CCSA, Distributel, Novus want application process reopened to allow more telecoms to participate in auction
TORONTO — Independent telecom service providers Distributel Communications, Novus Entertainment and the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA), which has over 100 member companies, have written to Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne in support of a request last week by the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) for a 90-day delay to the start of the 3500 MHz spectrum auction currently scheduled to begin June 15.
In a letter today shared by Distributel CEO Matt Stein (who also chairs CNOC), the independent telecom company Continue Reading
LONDON, U.K. — In its first comparison of the 5G experience across Canada’s three national carriers, U.K.-based mobile analytics company Opensignal found there was no outright winner in any of the seven categories of user experience it analyzed for the report, released today.
Using data collected from its users between January 1 and March 31, Opensignal found three-way statistical ties between Bell, Rogers and Telus on three metrics — 5G availability, 5G reach and 5G upload speed — and in the remaining categories, users saw ties between two of the three operators, says Opensignal.
“In Opensignal’s first comparison of the 5G…
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TORONTO and VANCOUVER — Rogers Communications is expanding its support for vulnerable women and children with the company’s announcement today it is donating thousands of phones and plans to more than 325 women’s shelters and transition houses in Rogers wireless coverage areas during the third wave of the pandemic.
With the expansion of the phone program, Rogers is tripling its support from last year, when at the start of the pandemic Rogers launched a national program with Women’s Shelters Canada to provide hundreds of phones and plans to more than 100 shelters across the country.
In today’s announcement, Rogers says it…
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TORONTO – The performance of Canada’s wireless networks remains flat year over year with an average of nine problems per 100 (PP100) connections, says the J.D. Power 2021 Canada Wireless Network Quality Study.
Additionally, 67% of wireless customers agree their carrier’s network is reliable when streaming music and videos, activities that account for a significant amount of time used on devices. In addition, 7% of customers say network speeds are faster than expected, reads the company announcement, which took a negative tone with the numbers it found.
“Despite massive investments in infrastructure and technology, customers remain relatively unimpressed by their carriers’…
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Broadcasters need more speed from the Commission
By Steve Faguy
“I REALIZE WE HAVE the right to transmit over what they consider a public resource — the limited bandwidth that’s out there,” says Rod Schween, president of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. “I’m not saying that we need no regulation, but as much as they want us to innovate, they have to realize that the regulations need to allow us to innovate.”
Though they may disagree on the specifics, most Canadian radio broadcasters Cartt.ca spoke to through this series, and those who filed submissions with the CRTC as part of its Continue Reading
$10 million not enough of a deterrent, Péladeau says
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The maximum fine of $10 million for a first offence available to the CRTC to impose on violators of its rules is not enough for Bell Canada, Quebecor president and CEO Pierre-Karl Péladeau said Tuesday.
“I’m sorry to say this, it’s like a drop of water in the ocean,” he said Tuesday evening in an appearance in front of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, which is studying spending on large projects. “It doesn’t amount to much for a company like them…to delay the competition, it…
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Company chair Edward Rogers lays out Shaw purchase positives for investors
By Greg O’Brien
TORONTO — Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Rogers Communications today reported good results from its first quarter ended March 31, with revenue gains in its cable and media business units, although wireless service revenue was down compared to the same quarter last year.
Of course, there is more news than that orbiting the wireless, broadband, cable and media giant. While the company had so far been mostly mum on the recent new wireless policies announced by the CRTC (where the headline was mandated, regional, facilities-based MVNOs…
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EXTON, PA — The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), a subsidiary of CableLabs, announced today the appointment of a newly formed board of directors, which includes two Canadian executives.
The new board was approved on April 9 and is led by chairwoman Stephanie Mitchko-Beale, executive vice-president and chief technology officer of Charter Communications. The new board members start their two-year term effective today.
Appointed as secretary of the board is Ron McKenzie, senior vice-president of technical operations at Rogers Communications. The other Canadian board member is Damian Poltz, senior vice-president of wireline technologies and strategy at Shaw Communications.
The 14-member board…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications said this afternoon it will be crediting its customers for its nationwide wireless outage yesterday.
“We know our customers depend on us and yesterday we let them down – for this we are truly sorry,” said a company statement.
“A credit equivalent to yesterday’s wireless service fee will be applied to a future bill. This will be done automatically, and no action is required by our customers,” it continued.
As noted yesterday, the company identified the problem as an issue stemming from a recent software upgrade from its primary vendor, Ericsson, “that affected a piece of equipment…
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Recent Ericsson software update impacted wireless equipment in central network
TORONTO — After a day-long network outage that started early this morning affecting customers nationwide, Rogers Communications issued an explanation just before 6 pm. ET this evening, saying “it may take us several hours to get everything back up and running normally,” according to a statement from Jorge Fernandes, Rogers’s chief technology officer.
“We have identified the root cause of the service issues and pinpointed a recent Ericsson software update that affected a piece of equipment in the central part of our wireless network. That led to intermittent congestion and…
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