WINNIPEG – Craig Wireless will launch a 4G network in Vancouver, the company announced late on Monday.
After receiving Industry Canada approval for a broadband radio service license for its provincial subsidiary Craig Wireless British Columbia Inc., the company said that it would begin construction of a new 802.16e WiMAX-enabled 4G network for both consumer and business users.
It also pledged to offer wireless Internet from within the coverage area at “broadband speeds”, and at prices “competitive” to those of incumbent Internet service providers.
"We are thrilled to be launching this leading-edge 4G network in one of the Canada’s most exciting cities”,…
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TORONTO – Last week we published a story touting how new wireless company Globalive (to be branded as Wind) wants its primary Canadian banker to remain not only secret, but super-secret, if and when it meets the CRTC.
They would like to bring a representative from the bank in to its September 23rd hearing to tell the Commission how challenging it is for such a start-up to raise the money needed to launch in a competitive wireless marketplace dominated by three huge players, among other financial matters.
(The Regulator, due to concerns voiced by a number of people and companies,…
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GATINEAU – While a CRTC hearing into the levels of foreign ownership in new wireless entrant Globalive is set to begin on the 23rd of this month, Rogers Communications this week sent a letter to the Regulator asking for the same treatment of two other newcomers, Public Mobile and Dave Wireless.
“Since the 2008 AWS auction, many questions have arisen regarding the ownership and control of several of the successful bidders,” reads the Rogers letter to CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein. “Many of the auction’s participants included foreign partners in order to raise the necessary capital. These concerns were directed…
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OTTAWA – Industry Canada has issued a call for applications for the program ‘Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians’.
The program, announced by Prime Minister Harper at the end of July, aims to provide broadband service to as many unserved and underserved Canadians as possible.
Applications will be evaluated against a series of criteria with emphasis on best value and the most households served, the press release detailed. Applications must also show capacity to deliver within the timeframe and demonstrate a viable business model.
Proposals are due by October 23, 2009. Successful applicants will receive federal support equaling up to 50% of their one…
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EXHIBITOR TABLE registration, advertising opportunities and sponsorship packages are now available for the 2010 Canadian CommTech Show.
The 5th annual trade show and training seminars will return to the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna, BC on May 19-20, 2010.
Over 80 exhibitors from Canada and the U.S are expected to display their lines and profile their services. Outdoor exhibition space is also available to accommodate suppliers and outfitters of industry vehicles and heavy equipment displays. An ‘early bird’ exhibitor savings of $100 is available until November 1, 2009.
For registration forms or additional information, visit www.commtechshow.com
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Nascent wireless company Globalive is so worried about protecting the identity of its financial backers that this week it has asked the CRTC for what looks like CSIS-level security if and when those financiers do meet the Commission.
Others say the request is unprecedented and should be immediately dismissed.
In a three-page letter to the Commission, Globalive doesn’t just want their competitive financial information kept confidential, but “requests that the Commission treat as confidential the name and other identifying characteristics of a Canadian financial institution (the Bank), or any other financial institution, which may provide witness to appear at…
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OTTAWA – If the transition to digital television is going to work here, Canadian consumers are going to need digital set top boxes – and help paying for them – says prospective satellite company FreeHD Canada.
In its early submission to the CRTC on Broadcasting Notices of Consultation 2009-411 and 411-3, the company (which just asked the CRTC for BDU and SRDU licenses last month, as first reported by Cartt.ca) notes the substantial issues facing the Canadian broadcast industry with less than two years until analog TV is set to be switched off forever.
BNC 2009-411 and 411-3 are of…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has turned down a request from Bell Canada and Bell Aliant to revoke telephone service providers’ (TSP) authority to cancel local and long-distance services with their existing provider during the customer transfer process.
The Bell companies filed the application on February 11, 2009, proposing a new process that would require customers to contact their existing TSP to cancel services prior to moving to a new TSP.
In its decision released Friday, the CRTC noted that the current customer transfer process, which was developed by the telecom industry, is “competitively neutral” and benefits all competitors equally “by…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s private radio broadcasters saw operating revenues of $1.6 billion (current dollars) for 2008, a 5.6% increase from 2007 totals, according to Statistics Canada.
Profits before interest and taxes increased 12.2% to $336.5 million, while the profit margin before interest and taxes of 21.1% realized in 2008 was almost identical to the industry’s best performance in the last 30 years, the 21.2 % margin achieved in 2005.
The report says that the private radio industry has been profitable in recent years due largely to two key factors. First, the industry’s large companies operate an increasing number of stations, especially…
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TORONTO – Television and film production company Comweb Group/William F. White International has named Cyril Drabinsky and Jay Switzer to its board of directors.
Cyril Drabinsky is president and CEO of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, which provides a range of entertainment industry services and technologies to major Hollywood Studios and their worldwide client base in television programming, commercial productions and independent feature films.
Jay Switzer is the former president and CEO of CHUM Ltd. which, prior to its sale in 2007, owned and operated 34 radio stations and 35 television stations across Canada. Its original content was seen in over 130…
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