By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is probing how to get emergency alerts to areas that do not have at least LTE/4G networks.
The commission is contemplating broadening the distribution of these alerts on 3G networks and is floating the creation and operation of a downloadable national mobile application. The current system broadcasts the alerts on television, radio and to mobile devices connected only to 4G and newer (5G) wireless networks.
“While persons without access to may still be able to receive public alerts through broadcasting undertakings or other means, the Commission is seeking comments on the possibilities for enabling…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said late last month that it will review complaints filed by independent telecoms claiming a price war between larger telecoms is compromising the sustainability of their businesses.
The complaints, led by Transat Telecom and Bravo Telecom, claim that the CRTC has left the independents exposed to predatory pricing occurring in Ontario and Quebec. They are now asking the commission to suspend regulatory forbearance to address what they perceive as a market imbalance.
The commission, which originally suspended the November 2024 and January 2025 complaints, said in a letter on June 27 that it has reopened the applications…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The public broadcaster and a trade group representing independent producers are floating the use of platform home pages as a possible way to amplify the discoverability of Canadian content.
Representatives from CBC/Radio-Canada said Wednesday that the CRTC should ensure that discoverability and marketing of such content are not counted toward distributors’ contribution requirements, including both the base financial component and traditional Canadian programming expenditures (CPE). The reason, according to CBC execs, is that vertically integrated broadcasting giants already support discoverability and promotion of CanCon “as a regular course of their business.”
Indeed, VIs including Bell and Rogers have said…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers says it is being hamstrung by having to set aside money for the $750-million Broadband Fund that it says is not efficiently distributing money to projects.
The cable giant said in a Part 1 application made public Monday that it has to tie-up millions of dollars in “uncalled” contributions – amounts that the telecom must be ready deliver to the National Contribution Fund (NCF) when requested – which is creating large liabilities on its balance sheet.
It is asking the CRTC to change the NCF’s collection practices to prioritize the amounts that are waiting to be collected over…
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In a number of decisions published Monday on its website, the CRTC has approved the sale of several radio stations located in Ontario.
My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has received CRTC approval for its purchase of three stations from Rogers Media, including Easy 101.3 (CKOT-FM) and its sister station Country 107.3 (CJDL-FM) in Tillsonburg, and Jack 92.3 (CJET-FM) in Smith Falls. Based on a transaction value of $1,095,000 (as revised by the CRTC) for the purchase of the three stations, MBC is required to pay a total of $65,700 in tangible benefits in equal instalments over seven…
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By Ahmad Hathout
As Corus and Rogers battle in court over carriage of programs, both urged the CRTC Friday to take a closer look at how the regulator reviews the issues that give rise to such disputes.
The CRTC is currently reviewing the dynamics between the distributor and the programmer as the regulator moves to incorporate online streamers into the regulatory fold.
One issue the commission is examining – and one that has embroiled Rogers and Corus for nearly two years – is the use of the standstill rule, which stipulates that disputing parties must maintain carriage of programs on the same…
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The CRTC has denied a July 2024 application by far north provider Iristel to review and vary the commission’s June 2024 decision that found Iristel had failed to provide sufficient evidence to show it was wronged in an interconnection dispute with Bell and its subsidiary Northwestel.
In a majority decision posted Monday on the CRTC’s website, the commission stated the record does not establish substantial doubt as to the correctness of the CRTC’s Telecom Decision 2024-141, and therefore the commission denies Iristel’s review-and-vary…
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The CRTC announced last week it is committing more than $17 million from its Broadband Fund to help bring high-speed fibre internet to 18 rural communities in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
The funding is being awarded to Minto Communications Society, County of Forty Mile No. 8, MCSnet, Missing Link Internet Inc., and Vianet Inc. to build nearly 330 kilometres of new transport fibre infrastructure to improve access to reliable and high-quality internet services, the CRTC said in a press release.
According to a CRTC backgrounder, Minto Communications Society will…
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Appeals on the horizon
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC ruled Friday that it will continue allowing the three largest internet service providers to use the wholesale access regime, pointing to the “several thousand” Canadian households now on service plans offered by the “dozens of providers” using the final framework from August 2024.
The decision flies in the face of concern from a broad swath of ISPs big and small, who have argued this would be a disastrous decision for investment in networks and for the viability of regional players as the deeper-pocketed, bigger brands will now be able to ride on their…
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The CRTC has asked Telus via a June 5 letter to provide a public summary of a 911 service outage Telus experienced from March 22-24 this year that impacted wireless 911 calls trying to connect to the public safety answering point (PSAP) in Brandon, Manitoba.
The commission initially requested information regarding the outage from Telus in an April 11 letter asking for weekly progress reports on the Vancouver-based telecom’s investigation of the cause of the outage, steps taken to resolve the outage, the impact of the outage, and plans put in place…
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