OTTAWA – The CRTC approved three new additions to the list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution, on Wednesday.
The new channels include:
– third-language service Mexicanal, sponsored by Lewis Birnberg Hanet LLP, a Spanish-language general interest service that provides regional programming from across the Republic of Mexico. Programming consists of regional news and information programming, live music performances, lifestyle programming focusing on regional culture (e.g., regional cuisine, regional artisans), Mexican cinema, satirical Mexican comedy programs, a small amount of regional sports, and reality television programs. The service’s target audience is a general audience of Spanish-speaking individuals, predominantly those who have…
Continue Reading
44% increase in complaints
OTTAWA – The mid-year report from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) once again doesn’t look good for Canada’s telecom and TV providers.
The report released this morning shows a 44% increase in the number of complaints it received from Canadian telecom and TV customers between August 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. This follows a 73% increase for that same period last year, so there has at least been improvement in the rate of growth in complaints at least.
Canadians complained most often about their wireless service, followed in order by…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Telus played host to a vital workshop last week called Tomorrow Is Now: A Workshop on 5G Technology, Operations, and Regulation.
Organized by the International Telecommunications Society (ITS) and featuring a strong roster of international speakers providing the perspectives from all angles including operators, regulators, technologists and academics, the workshop set out the current global 5G marketplace.
The race
Michael Murphy, Nokia’s head of technology for North America, provided a local 5G outlook. He reviewed operator launch plans, noting that soft launches began in the U.S. in 2018. He anticipates that all of the U.S. operators will offer 5G mobile…
Continue Reading
CHATHAM, ON – TekSavvy Solutions is aiming to rally public support around the Feds’ recent directive to the CRTC to improve the affordability of Internet and cellphone services for Canadians.
On Friday, the scrappy independent ISP launched a new website entitled Pay Less To Connect that asks consumers to input some personal information to create a form letter addressed to their MP urging them “to support the new Policy Direction and to protect consumer interests.”
“The current system isn't working,” reads the form letter. “The CRTC needs to better serve Canadians, and put our interests first – ahead of…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on a proposal to update its policy on Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) to take into account the digital media broadcasting environment.
Acknowledging the many changes to the broadcasting environment since the CPE requirements were last updated in 1993, the Commission noted that applying regulations designed for traditional television and radio services to digital media poses “significant challenges”, including those relating to requirements to make financial contributions to Canadian production.
BNC CRTC 2019-91 seeks stakeholder feedback on a number of questions and issues relating to updating the CPE policy to incorporate the digital…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC is seeking industry feedback on the idea of a new, annual digital media survey for all licensed Canadian broadcasting undertakings (radio, television and distribution).
Currently, the Commission collects data on traditional broadcasting activities via its annual broadcasting survey, but does not collect primary data on the other digital media activities of Canadian broadcasters.
The proposed digital media survey would be part of the CRTC’s current annual broadcasting survey for this fall, and would collect financial information on BDUs’ digital media broadcasting activities for the 2018-2019 broadcast year, using the Commission’s data collection system.
“The Commission recognizes that the…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has once again flexed its anti-spam muscle, executing a warrant along with the RCMP at a Greater Toronto Area residence Wednesday during a malware investigation.
Part of an international coordinated effort with the RCMP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police, the Commission said Thursday that the two warrants were obtained as part of ongoing parallel investigations into Remote Access Trojan (RAT) technology, a kind of malware that enables remote access to Canadian computers without their users' consent, potentially leading to the theft of personal information and installation of other malware.
The CRTC…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Still-new Vidéotron CEO Jean-Francois Pruneau is happy with the way the Fizz brand has taken off in Quebec, amassing 10,000 mobile subscribers in the first two months after its launch late last year.
The brand, where customers bring their own device and sign-up is online only, is targeted at younger, single Quebecers – primarily in Montreal for now. It’s base also skews more Anglophone than the main Vidéotron wireless brand, he told a group of investors at Tuesday’s Scotiabank Telecom,. Media and Technology conference.
Next up for Vidéotron is Fizz Internet, launched this month…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – In a complaint filed with the CRTC on February 27th, Quebecor alleges that Bell Canada is conferring undue preference and disadvantage when distributing RDS, Bell Media’s French sport channel in a different way than Quebecor’s own TVA Sports.
(Perhaps this is what Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau was referring to in his Op-Ed here last week.)
According to the complaint letter, TVA Sports is NOT offered in Bell TV’s “Good” tier, where it carries RDS, which in its eyes constitutes a clear case of undue preference which is not allowed as stated in Section 9…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) has won an initial round in its battle to overhaul the CRTC’s wholesale wireline services decision.
In a letter dated March 20, the Commission agreed to suspend the 100 Mbps speed cap pending its final determinations on CNOC’s November 2018 application seeking to review and vary TRP 2015-326 and TD 2016-379.
Noting the review process for the disaggregated HSA tariffs for the incumbents is still ongoing, which creates uncertainty surrounding the final rates, terms, and conditions of these tariffs, the CRTC said the implementation of the speed cap could…
Continue Reading
