By Ahmad Hathout
Independent internet service provider CIK Telecom filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC earlier this month requesting that it reduce the interim rates for aggregated last mile fibre access and to clarify that the large telecoms cannot access the regime.
The telecom claims that the rates set by the regulator for interim access to Bell and Telus facilities going to the premises in Ontario and Quebec are still higher than what those telcos charge in the market, meaning third parties cannot be competitive.
It’s an argument that has been made by other telecoms, including those under Continue Reading
Cogeco announced Monday its Cogeco Connexion business unit is acquiring Niagara Regional Broadband Network (NRBN) from the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, who will both remain minority shareholders in the company.
The acquisition of the Niagara Region provider of fibre-based internet, telephone and television services will strengthen Cogeco’s presence in the region and allow it to support the continued growth of NRBN, a Cogeco press release says.
“We are delighted to welcome NRBN to the Cogeco family,” Philippe Jetté, president and CEO of Cogeco Communications, said in the…
Continue Reading
Opponents say spectrum leasing serves the same purpose
By Ahmad Hathout
In an effort to maximize the use of a finite resource, Innovation Canada introduced Tuesday a long-expected policy for spectrum called access licensing, which would facilitate the migration of licenses not in use by holders toward other providers who will use them in smaller remote and indigenous territories.
The hotly debated policy will impact smaller Tier 5 areas and immediately target the 800 MHz (cellular) band, the Personal Communications Services band (1850-1910 MHz and 1930-1990 MHz), and the 900 MHz Land Mobile Radio (LMR) band. ISED said it will evaluate on…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Corus CEO Doug Murphy said on the company’s fiscal first quarter conference call Friday that the point at which there’s recovery in advertising demand and revenues is too early to tell, as he said the company is happy to put behind a rough 2023 in which it pleaded with the CRTC to reduce its regulatory obligations.
“On the one hand, we expect the return of new scripted programming to catalyze primetime marketing investments by our advertisers,” he said on the call. “On the other hand, the macro-economic environment remains uncertain while distortions related to post-pandemic normalization of many…
Continue Reading
By Steve Faguy
MONTREAL — Cogeco CEO Philippe Jetté doesn’t want to discuss when he expects the company will launch a wireless service.
He was pestered with questions from journalists Thursday before the company’s annual general meeting — is it a matter of weeks, months, years? — but repeatedly said that they’re working toward a launch and would announce their plans in the near future. An actual launch is unlikely in the “short term” because “some preparation work remains,” he told analysts earlier.
Jetté expressed some frustration with the length of the process, both in terms of regulatory obligations and the slow pace of…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
TekSavvy has filed a Part 1 application to the CRTC asking for a review of a wind down of older coaxial network technology by Cogeco that it said will affect its ability to provide service to its customers.
The large independent telecom relies on Cogeco’s last mile coaxial facilities at two interconnection locations in Burlington and Windsor, Ontario. Cogeco allegedly told TekSavvy that it is migrating wholesale customers to fibre technologies, including to radio frequency over glass technology (RFoG) at the Burlington site as soon as last week with eventual migration at both sites to ethernet passive optical…
Continue Reading
Toronto-based Quickplay announced Tuesday that Cogeco Media, one of Quebec’s largest radio broadcasters, has selected Quickplay’s cloud-native, open-architecture OTT platform to power its next-generation audio services.
Cogeco Media owns and operates 20 radio stations across Quebec as well as one station serving the eastern Ontario community of Hawkesbury.
Through its partnership with Quickplay, “Cogeco Media’s 5 million listeners will benefit from superior experiences including seamless access to content across devices as well as better personalization and discovery,” a Quickplay press release says.
Some of the specific benefits of Cogeco Media’s Quickplay-powered audio…
Continue Reading
The governments of Canada and Ontario announced last Friday they are providing more than $5.3 million in joint funding toward two broadband projects in Essex County, which Cogeco has now completed, as part of Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc.’s (SWIFT) regional broadband expansion plan for Southwestern Ontario.
The two levels of government previously announced the funding over a year ago. Cogeco completed the fibre infrastructure projects in July, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage.
With their completion, Cogeco is now able to provide high-speed internet access to 3,587…
Continue Reading
Rogers announced Monday the sale of all of its shares in Cogeco to pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.
The transaction, worth $829 million, will allow the cable giant to reduce its debt and exit non-core businesses as it focuses on its core competencies, including telecommunications after its acquisition of Shaw.
“This sale further demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our investment grade balance sheet and aggressively reduce our debt leverage ratio,” Tony Staffieri, Rogers president and CEO, said in a press release. “We’re tracking six months ahead on our deleveraging priorities and we’re committed to reducing our debt leverage ratio…
Continue Reading
Telecoms note spectrum cap kept prices reasonable
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Innovation Canada released the results of the 3.8 GHz spectrum auction Thursday, with Cogeco getting a piece as it prepares mobile wireless market entry and Quebecor capturing a slice for its western Canada push.
Telus took home the largest number of licences with 1430 for a price of $620 million to cover 33 million Canadians. Bell was next with a spend of $518 million for 939 licences with expected population coverage of 34.6 million Canadians. Rogers spent $475 million for 860 licences with expected population coverage of 35 million. Videotron…
Continue Reading
