“Scare tactic,” says CNOC
By Linda Stuart
OTTAWA — If the CRTC mandates mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to wireless incumbents’ networks, Canada’s gross domestic product would be reduced by an estimated $10 billion within five years, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study released today by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA).
In addition, other negative impacts on the Canadian economy would include an estimated $2.5 billion reduction in government tax revenue, approximately 94,000 jobs lost across the supply chain, and a widened digital divide between rural and urban communities in Canada, says the PwC report, which was commissioned by…
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GATINEAU — The CRTC today denied Bell’s application to review and vary the Commission’s December 2019 decision that ordered Bell to deploy one-way toll-free (TF) trunks between Bell’s network and Rogers’s network to carry TF traffic destined for Bell TF numbers.
Shortly after the Commission released its decision on December 2, 2019, Bell filed an R&V application which said the correctness of the ruling was in substantial doubt. In addition, Bell requested a stay of the decision until the Commission ruled on the R&V application.
In the December decision, the Commission had told Bell to have the toll-free trunks deployed…
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Cablevision’s TPIA rates approved by the CRTC
GATINEAU – A year ago today, Quebecor Media’s Videotron demanded third party internet access to Bell’s networks in the region of Abitibi, in Québec, which operates under the brand Cablevision du Nord. After a couple of rounds of regulatory back-and-forth CRTC ordered Bell to give access to Videotron and file tariffs.
Yesterday, the CRTC gave final approval to Cablevision du Nord’s tariffs for its 50 Mbps and 125 Mbps, over Videotron’s objection.
“The Commission approves on an interim basis the basic monthly usage charges and the monthly capacity charges per…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – The ongoing saga between Cloudwifi, a CLEC from Ontario, and Bell Canada took another turn last week, as the CRTC on Thursday issued a denial to Cloudwifi’s request to have a 2019 decision changed.
The decision, 2020-419, was the outcome of a Review and Vary request filed by Bell Canada regarding Decision 2019-218. In that decision the Commission “determined the differences between in-building copper and fibre are greater than previously anticipated and that the tariff for in-building copper access connections may not have been the correct model on which to base the tariff for…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – Having been surprised by increasing revenues last year, Corus Entertainment last fall sought relief from the CRTC in order to allow it to defer spending on Canadian production and programs of national interest and on Friday the Commission heeded the big broadcaster’s request.
Corus enjoyed a rebound year in 2019 and since its content spending commitments are linked to revenue levels, the company found itself in a situation where it would have to spend more money in Canadian productions than anticipated which, it said, could result in programs of lesser quality having to be rushed…
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IQALUIT, NU – The Inuit TV Network announced its upcoming launch Thursday on Nunavut Day.
“It is our collective aspiration to strengthen Inuktut in all aspects of life for Nunavut Inuit,” said Aluki Kotierk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, which is investing over $2.4 million in the channel, in the press release. “I am especially thankful to Inuit TV for their vision to bring Inuit culture and language into our homes and ensure Inuit have access to information in the majority language of the territory.”
Currently, there is a lack of Inuktut programming on Nunavut television to balance the daily…
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By Konrad von Finckenstein
IN HIS THREE RECENT articles for Cartt.ca entitled “Why we must act now on the Yale report recommendations,” OUTtv CEO Brad Danks quite rightly points out the Canadian broadcasting is in a precarious situation.
It faces massive competition from streamers like Netflix, Disney and Amazon Prime who deliver their content to Canada over the internet. However, because of the Broadcasting Exemption Order (formerly called New Media Exemption order and before that the Digital Media Exemption Order) streamers are not subject to the Broadcasting Act. They are not even obliged to collect federal GST from their customers.
Danks therefore…
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GATINEAU — The CRTC is giving Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) an opportunity to respond to interventions made to its application for a Basic International Telecommunications Services (BITS) licence submitted in May.
SpaceX, proposing to operate under the brand name Starlink, wants to serve rural and remote areas with broadband delivered via low earth orbit satellites.
As previously reported, SpaceX’s application generated an unusually high number of interventions, mostly in support of the company’s request for a BITS licence. However, some intervenors have opposed the idea. In June, the Commission extended the deadline for interventions by a week. As Cartt.ca…
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GATINEAU — The CRTC announced Tuesday it’s extending the deadline for interventions to its review of the rate-setting methodology for wholesale telecom services.
When the wholesale rate-setting review proceeding was announced in April, the intervention deadline was set as July 23, with replies to interventions due August 24.
In an updated notice of consultation today, the Commission has revised the intervention deadline to August 13 and is suspending the deadline for replies.
This comes after Rogers and TekSavvy separately asked for extensions to the deadlines. Rogers made its request for various reasons, including competing priorities related to other regulatory proceedings,…
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More delay, indecision, will force a choice upon us
By Brad Danks
IT’S TIME FOR THE GOVERNMENT to take action to re-structure Canada’s broadcasting system. The Yale Report provides a series of strong recommendations – many of which, in my opinion, could be applied by the CRTC without requiring changes to the Broadcasting Act.
There is very little difference between the regulations applied in the current broadcasting system and those needed for the digital platforms. Certainly, the core issues around access, marketing and basic commercial terms are the same. The primary difference is the new platforms are very large, foreign (mostly U.S.)…
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