Appeals on the horizon
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC ruled Friday that it will continue allowing the three largest internet service providers to use the wholesale access regime, pointing to the “several thousand” Canadian households now on service plans offered by the “dozens of providers” using the final framework from August 2024.
The decision flies in the face of concern from a broad swath of ISPs big and small, who have argued this would be a disastrous decision for investment in networks and for the viability of regional players as the deeper-pocketed, bigger brands will now be able to ride on their…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC should specifically tailor its broadband transparency efforts on certain technologies that have been shown to demonstrate more variation in internet speeds, such as satellite and fixed-wireless services, according to Bell executives.
Otherwise, if the CRTC must impose standardized transparency language to make it easier for consumers to choose services, it can force internet service providers to change their “up-to” or “maximum” language to “typical” because that’s what most service providers are already offering on wireline.
“We’d be well within … the margins by which what we advertise as a maximum speed would be advertised as a typical…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Cogeco representatives on Tuesday implored a panel of CRTC commissioners to carefully examine the cost-benefit analysis of implementing a broadband label that they say has been largely ineffective in the purchasing decisions of their American customers.
The regional cable company, which has a division called Breezeline in the United States, says such a proposed label – which would resemble a nutrition label on foods and include information beyond just download and upload speeds – would just serve to confuse customers.
“The reality is that we already provide consumers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions –…
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Internet outages across Canada were reported just after 9 a.m. ET Wednesday morning from users of Bell, Telus and Rogers, as well as third-party ISPs, according to Downdetector.ca.
Downdetector received outage reports from users for Bell, Bell Aliant, Bell MTS, Lucky Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Rogers, Fido, Chatr, Telus, Koodo, Public Mobile, Videotron, Freedom Mobile, Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Cogeco is launching in certain service areas an internet package with theoretical download speeds of up to 2 Gbps for its customers and wholesalers, according to a submission to the CRTC and confirmed to us by the company.
A Cogeco spokesperson told Cartt that an official announcement for the introduction has yet to be made, so there are no details as to where the package may be available. Per speed matching rules, Cogeco will also introduce the speeds for wholsalers, who will get upload speeds of up to 140 Mbps available on an aggregated basis on its hybrid…
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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
Cogeco CEO Frederic Perron said Thursday that subscriber demand for its upcoming Canadian wireless service has exceeded the company’s expectations.
“We’ve now opened pre-registrations for our existing Canadian wireline customers as part of our wireless pre-launch lead generation campaign and demand has exceeded our expectations so far,” Perron said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, adding the wireless launch is “progressing well.”
Last quarter, Perron said the company was “on track to launch wireless in Canada over the coming quarters.” The comment followed agreements it made with Canadian network operators to ride on their wireless infrastructure…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers announced Friday it has finalized an agreement to sell for $7 billion a 49.9 per cent stake in a portion of its wireless traffic transport infrastructure through a subsidiary to pay down debt.
The investors will be led by American asset manager Blackstone and include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. Blackstone will also hold a 20 per cent voting stake.
Rogers, which will hold the rest of the shares including voting control, will continue to have full…
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Telco suggests ‘rare’ use of subpoena power if AG doesn’t hand over materials
By Ahmad Hathout
Last month, Canada’s attorney general (AG) filed a motion to strike as moot an application filed by Telus in December that asked the Federal Court to quash a cabinet order that asked the CRTC to reconsider allowing the three largest telecoms to use the fibre facilities of Bell and Telus in Ontario and Quebec.
The AG argues that, because the CRTC declined to change the interim decision after a proceeding on that order, Telus’s application – which alleges that cabinet…
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Rogers charges OUTtv using regulatory system to stop it from making commercial decisions
By Ahmad Hathout
LGBTQ+ TV broadcaster and streamer OUTtv is alleging Rogers is violating Wholesale Code rules by shuffling the network into a less popular cable TV package.
The subscription-based service is alleging in a Part 1 application dated March 5 that the cable company is violating section 9 of the code by not putting the network in the “best available” package, negatively impacting its wholesale fee revenue. The complaint alleges that Rogers shuffled the service it must carry out of a “Premier” package and “into a different and…
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