STOCKHOLM — Ericsson announced Monday the commercial availability of its Standalone 5G New Radio (NR) software for 5G mid- and low bands, which allows communications service providers to operate 5G NR independently of 4G networks.
To date, 5G networks have been deployed in Non-standalone (NSA) mode where the underlying 4G network layer supports the necessary signalling. Standalone 5G NR removes this 4G dependency, explains the news release.
The new Ericsson software will allow service providers to add 5G NR to existing 4G sites with a simpler architecture, or deploy 5G independently in new areas such as factories, to support enterprise…
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GATINEAU – Despite receiving a request from Rogers Communications to extend the final comment date of the CRTC’s wireless policy review proceeding by another two weeks (which was widely supported by other parties), the Commission decided to stick with the July 15th deadline.
That deadline, of course, was already a months-long extension enacted due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the companies’ and Commission’s operations.
On June 25th, Rogers Communications filed a request to extend the date by two more weeks. Bell Mobility, Videotron, TbayTel, the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic and OpenMedia supported the request, while…
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TORONTO – Last week Rogers Communications announced all of its customer service team members, across all of its brands, are now based in Canada.
This month, the company completed the transition of 150 remaining customer service positions to Canada, with new jobs created with partners across Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, says the company press release. This follows the company’s announcement earlier this month that it is hiring for 350 jobs at its new customer solutions centre in Kelowna, B.C.
With its entire 7,000-strong customer service team now based in Canada, “this milestone ensures that every phone call or online chat…
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By Bram Abramson
A RARE CRTC DECISION on the appeal of a “notice to produce”, compelling Hydro-Québec to produce the personal information associated with 10 service addresses, has shed further light on how the Commission will use the information-gathering powers of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) when dealing with intermediary service providers.
Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2020-196, issued on June 18 against Hydro-Québec, echoes a similar 2016 decision in the Royal Bank of Canada’s appeal of a third-party notice to produce. The Hydro-Québec decision interprets the CRTC’s CASL information-gathering authority largely in terms of whether the information compelled by…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC met its obligations under the 2006 cabinet directive, was never beholden to requirements for detailed explanation, and the wholesale rate review itself proved the Regulator has been aware of and followed-through on its cabinet and statutory obligations, lawyers for the third party internet access providers said Friday.
The final day of the two-day Federal Court of Appeal virtual hearing about whether the CRTC erred in law when it decided in August to slash the wholesale internet rate for resellers and force retroactive payments to them from the incumbents, featured lawyers for the independent ISPs…
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By Greg O’Brien
WHILE SOME PRO SPORTS have returned to play, like the English Premier League, the PGA, NASCAR and others, new and growing outbreaks of the Covid-19 virus in the U.S. threatens the return of the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, each currently planning for a July start or re-start.
If marquee North American pro sports don’t come back to TV soon, as planned, there may be permanent effects on the pay-TV bundle and the overall value of the TV rights, says a recent report from Scotiabank’s media and telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
There are between 8 million and 9…
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TORONTO — With the school year officially over and many summer camps cancelled across the country due to Covid-19, Rogers Communications announced this week its national Ted Rogers Community Grant partners are transitioning all youth programming online this summer to offer Canadian families free, self-directed educational experiences.
Some of the programs being offered include coding, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs from organizations such as Canada Learning Code, Junior Achievement and Actua (pictured).
“School may officially be out, but learning in fun and interesting ways can continue over the summer months,” said Sevaun Palvetzian, chief communications…
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GATINEAU — While it determined the radio market in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough cannot support an additional commercial English or ethnic service, the CRTC announced today it will consider an application already submitted for a specialty Christian music station in a future non-appearing public hearing.
In January 2019, the Commission announced it had received an application from International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association for a broadcasting licence to operate a new Christian music FM station in Scarborough.
The Commission received a number of interventions, some opposing the introduction of a new commercial service in the Scarborough market, and one opposing…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Some of the country’s largest carriers tried to persuade a panel of Federal Court of Appeal judges Thursday that the CRTC – in its reasoning that led to a decision to slash the wholesale internet rate – did not adequately balance the impact of the decision with a 2006 cabinet directive setting out a market-based approach to regulatory decisions.
The 2006 cabinet directive outlines that the CRTC “should rely on market forces to the maximum extent feasible and regulate, where there is still a need to do so, in a manner that interferes with market…
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TORONTO — Rogers flanker brand chatr today launched two new credit cards — the chatr Secured Mastercard and chatr Mastercard — which are designed to help Canadian residents participate in a Covid-19 and post-pandemic digital economy, says the company.
“Now more than ever, Canadians are moving to digital to make their purchases,” said Shailendra Gujarati, vice-president of chatr, in the news release. “In a world where contactless payments and ecommerce are growing, it’s vital that everyone living in Canada has access to the digital economy whether they have credit history or not. The new chatr credit cards ensure that…
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