Broadcasters need more speed from the Commission
By Steve Faguy
“I REALIZE WE HAVE the right to transmit over what they consider a public resource — the limited bandwidth that’s out there,” says Rod Schween, president of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. “I’m not saying that we need no regulation, but as much as they want us to innovate, they have to realize that the regulations need to allow us to innovate.”
Though they may disagree on the specifics, most Canadian radio broadcasters Cartt.ca spoke to through this series, and those who filed submissions with the CRTC as part of its Continue Reading
$10 million not enough of a deterrent, Péladeau says
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The maximum fine of $10 million for a first offence available to the CRTC to impose on violators of its rules is not enough for Bell Canada, Quebecor president and CEO Pierre-Karl Péladeau said Tuesday.
“I’m sorry to say this, it’s like a drop of water in the ocean,” he said Tuesday evening in an appearance in front of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, which is studying spending on large projects. “It doesn’t amount to much for a company like them…to delay the competition, it…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – Monday’s federal budget, the first in two years, but the first ever delivered by a female Finance Minister in Chrystia Freeland, promises to deliver more money for rural broadband, but will find the government collecting less tax from foreign digital services as compared to their domestic counterparts.
Jay Thomson, CEO of the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance, which represents more than 100 independent TV, phone and internet providers serving mainly rural communities, was “pleasantly surprised” that the budget allocated an additional $1 billion over six years toward the $1.75-billion (now $2.75 billion) Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) unveiled…
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Company chair Edward Rogers lays out Shaw purchase positives for investors
By Greg O’Brien
TORONTO — Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Rogers Communications today reported good results from its first quarter ended March 31, with revenue gains in its cable and media business units, although wireless service revenue was down compared to the same quarter last year.
Of course, there is more news than that orbiting the wireless, broadband, cable and media giant. While the company had so far been mostly mum on the recent new wireless policies announced by the CRTC (where the headline was mandated, regional, facilities-based MVNOs…
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Digital services tax on company revenue pegged at 3%
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The federal government is proposing a $1-billion top-up to the $1.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund as part of its mission to get high-speed internet access to all Canadians by 2030.
The additional money, outlined in Monday’s federal budget, will be allocated over six years, with $272 million in planned spending starting in 2021-2022, $344 million for the next fiscal year, $129 million afterward, and $126 million for each of the two years that follow. With the top-up, the government says it has now allocated a little more than $7…
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OTTAWA — In a letter sent today to Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) is asking for a 90-day delay to the 3500 MHz spectrum auction, which is scheduled to start on June 15.
CNOC’s main objection to having the auction proceed as currently scheduled is that the CRTC’s new wireless policy on mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) — in which it mandates the provision of wholesale facilities-based MVNO access service but only to regional wireless carriers who own spectrum at the Tier 4 level or higher — was released after…
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REGINA and OTTAWA-GATINEAU — SaskTel has asked the CRTC to stay its recent decision to provide up to $9.5 million in funding to BH Telecom Corp., a competitor to SaskTel in the province of Saskatchewan.
In February, as part of its five-year, $750-million Broadband Fund, the CRTC approved $9.5 million in funding to BH Telecom for the construction and upgrading of transport infrastructure in 26 Saskatchewan communities, including Aberdeen, Beaver Creek, Bruno, Camp Dundurn, Carmel, Casa Rio, Dana, Drake, Dundurn, Eagle Ridge Country Estates, Englefeld, Esk, Grasswood, Guernsey, Jansen, Leroy, Lockwood, Manitou Beach, Meacham, Muenster, Peterson, Prud’homme, Riverside…
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GATINEAU – On Friday, the CRTC agreed with Videotron’s complaint Bell has been obstructing use of its poles.
Videotron filed a complaint with the CRTC in June alleging ongoing problems gaining access to Bell’s support structures.
“The Commission determines that Bell Canada violated section 24 and subsections 25(1) and 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act and violated its National Services Tariff and the Support Structure Licence Agreement between it and Videotron Ltd (Videotron). Accordingly, the Commission determines that enforcement action regarding these violations may be taken against Bell Canada. The Commission’s preliminary view is that an administrative monetary penalty (AMP)…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Communications will get into the wireless game.
This afternoon the company officially responded to yesterday’s announcement of new CRTC wireless policies by saying it welcomes the Commission decision to allow regional players to invest in telecommunications infrastructure and spectrum to access the wireless networks of Canada’s dominant providers as something of a hybrid mobile virtual network operator.
“From the beginning of this comprehensive regulatory process we have been consistent in our view: all Canadians deserve the benefits of competition for their wireless services, including those living outside densely populated urban centres,” said Philippe Jetté, president and CEO.
“Cogeco…
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CRTC focuses on accelerating regional carrier network builds. Eyes now on Cogeco if regulatory conditions satisfy mobile entry
By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – In requiring the country’s largest telecommunications companies to negotiate access to its wireless network with regional carriers, the CRTC has signaled its desire to bolster the fourth players and help accelerate the expansion and deployment of those networks, the Commission’s head Ian Scott said Thursday.
But the Regulator will not require those regional carriers to come to commercial arrangements with smaller players on that leased capacity, with Scott only saying they are permitted to do so.
In essence, Thursday’s decision…
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