Competitors claim similar treatment by Rogers
By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers has responded to an allegation of undue preference with respect to a distant interconnection point it wants a small telecom to use for wholesale internet, saying it is up to the network builder, per its tariff, to determine where that traffic handoff will happen and that the CRTC has approved and affirmed the meet-me point in question.
Fibernetics filed a Part 1 last month alleging that Rogers is giving itself an undue preference by forcing the Cambridge, Ont.-based telecom to hook up to an interconnection office half a kilometre…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TekSavvy is the latest telecom to submit a review-and-vary application since cabinet’s recommendation to revisit a part of the CRTC’s decision on the wholesale internet framework, with the independent last week asking for clarity on access to new fibre builds inside the telcos’ footprint as well as when wholesalers will be able to access the cable companies’ last-mile fibre builds on an aggregated basis.
The CRTC made two exemptions in its August decision: that Bell and Telus will be shielded from the aggregated last-mile fibre regime for five years to allow them to recoup their…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is asking the public about whether it should expand its Canadian content points system, which certifies productions based on certain positions held by Canadians, as well as how it should rejig the Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) and programs of national interest (PNI) systems to support content in a new regulatory environment.
The existing points system requires a minimum of six points out of 10, with each position in a Canadian production having a varying number of points based on the role’s importance. The system captures live action, continuous action animated productions and animation productions. It requires…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers is asking the CRTC to consider banning itself, Bell and Telus from accessing tariffed aggregated wholesale internet for both last-mile fibre and hybrid fibre-coax (HFC) technologies.
The cable giant is also asking the commission to include a five-year moratorium on competitor access to new speeds produced by investments in cable networks and/or implement a speed cap of 1.5 Gbps on an aggregated wholesale basis (bundled middle- and last-mile).
Applying none of these suggestions would leave cable carriers shouldering the burden of the wholesale regime again, which is offside of the direction from cabinet which calls for equitable application…
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Applicants claim regulatory asymmetry between wireless and wireline policies
By Ahmad Hathout
A consortium of competitors is asking the CRTC to consider banning Rogers, Bell and Telus from accessing the wholesale internet regime regardless of technology and geography.
The regulator announced last week it is launching a public consultation, at the behest of the federal cabinet, to review whether the Big 3 should be banned from accessing at least the last-mile fibre regime – which includes the middle- and last-mile facilities of Bell and Telus in Quebec and Ontario. The concern is that smaller players would not be able…
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Telus said Tuesday that it is bringing its PureFibre internet with gigabit speeds to Ontario and Quebec.
The Vancouver-based telco said it is offering download speeds of up to 1.5 Gbps and upload speeds of 1 Gbps.
The company confirmed to Cartt that it is wholesaling the fibre using the CRTC’s aggregated last-mile fibre regime – the interim rates of which were set last month – to deliver the plans. Telus currently has its own networks in a small part of Quebec.
The plans include the latest in Wi-Fi 6 technology.
“The expansion of TELUS PureFibre in Eastern Canada gives more Canadians access to…
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CBC/Radio-Canada announced Tuesday that it is investing more in local and regional news coverage after the CRTC approved Google’s application to be exempted under the Online News Act, triggering the release of $100 million for news production.
The public broadcasters said it is adding up to 25 journalists in more than a dozen communities that are underserved by broadcast news outlets, with a focus on Western Canada.
“These new positions complement CBC News’ strategy to reach more Canadians by launching new local FAST channels, offering local and breaking news on CBC Gem and the CBC News app, and connected TV platforms in…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC on Wednesday approved a proposal by the Broadcasting Participation Fund (BPF) to expand its mandate to accept applications for public interest participation in proceedings involving the Online News Act.
The regulator is directing the BPF, which funds that participation, to file amendments to its by-laws and articles of incorporation to reflect the change by December 6.
The commission said it is comfortable with the BPF’s existing structure and processes to properly distribute the funds, even though the organization is now handling matters with two separate pieces of legislation. The concern has been that the money may get…
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Telco phasing out prepaid plans on Bell brand by year-end
By Ahmad Hathout
Bell executives said Thursday that approximately 106,000 subscribers are affected by a ruling by the CRTC this summer that prohibits Bell customers from using the wholesale internet regime in its operating territory.
The regulator said in the August decision that large players and their affiliates cannot lease internet capacity from others in areas where they have their own networks. To avoid service disruptions, existing customers on the third-party internet access (TPIA) regime will be able to continue to receive service but they cannot change speed plans…
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By Ahmad Hathout
On federal cabinet urging, the CRTC is “working quickly” to launch a public consultation on whether Rogers, Bell and Telus should be banned from using the aggregated last-mile fibre regime in Ontario and Quebec, the regulator said in a statement to Cartt, a move that is being welcomed by competitors.
The minister of Industry, Francois Philippe-Champagne, made the recommendation to the CRTC on Wednesday. It was a partial win for Bell, which requested in its February petition for the cabinet to rescind or vary the regulator’s decision last year that mandated competitor access to its bundled middle- and…
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