TORONTO – Internet service providers of every size and shape (except one big one) have launched a new coalition to rally Ontarians to help them battle large proposed rate increases for utility pole attachments.
While some local hydro companies have been pushing rates far higher, the Ontario Energy Board wants to set a standard rate across the province of $52 per pole per year, far above the current rate of $22.35. The three largest utilities, Hydro One, Toronto Hydro and Hydro Ottawa, have already boosted their rates to $41, $42 and $53.
Such rate increases for pole attachments will only…
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SAINT JOHN, NB – Eastlink Wireless launched in Saint John Tuesday as the company continues to rollout its wireless service across New Brunswick.
As it does in its other markets, Eastlink will buy out new customer’s existing cellphone contracts, plus offers ‘easyTab’ which allows customers to upgrade or switch plans without penalty. Canada-wide talk and text are included in every plan, and families can add additional lines and share data starting at $25/month per family member.
“We are very pleased to expand our wireless service further into New Brunswick,” said Eastlink CEO Lee Bragg, in the news release. “Our goal has been to…
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OTTAWA – The southern Ontario town of Aylmer may soon have some new telco competition courtesy of Iristel Inc.
The CRTC this week determined that a request by Iristel for local competition in the Aylmer exchange is bona fide, despite assertions to the contrary by Eastlink, which owns small incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) Amtelecom, in that territory.
“…the Commission finds that there are no regulatory issues indicating that Iristel’s request for local competition in the Aylmer exchange is not bona fide”, reads Telecom Decision CRTC 2018-82. “In the Commission’s view, it is a genuine or good faith request for…
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HALIFAX – Eastlink has tapped Ericsson as its lead core network supplier for its voice over LTE (VoLTE) upgrades that it says will lay the foundation for Wi-Fi calling and future 5G services.
Eastlink will deploy the Ericsson Fast VoLTE solution, a complete pre-integrated virtual IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution that facilitates rapid deployment and scaling, plus supports high-definition voice (HD voice) and other communication services over LTE and Wi-Fi access networks.
The Halifax-based telco will also work with Ericsson to deploy a geo-redundant and 5G-ready core network and modernize customer and front-end databases, such as the Home Location…
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The big four have not become the content exporters they were supposed to
LAST WEEK, I RESPONDED to a Scotiabank report which said the success of Netflix in gaining subscribers, along with Google and Facebook’s dominance of the Canadian advertising market, meant a merger of Bell and Corus was a logical market response to ensure we remain competitive.
I question the strategy of further vertical integration in light of its obvious failure. My core argument is VI has failed because it did not properly take into account the competitive advantages of the vertically integrated companies. As their…
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TORONTO – Discovery Velocity has opened up for a month-long national free preview, on now through February 8.
Billed as Canada’s only home for factual turbo programming, Discovery Velocity will serve up live coverage of the most spectacular classic car auction event of the year, Barrett-Jackson Live (pictured, from January 16 – 21), alongside new series Texas Metal (January 12), and the return of Wheeler Dealers on January 22.
The freeview is available through television service providers including Bell, Bell Aliant, Cogeco Connexion, Eastlink, BellMTS, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus, Videotron, and several CCSA partners including Access…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite is gearing up for a five-week national free preview promising a slew of films including 28 premieres.
From December 1 through January 5, viewers can stoke their holiday spirit with perennial festive favourites such as Die Hard, Gremlins, Scrooged and White Christmas; celebrate John Lennon on December 8 with A Hard Day’s Night, Imagine: John Lennon, and Across the Universe; remember Carrie Fisher on December 27 with When Harry Met Sally and Postcards from the Edge; plus ring in the new year with a Star Trek marathon.
Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HDTV channels featuring…
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GATINEAU – CRTC commisioner Christopher MacDonald’s persistent questioning on day one of the hearing into license renewals for several BDUs roughly translated to: “What’s taking so long with the set top box viewership data?”
Quebecor, Rogers, Shaw and Eastlink, all members of the Set Top box working group (check), each had very similar answers to MacDonald’s line of questions. Essentially the answers boiled down to: “What we’re doing is hard, pioneering, and with an uncertain business model, so yes, it’s a slow process.”
The group first met more than two years ago.
During the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV process,…
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Plus, spectrum set asides are a bad idea
TORONTO – Customer service at Rogers had better improve because on Tuesday, CEO Joe Natale put a target in front of himself and his company at which to aim.
While speaking at the BMO Capital Markets Media and Telecom Conference, Natale revealed how removing customer service friction points which he has noted during his five months at Rogers makes him believe “we can get anywhere from 100 to 200 basis points of margin improvement in the next 12 to 18 months,” by tackling various issues, he said.
“To date Rogers has done a good…
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Bidding starts at $1.54 billion
OTTAWA – The auction of 600 MHz wireless spectrum, when it happens, will favour the smaller newcomers like Freedom Mobile and Vidéotron and looks to offer no payments to TV broadcasters which will be forced off the band.
While the Canadian bandwidth plan is to be harmonized with the United States (something we’ve known for a while), our auction for the valuable low frequency spectrum sure won’t be the same. In its consultation paper released late Friday (Ed note: right before the long weekend, so no questions, media!) Innovation, Science and…
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