OTTAWA – While most people are on vacation, federal politicians are on the campaign trail, as anyone following telecommunications news can surely see.
While the federal government also announced Wednesday a multi-million-dollar committment to Telesat’s low-earth orbit research and development efforts, which would impact positively rural wireless subscribers, Tuesday, ISED Minister Navdeep Bains also announced two less sexy measures signalling improvement for rural and remote wireless providers.
Smaller service areas
The first is the creation of a new Tier 5 service area for spectrum allocation. This will allow providers to acquire spectrum for far smaller areas. In the…
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Bell looks to burnish money-losing network
MONTREAL – Bell Media today announced it will purchase the conventional TV network V and its related digital assets, including the ad-supported VOD service Noovo.ca, from Groupe V Média.
The deal, which would bring Bell its first French-language TV network, is pending CRTC and Competition Bureau approval (We’re expecting vigorous opposition from Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau when the application to the Commission is made public). Those with good memories will recall V used to be TQS and was co-owned by Cogeco and CTVglobemedia. It’s current owner purchased the station in 2008, when it was…
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Three-year handset plans popular; new TV option coming, too
TORONTO – Rogers Communications CEO Joe Natale admitted Tuesday morning he was happily surprised by the early numbers coming in from its new Rogers Infinite wireless plans.
On June 12th, readers will recall, Rogers junked overage fees and many of its old wireless plans in favour of three simpler unlimited data plans, starting at $75/month. Company executives crossed their fingers hoping the price point and “unlimited” data would make sense to people (even though the unlimited data is slowed after 10GB/month on the lowest cost plan) and that…
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GATINEAU – In August 2018, Cloudwifi, a Kitchener-based ISP that serves Canadian business and residential customers in nine cities and operates mostly in the apartment and condo space, filed an application with the CRTC requesting an order stating Bell Canada cannot interfere with a customer’s use of the inside wire.
Bell had disconnected Cloudwifi’s customers, says the company.
Cloudwifi had been using Bell’s in-building wire (IBW) to connect its customers in two residential apartment buildings in Toronto and Kitchener. In September 2018, Commission staff indicated they expected Bell Canada would not disconnect Cloudwifi’s customers at the…
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GATINEAU – Just before last Christmas, Iristel filed an application to the CRTC requesting both interim and final relief regarding alleged anti-competitive conduct by Bell Canada in relation to the rates for circuits associated with certain transport services.
The independent carrier complained Bell had increased it rates in a massive and unprecedented way and that it led them to suspect that Bell was re-monopolizing the transport services on some routes. Iristel submitted Bell “unilaterally and without proper warning increasing its rates for certain forborne circuits” from by 80% to 250% in some cases, and by over 125% in others,…
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GATINEAU – On Tuesday, the CRTC sent a letter to all parties to its ongoing review of the wireless industry asking what they think of newly announced device financing plans.
Over the past two weeks, both Rogers and Telus have decided to separate the cost of the device from the costs of the service on their bills, to consumers who want that, allowing them to pay for new handsets separately. While Telus has limited such contracts to 24 months, Rogers is now letting customers pay for devices over 36 months, if they like.
“The Wireless Code (the Code) is…
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Hank Intven resigned June 28
OTTAWA – The Broadcast and Telecom Legislative Review panel is down to six members after lawyer Hank Intven stepped down.
An alert Cartt.ca reader this week pointed us to a new asterisk beside Intven’s profile on the BTLR web site which states that as of June 28, 2019, he is no longer a member of the panel.
Intven is one of the most learned, experienced voices in Canadian telecom and broadcasting law and policy, having advised a long list of companies during his time as a partner with McCarthy Tétrault from 1986 to 2013. He was also…
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OTTAWA – Last month, Bernadette Jordan, who was appointed Canada’s first rural economic development minister in January, unveiled both the federal government’s economic development strategy for rural Canada and High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy to help all rural and remote communities “fully participate in the global economy and society.”
Jordan (right), who is also the Liberal MP for the Nova Scotia riding of South Shore–St. Margarets (a large rural riding which extends from just outside of Halifax to near the tip of the Nova Scotia peninsula near Barrington),…
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But has to fight Bell for it at the CRTC
MONTREAL –Vidéotron said last week it plans to offer consumers and small businesses in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue “a full line of telecommunications services, including Internet, television and IP telephone service” by the end of 2019.
The western Quebec region of 145,000 (most of whom live in the cities of Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d’Or, but are spread over 57,000 sq. km.) is primarily served now by Cablevision du Nord, a cable company and ISP which is owned by Bell Canada.
The interesting part of this story is how Vidéotron plans to service the region: as…
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TORONTO – The Ontario Association of Broadcasters’ 2019 Ontario Hall of Fame Award will be presented to long-time broadcaster Paul Larche during the OAB fall conference, Thursday, November 7th.
The Ontario Hall of Fame is presented to individuals who have spent most of their careers working for private broadcasters and demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence, says the OAB.
Larche (pictured) ran Larche Communications, which owned and operated radio stations in Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie/Orillia/Midland, Sudbury and Owen Sound. He has been working in the broadcasting and marketing business for over 40 years. He sold his…
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