By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – Should Bill C-18 not pass Parliament, “there is no guarantee that the deals and the agreements that have been currently negotiated in the Canadian context would continue, because there is no obligation on platforms to continue to bargain in that way,” Thomas Owen Ripley, associate assistant deputy minister for cultural affairs at the Department of Canadian Heritage, said at a Tuesday hearing of the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications studying the Online News Act.
“Over time, it would be perfectly open for platforms to stop entering into those agreements with Canadian news businesses.”
C-18, which…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said Wednesday that the company’s side agreements with Videotron that are part of its deal to acquire Shaw are “not much different” than existing ones it has in place for other competitors.
The cable giant committed to providing favourable wholesale internet access and roaming deals to the Montreal-based company, which acquired Shaw’s Freedom in the deal, to appease regulators and allay fears that the combination would diminish competition.
But over the last several months, questions were raised by competitors as to the nature of the deals and whether they would significantly advantage Videotron…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said his government supports a bill that would require telecoms to clearly state what internet speeds customers should expect during peak periods.
Bill C-288, which was introduced by Conservative member of Parliament Dan Mazier, requires that telecoms clearly state what “typical” speeds subscribers should see during high congestion periods. The providers typically market the theoretical top end of the range of what to expect.
“The Government of Canada supports Bill C-288 as it reinforces the actions underway to improve broadband performance transparency for Canadians,” Champagne said in response to a…
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By Ahmad Hathout
WHITEHORSE – Northwestel will join the Connecting Families program, officials from the Bell subsidiary said Friday, after participants in the CRTC’s far north hearing this week expressed disappointment about its absence from the broadband discount program.
“We’ve listened to our partners this week and I would like to announce today that Northwestel will be joining Canada’s Connecting Families program,” Tammy April, Northwestel’s vice president of customer experience, said during the company’s opening comments. Its participation will be subject to CRTC tariff approval because it cannot set its own price, it said.
The program, which is funded by the participating…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — Despite its recent test to limit news for some users in response to its objections to bill C-18, “Google is deeply committed to Canada” and is “one of the world’s biggest supporters of journalism,” Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer of the search-engine giant and its parent company, Alphabet Inc.
“We believe that the legislation could be amended to support journalism and to provide consumers with a more diverse range of perspectives delivered in innovative and accessible formats, without undercutting core principles that allow the internet to benefit Canadians and people around…
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By Ahmad Hathout
WHITEHORSE – Telus announced Thursday that it has struck a deal in principle to transfer incumbency to Bell’s Northwestel in the region of Atlin, British Columbia to better serve the area.
There are only three communities in the far north that are served by Telus as the incumbent – Fort St. John, High Level, and Atlin. But unlike the former two, Telus does not serve Atlin with its own transport facilities. Instead, it leases a stretch of 1,300 kilometres of the transport portion from Bell subsidiary Northwestel.
“It is an island completely separated from the rest of TELUS’ ILEC…
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WHITEHORSE – Officials from the Northwest Territories government recommended the CRTC adopt two affordability streams to address higher telecommunications prices in the far north.
The officials said Monday the CRTC should consider having both a low-income subsidy and a universal service subsidy to deal with higher prices in the region.
The government officials expressed disappointment that Northwestel, the Bell subsidiary that is the dominant provider in the region, is not participating in the Connecting Families initiative – a service provider effort to get eligible households on discounted internet services.
The officials said the regional government is open for the subsidies to be…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The fund that bankrolls consumer interest participation in CRTC hearings is warning that it is at a “critical juncture” with not enough money available to reimburse participants in broadcasting proceedings.
The Broadcasting Participation Fund said in a press release last week that it had less than $330,000 remaining in the fund to begin the year. In a busy year, it said, costs exceed $700,000.
“If the gap between available funds and qualified applications is not addressed, the Fund must cease operations either temporarily or permanently this year,” it said in the release. At the end of 2021,…
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By Ahmad Hathout
MONTREAL – Cogeco CEO Philippe Jette said Friday that wireless service providers are in a better position to focus on negotiating mobile virtual network operator deals with the conclusion of Rogers’s acquisition of Shaw.
“It provides more predictability throughout the industry now that this transaction is over and we know what to expect of it,” Jette said on the company’s second-quarter conference call Friday morning.
“I think now every player is at a better place with the conclusion of the transaction and getting ready for the next steps negotiating partnerships and rates,” he added.
Earlier this month, Rogers and Videotron Continue Reading
TORONTO – Pure play media company Corus Entertainment announced Thursday dips in revenue and profit in its second quarter financial report, citing the difficult advertising space and a chunk of change it owes to meet its regulatory obligations.
For the three months that ended February 28, the company’s revenues and profit decreased 5 per cent to $343.9 million and 32 per cent to $59.1 million, respectively, compared to the same quarter the year prior. The company blamed a rough advertising market – revenue in that segment was down 7 per cent – due to supply chain disruptions, budget constraints and…
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