OTTAWA – Telus Communications may not charge for service poles that it doesn’t own, says the CRTC.
In a decision issued Friday, the Commission found that Telus is prohibited by its Support Structure Service tariff from charging licensees for service poles it does not own, unless the company has an agreement through which it has the right to provide licensees with access to those poles and, hence, exercises control over those poles.
Responding to a complaint from Raftview Communications dated July 24, 2014, the CRTC directed Telus to withdraw all invoices and/or provide refunds to Raftview, as appropriate, in accordance…
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OTTAWA – There are rules which say pre-paid retail gift cards and pre-paid credit cards can not expire, but pre-paid phone cards are exempt from that legislation – and that’s a “scandalous” oversight, a consumer group has told the federal government.
Currently, prepaid wireless phone cards are exempt from both provincial and federal legislation which ban expiry dates on retailer gift cards and prepaid credit cards. However, one consumer advocacy group has been working to see that changed and is now demanding Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet intervene in the matter.
“Prepaid wireless, pay-per-use accounts should not be exempt from legislation…
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TORONTO – Accessible Media Inc.'s new AMI-télé channel will officially launch on Tuesday, December 16, becoming the world's first French-language network to present its entire schedule with open described video.
Located in downtown Montréal, AMI-télé is a general-interest channel that will offer popular local and international programming including major series, films, children's programming and public affairs, plus produce its own original programming starting next spring. Licensed by the CRTC as a 9(1)(h) service in August 2013, the channel will be available as part of the basic digital TV package offered by cable, IPTV and satellite direct-to-home services across Canada.
"For people who…
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TORONTO – It appears Moses Znaimer wants to add Sun News to his stable of media properties aimed at the 45-and-up demographic, his so-called “Zoomer” audience.
Two sources with knowledge of the negotiations but who asked to remain anonymous have told Cartt.ca that ZoomerMedia is currently in talks to buy the channel. The company currently has the rights to an exclusive negotiating window to come to an agreement to buy money-losing Sun News from its owner Quebecor Media, according to the sources.
ZoomerMedia, led by president and CEO Znaimer, owns TV brands VisionTV, One: Body, Mind & Spirit, JoyTV and HopeTV;…
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YELLOWKNIFE – Bell Mobility has launched its 4G wireless service in the Northwest Territories communities of Gameti, Nahanni Butte, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok.
The upgrade, completed in partnership with Falcon Communications, is part of Northwestel's Modernization Plan that will see advanced Internet and wireless services delivered to northerners in all three territories, the company said Monday. Bell Mobility is meeting the wireless commitments in the plan after Northwestel transfered its wireless portfolio to Bell Mobility in October 2013.
The federal government is contributing approximately $700,000 to the 4G projects in Gameti, Nahanni Butte, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok through Falcon Communications. This contribution accounts…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has approved, with conditions, an interim service that will make it easier for residents in the Yukon to access emergency responders.
This service was proposed by the Yukon Government as a temporary solution for communities that currently do not have 9-1-1 service, while it strives to implement 9-1-1 service throughout the territory within the next 12 to 20 months. Basic 9-1-1 service is currently available only in the Whitehorse area.
Callers within all communities of the Yukon will be able to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency situation rather than one of the seven-digit numbers currently used by…
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GATINEAU – The increasing of usage-sensitive rates such as capacity-based billing (CBB) as a tool to incent competitors to build their own high speed networks, as was suggested by Rogers Communications on Tuesday, would have a disastrous impact on the independent ISPs, the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) argued in its oral reply on Thursday.
Even using current Third Party Internet Access (TPIA) rates from Rogers, combined with its own projected data usage growth of 60% annually, wholesale customers would be saddled with unsustainable prices over the next decade, the group told…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC is throwing its support behind the Leave the Phone Alone road safety awareness campaign initiated by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA).
According to the CCMTA, drivers who use hand-held devices when they are behind the wheel are four times more likely to be involved in an accident serious enough to cause injury, and in 80% of collisions, the driver had looked away from the road three seconds prior to the crash.
The CRTC is urging drivers to use their mobile devices responsibly and to avoid talking on the phone, texting or checking messages on…
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VANCOUVER – TVO CEO and current TIFF chair Lisa de Wilde will join the Telus board of directors effective February 1, 2015.
Telus said Thursday that the appointment reflects its commitment to further strengthen its board by recruiting candidates who bring strategic expertise and significant operational experience across key markets.
De Wilde, pictured, served as Astral Television’s president and CEO prior to being named CEO of TVO in 2005. She also worked as legal counsel to the CRTC and later, as director general of its Cable Television, Specialty and Pay Television Service. Her board experience reflects her interest in film, media and…
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GATINEAU – “Contrary to the assertions of some parties, there is simply no problem to solve when it comes to Canadian broadband.” Those comments from Ted Woodhead, senior VP of federal government and regulatory affairs at Telus Communications, during the company’s reply on Wednesday pretty much sum up the views of all the major incumbent ISPs when it comes to wholesale broadband access regulations which the CRTC has under review.
The big players have argued throughout the hearing that competition is alive and well in retail Internet access markets between the cable and telephone companies, and any decision that grants…
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