By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – An application by Bell requesting the CRTC stop collecting money for the Broadband Fund until it delivers money already collected is drawing support from other providers.
The Part 1 application, filed by the telco in December, requested that the CRTC refund existing amounts not distributed and pause its intended collection of $150 million from the internet service providers in 2023 until it conducts the preplanned policy review in year three of the $750-million fund this year.
The fund, which is used to get high-speed internet to underserved areas, collects the money from the providers…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has launched a proceeding on whether the mandated mobile virtual network operator regime should include large business customers and internet of things (IoT) segments.
The regulator said that those markets may be more concentrated and, therefore, is requesting feedback on whether they should be included in the MVNO framework established in April 2021 that allows regional providers with spectrum and infrastructure to force negotiations with the large carriers for customer access to their wireless networks.
In the lead-up to the release of the terms and conditions of the MVNO framework in…
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REGINA – Access Communications Co-operative said Tuesday that it has launched its gigabit internet product to 25 more communities in Saskatchewan.
The AccessHyperSpeed 1 Gig service will now be available for the communities of Biggar, Canora, Churchbridge, Coronach, Cudworth, Davidson, Delisle, Esterhazy, Foam Lake, Gravelbourg, Grenfell, Humboldt, Kerrobert, Lampman, Langenburg, Maple Creek, Melfort, Nipawin, Outlook, Oxbow, Regina Beach, Rosthern, Stoughton, Unity, and Wakaw.
“This is a meaningful step in bridging the rural-urban digital divide,” Carmela Haines, CEO of Access Communications, said in a press release. “The need for high-speed connectivity has never been greater. For many of these communities, the fastest service currently…
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By Ahmad Hathout
YELLOWKNIFE, NWT – Yellowknife’s internet radio outfit Cabin Radio said Wednesday it is reapplying for a commercial FM licence in the capital city within 60 days.
The company was denied an application last month by the CRTC, which said the market could not support another station and would pose a financial threat to the only commercial FM radio station in the city, Vista Radio’s CJCD-FM. The regulator noted the poor radio revenue climate since the pandemic. Two commissioners dissented.
But Cabin Radio said in a letter to the CRTC dated Tuesday that it will file again by the end…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – British Columbia’s minister of transportation and infrastructure (MOTI) has filed an application to the CRTC asking it to suspend a November decision that forces it to enter agreements with third party carriers wanting to attach equipment on poles that are being moved by the province.
The November decision was triggered by a Rogers and Shaw application, which asked that they be treated similarly to the incumbent Telus when it comes to compensation to relocate their transmission lines when the province decides to move their poles. In the decision, the CRTC said the province…
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated on March 2 with a comment from Quebecor.
By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Bell is temporarily pausing its next generation 9-1-1 network until further notice, according to a Friday email from a Bell technician seen by Cartt.
“Bell Canada is advising all Originating Network Providers of a temporary embargo for NG9-1-1 Onboarding and Go-Live activities,” said Richard Little, a technical network specialist for Bell’s emergency services division said in the email to representatives of the providers. “The embargo will continue until further notice.
“ONPs will be notified once our planned resumption of activities is known,” Little…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Rogers has told the CRTC that there is no undue preference given to Videotron in its proposed wholesale access agreement.
The Toronto-based company was responding last week to a Part 1 application by independent internet service provider TekSavvy, which is accusing Rogers and Bell of providing to certain competitors preferable network access rates compared to others, who must follow the costs regulated by the CRTC – called off-tariff agreements (OTA).
But in response, Rogers challenged TekSavvy’s knowledge of its deal with Videotron, which has so far been hidden from public view.
“The rates in the…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his displeasure Friday with actions by Google to take its opposition to bill C-18, the Online News Act, to users of its search engine.
This week, The Canadian Press broke the story that Google would limit access to news content – including from Canadian broadcasters and newspapers – for under four percent of its Canadian users over about a five-week period.
“It really surprises me that Google has decided that would rather prevent Canadians from accessing news than actually paying journalists for the work they do,” Trudeau said…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC has put out a contract notice Thursday for a consultancy firm that will assist in analyzing the network outage at Rogers last summer and improvements the company has committed to going forward.
The July 8 network blackout brought down critical services for millions of Canadians, including government, banking and emergency services in some cases.
This week, the regulator announced the launch of the first of a number of proceedings on telecom network resiliency, the first of which will include mandatory notification requirements on all service providers when outages like these happen. As…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is directing wireless service providers to engage in “regular consultations” with disabled Canadians and to file annual reports about the outcome of those discussions.
The reports must be filed to the regulator starting June 1, 2023 and must address, among other issues, which disability communities took part in the discussions, the insight gleaned, changes the provider has put in place, the number of subscribers on accessible plans, and the make-up of accessible plans available in the market in the course of the year, including those that were withdrawn.
The legally binding order, released Thursday, is a result…
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