MONTREAL – Cogeco Connexion brought its Gigabit Internet service to Quebec Tuesday, launching in various sectors of Trois-Rivières.
UltraFibre 1Gig service will roll out in successive phases in the Ontario and Québec markets where Cogeco Connexion provides services. It debuted in Cogeco’s Oakville and Burlington, ON markets last November.
According to the company’s website, pricing starts at $148.95 per month for residential customers and includes the 1 Gig modem, the advanced AC Wi-Fi router and up to 2 AC Wi-Fi extenders (additional AC Wi-Fi extenders are offered at $4.95/month each). Business customers will pay $179.95 per month with a three year…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – An increasing number of Canadians are not only opting for alternative video services, their level of satisfaction is higher for alternatives than for their traditional pay TV service, according to new data from J.D. Power.
The Canadian Television Provider Customer Satisfaction Study measures overall satisfaction with television service providers based on six factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; programming; communication; billing; and customer service. The Canadian Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study is based on five factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; communication; billing; and customer service. Continue Reading
TORONTO – ISED Minister Navdeep Bains opened the 2017 Canadian Telecom Summit with a speech outlining a number of new government initiatives, but there was one overarching message that has to burn the ears of the incumbent network providers in attendance who were listening.
That is, your prices are far too high.
“The bigger barrier is prices, which are especially high for low-usage cellphone plans,” the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister said in his speech to delegates.
“I get letters regularly from Canadians who are concerned that they are being priced out of the market,” he added in the speech.
“Our government…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Some rural and remote communities with poor Internet connectivity are looking at setting up their own service for residents rather than wait for big carriers to come into their area. but the head of Cogeco’s cable operations has gently warned municipalities and utilities in Ontario and Quebec that the private sector has the money and expertise to do it better.
“We are convinced Internet service providers are better equipped and better positioned to develop these types of networks,” Ken Smithard, president of Cogeco Connexion, told the Canadian Telecom Summit on Monday.
In particular, he said, there are high operational…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Bell, Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw, and Videotron were among the stakeholders present at last week’s inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee of the Canadian Energy Efficiency Voluntary Agreement for Set-Top Boxes (CEEVA).
The parties, which also included set-top box manufacturers ARRIS and EchoStar Technologies as well as Natural Resources Canada, met to further earlier discussions over a voluntary agreement announced in January to cut the total annual energy consumption of Canadian set-top boxes. Supporting organizations CableLabs and the Consumer Technology Association were also in attendance at the meeting.
CEEVA said Thursday that the implementation of commitments are expected to reduce…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL –TV, Internet and home phone provider VMedia, announced this week the launch of its TV service to Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Trois Rivières, Shawinigan, Saguenay, Chicoutimi, Rimouski and their surrounding areas.
Along with the company’s broadband and home phone packages, VMedia says it is the only triple play alternative to the major incumbent players in those markets (such as Bell, Cogeco and Vidéotron). “Already a successful competitor with a growing customer base in Montreal, as well as Ontario and the Western provinces, VMedia will now offer better prices and more choice and flexibility in TV, internet and phone…
Continue Reading
HAMILTON – Like many community cable channels, Cable 14 has been airing bingo for some time. Half a century, in fact.
To some, that may sound like something from a quaint, bygone era we’ve forgotten about where your grandma would the only one who would still care to watch and play along. However, it’s the second-most popular piece of programming on the channel’s schedule (behind the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs games), and it’s not just for the blue-hair set.
“You see people watching it in bars and restaurants now. They’re tuning it in and they’re selling bingo cards there. There are bingo…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Cogeco Peer 1 has named Jaime Leverton to the role of vice-president and general manager for Canada and Asia Pacific (APAC).
Over the past 15+ years, Leverton (pictured) has worked in various executive roles with National Bank, BlackBerry, Bell Canada, and IBM Canada. In her new role with Cogeco Peer 1, she will oversee sales, customer management, and the delivery of the full suite of ICT solutions to medium and enterprise customers across Canada and APAC.
"Jaime is a dynamic leader with a proven track record of transforming organizations with creative thinking and strategic execution”, said president Philippe Jetté,…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Irwin Gotlieb’s company is in charge of a third of the world’s advertising budget and he came to Toronto last week to tell Canada’s broadcasters to get on with addressable advertising, measure better, and work co-operatively, or his company will soon be spending its clients’ money elsewhere.
In an appearance at the Future of TV Ads Conference Thursday at Steam Whistle Brewery and in an interview with Cartt.ca, the global chairman of Group M implored Canadian broadcasters – especially those with TV distribution arms as well – to follow the lead of much of the rest of the…
Continue Reading
Top 10 priorities
TORONTO – Expectations will be high for Joe Natale when he takes the elevator up to the 10th floor of 333 Bloor St. E. for the first time as CEO of Rogers Communications.
Since he has such a long history in Canadian telecom and wireless and stellar track record leading so much of the growth at Telus since joining that company in 2003 (and departing in 2015), Bay Street expects Natale to waste no time making his presence and his priorities felt.
BMO Capital Markets telecom/media/cable financial analyst Tim Casey even went so far as to construct a top-10…
Continue Reading