OTTAWA – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada announced today the provisional results of the 3500 MHz auction, which earned a total of $8.91 billion.
The auction began in June and concluded July 23. Winning bidders have until August 13 to submit 20% of their final payment and until October 4 to submit the remaining 80%. The money will be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund administered by the Receiver General of Canada, according to an ISED press release.
In total, 15 Canadian companies were awarded 1,495 licences, 757 of which went to small and regional players.
“Results of the…
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Bureau notes past Shaw comments about its influence in the market
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau has asked the Federal Court to compel the disclosure of records from four telecoms related to its inquiry into the proposed purchase of Shaw by Rogers.
The competition watchdog filed the first in a possible series of document requests on July 22, which, if approved, will force Bell, Telus, Quebecor, and Xplornet (respondents) to disclose related information on mobile wireless activity in the shared operating provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba, and outside.
That information, which falls roughly within the timeframe between…
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Want faster, cheaper piracy measures
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The country’s largest broadcasters and telecoms want new copyright legislation to include provisions that give the courts the ability to order website-blocking, prevent the CRTC from overruling blocking orders, and to expand authority over other intermediaries to choke off infringers.
Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Cogeco, Quebecor, SaskTel, Eastlink, and the Canadian Communications System Alliance also want the legislation to reflect the courts’ ability to unilaterally order search engines to de-index infringing websites, social media platforms and to force hosts, like Cloudflare, to take down infringing services and not direct users to it,…
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MONTREAL — A playful new campaign for Videotron — launched on TV during the Montreal Canadiens first playoff game last month — which invites customers to use their smartphones without restraint was created by Colab Studio, Quebecor’s collaborative marketing agency, the company revealed today.
Playing on the fact that the French words for “gig” and “jig” (“gigue”) are pronounced the same, the ads show Videotron customers dancing a jig that never has to end on their mobiles, using the extra gigs included in their data plans. The 30-second ad spot can be seen here.
The ads are also being rolled…
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MONTREAL — Fans of European soccer can vote for their favourite UEFA Euro 2020 team at an interactive transit shelter in Montreal presented by TVA Sports in collaboration with Quebecor Expertise Media’s out-of-home advertising division.
Located at the corner of Pie IX Blvd. and Sherbrooke St., the transit shelter (above) offers Montrealers the chance to show their support for their favourite European national team by kicking a virtual soccer ball to register their vote. After making their choice, fans will hear their team’s national anthem as the transit shelter’s ceiling lights up with the country’s flag colours. The shelter then…
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Auction starts today
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The strings attached to the federal government’s 3.5 GHz spectrum, whose auction beginning today will repurpose portions of it for mobile wireless use, include a speed-to-deployment component that complements federal policy to accelerate connectivity throughout the country by the end of the decade.
Winners of the auction, which Innovation Canada said will take “several weeks,” will have to deploy the spectrum largely within the 2030 timeframe for which the federal government hopes to provide access to all Canadians to high-speed internet.
While the focus is largely on what the 3.5 GHz spectrum will do for…
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MONTREAL — At its Multi2021 virtual event on Thursday, Quebecor’s advertising sales group, Quebecor Expertise Media, showcased a revamped line-up of programming from the TVA network and TVA Sports, as well as new innovative products which provide effective customized solutions for advertisers, the company says.
At the end of the summer, Quebecor will introduce QUB, a new platform which will bring together content from all of Quebecor’s divisions. Available on the web and via a mobile app, this library of content will feature the work of Quebecor’s artists and crews from all of the company’s brands, delivered through a personalized…
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MONTREAL — Quebecor Media’s QUB Radio today launched a new podcast, Ce n’est qu’une théorie (This is just a theory), which promises to demystify the history of conspiracy theories, a phenomenon that has been on the rise in recent years.
“From vaccination to QAnon, including the assassination of JFK, 5G, the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Illuminati and the Reptilians; the most credible and eccentric theories are at the heart of this series, hosted by Alexandre Moranville-Ouellet and directed by Bastien Gagnon-Lafrance,” reads an English translation of Quebecor Media’s press release.
The first three podcasts in the seven-episode French language…
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NEW YORK – U.S. telecom Verizon today announced it has hired Manon Brouillette to the newly created role of Verizon Consumer Group’s (VCG) chief operating officer and deputy CEO.
Brouillette, the former president and CEO of Quebecor’s Videotron, “will drive Verizon’s market leadership in connected 5G experiences, while continuing to transform VCG into a fully integrated technology company,” reads the press release.
She left Videotron in October of 2018 after 14 years with the Montreal-based company.
Brouillette will “champion greater employee engagement and spearhead transformation initiatives across VCG’s brands,” explains the announcement. She will report to Verizon executive vice-president and VCG CEO…
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MONTREAL — In a press release on Wednesday, Quebecor’s Videotron couldn’t resist taking a jab at Bell subsidiary Cablevision du Nord de Quebec which was ordered by the CRTC the previous day to pay for router upgrades in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of western Quebec to add capacity to its third-party Internet access (TPIA) service which Videotron wants to use as it expands services in the region.
On Tuesday, the Commission also denied Cablevision’s September 2020 application to withdraw its 50 Mbps downstream/5 Mbps upstream (50/5) service plan, because the Commission said it considered the application to be “premature”.
“he…
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