OTTAWA – If, like Cartt.ca, you believed that the OMNI file was closed, sealed, over and done with, think again.
On September 16, Joe Volpe, publisher of the Corriere Canadese and one of the applicants for a national, multilingual multi-ethnic discretionary service, CorrCan Media Group, filed a motion in the Federal Court for a judicial review of the pronouncement by the Governor General in Council (Cabinet), issued on August 17, where the government declined to void or return CRTC Decisions 2019-172 and 2019-173 granting Rogers Media a must-carry license for its OMNI branded multicultural channels.
The relief…
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OTTAWA – As part of its campaign pledge to “make life affordable for Canadian families,” the federal Liberal Party says that if it remains in power following next month’s election, it will “take strong action” to have cellphone bills reduced by 25% within four years and save a family of four nearly $1,000 a year.
To reach that target, the Liberals say they will “work with telecom companies to offer plans comparable to global prices,” along with an unlimited family plan, according to their party’s platform on cellphone bills released Sunday.
The governing party also targets…
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KELOWNA – Offering television is still a must, but it’s time to move away from the old-fashioned way it’s still structured and priced, according to the closing panel of the annual 2019 Canadian Communication Systems Alliance conference.
In the Tuesday session titled “embracing the future of video”, four panelists told delegates there remain good reasons why network operators shouldn’t (yet) walk away from TV in favour of just offering customers a broadband pipe (leaving them to find video on their own, likely with the help of one or more of the Silicon Valley tech and content giants). While broadband earns…
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MONTREAL, TORONTO and VANCOUVER — Bell, Rogers and Telus all announced Thursday they have each signed reciprocal roaming agreements with AT&T to provide their respective business customers with seamless access to AT&T’s LTE-M network throughout the United States.
In the case of each agreement, a Bell, Rogers or Telus customer will be able to roam on AT&T’s LTE-M network across the US, and AT&T customers in turn will be able to roam on the LTE-M networks operated in Canada by Bell, Rogers and Telus.
In three separate announcements, the Big Three carriers all touted their LTE-M networks as the ideal platform…
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AACHEN, GERMANY and TORONTO — Rogers Communications has been named the “Best in Test” wireless carrier in Canada by P3, an international leader in benchmarking mobile networks. According to the most recent P3 Mobile Benchmark Canada report, Rogers was the highest-ranking Canadian operator for both voice and data services. Bell ranked second overall, followed by Telus.
Measurements for the P3 Mobile Benchmark Canada study were conducted between May 6 and July 15, 2019. P3 tested and measured performance on the networks operated by Bell, Freedom, Rogers, Telus and Videotron, using smartphones for voice and data services in metropolitan and…
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BT Montreal cancelled two weeks ago
TORONTO — Citytv provided more details Thursday about the new format for its Breakfast Television shows in Calgary and Vancouver, exactly two weeks after Rogers Media cancelled its BT Montreal show and eliminated a total of 23 jobs as part of the BT revamp.
Calling it “a refreshed Breakfast Television experience” in a news release, Citytv said the new format of the morning shows in Calgary and Vancouver will debut September 23 and builds on the legacy of Citytv’s iconic BT brand, which is now celebrating 30 years on air in Toronto.
Citytv said…
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OTTAWA — In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian’s assault of Atlantic Canada earlier this month, which caused widespread telecom service outages throughout the region, the CRTC has a number of questions regarding the steps taken by carriers to restore service and improve network resiliency.
In a letter sent to Bell, Telus, Eastlink and Rogers on September 13, the CRTC requested the carriers provide detailed information regarding the major telecom disruptions their customers experienced as a result of Dorian’s path through Atlantic Canada.
“In recent days, various media outlets have reported on service outages affecting your customers after hurricane Dorian swept…
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OTTAWA – In pledging to cap cellphone and internet prices as part of its quest to form the next federal government, the NDP faced a fierce backlash on Friday – not from its political opponents but from the industry it targeted.
Campaigning in Toronto, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said the party doesn’t just want a price cap, which it says would result in an annual savings of $250 for families, but also wants the CRTC to impose on telecom companies a “mandatory affordable, unlimited data plan.”
He explained price caps have worked in the U.S. and Australia,…
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Start.ca, too
CHATHAM – Independent ISP TekSavvy told customers today they will be seeing lower prices and upgraded internet packages, thanks to the recent CRTC decision on the rates the company must pay to incumbent operators for wholesale access.
It was a, well, savvy bit of timing, since five of those incumbents filed a motion for leave to appeal the Commission decision today as well.
TekSavvy said today in a release over 85% of its customers will benefit from reduced prices or upgraded, unlimited data plans on their next monthly bill, as the ISP streamlines…
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OTTAWA – Saying the CRTC has erred in law and jurisdiction five different ways, Canada’s incumbent cable operators have filed for leave to appeal the recent CRTC decision on aggregated wholesale internet rates. The companies have also filed for a stay of that Commission decision (Telecom Order 2019-288), as well, until a decision on the appeal is set.
Having spent billions of dollars over the years on their networks, Rogers, Shaw, Vidéotron, Cogeco and Eastlink say the rates the Commission has set are below their costs – and the retroactive amount to be paid back…
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