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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GATINEAU – Today, the CRTC denied an application brought by large facilities-based ISPs to review and vary telecom regulatory policy 2019-269, specifically, the application of the Internet Code.
“The applicants (Bell, Rogers, Telus and others) submitted the Commission erred in its determination to apply the Internet Code to only the 10 largest facilities-based ISPs at this time; however, the Commission finds that the applicants have failed to demonstrate that there is substantial doubt as to the correctness of that determination,” reads today’s decision.
“As stated in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2019-269, the Commission expects that all Internet service providers will…
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By Greg O’Brien
OTTAWA – While one question was answered Wednesday, a few others have arisen surrounding the June 2021 auction of 3500 MHz wireless spectrum.
There was much speculation whether Shaw would take part in the auction, now that Rogers is buying the company, and on the list of qualified bidders released by Industry, Science and Economic Development Wednesday, Shaw is absent, so it’s officially out. As we reported, it probably would have been disqualified from bidding on set aside spectrum anyway, if it had taken part.
“This confirms Shaw is all in on the proposed deal with Rogers…
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Current rules are working for local programming, say broadcasters
By Steve Faguy
IN RECENT LICENCE renewal decisions, the CRTC has made it clear that while there are no specific quotas for local news on the radio, it expects all commercial stations to include local news as part of their spoken-word programming. In its review of commercial radio policy, it is asking if there should be a weekly quota for news.
“It sounds like they want to regulate us to do more news,” says Rod Schween, president of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. “I would say I understand why they may have that…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – When the members of the Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU) began talking about studying the proposed acquisition of Shaw by Rogers, one member suggested that they should not bother inviting the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development since he would not be able to say anything but instead then invite the chairman of the CRTC, the commissioner of competition and top representatives from the Department of Industry.
They all were the witnesses on Wednesday, April 7 and… they could not share anything useful because they are prohibited from prejudging the issue.
The Minister, François-Philippe…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Between losing a fourth wireless player in a merger and difficulty negotiating with big telecoms on leasing wireless network capacity, smaller carriers and their representatives told members of the industry committee Tuesday that the one-two punch of divesting Freedom Mobile in a Rogers-Shaw combination and mandating wireless negotiations with service-based operators could spell the last vestige of hope for a competitive telecom environment.
Appearing before the committee studying the Rogers-Shaw merger proposal, Matt Stein, who is head of the Competitive Network Operators of Canada, an industry group representing smaller internet service providers (as well as president…
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GATINEAU — In a decision released today, the CRTC has set November 30, 2021, as the date by which Canadian telecommunications service providers (TSPs) must implement STIR/SHAKEN (new tech intended to combat caller ID spoofing) to authenticate and verify caller identification information for IP-based voice calls as a condition of offering and providing telecom services, pursuant to sections 24 and 24.1 of the Telecommunications Act.
The Commission previously postponed implementation of the STIR/SHAKEN framework until June 30, 2021. In today’s compliance and enforcement and telecom decision, the Commission acknowledges “some technical and policy issues have yet to be…
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