VANCOUVER – Telus’ Optik TV customers have a new option for their set top boxes – an Xbox 360.
With the gaming and entertainment unit, Optik TV customers can use it to enable PVR Anywhere features, such as scheduling the recording of up to three shows simultaneously on one PVR unit. The Microsoft Mediaroom software that powers Optik TV now also supports delivery of Optik TV to the Xbox 360 to provide functionality for watching television anywhere in the home, as well as all the gaming.
“We are blazing a trail as the first provider in North America to offer this…
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WINNIPEG – Craig Wireless has completed the $80 million sale of its Canadian spectrum to Inukshuk Wireless Partnership, a partnership of affiliates of Rogers Communications and Bell Canada.
The sale’s final condition was met late last week when the company received a Tier 3 broadband radio service (BRS) license covering Eastern Manitoba, including the Winnipeg region, from Industry Canada. After filing an application to transfer the license to Inukshuk, Craig said that it received the final $16.8 million of the aggregate sale proceeds.
"We are extremely pleased to announce that the final phase of the Canadian spectrum asset sale has been…
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What happens when you bring together representatives from the fields of mobile, marketing, gaming, publishing, and motion? A unique evening called Cross Media TO.
Held recently at the MaRS Discovery District in downtown Toronto, the inaugural Canadian event examined various cross media practices, and debated how best to foster integration and partnerships in order to bridge the gaps between media sectors.
“At the moment, in cross media worlds, there aren’t that many examples of people who are actually doing cross media”, conference founder and Jumpwire Media president Gavin McGarry told the sold out crowd. “What we thought we would do with Cross…
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OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada released the details of its plan for the transition to digital over-the-air television today.
The transition to digital television, whose deadline is 390 days away, is an industry wide issue requiring a concerted effort by all players – broadcasters, the CRTC, and government – to ensure that Canadians are properly informed of the changes coming and how to deal with them.
So far, the industry has produced little when it comes to ensuring Canadians are properly informed, so this plan is a welcome, if late and small, beginning.
CBC/Radio-Canada will be installing digital transmitters in all of the markets…
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ARTISTS AND PRODUCTION groups argue that any national digital economy strategy has to take into account the impact that TV and film production has on the Canadian economy.
The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) notes in its comments to Industry Canada in its digital economy consultation that a policy framework that is “better aligned” to address the challenges of the digital age “would help position independent producers to more fully contribute to Canada’s growth and prosperity and to our digital content advantage.” It adds that a key policy plank must be “the development of a critical mass of…
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WHILE SPECTRUM AND rural broadband were two of the major themes to emerge from the federal government’s digital economy consultation, there were a number of others worth highlighting, such as the emergence of mobile banking, slow ICT uptake by the small business community and education and training in the digital economy.
In many countries, including Canada, wireless users can use their mobile device to make payments, but according to Visa Canada new rules contained in the Voluntary Code of Conduct for the Credit and Debit Industry in Canada, will actually stymie future growth of mobile payments.
The company writes…
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MANY OF THE SUBMISSIONS to the digital economy consultation offered recommendations on what the federal government should do, or not do, to ensure every Canadian household has access to high-speed Internet services. Rogers suggests that mobile spectrum can efficiently and effectively complete the rural broadband effort.
“We recommend a joint government/industry initiative aimed at extending broadband access to remaining unserved rural and remote communities in Canada as soon as possible. The emphasis here, we suggest, should be on mobile broadband networks which will simultaneously bring both mobile and broadband service to rural communities,” Rogers says in its comments….
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OTTAWA – Telus has filed a complaint with Industry Canada asking for mandated roaming on the wireless networks in Manitoba owned by MTS Allstream after what Telus says has been years of negotiations that never went anywhere.
“Telus has been unable to negotiate reasonable terms for roaming since 2001 and as a result Telus customers in Manitoba, particularly in the 204 area code (Winnipeg) are unable to obtain data roaming in their home Province,” reads the company’s application.
“Additionally all customers of Telus are limited to varying degrees in terms of roaming on the MTS network. This asymmetry is contrary to…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco has offered a comprehensive new plan for the radio stations it plans to take over under its $80 million deal to acquire nearly all of Corus Entertainment’s Quebec radio stations.
The CRTC said Tuesday it will hear the application to buy the 11 stations on September 28. The stations involved in the transaction announced in April are: CFQR-FM 92.5, CHMP-FM 98.5, CKOI-FM 96.9 and CKAC-AM 730 in Montréal; CFOM-FM 102.9 and CFEL-FM 102.1 in Québec City; CJRC-FM 104.7 in Gatineau; CHLT-FM 107.7 and CKOY-FM 104.5 in Sherbrooke; CHLN-FM 106.9 in Trois-Rivières; and CIME-FM 103.9 in St-Jérôme.
"Cogeco…
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GATINEAU – While wireless incumbents and newcomers vehemently disagree on future auction rules, both say Industry Canada has to get a move on, and make the decisions required to open up more spectrum for more bandwidth and more products and services.
The federal government’s digital economy consultation elicited many different opinions and recommendations on how to proceed with respect to creating the right frameworks and policies going forward. But many took the opportunity to complain about current regimes.
Such was the case with Canada’s largest wireless carriers. They are using the federal government’s digital economy consultation to wail about…
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