OTTAWA – Despite objections from MTS Allstream and Teksavvy Solutions, the CRTC has confirmed its interim approval of BCE’s plan to introduce usage-based billing for their wholesale residential Gateway Access Services. The Commission did, however, agree to vary the implementation date.
The CRTC originally granted approval for the proposal last August, allowing Bell Aliant and Bell Canada to introduce new speed options, useage-based billing rates and levy excessive usage charges (together, UBB) for their wholesale residential gateway access services (GAS).
MTS Allstream and Teksavvy Solutions filed applications in September requesting that the Commission review and vary its interim…
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TORONTO and OTTAWA – In what could be a first, Internet service providers, consumer groups and independent producers all agreed that Wednesday’s CRTC framework on Internet traffic management practices got it right.
“I didn’t think that we needed any rules, but, they are reasonable, certainly not draconian”, Rogers’ SVP of regulatory, Ken Engelhart, told Cartt.ca. “They’ve picked a middle ground that we can live with.”
Over at Telus, Michael Hennessy, SVP of regulatory and government affairs, largely concurred, calling the new rules “clear and well thought out”.
“I think it was a good decision”, he said in an interview with Cartt.ca. “The…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has revoked the telecom licences of 19 companies that it says have failed to comply with the conditions of licence.
All basic international telecommunications services (BITS) are subject to annual reporting requirements. Despite “numerous Commission requests” urging compliance with the filing requirements, the CRTC said Friday that 19 companies either failed to file the required information or make representations by October 4.
The companies are:3588599 Canada Inc.Beacon Tower Telecom LimitedCallCo Plus Escrow Service Corp.Canadian Telecommunications & Technologies Inc.Canaxon Inc.GlobalXtel Inc.I Voice Comm Telnetwork Inc.IDT Telecom Canada Corp.Lycatel…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has amended some of the requirements set out in the lists of eligible satellite services.
The amendments include the removal of the requirement that licensed BDUs receive certain services from licensed satellite relay distribution undertakings (SRDUs), the revision of requirements relating to the distribution of the U.S. 4+1 signals, and the deletion of the requirement that BDUs wishing to distribute certain services must enter into contractual agreements with those services.
The Commission also revised the requirement relating to the deletion or substitution of duplicate programming.
Click here to read the full broadcasting regulatory policy.
In related news,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has turned down YTV’s request to remove percentages relating to programming for specific age groups, and to lessen the restriction around airing feature films in the evening.
However, the Commission did agree to amend YTV’s condition of licence relating to the broadcast of a certain percentage of programming that must be devoted to programs from non-North American sources.
YTV submitted the requests on September 8, 2008, saying that the licence conditions which were first imposed more than 20 years ago in its original licensing decision are “unduly restrictive and no longer appropriate”.
Owned by Corus Entertainment, YTV is…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for comments on a revision to its licensing framework for over-the-air digital television (DTV) services.
The current policy requires transitional licences for DTV undertakings, consistent with parallel provisions in the Commission’s policy for digital radio. But in preparation for the shut down of over-the-air analog television signals on August 31, 2011, the CRTC is proposing to authorize the simulcast on a broadcaster’s digital transmitter of the programming aired on its analog transmitter by way of an amendment to the analog service’s licence.
Comments are due by November 2, 2009.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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PETERBOROUGH, ON – The CRTC must protect consumers instead of allowing carriers to inflict fraud-generated fees on victims, says the president of telecom expense management firm Gill Technologies.
According to George Gill, sophisticated attacks on voice mail and other incidents of “telehacking” can leave consumers owing thousands of dollars in charges. He is calling on the Commission to investigate the issue and develop tougher regulations.
“Beyond basic, user-centric precautions such as strong passwords, responsibility for secure telecommunications obviously rests with carriers”, Gill wrote in a letter dated September 21, 2009. “Under the current regime, carriers suffer a conflict of interest where…
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OTTAWA – This morning at 9 a.m., new wireless carrier Globalive will present to the CRTC its new corporate structure, governance, shareholder rights and financing arrangements.
After a two-day hearing last week into the company’s ownership and control, which was spurred on by the incumbent operators’ complaints, Globalive (which does business on the wired side under the Yak brand) has heeded the Commission’s stated fears and believes the alterations will soothe those concerns, allowing its to launch its wireless services under the Wind brand name before Christmas.
“We are confident that these changes will satisfy the CRTC,” said…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for comments on new draft regulations to replace its current broadcasting and telecom rules.
Due to increasing convergence in the broadcasting and telecommunications services and industries, the Commission said that the time has come to harmonize the rules, which will be known as the ‘CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure’ when they come into force.
The exercise will also allow the Commission to eliminate repetition and outdated regulations while establishing uniform rules for proceedings wherever possible, the CRTC said in Broadcasting and Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-602 on Wednesday.
It has also called for…
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OTTAWA – Four more telemarketers have been charged by the CRTC for violating the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) rules.
The Commission has fined Best Price Movers Ltd. $2,500; McTavish Logistics Ltd. $5,000; and YYZ Logistics Ltd. $5,000 for unsolicited telemarketing telecommunications to consumers who were registered on the DNCL, in violation of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules. All three companies were represented by an individual named Ilya Nikitine.
The Commission also charged Mouldaway Canada Inc., carrying on business under the name Canadian Home Comfort, a fine of $4,500 for initiating nine telemarketing telecommunications to consumers registered on the DNCL, and…
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