GATINEAU – The full results of a first-of-its-kind independent, national study on broadband performance in Canada shows that Internet service providers (ISPs) largely meet or exceed their advertised download and upload speeds.
Participating ISPs in the survey (announced last year and for which preliminary results were made public in the spring), conducted by SamKnows and which was commissioned by the CRTC, included all the main wireline service providers in Canada, with the exception of Sasktel, which declined to participate, said the CRTC in a press release this afternoon.
The data collected will…
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OTTAWA–GATINEAU – Canadians who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired now have a new way to communicate thanks to Wednesday’s launch of the new national video relay service (VRS).
This made-for-Canada service enhances the ability of Canadian’s whose first language is American Sign Language (ASL) or Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) to conduct calls via video relay service with hearing people through a professional ASL or LSQ interpreter.
VRS calls are placed using a high-speed Internet connection through a computer, tablet or smartphone and an operator facilitates the conversation between the two parties by relaying the conversation between sign…
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WINNIPEG – Bell and MTS have announced plans to bring faster broadband and wireless Internet to Winnipeg’s Innovation Alley as the two companies continue to work closer together while awaiting all approvals of BCE's proposed purchase of the Manitoba telco.
The two companies announced a three-year sponsorship of Innovation Alley Tuesday that will see the technology hub become the launch point for the deployment of Gigabit Fibe Internet and LTE-Advanced wireless in the province. Bell said that would offer access speeds up to 20 faster than those currently available in Manitoba.
The move is part of the combined entity's plan to…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media is buying Tillsonburg Broadcasting Company Limited (TBCL) as it adds to its radio assets in Southwestern Ontario. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Family-owned and operated TBCL owns the radio broadcasting licenses CJDL-FM (Country 107.3) and CKOT-FM (Easy 101) that services markets including Tillsonburg plus larger centres like London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Woodstock, and St. Thomas. Rogers already owns four stations in that region: CHST-FM (102.3 Jack FM) in London and CKGL (570 NEWS), CHYM-FM (CHYM 96.7), and CIKZ-FM (Country 106.7) in Kitchener.
Along with the current team, part-owner and general manager Carolyn Lamers will remain with the…
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OTTAWA – Registration is now open for the 14th annual International Institute of Communication – Canadian chapter conference scheduled for November 16 -17 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.
Dubbed ‘Towards an Innovation Agenda for the Communications and Media Sector’, the confab will bring together leading communications sector players from government, industry and other areas to discuss the developments and policies that influence innovation. Highlights include:
– A keynote address from CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais;
– An expert panel will explore the positive ways in which big data is being harnessed to drive Canadian innovation and productivity, plus showcase digital…
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GATINEAU – Canada’s broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) say they are doing what is required of them to meet rules on an entry level small package of TV channels, and that calls from consumer groups for additional provisions on promotions and set top box prices are unwarranted.
Eastlink noted its in final reply that a request from the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) to include comparison charts explaining the differences between tiered services and the small basic package should be denied.
“As noted by other parties during the hearing, when one takes into account both…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for feedback on its plan to merge regulations for specialty and pay television services into a single set of regulations, to be known as the Discretionary Services Regulations.
Currently, the Pay Television Regulations, 1990 and the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990 govern discretionary services. The Commission’s proposal, which stems from the Let's Talk TV proceeding, suggests streamlining the licensing of programming services into three broad categories:
– television services (over-the-air conventional and community television stations and provincial educational services);
– discretionary services (all pay and specialty services); and
– on-demand services (pay-per-view and video-on-demand services).
“The Commission considers that…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC is warning customers of Téliphone Navigata Westel Communications (TNW) that they may lose phone and Internet service in November as a result of a commercial dispute between TNW and Telus.
The Commission issued a public consumer alert Thursday, after determining that Telus may initiate service disconnection beginning November 21, 2016. Telus, which provides underlying carrier service to TNW, advised the CRTC in June that it had given notice to terminate services as a result of payment issues with TNW.
Headquartered in Vancouver, the independent facilities-based CLEC provides Internet, phone and television services to customers across Canada. According…
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HALIFAX – Eastlink is throwing its support behind Nova Scotia's TV production industry with a $690,000 contribution to the local certified independent production fund administered by the Nova Scotia Independent Production Fund.
Eastlink said that it has contributed $3.9 million over the last six years to an independent production fund in the province, providing local opportunities for producers and filmmakers.
"As a company proudly rooted in Nova Scotia, we look for ways that we can make meaningful investments back into the local economy and encourage continued growth in our home province," said Eastlink CEO Lee Bragg, in the news release. "We were…
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GATINEAU – Canadians may now use an interactive map to find out which TV service providers plus radio and TV stations distribute emergency alert messages.
The CRTC unveiled the interactive map Thursday, noting that “the vast majority” of Canadians are able to receive the alerts due to the participation of broadcasters and television service providers in the National Public Alerting System (NPAS).
Emergency alert messages are issued by emergency management officials such as fire marshals, police officers and government departments like Environment Canada to warn the public of imminent threats like severe weather, water contamination, forest fires and Amber…
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