Search Results for: industry canada

Cable / Telecom News

Telus texts customers about their data usage

TORONTO – Telus has devised a new way to help their customers manage their data usage. Thanks to the new Telus Data Notification system, wireless customers will receive a free SMS text message to let them know when they reach certain thresholds of data consumption.  For customers with data packages, notifications will be sent when they have reached both 75% and 95% their data thresholds.  For customers using pay-per-use data, notifications will be sent when customers have used $10 and $50. "Telus continues to make industry-leading investments to deliver an enhanced customer experience”, said chief marketing officer, David Fuller, in the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Industry Canada offering LMCS spectrum on first-come, first-served basis

OTTAWA – After eight years of laying fallow and failed efforts to license high-capacity broadband wireless spectrum in the 28 GHz range, Industry Canada is again proposing to offer licences in this band. But this time around, the department is taking steps to ensure that the spectrum is put to use. The 28 GHz band was first licensed in 1996, but little deployment ensued. All of the spectrum was eventually returned to the department in 2002. Given past experience with this particular band and the desire to make sure the spectrum is used, Industry Canada is proposing to attach several… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Foreign ownership consult officially open

OTTAWA – As he said he would earlier this week, Minister of Industry Tony Clement today announced the launch of a public consultation on foreign investment restrictions in the Canadian telecommunications sector. “Our goal is to encourage investment, innovation and competition in the telecommunications sector for the benefit of both businesses and consumers,” said Minister Clement in the press release. “We look forward to receiving Canadians’ views on this important issue.” In the Speech from the Throne and Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, the Government of Canada committed to opening Canada’s doors further to venture capital… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CTS 2010: Bell’s Crull covers the bases

TORONTO – From regulations to new technology, the Olympics to his hopes that cutting the cord won’t be quite so prevalent in Canada, Bell Canada’s president of residential services Kevin Crull covered a number of topics in his closing keynote at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday and in an interview with Cartt.ca and Bloomberg afterwards. On last week’s CRTC hearing into mandated wholesale broadband access for third party ISPs: “What if the people who run the Olympic hockey tournament had said to our guys: ‘everyone knows your team is the favourite to win gold, plus you have home ice advantage… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CTS 2010: Still upset after regulatory battles, but Globalive has lots in common with incumbents now

TORONTO – It was easy to see Wednesday that Tony Lacavera was really stung by the critics who decried the level of Canadian-ness of his company. No less than seven times in his speech to the Canadian Telecom Summit did the Globalive/Wind CEO feel the need to insist upon the new wireless carrier’s Canuck bona fides. “I won’t shy away from saying that Globalive is a Canadian company… truly a brainchild of Canadians… created by and for Canadians,” he said during his speech. Lacavera rehashed the 2009 regulatory battles, lashing out at the incumbent operators which used every tactic in their arsenal… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CTS 2010: New wireless entrants see a long road ahead; want limits on spectrum incumbents can own

TORONTO – New players in the Canadian wireless space say they’re happy with how things are going so far, but they admit it’s still very early days yet. Two of the newest entrants spoke during a panel discussion at the Canadian Telecom Summit here on Wednesday afternoon. Both Wind Mobile Canada CEO Ken Campbell and Mobilicity president and CEO Dave Dobbin said their wireless service launches have been going as planned. Wind Mobile recently announced service availability in its fifth urban market – Vancouver – while Mobilicity launched service in its very first market – Toronto – only three weeks ago…. Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Letter To The Editor: Claimed inaction on emergency alert file is untrue

CARTT.CA RECENTLY RAN a piece on the soon to be launched Pelmorex early alert service. In this report, Cartt.ca editor Greg O’Brien stated that “the broadcast and distribution industry ignored repeated deadlines set by the CRTC to come up with its own EAS.” This assertion is not true. Since 2007, and at the CRTC’s urging, Rogers, Bell and other industry reps worked diligently with Public Safety Canada and its partners to implement a comprehensive national public alerting system. Public Service Canada wanted a holistic multi-platform national public alerting service. In fact, during the hearing on Pelmorex’s third application in four… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CTS 2010: When it comes to foreign investment, you can’t do one without the other, says CRTC chair

TORONTO – Since we live in an age of convergence, where more and more lines are blurring in telecom and media, it doesn’t make much sense to open one sector to foreign investment while keeping that same door closed to the other. That was part of the message CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein carried to delegates of the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday morning. “I don’t think you can meaningfully separate broadcast and telecom in the age of convergence,” he told conference co-chair Mark Goldberg in the “fireside chat” format. Foreign investment has been the hot issue at this year’s CTS,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Tuesday was World Cup announcement day

EVEN THE NON-SPORTS fan will know there’s a bit of a soccer tournament about to begin in South Africa this weekend. And yesterday was press release day on the TV front. In Canada, the CBC is leading the coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup with broadcast across multiple platforms, a World Cup CBC mobile app – and the third place and final games are to be available in 3D for the dozens (?) of fans who have new 3DTVs. After CBC sent out it’s announcement, so did Shaw Cable, Telus, Shaw Direct, Cogeco, Rogers… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Copyright reaction continues: is a happy medium even possible?

TORONTO and OTTAWA – We don’t envy the job that Industry Minister Tony Clement and Heritage Minister James Moore have ahead of them as they try to balance the often conflicting demands of Canada’s numerous copyright stakeholders. After initial reactions from the likes of ACTRA and others to the new draft copyright legislation released last week, one suspects that the old adage ‘you can’t please everyone’ will once again hold true. The Sameulson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) said that Bill C-32 “offers many important and welcome exceptions and creation rights”, but at the same time… Continue Reading