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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GATINEAU – The CRTC today decided to mandate mobile virtual network operators for the Canadian wireless market – as long as companies who want to be one already own and operate network facilities and Tier 4 or higher (3, 2, 1) spectrum.
The Commission is calling it “wholesale facilities-based MVNO access service” and the decision also makes it clear this new “wholesale roaming policy applies to fifth-generation (5G) networks. This confirmation is important to help ensure that competition can continue to grow as the mobile wireless service market evolves to 5G.”
In short, that means companies with existing facilities like…
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FREDERICTON – Former CRTC commissioner Chris MacDonald has been hired by Rogers Communications as senior manager regional delivery – Atlantic Canada.
MacDonald made the announcement on his LinkedIn page. We wondered what that job title actually means so we asked him. “Essentially, it’s part chief of staff to the regional VP, but mostly someone that can be dispatched to get projects (sales opportunities, network builds, gov’t and community engagement, etc.) back on the rails. No regulatory matters – so it will be a nice change,” he told us in a message.
For anyone wondering if such a hire so soon after…
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GATINEAU — Cartt.ca readers will be glad to know the CRTC’s new wireless policies will finally be released this week, with mandated mobile virtual network operators (will they or won’t they?) undoubtedly the biggest item of interest among telecom providers, big and small.
A Commission spokesperson confirmed the policy decision will be issued at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 15 (i.e., after the stock market closes).
It’s been a long wait, seeing as the Commission first announced the wireless policy review proceeding back in February 2019, held a public hearing in February 2020 and final submissions were in July…
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By Steve Faguy
IN CANADIAN BROADCASTING’S regulatory system, the industry is represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the broadcasters who always want less regulation, and the interest and artist groups who always want more. These are their demands.
Canadian content
In its commercial radio policy, which the CRTC is reviewing, and what much of this series has been about, the most famous content quota requires 35% of popular music broadcast on Canadian radio stations be Canadian.
Unsurprisingly, major broadcasters want a lower quota. They have taken aim at this particular bullseye before. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters proposes 25%. For…
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SAINT-TITE, Que. – Telus announced today it will spend close to $2 million in the Mékinac and des Chenaux RCMs (Regional county municipalities) in 2021 to accelerate the deployment of its PureFibre and 5G networks.
It includes deploying PureFibre to more than 1,200 families and businesses in Saint-Prosper, Saint-Stanislas, and Saint-Adelphe and bringing 5G to select communities in the region, including in Saint-Tite.
The company will also improve wireless coverage by bringing a new tower to Saint-Adelphe and expanding its 4G LTE network there. Telus has also submitted projects to the CRTC under its Broadband Fund program with the goal of…
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CNOC says the company didn’t remove older modems from compatibility list
By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – Rogers Communications is suggesting an application to allow third party internet access (TPIA) providers who lease access to its networks to sign-up new subscribers on legacy DOCSIS 3.0 modems past June this year would delay its upgrade plans and cost it millions of dollars.
The cable giant said it gave members of the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) a full year to adopt the newer DOCSIS 3.1 modems, which it said will allow it to introduce greater network capacity, faster upload and download speeds, and…
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