NEW ORLEANS – With the Gigabit Era clearly upon us, cable operators are now fervently searching for the best way to enter that era and the best next-gen technologies to make that entry successful.
This search was very much in evidence at last week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo show in New Orleans. Over the course of three days, teams of MSO technologists marched from booth to booth on the exhibit floor, hoping to uncover the right mix of equipment and software that would enable them to introduce gigabit speeds sooner rather than later (here in Canada, Rogers and Eastlink – not…
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TORONTO – On Monday, Rogers Communications made a commitment to 4K, ultra-high definition TV that no one else on the globe has yet made.
Beginning in 2016, the company will broadcast over 100 live sporting events (300 hours at least) in 4K, including all Toronto Blue Jays home games and at least 20 NHL games. It is also bringing to market a brand new Cisco 4K set top box for its cable customers, upon which Netflix will ride as an app, the company announced Monday.
Speaking of the global OTT video leader, Rogers has also signed a…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable is launching a suite of cloud-based applications designed to meet the needs of its small and medium-sized business customers in Quebec and Ontario.
The company said Wednesday that it will offer services including the Google Apps for Work application and Microsoft Office 365, as well as security and backup functionality such as McAfee from Intel Security, F-Secure and Mozy. Available through an online portal, subscriptions are available on a monthly or annual basis.
"Studies show that the interest of SMBs in the use of cloud-based business services has grown steadily in recent years. These companies are…
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HAMILTON – Community television will never be the same in Canada.
Cable 14 Now launched Tuesday in the Steel City allowing Hamiltonians the opportunity to watch live and on-demand HD video of local content on web-connected devices at their convenience. The online service is the product of three local companies working together as Cable 14 partnered with Clearcable networks in Hamilton and Ancaster’s Hifyre, a digital media company.
“This will allow the cross-pollination of community channels across the country,” Rob McCann, president of Clearcable told Cartt.ca at the launch event. “We will be launching another (online service) in Quebec…
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TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC – Cogeco Cable has completed the high definition upgrade of its network of local TV stations in Quebec.
The company said Monday that upgrading the 15 TVCOGECO stations in the province took five years and represents an investment of $5 million. As a result, Cogeco's customers can now view exclusive HD content on both channel 555 and on Cogeco On Demand channel 602.
"TVCOGECO shows the importance that we attach to our communities," said Cogeco Cable president and CEO Louise St-Pierre, in the news release. "TVCOGECO stations unquestionably serve as drivers of local development by maintaining jobs and mobilizing…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable subsidiaries Cogeco Data Services and Peer 1 Hosting officially opened a new 100,000-square-foot data centre in Kirkland, on the island of Montreal, Friday.
The 100,000-square-foot centre is the first in Canada to offer consumption-based power billing, the most technologically advanced in the region, and represents a commitment in the order of more than $100 million over time, reads the news release.
The ideal location for customers designing a data hosting, disaster recovery or business continuity solution, the facility is designed for a capacity of up to 16.5 Mega Watts, built to Tier 3 standards and backed by…
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MONTREAL – Videotron has announced plans to build a new data centre in Montreal designed to provide the colocation solutions that businesses need for the hosting and processing of mounting masses of mission-critical data.
The $40 million investment, unveiled Wednesday, is the second phase of a process launched in March when the company bought the 4Degrees data centre in Quebec City, and the recently announced expansion of that facility.
Located in Technoparc Montréal in Saint-Laurent borough, the new data centre will have an area of 4,000 square metres and an available load of 16 megawatts. By linking the new facility to…
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HAMILTON – Cable 14 is gearing up to launch an online service that will allow viewers in the Hamilton area to watch live and on demand video from any web-connected device.
Dubbed Cable 14 Now, the service will debut September 22 to Rogers and Cogeco subscribers in the region at no charge. With programming ranging from election coverage to OHL hockey, in addition to Cable 14’s live web streaming capabilities, regular programming content will also be available on an on demand basis within 48 hours of its linear broadcast.
"Research shows that today's consumers are viewing content and programming in a…
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TORONTO – Today Hollywood Suite announced that its four HD movie channels will be relaunched on November 2nd as Hollywood Suite 70s Movies, Hollywood Suite 80s Movies, Hollywood Suite 90s Movies and Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies.
Right now, the channel branding is Warner Films, MGM Channel Sony Movie Channel and AXN Movies.
“With a focus on consumer choice in an era of vigorous competition and regulatory change, the new unified and simplified Hollywood Suite brands will create an emotional connection with consumers by leveraging the nostalgic value of the greatest films of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s,” said Hollywood Suite…
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OTTAWA – It’s rare when the incumbent wireless carriers and the new entrants find themselves on the same side of an issue, but the response to a Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) appeal of the CRTC’s wholesale wireless decision last month is one of those occasions where the normally combative firms see eye to eye.
CNOC has appealed portions Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-177, saying the Commission erred in fact and made errors of law in not granting mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to the radio access networks (RANs) of the wireless carriers. The second…
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