Urges all to be more transparent, too
TORONTO – The federal privacy commissioner urged telecommunications companies to stand up to police if they ask for subscriber data without a court order.
Daniel Therrien made the plea Wednesday in a keynote address to the annual Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, complaining that police are trying to re-open the fight over lawful access to metadata and subscriber data he thought ended with the 2014 Supreme Court of Canada decision.
That ruling said police need a court order for subscriber information unless it is an emergency. But several law enforcement bodies, including RCMP commissioner Robert…
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TORONTO and VANCOUVER – Telus Health and electronic medical record (EMR) provider QHR Technologies are teaming up to improve communications between healthcare providers across Canada.
Together, the companies intend to create a national, secure, standards-based, and open communication solution that will help the more than 23,000 physicians who use their electronic medical record solutions while caring for their patients. The solution will allow physicians across the country to efficiently and securely exchange patient information, and facilitate the dialogue healthcare providers need to have when diagnosing and designing care plans for their patients.
Telus Health and QHR added that they plan to…
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TORONTO – Videotron CEO Manon Brouillette gave the federal government a thumbs-up for its efforts to promote competition in Canada’s wireless industry, and called for its continued support of four competitors on every market.
Speaking Wednesday at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, Brouillette called for “vigilance” to ensure that “incumbent carriers are not able to use their historical advantages and their accumulated market power to prevent new entrants from responding to the needs of consumers”.
She also urged Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to level the wireless playing field as it preps for the forthcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction.
“This…
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Commission should also call Quebec government on the carpet
TORONTO – The CRTC should bring back informal closed door meetings with the industry to improve the regulator's knowledge, cool down temperatures at formal hearings and allow some things to be said that are avoided in open hearings, said Mirko Bibic, Bell Canada’s chief legal and regulatory officer.
He made the suggestion Tuesday during the annual regulatory blockbuster panel at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, a session where provocative and entertaining arguments are often made.
“The (hearing) process has become ‘overly judicialized’,” Bibic (pictured, right, with PIAC's John Lawford) said. “I think…
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TORONTO – True competition in Canada’s telecommunications industry will require foreign investments and phasing out the CRTC’s role as telecom regulator, according to former Industry Minister and Conservative party leadership hopeful Maxime Bernier.
Speaking Tuesday at a keynote speech at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, Bernier had harsh words for the CRTC, both past and present, saying that it is “behind the curve” and accusing it of having a “control freak mindset”.
“As the industry evolves, the CRTC finds new reasons to continue to regulate it, in order to justify its existence. In doing so, it is not protecting consumers,…
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HALIFAX – Capital Networks has launched the country’s first real estate marketing platform in Halifax, providing home hunters with local property listings and real estate content around the clock.
Operated by Capital Networks’ new Atlantic division CN Media Services, Homes On Demand showcases the latest local listings, open houses and home services, plus offers buyers and sellers a list of member agents. The service is available online and on mobile devices, as well as on Eastlink channels 613 (HD) or 13 (SD) in the Metro Halifax area.
Real estate agents and brokers use a single platform to have their property…
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TORONTO – Friday’s episode of Canada AM will be its last after CTV said early Thursday that it is pulling the plug on the long running morning show.
Co-hosts Beverly Thomson (left) and Marci Ien (right) will remain with the company, with Thomson moving to CTV News Channel and Ien to Bell Media In-House Productions to develop new projects. Sports and weather anchor Jeff Hutcheson (centre) announced his retirement last month.
“As the television landscape continues to evolve, so too must our programming. We look forward to building upon the success of Canada AM as we move forward,” said Bell Media’s president…
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GATINEAU – The basic service objective (BSO) hearing changed mid-stream when CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais made the unprecedented move of delivering a statement declaring broadband “vital” to Canadians. After that, a National Broadband Strategy (NBS) – what should it look like, how do we get there and the role for the Commission – became a huge part of the discussions.
In his April 18 address to the hearing, he asked parties to think about these and other issues related to an NBS and present potential policies.
When Rogers Communications appeared before the commission in April, it raised the concept of a…
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TORONTO – Private equity firm Catalyst Capital has launched a $750 million lawsuit against the former owners of Wind Mobile, claiming breach of contract, misuse of confidential information and conspiracy.
In a statement of claim filed Tuesday, May 31st with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Catalyst says that one of the prior owners of Wind Mobile and its bank – VimpelCom and UBS Securities Canada – breached an exclusivity contract when negotiating for the sale of Wind during the summer of 2014 with Catalyst. Further, Catalyst claims that the group which eventually purchased Wind from VimpelCom later in 2014…
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TORONTO – Television industry luminary Trina McQueen has been appointed to TVO’s Board of Directors as the new vice-chair for a three year-term through May 2019.
McQueen (pictured) began her career as an on-air journalist before going on to become head of CBC News, founding president of Discovery Channel, and president and COO of CTV Inc. She has served on numerous industry boards including CBC, Telefilm, National Film Board of Canada advisory council, Canadian Journalism Foundation, and the Canadian Television Fund.
In keeping with her major interest in education, McQueen has been a Governor of University of Waterloo, board member at…
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