“Language is at the heart of cultural identity; it shapes who we are and our perspectives. When we speak our languages, we share stories, pass on knowledge and create bonds for generations.” – Patrimoine canadien – Canadian Heritage, Ottawa, June 14, 2021
EARLY LAST YEAR a group of organizations came together to advocate for inclusion of diverse communities and ethnic programming in Bill C-10. We called ourselves the Canadian Ethnocultural Media Coalition (CEMC). The initial group has expanded and now includes the most active and prolific ethnic media organizations in the country (see list of members below).
As Parliament…
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OTTAWA — The Broadcasting Accessibility Fund today announced it will launch its eighth call for letters of intent tomorrow, which is the first step in its annual process seeking innovative projects that advance accessibility to broadcasting content for Canadians with disabilities.
Organizations that intend to apply to the Fund for a grant must complete a letter of intent and submit it no later than end of day on Monday, March 21, 2022.
Potential applicants are expected to review the Fund’s mandate and describe how the proposed project or initiative will further the mandate’s objectives.
For more information, please visit the Fund’s…
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Reliant on service, member association may seek help from government or CRTC
By Ahmad Hathout
TELEVISION SERVICE PROVIDERS in remote parts of the country may see a disruption in television services at the end of the year due to an American company’s decision to end support for technology that distributes satellite TV signals.
U.S.-based network technology provider CommScope said late last year it is ending support for the Quick Take Plus (QT+) system used by Shaw Communications, which relays satellite TV signals to Canadian customers living in certain areas of the country that may lack traditional wired infrastructure.
Jay Thomson, CEO of the…
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WHITEHOUSE and YELLOWKNIFE – Northwestel announced today it received approval from the CRTC to lower its unlimited home Internet rates by $10 per month, with the rate changes being made effective immediately.
“Northwestel will also be upgrading all home Internet 125 and Internet 250 monthly data plans to unlimited Internet at no additional cost,” a press release explains.
The company currently has unlimited Internet plans available in the Northern communities of Carcross, Dawson City, Upper Liard, Watson Lake and Whitehorse in the Yukon as well as Behchokǫ̀, Fort Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells, and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and in Fort Nelson in B.C.
“We’re…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The CRTC’s chief compliance and enforcement officer, Steven Harroun, announced today penalties totalling $300,000 against four Canadians for their involvement in the Dark Web marketplace Canadian HeadQuarters, also known as CanadianHQ.
Following the execution of warrants by CRTC staff in the greater Montreal area during 2020 and 2021, the marketplace was taken offline.
“Before shutting down, CanadianHQ was one of the largest Dark Web marketplaces in the world and significantly contributed to harmful cyber activity in Canada. It specialized in the sale of goods and services, including spamming services, phishing kits, stolen credentials and access to compromised computers, which…
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MONCTON — Rogers Communications announced today it will invest close to $200 million to bring 100% pure fibre to up to 314,000 homes and businesses in New Brunswick, starting in the communities of Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview and Shediac.
Once completed, these network upgrades will provide customers with access to Rogers services including Ignite Internet, offering speeds up to 1.5 Gbps, as well as Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream, all powered by Rogers’s all-fibre network, the company’s press release says.
“It is important that we continue to invest in our communities to ensure that customers have access to faster and more…
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MONTRÉAL – Cogeco has wanted to move into wireless for several years now, and while progress has been made towards that goal, it has been a marathon, not a sprint.
This was clear last Friday during an annual press briefing prior to the company’s annual general meeting, when Cogeco president and CEO Philippe Jetté highlighted the continued development of the company’s mobile wireless plans as one of its achievements of the year. (While Jetté gave his speech in French, Cogeco provided an English translation.)
Jetté listed Cogeco’s acquisition of 38 new spectrum licences last July and the CRTC’s decision last…
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BEHCHOKǪ̀, NT — Northwestel announced today the launch of full-fibre Internet service with unlimited data to homes and businesses in Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories.
With the launch, the home Internet speeds now available in Behchokǫ̀ have increased from 15 Mbps to 250 Mbps for downloads, which far surpasses the CRTC’s universal service objective of 50 Mbps, says a Northwestel press release.
“Alongside faster unlimited Internet, Behchokǫ̀ now has Internet rates that match those available in major Northern centres,” the release says.
Northwestel’s unlimited Internet plans range in price from $161 per month for its Internet 50 service with download speeds up to 50 Mbps to…
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TORONTO – Canada’s regulatory framework for access to passive infrastructure by telecommunications carriers needs to be modernized, according to a report released yesterday by the C.D. Howe Institute.
The report, Building Bridges for 5G: How to Overcome the Infrastructure Barriers to Deployment of Canada’s Next-Generation Broadband Networks, authored by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP partners Leslie Milton and Jay Kerr-Wilson, and associate Paul Burbank, highlights the importance of next-generation wireline and wireless broadband networks for Canada’s economic growth and for social inclusion and post-pandemic recovery.
“A critical input to the effective and efficient deployment and expansion of these next-generation telecommunications networks is…
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TORONTO – Speakers for the 8th annual Digital Media at the Crossroads (DM@X) conference, including those from BCE, Quebecor, Corus, CBC and Rogers, were finalized earlier this month, according to the conference steering committee.
DM@X, which will be held virtually this year from Jan. 21-22, will cover several topics, many of which are particularly timely given the priorities indicated in the federal government’s minister mandate letters released last month.
Topics include the regulation of streaming services and the role of the CRTC, the options for addressing online harm and fake news, new developments in support for Canadian news from digital…
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