OTTAWA – The CRTC needs more information from the country’s telcos on their pending lower-cost data-only plans for mobile wireless services.
In a letter dated July 20 from Philippe Kent, competition and emergency services policy director, the Commission made specific requests for more information from the national wireless carriers as well as other stakeholders who filed interventions by the June 29 deadline.
“Commission staff is of the view that additional information is needed to further develop the record of the proceeding”, reads the letter. “As such, parties are asked to respond to the requests for information appended to this letter. Parties…
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TORONTO – Rogers announced more wireless network enhancements Thursday as it forges ahead with its multi-year network plan to bring gigabit LTE and 5G to its customers.
According to the flurry of news releases, Rogers and Fido customers will now have a faster, more reliable and consistent wireless experience in Brampton and Port Dover, ON; Qualicum Beach, BC; and the Harbour Landing community in the City of Regina.
In Alberta, Rogers said that it has also made wireless network improvements in Medicine Hat, where its media division formally acquired radio station CJCY-FM (102.1 CJCY Classic Hits) from Clear Sky Radio after…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has decided against issuing a call for new radio stations to serve the Alberta/Saskatchewan city of Lloydminster after finding that the market cannot sustain an additional commercial radio station at this time.
The Commission said that it is concerned that licensing an additional station in Lloydminster right now “risks having an undue financial impact on incumbent stations” CKLM-FM, owned by Vista Radio, and Newcap operated CKSA-FM, noting that profitability in this radio market was below the national average in 2016 and 2017.
“While Lloydminster`s population is growing and average household income is relatively high, the Commission is…
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QUEBEC – In a ruling issued last Wednesday, the Quebec Superior Court quashed an amendment to the Consumer Protection Law of Quebec, restating that the provincial government does not have jurisdiction over telecommunications.
In its 2015 Budget, the Government of Quebec introduced amendments to the Consumer Protection Act to put an end to what the province said was illegal on-line gambling by requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block websites that engaged in that activity. After the Bill came into law, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association appealed the disposition stating that it was unconstitutional, as reported by Cartt.ca.
Although Consumer…
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CHATHAM, Ont. – TekSavvy and the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario announced today a joint effort to build a high-speed, open access fibre broadband network in the Southwestern Ontario region. The municipality will invest $6.5 million to facilitate the open-access fibre backbone that will connect communities in Chatham-Kent.
As Canada’s largest independent ISP, TekSavvy plans to connect more than 38,000 residences and businesses in the region, starting in Chatham with plans to expand to Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury, and Wallaceburg, investing up to $26 million over 18 months in the development of its fibre network.
TekSavvy has already begun construction of its…
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Plan savings require pre-authorized payments
CALGARY – With an eye on the upcoming back-to-school period, Shaw’s Freedom Mobile rolled out two cheaper entry-level data plans Thursday.
The first plan offers 1 GB of data and unlimited text to Canada and the U.S. for $25 per month, while the second provides 250 MB of data, 100 minutes of Canada-wide talk, and unlimited text to Canada and the U.S. for $15 per month.
As reported previously, Bell and Telus have offered 500MB for $30/month and Rogers 400MB for $25 in their proposed low-cost data only plans demanded by the CRTC earlier this year.
Shaw’s…
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Consumers, employees, stakeholders encouraged to come forward
OTTAWA – Canadians who have been on the receiving end of misleading or aggressive retail sales practices from the country’s telecommunication companies will now have the opportunity to tell their story to the CRTC. We suppose those who've had good experiences can also tell their stories, too, should the urge strike them.
The Commission said Monday it is kicking off an inquiry on whether high-pressure and unsavoury sales tactics are used by Canada’s large telecommunications service providers. It wants to hear from consumers – including those who are vulnerable due to their age,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is one step closer towards establishing broadband access as a basic telecommunications service for all Canadians after issuing a preliminary network quality framework Friday.
The Commission said that in order to meet the broadband portion of the universal service objective announced in December 2016, fixed broadband Internet access service must meet certain levels of speeds, data allowance, and quality of service (QoS).
On Friday, guided by a report from the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee, the Regulator established a round-trip latency threshold of 50 milliseconds, and a packet loss threshold of 0.25%, both based on measurement during peak times,…
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Deal to close after completion of Stingray acquisition
OTTAWA and DARTMOUTH – The CRTC has approved Newcap Radio’s purchase of two FM radio stations in New Glasgow, NS from Hector Broadcasting for $2.7 million.
The two stations are English-language commercial radio programming undertakings CKEC (AC, 94.1 FM) and CKEZ (Classic Rock, 97.9 FM).
Newcap said in a statement that the deal is expected to close after its own purchase by Stingray Digital Group has wrapped up, which is expected within the next three to six months.
The Commission said Thursday that it has determined that transaction would benefit the broadcasting system…
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OTTAWA – As Canadians continue to demand more phone numbers, four new CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee ad hoc relief planning committee (RPC) have been set up to examine options and make recommendations for providing “numbering relief” in Quebec, Alberta, southern Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
Chaired by the Canadian Numbering Administrator, the RPCs will provide options for:
– in Quebec, the areas surrounding Monntreal served by area codes 450 and 579;
– in Alberta, for the regions with area codes 403, 587, 780, and 825;
– in Ontario, for the areas surrounding Toronto that use area codes 289, 365, and 905;…
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