By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – At 9 a.m. Saturday, the federal government released its ruling on the cabinet appeal of the CRTC’s August 15, 2019 decision on new wholesale rates third party internet access ISPs must pay incumbent network operators.
It required a few readings to understand.
A year ago today, the CRTC issued an order setting the final rates for wholesale internet access (including over $300 million in retroactive payments) and the large ISPs did not like it one bit. They appealed it to cabinet, consistent with section 12 of the Telecommunications Act. The Act also says that Cabinet…
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Telus supports Bell’s plan to strike Matrix from the record
By Greg O’Brien
GATINEAU – Of the 11 organizations to respond to the CRTC’s request for comment on Bell Canada’s demand to strike a key economic report from the public record of the wireless policy review proceeding, only one supports the idea.
Bell has asked the Commission to remove a report from the official record of the policy review which underpins the Competition Bureau’s submission to the CRTC that a modified, but mandated, mobile virtual network operator regime must be established. The Bureau’s final comments and the report done by Matrix Economics…
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By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – In May, Eastlink challenged CRTC Telecom Order 2020-660 issued in February where the Commission denied a request from Eastlink to impose customer credit limits that would help Eastlink mitigate delinquent third party internet access customers.
The Halifax-based company filed the application requesting the CRTC review and vary the decision, in light of the pandemic and the financial situation the crisis has created.
After requests for information and procedural requests, the final deadline to file intervention was pushed back to July 24.
In interventions, Shaw and Videotron agreed with Eastlink saying the Commission was wrong in denying…
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By Denis Carmel
JULY 15 WAS THE DEADLINE for intervenors to provide the CRTC with their final submissions in the Wireless Policy Review proceeding.
It has been a long process and it is far from over. Technically, it started with an announcement on February 28, 2019.
However, back in 2015, the CRTC was saying: “When the Commission established the current wholesale mobile wireless service regulatory framework in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-177, it determined that the framework would remain in place for a minimum of five years, to allow for the development of sustainable competition and to encourage continued innovation and investment…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC met its obligations under the 2006 cabinet directive, was never beholden to requirements for detailed explanation, and the wholesale rate review itself proved the Regulator has been aware of and followed-through on its cabinet and statutory obligations, lawyers for the third party internet access providers said Friday.
The final day of the two-day Federal Court of Appeal virtual hearing about whether the CRTC erred in law when it decided in August to slash the wholesale internet rate for resellers and force retroactive payments to them from the incumbents, featured lawyers for the independent ISPs…
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CANADA’S TRADITIONAL CABLE companies have banded together on a new website to promote the reliability of their networks to customers across the country.
The networksyoucancounton.ca website, registered to Quebecor’s TVA Group, displays the logos of Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, Shaw and Videotron, with links to each service provider.
“We know how important it is to have networks you can count on,” reads the website.
“We provide high-speed Internet access to more than 6.9 million Canadian households and businesses across the country, including in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities,” it continues. “Our physical networks — built, maintained, and upgraded over many years at…
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HALIFAX – This Sunday, Eastlink will premiere a special musical production called heartstrings in celebration of Canada’s seniors, especially those in long-term care homes where seniors have been particularly hard hit and cut off from in-person visits with their loved ones.
“It has been hard to be separated from friends and family during this unusual time and for our seniors, we know it has been particularly difficult,” said Deborah Shaffner, CEO. “We wanted to do something that might offer some comfort and support and hope this gift of music featuring personal performances from talented musicians will lighten the spirit and…
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GATINEAU — On Monday, the CRTC initiated a proceeding to examine the offer and promotion of accessible wireless plans by wireless service providers and the extent to which these plans meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities.
All retail wireless service providers are required to offer accessible wireless plans and to promote those plans in ways that are accessible, including through stores, websites and customer service representatives.
The aim of the proceeding, however, is to look at how wireless service providers are complying with these requirements, whether differences exist between primary and flanker brands, whether the plans currently offered and…
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TORONTO — CTV Life Channel is starting a month-long, nationwide free preview on Tuesday, June 2, which will feature a new Tuesday-night lineup of wedding series and Saturday wedding-themed movie marathons.
Running until July 9, the CTV Life Channel freeview will also see the series debut of Double Your Dish on Monday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Hosted by real-life couple Chef Rodney Bowers and radio and TV personality Meredith Shaw (pictured in centre), the eight-episode, self-shot cooking series helps viewers make the most out of their meals by transforming one base recipe into two totally different dishes.
“We’re thrilled…
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GATINEAU — Dartmouth, N.S.-based independent telecom provider City Wide Communications has asked the CRTC to order Eastlink to relocate a third-party Internet access (TPIA) point of interconnection to a more central Halifax site, claiming the current location outside of the city gives Eastlink an undue preference.
Currently, Eastlink’s TPIA service point of interconnection (POI) for Nova Scotia is located at its data centre in Pennant Point, which is a rural community approximately 30 kilometres away from downtown Halifax, says the City Wide application
The independent claims in its Part 1 application, filed on May 22 and posted on the CRTC’s…
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