OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a request by the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) to mandate both full Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) national wholesale access services and wholesale tower and site sharing services.
CNOC made the request last August, asking the CRTC to “review and vary” its Regulatory framework for wholesale mobile wireless services (a.k.a. Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-177). That policy decision, issued in May 2015, saw the Commission opt to regulate wholesale roaming services but continue to forbear from the regulation of MVNO and tower and site sharing services. CNOC submitted that multiple issues, including…
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OTTAWA – The CTRC is helping Bell Canada and the City of Hamilton to kiss and makeup.
As Cartt.ca reported last January, the two had been at a standoff over a new municipal access agreement (MAA) and asked the CRTC to step in.
On Wednesday, the Commission approved, with some revisions, the rates, terms, and conditions of a new MAA proposed by the Ontario city. The MAA will govern Bell’s access to highways and other public places in the municipality, allowing it to provide its services throughout the municipality “therefore maximizing the choice of telecommunications service providers for residents and businesses”,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for broadcast licence renewal applications from the country’s big English- and French-language ownership groups for their services that have licences set to expire in 2017.
The Commission said Monday that it has sent customized letters to Bell, Corus, Quebecor, Rogers, Shaw and Remstar, given that there is no licence renewal application form for television services owned by large ownership groups. Licensees are required to respond to questions set out in the letter, and the questions and responses provided will comprise the application.
The renewal applications must be submitted prior April 4 unless otherwise required or authorized. …
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OTTAWA – French-language public safety channel Avis de recherche has lost a bid to continue to be distributed by Bell in Quebec.
On Thursday, the CRTC dismissed the channel’s complaint alleging that Bell’s decision to cease distributing Avis de Recherche while continuing to carry its affiliated service Canal D/Investigation constituted a prima facie case of undue preference.
“The Commission finds that Bell has not conferred a preference upon itself and has not subjected ADR to a disadvantage by ceasing the distribution of Avis de Recherche”, reads the decision. “Moreover, Bell has fulfilled its obligations under the Commission’s dispute resolution regime and has…
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OTTAWA – With just days until Super Bowl 50 kicks off, the CRTC has tabled a distribution order that would implement its decision to prohibit simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl starting next year.
The order seeks to apply a Commission policy decision resulting from the Let's Talk TV proceeding banning simultaneous substitution (simsub) for the big game starting with Super Bowl 51, scheduled for February 5, 2017.
Simsub occurs when a distributor temporarily replaces the signal of one TV channel with that of another channel showing the same program at the same time. According to the CRTC, during the Let’s Talk TV…
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LEST YOU BE IN DOUBT that the CRTC believes it has authority over video delivered across the Internet, I refer you to the transcript of the hearing currently underway in Hull regarding the policy framework for local and community television.
In this portion the Chairman took issue with the way the counsel for Cogeco, Yves Mayrand, was speaking about the "unlicensed" portion of the broadcasting system, but this term includes the Internet, as I will explain. Yves Mayrand had referred to it as "unregulated" during the company’s appearance last Tuesday.
Mayrand said:
Now with respect to the notion that…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Using its anti-spam powers, the CRTC said Wednesday that it has executed a warrant under Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) at two locations in Ontario's Niagara region.
The warrant was obtained as part of an ongoing investigation further to a lead from FireEye Inc., a vendor specializing in cyber threat protection and forensics. The CRTC does not comment on active investigations, nor does it name the individuals or companies under investigation. It did say, however, that the investigation related to the installation of malicious software (malware) and the alteration of transmission data.
The warrant was granted by a Justice of the…
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OTTAWA – A CRTC decision allowing Corus Entertainment’s OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network to rescind a terms of trade agreement with the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has been allowed to stand.
An order in council dated January 26, 2016 declined to set aside or return the decision to the CRTC, as an appeal by the CMPA had requested. After considering the CMPA’s petition, the Governor in Council said in the order that it “is not satisfied that decision derogates from the attainment of the objectives of the broadcasting policy for Canada set out in subsection 3(1) of the Broadcasting…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – As the CRTC kicked off its public hearing on local and community programming Monday, it reiterated its call for public feedback.
The Commission encouraged Canadians to share their views through its new online discussion forum, available now through February 3, on the issues addressed in its new working document and on any other topic raised at the hearing. The working document contains proposals such as a fund to support local news and incentives to broadcast professional local news on community channels in markets where there is no over-the-air television.
The discussion forum is meant to serve as…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has announced plans to hold public informational sessions on telecommunication services costing principles and concepts in an effort to keep its processes transparent and allow Canadians to actively participate in them.
In a notice posted Wednesday, the Commission opened the sessions to companies that conduct their own company-specific cost studies (that are filed with the Commission), in support of proposed rates, and also rely on ILEC’s manuals for costing principles and concepts (such as SILECs and cable carriers). Individual Canadians, consumer groups and competitors that are interested in incumbent’s company-specific cost studies filed in support of proposed…
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