Telecoms note spectrum cap kept prices reasonable
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Innovation Canada released the results of the 3.8 GHz spectrum auction Thursday, with Cogeco getting a piece as it prepares mobile wireless market entry and Quebecor capturing a slice for its western Canada push.
Telus took home the largest number of licences with 1430 for a price of $620 million to cover 33 million Canadians. Bell was next with a spend of $518 million for 939 licences with expected population coverage of 34.6 million Canadians. Rogers spent $475 million for 860 licences with expected population coverage of 35 million. Videotron…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Netflix floated the idea Thursday that the commission could tie any required foreign financial contribution to Canadian content funds to planned investments rather than previous year’s revenues to encourage spending in the country.
“Rather than tying the percentages to revenue them to expected expenditure or planned expenditure, and so every dollar you earn doesn’t necessarily translate into a trade-off between operating income or profit and contribution to the system,” said Dean Garfield, the streaming company’s vice president of public policy.
“It creates that incentive to actually invest and grow without worrying that, ‘oh…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – A representative from music and podcast streaming service Spotify told the CRTC Wednesday that the platform hopes the idea that online streamers should make a base financial contribution to Canadian content doesn’t spread to other jurisdictions.
“You are the only country in the world that is looking at those contributions, at least at this stage, and we actually hope that this is not going to spread to other countries because we will be in real difficulty,” Olivia Regnier, senior director of public policy for Spotify, told the commission.
“Now, we understand the situation, we understand the rationale…
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By Connie Thiessen
CTAM Canada is organizing its second annual Stream Safely Day on Dec. 5 to educate Canadians about the danger of streaming entertainment through illegal, pirate services and unauthorized password sharing.
According to CTAM, an industry association focused on the advancement of content distribution across multiple platforms, illegal streaming and other forms of digital video piracy account for more than $50 billion in lost revenue for the global TV and film industry. According to CTAM data, piracy rates skyrocketed during the pandemic by 44%, with an overwhelming majority of internet users (70%) believing there is nothing wrong with piracy…
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OTTAWA – NDP MPs on Wednesday held a media event in Ottawa to call on the Liberal government to better support telecom workers across the country.
NDP labour critic Alexandre Boulerice (MP for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie) and NDP deputy labour critic Matthew Green (MP for Hamilton Centre) stood with Donna Hokiro, president of United Steelworkers Local 1944, to call for better protections for jobs in Canada as, they said, big telecom companies continue to cut and offshore Canadian jobs.
The NDP and USW urged the Liberal government to quickly implement the anti-scab legislation tabled by federal…
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Rogers and Cogeco urge lowering regulatory burden and need to sustain local news
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Representatives from Rogers argued Tuesday that if online streamers are not required to commit a base financial contribution to the enhancement of Canadian content, traditional Canadian broadcasters must not be required to do the same.
Broadcasting distribution undertakings are required to commit a certain percentage of their previous year’s revenues toward Canadian content funds – for example, a chunk of the base 5 per cent goes toward the Canada Media Fund every year. The CRTC is now asking whether it should similarly require a…
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By Ahmad Hathout
KITCHENER, On – Bell has filed this week an application to the CRTC requesting the regulator get involved in a dispute over disrupted access to a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) building in Kitchener.
The telecom alleges that on or around September 24, the owner or manager of the 12-unit legacy MDU at 203 Mausser Ave. had cut its in-building copper wiring, which caused an outage for some residents.
Bell alleges a letter from the owner/manager dated August 21 was circulated to tenants of the building, but not the telco, saying it was unilaterally removing all of Bell’s wiring and to…
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Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously said the CMPA does not believe there should be a mandatory base contribution. In reality, it is asking for a mandatory base of no less than five per cent.
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau said Monday that the stonewalling of the federal government by foreign platforms on legislation that would require them to pay to host news links will likely mean that they will also scoff at any requirement for them to pay a base contribution to Canadian content.
The CRTC is proposing a mandatory base…
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Quebecor announced Monday that Videotron has officially launched its wireless discount brand Fizz in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton as a beta launch.
Canadians in the western provinces can find more details at fizz.ca by selecting Alberta or BC from the website’s top menu.
Fizz is offering deeply discounted plans during the beta including a 40 GB data plan for $4 per month for six months, and a 50 GB plan for $5 per month for six months. Customers need a compatible phone that is VoLTE-certified with Fizz to activate a mobile plan.
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Rogers says being singled out is ‘concerning’
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Three days after Rogers closed its acquisition of Shaw, the Competition Bureau launched an investigation into the cable company’s marketing of its “unlimited” wireless plans, saying it is misleading because the speed of the data is throttled after the monthly allotment is used.
The investigation was revealed when the bureau filed a request to the Federal Court this week to compel Rogers to divulge information related to the deceptive practices inquiry, which was launched on April 6.
The competition watchdog claims in its application that Rogers’s marketing of its “Infinite” plans…
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