Search Results for: cogeco

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco, Eastlink file joint court challenge against Big 3 access to wholesale regime

Telus ramps up public relations campaign By Ahmad Hathout Cogeco and Eastlink have filed Friday a legal challenge to a CRTC decision that allows the three largest telecoms to use the wholesale internet regime, a move that was teased in the aftermath of the June 20 ruling. The legal arguments, filed in the Federal Court of Appeal, center on the decision’s alleged friction with the 2023 policy direction from cabinet: that the CRTC allegedly erred in characterizing Rogers, Bell and Telus – the Big 3 – as “new” service providers because they would be riding on… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

‘We’re ready to go’: Cogeco gradually rolling out wireless services to internet customers

Telecom has been teasing launch for months By Ahmad Hathout Cogeco executives said Wednesday the telecom will fully launch its much-anticipated wireless services as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) this fall. The declaration comes after years of inquiries and after it opened pre-registrations earlier this year for its existing internet customers that executives said yielded demand that exceeded their expectations. “We already have an initial cohort of users on the service and will broaden sales in 12 markets over the coming weeks, ahead of a full commercial launch later this fall,” Cogeco CEO Frederic Perron said… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CRTC upholds wholesale access for large players, triggering outrage

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… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Transparency rules should be focused on specific wireless technologies, Bell suggests

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… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Less than 2% of customers look at U.S. broadband label: Cogeco

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 –… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Widespread internet problems hit Bell and Telus

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

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco to introduce 2 gig internet package

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… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers getting ‘substantial interest’ from investors in MLSE stake

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… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco says demand for Canadian wireless service exceeding expectations

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… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers finalizes wireless network deal, reveals more stakeholder details

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… Continue Reading