OTTAWA – The CRTC has given MTS the go ahead to transfer ownership and effective control of its licensed terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings operating in Winnipeg and surrounding areas to Bell Canada.
The Commission’s decision is the first of three regulatory approvals required to complete the closing of BCE's proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of MTS. The Competition Bureau, which is still reviewing the deal as part of a merger review, must also give its thumbs up, as does Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
The CRTC stressed that it exclusively reviewed the change in ownership of the licensed BDU, and reiterated…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has revised the results of its inaugural national study on broadband performance in Canada after determining that Bell's broadband speeds were not as fast as initially reported.
The Commission said Monday that the data published in its initial Broadband Measurement Report in September showed that Internet service providers (ISPs) largely met or exceeded their advertised download and upload speeds, and that this conclusion is still valid.
A CRTC spokesperson told Cartt.ca that the Commission was contacted on October 24, 2016 by “industry stakeholders” who noted possible discrepancies between the Bell DSL advertised speeds and those that…
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“Arbitrary and discriminatory”
WASHINGTON – In a letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, the National Football League has taken the unusual step of asking the federal government, through its top diplomat in the U.S., to prevent the CRTC order suspending simultaneous substitution of the Super Bowl broadcast, from coming into effect.
Banning simultaneous substitution of the Super Bowl, annually the most-watched single TV show in Canada, was announced in January of 2015 as one of the first decisions to come out of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV process. Every year, some Canadians complain to the CRTC that they…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC is overhauling some of its regional office functions as the result of “a significant shift towards digital first”.
An internal memo sent to Commission employees Tuesday said that effective immediately, Client Services will be centralized at CRTC headquarters under web, creative and client services director Shannon Hines. In addition, a new virtual regional administrative support hub has been created for Commissioners, reporting to a secretariat at headquarters, which in turn will report to Dale Moore of the Secretary General’s office.
“This new model will afford the CRTC the opportunity to develop a more integrated approach to Client Services, enhance…
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VANCOUVER – Telus is pulling the plug on its nomadic local VoIP service Telus Extend after the CRTC ordered it to add 9-1-1 emergency service by the end of the year.
“Enabling 9-1-1 on this service in such a short timeframe would be technically unworkable and cost-prohibitive”, a Telus spokesperson told Cartt.ca via email. “As a result, we won’t be able to continue the beta trial of Telus Extend, and customers will no longer have the option of making calls via WiFi on their wireless devices.”
Telus Extend is a downloadable mobile application available to select Telus mobility customers that allows them to…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC received only 30 consumer complaints regarding bandwidth throttling by their Internet service providers (ISPs) in 2016, down from 42 last year.
In its latest status report released Wednesday, the Commission said that it received 7 complaints regarding Internet Traffic Management Practices (ITMPs) in the fourth quarter between October 1 and December 31, 2015. Nine complaints were received in both the first and second quarter of this year, with six recorded in the third quarter ended September 30, 2016.
There are nine active complaints as of June 30, and 10 complaints were closed this quarter. Closed complaints include those where CRTC…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has ordered Telus to add 9-1-1 emergency service to its nomadic local VoIP service Telus Extend by the end of the year.
Telus Extend is a downloadable mobile application available to Telus mobility customers that allows them to use their Telus Mobility telephone number to make/receive calls or text messages over Wi-Fi. The service, launched in 2014, is available by invitation only to select customers with Android and iOS devices.
In a letter to the company’s telecom policy and chief regulatory legal counsel Stephen Schmidt, the Commission directed Telus to bring itself into compliance with the nomadic local VoIP…
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MONTREAL – Videotron took the rather bold step of announcing the addition of Apple Music to its controversial Unlimited Music service, while it awaits the CRTC’s ruling on differential pricing practices (DPP).
The service, which exempts music streaming services like Google Play, Stingray and Spotify from data caps under certain mobile plans, was the catalyst for the CRTC’s recent hearing into differential pricing practices related to Internet and wireless data plans. A decision on that is expected in the first quarter of 2017.
Videotron said Thursday that it is working to expand the list of partners, which currently stands at 15,…
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GATINEAU – CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais took a moment to herald the arrival of pick-and-pay Thursday morning , calling it “the last step” in the implementation of new TV choices stemming from the Commission’s Let’s Talk TV consultation.
He also publicized some new online resources available to help Canadians shop around for the TV services that best meet their individual needs and budgets. They include:
– a checklist to assist with the process;
– a description of TV service provider options, including online options;
– a list of service providers in their area, and
– tips on negotiating the best…
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LAVAL – “There’s so much discussion of flexibility that you’d think we were at a yoga club,” cracked CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais during day one of the license renewal hearing for Canada’s French-language TV broadcasters.
The broadcasters, as is their wont, called for more flexibility and reduced quotas for Canadian programming – and both Quebecor Media and Groupe V Média took shots at the national public broadcaster, even though it’s not part of the hearing.
“We’re worried about the fact that Radio-Canada continues to stray from its mandate to adopt a resolutely commercial approach,” said TVA president Julie Tremblay (pictured), in…
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