The CRTC on Wednesday directed Bell and Telus to each provide Quebecor and Rogers with a list of all of the locations where their FTTP services are available by March 13 and after concluding reasonable non-disclosure agreements with the parties.
This decision approves a September 2024 application from Quebecor that asked the CRTC to tell legacy telcos to disclose their lists of FTTP locations in full to Quebecor, after each of the incumbents allegedly informed Quebecor they were willing to disclose their FTTP locations in Quebec if Quebecor identified its own wireline incumbent footprint in…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers wants the CRTC to revisit an October decision approving a tariff that would force the cable giant to go through Telus to get compensated for moving its transmission lines at the behest of government entities, claiming that this would drastically reduce the amount third parties get for relocation.
Being forced to go through Telus to get compensated for moving its transmission lines – as opposed to directly negotiating with the government – will mean being undercompensated because Telus can only negotiate with the government the cost of moving its own transmission lines and not those of third-party…
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The CRTC last week said it is temporarily suspending the requirement for wireless and internet service providers to submit annual reports measuring their compliance with the Wireless Code and the Internet Code, as the telecom regulator prepares to launch a new proceeding regarding its plan to streamline and simplify the codes.
As set out in its Consumer Protections Action Plan, the CRTC intends to combine the Wireless Code, the Internet Code, the Deposit and Disconnection Code and the Television Service Provider Code into a single code that is more clear, simple and consistent…
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The CRTC last week approved the acquisition of Quebec radio station CJAN-FM Val-des-Sources by Résonance Média Inc. from Coopérative Web Média des Sources.
The commission also approved Résonance’s request for a new broadcasting licence to continue operating the station. The broadcasting regulator said the transaction is in the public interest and will help ensure the French-language station continues to provide local programming to the community of Val-des-Sources.
Based on the transaction value of $258,453, Résonance is required to pay tangible benefits totalling $15,507 in equal installments over seven consecutive broadcasting years, allocated to…
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The CRTC last week approved amendments to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB)’s operational plan for the Commercial Radio News Fund (CRNF), which distributes a portion of the five per cent base contribution money from streamers toward the programming of commercial radio broadcasters in smaller markets.
This follows the CRTC’s conditional approval in August 2025 of the CAB’s plan to administer the fund and the CAB’s subsequent filing of a revised plan in October at the request of the commission, which had asked for amendments to the governance,…
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In a letter last week, the CRTC has asked Canada’s largest mobile providers to file additional information regarding the international roaming offerings they have launched to date, as the commission continues to monitor the big three telecoms’ progress in providing more affordable and flexible roaming options.
The letter comes after the CRTC last year directed Bell, Rogers and Telus to file progress reports on May 5 and Nov. 5, 2025, with information on any new offerings launched, as well as on the price and consumer uptake of their offerings. The three telecoms…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Friday it will hold dedicated consultations with groups representing the interests of official language minority communities (OLMCs) when a decision will adversely impact them.
“During these dedicated consultations, the Commission will provide groups representing the interests of OLMCs with additional time to submit comments, as well as additional notice of proceedings, which will provide an explanation of the issues relevant to OLMCs,” the CRTC said.
OLMCs, as defined by the Broadcasting Act and the Online News Act, are English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities outside of Quebec. The CRTC is keeping with that strict definition….
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By Ahmad Hathout
Bell’s Crave added more than one million subscribers in 2025, the telco said Thursday, pushing the streaming service to 4.6 million subscribers by the end of the fourth quarter.
The last three months of 2025 was the most watched single quarter in the history of the streaming service in a year that also includes its most hours viewed. Bell attributed the success in part to more premium, original and diverse content.
In November, Bell Media announced the largest ever expansion of its content library — more than 10,000 additional hours with integrated live programming from CTV,…
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Rogers says claim is “baseless”
By Ahmad Hathout
Ztar Mobile is claiming Rogers is making it difficult for the reseller to port the numbers of some 40,000 customers to a new provider after the cable giant terminated its wholesale agreement.
Rogers ended a roughly 20-year agreement with Ztar last year, leaving the small mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which provides low-cost pre-paid phone services to convenience stores, scrambling to assist with the transition because it claims it no longer has access to the cable giant’s system, according to the complaint dated last week.
The MVNO, which found an alternative to Rogers, is asking…
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Social media driving engagement
By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – With Canadian audiences viewing a plethora of content, a major focus for Canadian creators is to get their programming noticed, according to producers on a panel addressing discoverability at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA’s) Prime Time annual conference in Ottawa on Jan. 30.
“Discoverability is an ongoing challenge, especially in this industry with so much content out there,” said Mark Montefiore, founder and CEO of New Metric Media. “How do you stand out in this ecosystem?”
His company is a producer of Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, a Canadian comedy television…
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