
By Ahmad Hathout
Videotron is suing Rogers for $91 million over alleged breaches of contract in the sale of Freedom Mobile.
The six-page notice of action, which mentions only the claimed breaches without detail, was filed in Ontario Superior Court last Thursday — the two-year anniversary of the closing of Rogers’s acquisition of Shaw and Videotron’s purchase of Freedom.
Videotron is asking the court to order Rogers to “perform their obligations under the Share Purchase Agreement dated August 12, 2022,” which lays out the terms for Videotron buying the outstanding shares of…
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Quebecor’s Freedom Mobile announced Friday it has started the “progressive” deployment of its 3.8 GHz spectrum across its 5G+ network in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
“This spectrum deployment will significantly upgrade Freedom’s network capabilities, allowing customers with compatible 5G+ devices and plans to enjoy faster connectivity with theoretical peak download speeds exceeding 1 Gbps, resulting in an even more seamless mobile experience,” a press release said.
The telecom said the deployment will enhance the existing 5G+ coverage zones in the Greater Toronto Area, Burlington, Oakville and Milton in Ontario; Edmonton and Calgary, Edmonton International Airport, the West Edmonton Mall, and…
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Rogers and the National Hockey League announced Wednesday an $11-billion, 12-year agreement for the national media rights to NHL games on all platforms in Canada through the 2037-38 season.
Worth more than double the current $5.2-billion, 12-year media rights deal the two organizations signed in 2013, the new agreement will start with the 2026-27 NHL season.
The deal was first reported on Monday by Sportico.com, based on information from sources familiar with the details, the sports news website said.
Under the new agreement, NHL fans in Canada will have access…
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Quebecor’s digital-only wireless service provider Fizz announced Thursday a flash offer of 50 GB of monthly data with unlimited talk and text across Canada for $29.
The promotion is available until March 31 to new and existing customers in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. There is no fixed-term contract, and the price is guaranteed for as long as the customer wants.
Fizz offers customizable plans, automatic data rollover and community data gifting.
The pricing move by Fizz, which also offers internet and television services, is in-line with Quebecor’s strategy of customer acquisition and retention. It also comes after…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Industry Canada’s new fee structure for spectrum below the 10 GHz band is contrary to the challenges facing the Canadian economy, the trajectory of mobile wireless prices, and out of touch in relation to peer countries, the largest wireless service providers are arguing.
Earlier this month, the department changed how it would charge for those spectrum fees in certain low and mid bands. Instead of the existing annual base rate with a multiplier based on MHz held and population served, the department has opted instead for a three-rate fee system that applies discounts to an annual base rate…
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