GATINEAU – Bell Media can go ahead and decommission 28 over-the-air TV transmitters after receiving CRTC approval today.
In its application, Bell noted the transmitters (at right), all in rural regions, rebroadcast the signals of various CTV or CTV2 stations “and none offer programming that differs from that which is offered by the originating stations,” reads the CRTC decision. “The applicant stated that these transmitters do not generate any incremental revenue and generally attract little to no added viewership.”
For example, the company’s Huntsville, Ontario transmitter rebroadcasts the feed from CTV Sudbury – which means it’s likely…
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GATINEAU – Bell Canada has asked the CRTC for permission to conduct a 90-day test this fall where it will block verified, known scam calls “received or transmitted from, to, or over our networks.”
Blocking fraud calls on the network level is something the CRTC has demanded of Canadian carriers, with a deadline of December 18th this year, but this new application asks for a step forward from what the CRTC has demanded.
The abridged application on the public file is light on details on how the calls will be identified and blocked, for obvious reasons. “As always, the challenge is…
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GATINEAU – Last summer Cloudwifi, a Kitchener-based ISP that operates mostly in the apartment and condo space, filed an application with the CRTC requesting an order stating Bell Canada can’t interfere with a customer’s use of the inside wire.
The CRTC agreed with the independent ISP but Bell appealed saying because Cloudwifi was not a local exchange carrier (LEC) or a BDU, it had no legal, regulatory, or other rights of use or access to the facilities at issue. On July 17, 2019, the Commission asked interested parties for applications on the review of CRTC decision…
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MONTREAL – As predicted, Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau hates the proposed purchase of the V network and Noovo.ca by Bell Media.
The acquisition of the network and its digital assets by Bell “will further undermine an already precarious ecosystem by allowing a dominant player to become still more so,” reads a Quebecor press release sent out about 24 hours after Bell’s announcement Wednesday.
“The transaction will significantly alter the balance of power between media companies and have major consequences,” adds the statement.
The company worres that Bell, with its power in “conventional television, specialty channel, pay TV,…
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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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