OTTAWA – In tersely worded letters, the CRTC has made it loud and clear it’s losing patience with Telus and three local TV providers for failing to comply with new rules that limit the loudness of TV commercials they broadcast. The companies have all failed to meet new distribution regulations that ensure commercial messages and regular programming are broadcast at an even volume. The amendments came into force September 1, 2012 and the Commission has now set new deadlines for the companies to prove they are in fact moving towards compliance.
The letters, from Andrea Rosen, Chief Compliance…
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WHITEHORSE – The north needs to take a holistic approach to the modernization of its satellite and broadband infrastructure that empowers the consumer and not the “band-aid solution” that Northwestel is proposing. In its submission to the CRTC, ahead of a June 19, 2013 hearing in Whitehorse to review Northwestel’s $273 million modernization plan, SSi Micro, northern Canada's largest ISP, says Canada still lacks a coherent policy plan for broadband.
Rather than address key investments that would help modernize northern telecommunications, the main focus of the Northwestel plan is on items such as “advancements…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has appointed Christianne Laizner as the CRTC’s senior general counsel. The Commission will benefit from her extensive experience in providing legal, strategic and policy advice, as well as in leading legal teams, says CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais.
After five years in private practice, Christianne joined the Department of Justice and provided legal services for various departments. Notably, she provided advice leading to the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the implementation of regulations to resolve disputes. Laizner also provided counsel during the negotiations that led to a Softwood Lumber…
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IT SEEMS OBVIOUS NOW that the federal government’s attempt at building more competition into the Canadian wireless market has been a failure.
With the benefit of hindsight, looking back at how the Canadian wireless market has evolved since the 2008 advanced wireless spectrum auction, I keep wondering: “what did the federal government think was going to happen?” Back then, in an ill-advised attempt to foster more competition to the burgeoning wireless market in Canada, the federal government offered any Canadian-led wireless newcomer a leg-up in that auction, setting aside spectrum that was just for newbies willing to gamble on becoming…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has agreed to extend the submission deadline for the hearing into the must-carry of cable and satellite channels as outlined in section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act after receiving requests for an extension from Shaw, Rogers, Cogeco and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (jointly), Telus and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
The deadline for the submission of interventions, comments and answers has been extended to February 27, 2013 and the deadline for the submission of replies has been extended to March 11 2013.
In addition, the preamble and the following item…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a bid by Ice Wireless and Iristel to have the regulator issue a cease and desist order on Northwestel from “using the time required to establish critical components of the competitive environment to get a head start on competition.”
In their request to the CRTC sent August 8, 2012, Ice Wireless and Iristel claimed that Northwestel’s modernization plan for its network would only act to subsidize “the monopoly incumbent to provide the same services that are being provided by competitors. This amounts to an undue preference.”
It further…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a request by Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) to have Rogers increase the speed of its older broadband services it offers third-party Internet access (TPIA) providers, so they match the faster speeds Rogers now offers its customers, but at no price increase. CNOC made the complaint even though the older broadband speed offerings are to be phased out by November 15, 2013.
In its complaint, CNOC urged the Commission to require Rogers Communications Partnership (RCP) to comply with Telecom Decision CRTC 2006-77 and increase the 18 Mbps,…
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OTTAWA – Telelatino Network (TLN) has lodged a complaint with the CRTC regarding Telus’ Optik TV service urging it to force Telus to add at least one Canadian Italian third-language service.
It contends that since Optik TV now carries Italian foreign service Rai Italia, to comply with section 27(4) of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations it needs to add at least one Canadian third-language service offering at least 90% Italian language programming. In its complaint TLN notes that Telus does not distribute either Mediaset Canada or Sky Tg24 (Canada) which are the only two…
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GATINEAU – Wind Mobile has some pretty harsh words for the CRTC’s attempt at creating a wireless code of conduct for mobile service providers. The upstart carrier says the Commission completely missed the boat in not addressing three-year contracts and the de-linking of handset subsidies and service terms.
Simon Lockie, chief regulatory officer at Wind, lauds the CRTC for taking this necessary step to listen to consumers concerns and try to implement a wireless code of conduct, but by not dealing with three-year term contracts or exploring ways to separate handset subsidization from service pricing, the Commission is missing a…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC plans to issue a number of decisions this week that include a bid to launch a new AM station in St. Catharines, and a request by Canadian Network Operators Consortium to force Rogers to increase the service speeds it offers its third party Internet access customers.
The Commission will also decide on an application from Ice Wireless and Iristel seeking to have Northwestel cease and desist from launching new competitive services and reducing prices for existing competitive services until the Commission has completed all proceedings related to the establishment of the competitive environment in…
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