CALGARY – Shaw Communications last week posted a revenue increase of 4.8% to $1.38 billion for the company’s third quarter of 2021, which ended on May 31st, compared to the same quarter in 2020.
The company also saw an increase of 5.4% to $642 million, in its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the quarter. Shaw’s Q3 results included what it called “incremental wireline consumer revenue of approximately $20 million related to the release of a provision following the CRTC decision on final aggregated third party internet access (TPIA) rates.”
“Our third quarter and year-to-date results reflect…
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Start.ca wants government to overturn decision; CNOC launches email campaign
CHATHAM, LONDON and OTTAWA — On Monday, independent ISP TekSavvy Solutions filed a notice of motion with the Federal Court of Appeal seeking leave to appeal the CRTC’s recent wholesale third-party Internet access (TPIA) rates decision which reversed the Commission’s August 2019 decision to lower the rates.
Monday was the deadline for parties to file a court appeal against the Commission’s decision.
TekSavvy has already filed a petition to cabinet in May, asking for the CRTC’s 2019 final rates order to be reinstated. In its petition, TekSavvy also asks for CRTC…
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GATINEAU – Long-time CRTC executive director of telecommunications, Chris Seidl (above), is retiring in July.
“While this is wonderful news for Chris and marks the beginning of new and exciting chapter in his life, he will be greatly missed within the sector and throughout the organization,” wrote CRTC chair Ian Scott in an email to Commission staff.
After 14 years as a professional engineer and director of software development at Nortel Networks, Seidl joined the Regulator in 2003. During his time there, Seidl held various roles including director of telecommunications policy, director of new media and technology and director general of…
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By Greg O’Brien
CHATHAM, Ont. – Back in 2017, the official reason former Ontario CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan was finally removed from his position is because he met privately and “inappropriately” with a person who had applied for a radio station licence prior to the decision on a licence being officially announced.
Readers of Cartt.ca back then will remember the whole story was longer and much more complicated than that (and we’re not going to rehash it here), but today, independent ISP TekSavvy said it has filed additional evidence with the federal government showing CRTC chair Ian Scott met inappropriately with…
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Report wonders if higher-income Canadians willing to subsidize less fortunate
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – After concluding another study on telecom affordability and accessibility, the House of Commons industry committee released a report Tuesday that excoriates the CRTC for issuing a critical decision on wholesale internet rates that it said upsets the very issues the committee was hoping to address.
The CRTC did not, as some wished, open the large national wireless networks to any service provider when it decided in mid-April that only regional carriers with spectrum and networks can lease capacity from the big carriers. Then in May, the…
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But Commission will not open a public proceeding to examine the issue
GATINEAU — In a Commission letter dated June 22, the CRTC responded to a request made in February by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) asking for the disclosure of confidential information submitted by Canadian mobile carriers to the Commission regarding unauthorized mobile telephone number transfers (or ports) and SIM swapping.
PIAC wanted public disclosure of the carriers’ monthly reports regarding the occurrences of SIM swapping, and also asked the Commission to initiate a public proceeding to look into the matter of SIM-swap fraud.
“With regards to the disclosure…
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GATINEAU — Today, the CRTC released its Wireless Code Public Opinion Research – Spring 2021 final report, which finds generally an increasing number of Canadians are opting for unlimited data plans and finding their wireless contracts easier to understand.
For the report, the CRTC commissioned Kantar to conduct a public-opinion research survey to obtain tracking data on how consumers understand their wireless service contracts and their related rights, as well as to explore various topics such as wireless complaints, data usage, bill shock and ease of switching service providers.
Among the report’s findings, a small but increasing number of Canadians (15%)…
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GATINEAU — The CRTC today announced it has approved recommendations made in a report submitted in October 2020 by the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee’s (CISC) Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG), which now requires facilities-based wireless service providers to take steps to implement handset-based location technology in Canada by March 1, 2022.
With approximately 80% of 9-1-1 calls now being made on wireless devices, according to the Commission, wireless location information is critical when providing assistance to callers in emergency situations.
Advanced mobile location (AML) is a handset-based location protocol which can be used to find caller location for 9-1-1 calls made…
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HAVING COMPLETED THE procurement phase of its regional broadband expansion program, Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) today provided an update saying it has awarded 95 contracts representing total investments of $268 million in broadband infrastructure to bring high-speed Internet access to 63,254 households and business across Southwestern Ontario by 2023.
“Through the program’s competitive procurement process, SWIFT has increased the project’s total infrastructure investment spend by 36% to deliver an additional $71 million in broadband internet improvements above and beyond the initial $197 million targeted investment goal,” reads SWIFT’s press release.
The number of premises passed will also exceed the program’s…
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Say letters telecoms sent to ISED in order to get funds
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Rogers and Videotron have promised Innovation Canada they will implement several key policies that will speed up and cheapen access to subsidized support structures if granted money from the $2.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund.
The two companies propose to participate in frequent meetings of a co-ordination committee of owners of passive infrastructure; streamlining and accelerating permit reviews, administrative processes and contracts; and establishing a “dig-once” policy, whereby other carriers will be able to lay their fibre down at the same time that their own infrastructure is being…
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