The CRTC will hold a virtual hearing on Oct. 30 as it considers separate broadcasting applications from CBC, Quebecor Media and Résonance Média.
CBC is asking for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station to replace its English-language AM station CBY Corner Brook and to transfer its transmitters CBDT-FM Deer Lake, CBNA-FM St. Anthony, CBNC-FM Stephenville, CBNE-FM Port-aux-Basques, CBNF-FM Boone Bay, CBNH-FM St. Andrew’s, CBNJ-FM Port Saunders, CBYM-FM Mount St. Margaret, and CBYP-FM Portland Creek, in Newfoundland and Labrador, to the proposed new FM station. CBC is also asking for the…
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Quebecor’s Videotron announced last week the expansion of its wireless coverage and service area in the Haute-Mauricie region of Quebec, effective Aug. 31.
Videotron said in a press release the upgrade is made possible by a partnership with Ecotel and the support of the Quebec government.
“It will bring a major improvement in mobile communications to this region of Québec, providing more than 10,000 residents with access to Videotron’s mobile services and enhancing connectivity along a number of roads,” the press release said.
To deliver its mobile services, Videotron will use Ecotel’s…
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On the same day TVA Group’s 2025-26 programming lineup was revealed, its acting president and CEO, Pierre Karl Peladeau, issued an appeal for action to government authorities and the CRTC, asking them to address the “serious competitive imbalances” that he says are destabilizing Canada’s private television broadcasting ecosystem.
Echoing many of the points he has made previously regarding what he calls a “crisis” in private broadcasting — including in May when layoffs at TVA Group were announced — Peladeau said in a statement Tuesday that, despite its…
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Freedom Mobile announced Tuesday the expansion of its wireless subscription area in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, which it said is made possible by partner agreements enabled by the CRTC’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) framework.
Additions to Freedom’s serviceable area include Chatham, Ridgetown, Wallaceburg, Blenheim, Dresden, Thamesville and Bothwell, among others, Freedom said in a press release.
“We are delighted to bring Freedom’s worry-free wireless solutions to Chatham-Kent residents. They can now enjoy our competitive plans, including our innovative Roam Beyond offering, while accessing Freedom’s fast and reliable wireless network,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of…
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The CRTC via an Aug. 12 letter is asking telecommunication service providers (TSPs), as well as intervenors, for their input on a potential increase to the $10-million revenue threshold for participation in the commission’s National Contribution Fund (NCF) and payment of annual telecom fees.
An April 2024 application by the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA) had requested the revenue threshold be increased from $10 million to $25 million. Large telecoms, including Bell, Quebecor, Telus and Rogers, have argued against the increase, while the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) and the…
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By Connie Thiessen
The CRTC has issued a follow-up decision approving a number of Certified Independent Production Funds (CIPFs) to receive contributions from online streaming services.
The approvals – which include applications from the Bell Fund, the Independent Production Fund, and the Telus Fund – follows the commission’s 2024 decision on base contributions under the Online Streaming Act, requiring certain audio-visual online undertakings to contribute five per cent of their Canadian revenues as a base contribution to support the Canadian broadcasting system.
That decision outlined that the new funding stream be directed to areas of immediate need, including producers from official language minority communities (OLMCs) and…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The head of Quebecor took a shot at a recent industry trend involving the sale of wireless infrastructure to pay down debt, claiming the company has been able to “maintain the best balance sheet” so it can avoid those kinds of transactions.
Rogers and Telus have recently committed to selling minority stakes in their wireless infrastructure in part to pay down debt. Rogers has spent a boatload of money over the past couple of years acquiring assets to shore up its core businesses, while Telus has been focused on expanding east.
“I’m not…
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Telus announced Monday it is investing $2 billion over the next five years to expand its broadband services in Ontario and Quebec.
“This investment comes as a result of the CRTC confirmation of the wholesale fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) framework and serves as a complement to our wholesale fibre access agreements, allowing TELUS to deliver national scale, accelerate network builds and drive investment, competition and affordability in Canada,” a Telus press release reads.
The Vancouver-based telecom said this investment will be part of its annual budget and will be supported by investments from its strategic…
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Quebecor’s Freedom Mobile announced Thursday the launch of a plan that will allow anyone – customer or not – to purchase data to use in over 120 destinations via their eSIM-compatible devices.
Valid for 12 months, “Roam Beyond Travel Data eSIM” customers can get 1 GB of data for $10, plus a one-time $10 fee and taxes, or can sign up for 5 GB of data for $30.
The eSIM innovation does away with physical cards, making switching between carriers and plans easier.
“This is about industry innovation that puts the customer first,” Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau said in…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said late last month that it will review complaints filed by independent telecoms claiming a price war between larger telecoms is compromising the sustainability of their businesses.
The complaints, led by Transat Telecom and Bravo Telecom, claim that the CRTC has left the independents exposed to predatory pricing occurring in Ontario and Quebec. They are now asking the commission to suspend regulatory forbearance to address what they perceive as a market imbalance.
The commission, which originally suspended the November 2024 and January 2025 complaints, said in a letter on June 27 that it has reopened the applications…
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