MISSISSAUGA – “Years ago we would have thought, as smaller operators, there's no way in hell we can keep up with them . But times have changed. We can actually surpass them,” according to Stephen Sacks, president, MDL Communications.
“Delivering broadband is now the main killer app” and advances in streaming technologies has levelled the playing field so that even operators with no traditional video experience now sell video. Sacks presented his findings at Commtech East in Mississauga on how streaming is helping operators of all sizes compete.
Comcast now has 38 million Xfinity subscribers (broadband plus video and…
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Canadians still want loads of video, and are getting it from many sources
WHILE CANADIANS CONTINUE to pull back on their traditional subscription TV services, their interest in video overall shows no signs of shrinkage as they add tens of thousands of subscriptions to various over-the-top providers (but yah, mainly Netflix).
According to new research from Victoria, B.C.’s Convergence Research, cord-cutting in Canada is proceeding at about a 2% rate per year right now. “We estimate 2018 saw a decline of 204,000 Canadian TV subscribers, 2017 a decline of 210,000 TV subscribers, and we forecast a decline of 253,000 for 2019,”…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has decided what the Competition Bureau wants is too much to ask of Canada’s wireless service providers.
On March 8, 2019, the Competition Bureau wrote to the CRTC as part of the Regulator’s review of mobile wireless service proceeding, requesting the Commission demand a series of data from the wireless service providers (WSPs) which would allow the Bureau to conduct an analysis of the competitive landscape.
As Cartt.ca reported, the WSPs responded strongly, arguing the new burden imposed on them by the request for years of data was too onerous and accused the…
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Telecom policy must encourage investment, says Natale
TORONTO – Rogers Communications CEO Joe Natale invoked the founder Friday morning while delivering a speech simultaneously to shareholders at its annual general meeting – and to policy makers in Ottawa.
The presentation at company headquarters in Toronto featured a long ago video of the first cellular phone call in Canada – made on what was called the Cantel network (Ted Rogers was famously rebuffed by his board of directors in 1983 when he wanted $500,000 to invest in mobile wireless technology, so he went it alone with his own money in launching Cantel)…
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Best ever postpaid churn rate
TORONTO – Slowing wireless equipment sales and a dip in its media division revenues took a bite out of Rogers’ first quarter revenues and profits, the company said Thursday.
For the period ended March 31, total revenue decreased 1% to $3.59 billion, largely driven by 12% drops in both Wireless equipment revenue and Media revenue. Rogers said that declining Wireless equipment revenue was primarily a result of its “disciplined approach to postpaid subscriber loading this quarter”, whereas Media revenue fell year-over-year due to a distribution from Major League Baseball in the first quarter of 2018.
These declines…
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MISSISSAUGA – When it comes to the connected home and on-demand entertainment, today’s customer expects a “flawless experience,” but delivering that, with minimal disruption, means carriers must take a proactive approach to network maintenance.
In his keynote address at the Commtech East Show in Mississauga, James Myles (right), Rogers Communications director, service assurance GTA East, outlined how Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) and data collection is evolving – and changing the game.
New architecture solutions, remote PHY, GPON, vCCAP and full duplex DOCSIS all create new possibilities to deliver new services to the customer. As a result there are now new performance…
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Industry, others, provide feedback
OTTAWA – On February 26th, the Government of Canada proposed new CRTC Policy direction to put Canadians at the forefront of future telecommunications decisions, as Cartt.ca reported.
By law, this proposed Order must be put for comments for a period of 30 days after being published in the Canada Gazette. April 8th was the deadline for intervenors to make their comments known to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
(Ed note: By law, the federal government doesn’t have to listen to any of the recommendations, if it has already made up its mind,…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications is building a new multi-floor flagship retail location in Toronto that will be stocked with wireless and connected home technology for consumers and businesses, onsite experts, interactive zones, and dedicated spaces for events and exhibits.
Located downtown in Yonge-Dundas square, construction will begin this summer with the “retail experience centre” anticipated to open later this year.
Rogers said that the new space will join and complement its current 2,500 national distribution points.
“We’re incredibly excited to open our flagship destination centre in the iconic Yonge-Dundas square later this year,” said SVP Consumer Channels Leroy Williams, in the news…
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TORONTO – RTDNA Canada has announced the finalists for the national RTDNA Awards of Excellence, honouring the best journalists, programs, stations and newsgathering organizations in radio, television and digital.
The national winners will be announced at the RTDNA Canada 2019 National Conference & Awards Gala scheduled for 10-11, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto. Click here for details on the event.
The 2019 national finalists are:
Digital
Best Podcast
980 CKNW – This Is Why
CBC Montreal – Mic Drop
CBC New Brunswick – The Hook, An Original Podcast Series
CBC Saskatchewan – Boushie
Breaking News – Charlie Edwards Award
CBC North Iqaluit – Northmart in Iqaluit…
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Expect a pressure-packed, high-demand, 3500 MHz auction in 2020
BAY STREET’S TELECOM industry analysts were a little surprised at the $3.47 billion collectively shelled out by Canada’s wireless carriers for 600 MHz spectrum (except for Bell, which shelled out nothing for no 600 spectrum) in the federal government’s just-completed auction.
“(I)t appears the competition amongst (the big three) was far fiercer than expected, driving the price up to $1.89/MHz-pop and leading to a total spend of $2.65B,” wrote Canaccord Genuity’s Aravinda Galappatthige in a note to investors, which said he had expected the trio of Rogers, Bell…
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