GATINEAU – The CRTC expedited the release of its decisions on two broadcast transactions, announcing today Bell Media can proceed with its purchase of the V television network and Leclerc Communications can purchase CJPX-FM Montreal.
The specific rationale behind each decision is not ready for release and the announcement notes they will be available at a later date.
First the Bell-Groupe-V approval (which was a deal valued at $20 million, for the five off-air TV stations, when announced):
The conditions on Bell’s acquisition will “guarantee adequate levels of investments in local programming and original French-language Canadian programming,” says the press…
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GATINEAU — In a letter posted March 30 on its website, the CRTC announced it is extending the deadline for wireless service providers to file their 2020 Wireless Code compliance reports to April 30, 2020.
Originally the compliance reports were due by March 31, but Iristel’s Ice Wireless submitted a procedural request March 27 asking the CRTC to give wireless service providers until at least the end of April to submit their respective reports, given the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
On Monday, the CRTC approved the deadline extension to April 30.
“Staff is of the view that the ongoing Covid-19 situation constitutes…
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Demands deletion by anyone who downloaded it
GATINEAU — The CRTC did a bit of damage-control on Monday saying confidential versions of Northwestel’s 2019 annual price cap model and Télébec’s 2018 price cap model had been posted on the Commission’s website in error. On January 28, 2020, Commission staff became aware of the inadvertent disclosure of the confidential information and removed it.
The Commission made the revelation in a letter publicized on March 30 and addressed to “Persons who viewed the 2019 Price Cap Filings between 17 June 2019 and 28 January 2020.”
After the error was discovered by Commission staff,…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – When the Competition Bureau filed its further comments in the CRTC’s Wireless Review proceeding and issued detailed recommendations as to the future of the wireless industry in Canada, it was obvious that there was going to be some pushback.
Both Telus and CNOC requested to see more of the information filed in confidence and the Commission on Tuesday, granted some of CNOC’s wishes while denying Telus request.
CNOC was interested in both information filed in confidence that is publicly available, as well as methodological aspects of the Bureau’s analysis which was not revealed.
“The Commission also directs…
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Broadband fund application deadline delayed a month
GATINEAU – While the CRTC had earlier said it was suspending all deadlines for open proceedings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it confirmed two specific, important ones today.
Final submissions to the Commission’s near-complete wireless policy review proceeding were due March 23rd, but it announced Friday that deadline has been suspended until further notice.
Also, the second call for applications to the CRTC’s rural Broadband Fund said they were due in by March 27 but it said Friday the new deadline for those applications is now April 30th.
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GATINEAU – As a carrier which is still heavily regulated as compared to most others, because it serves a high-cost serving region, Northwestel can’t simply change terms of service to its customers without CRTC permission.
Earlier this week, as we reported, Northwestel said it submitted an urgent application to the CRTC for temporary relief on residential Internet usage to facilitate increased telework in the north.
In a letter to Northwestel’s CFO Stan Thompson on Thursday, however, the Commission said it received two submissions from the division of Bell Canada. The first proposes to waive data overage charges for the months…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU — As a knock-on effect of the current government and industry response to the COVID-19 outbreak, requiring many people to work from home, the CRTC has suspended all deadlines between now and April 10 for open proceedings.
This includes the deadline to file applications for the Broadband Fund and the final replies in the wireless policy review, a Commission spokesperson informed Cartt.ca in an email on Tuesday.
New deadlines will be announced in the coming days. The Commission has two public hearings scheduled for May, including the proceeding for the renewal of broadcasting licences for the CBC which…
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WHITEHORSE – As part of its COVID-19 response, Northwestel said Monday it submitted an urgent application to the CRTC for temporary relief on residential Internet usage to facilitate increased telework in the north.
Northwestel has proposed waiving any overage charges for customers exceeding their Internet usage caps during March and April in terrestrially-served communities (most communities in Yukon, NWT, northern Alberta and northern B.C.). The company has already begun augmenting capacity to accommodate the expected increase in usage on its terrestrial network, says its press release.
All Northwestel’s terrestrial Internet packages and rates are regulated, and the proposed changes can only…
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OTTAWA — In a decision issued Wednesday, the CRTC has denied an application by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the National Pensioners Federation (NPF) in which they argued Rogers Communications’ proposed balance limit policy for prepaid wireless services violated the Wireless Code.
PIAC-NPF’s Part 1 application, filed with the Commission in February 2018, was seeking clarification and enforcement of rules in the Wireless Code regarding prepaid wireless balances. In December 2017, Rogers began notifying prepaid customers who had unused balances and consumed minimal usage on a monthly basis that Rogers intended to apply a maximum amount of carry-over…
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OTTAWA — The CRTC initiated Tuesday a show cause proceeding asking why it’s necessary for wholesale high-speed access (HSA) service providers to make a distinction between wholesale HSA services for residential consumers and those for business customers when providing access to competitors.
As the Commission says in its notice of consultation, some wholesale HSA service providers include provisions and language in their tariff pages that differentiate between residential and business wholesale HSA services. As background, back in 2010, the Commission determined wholesale HSA service providers must provide their services to competitors at speeds that match all of the…
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