TORONTO – Reports that VimpelCom is preparing to drop its telecom assets in African and Asia is the “strongest signal to date that VimpelCom may eventually exit Wind Canada,” writes Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
Fan in his October 29 Equity Research report refers to a Financial Times (FT) report that VimpelCom (VIP), Wind Mobile Canada’s parent, is expected to sell its sub-Saharan African units and its Zimbabwean business, Telecom Zimbabwe. VimpelCom is also preparing for a sale of its three businesses in Cambodia and Laos as part of the company’s strategy to focus on…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – To give kids a competitive edge, more Ontario parents are investing in learning resources outside the classroom. In fact, one in three Ontario families has hired a tutor. Today TVO launches Smart Kids Now. Smart Adults Later, a fundraising-based campaign to motivate Ontarians to help TVO continue to deliver exceptional multi-platform educational resources that enhance classroom learning and get kids ready for success in school.
TVO's Smart Kids Now. Smart Adults Later campaign is built on the idea that all kids have dreams of what they'll be when they grow up. TVO offers innovative…
Continue Reading
DENIED. We’re still surprised (and most anyone who tells you they feel otherwise is pretty much full of it).
I mean, many of us had suggested a full-on denial could happen – and the overall tone of the public hearing last month surely had some believing it was a possibility, but it was pretty difficult to find anyone who would actually say with any certainty before Thursday afternoon this deal would be nixed. The CRTC hasn’t really fully said “No” to a significant deal since Vidéotron tried to buy CFCF in the 1990s and Power Corporation wanted to buy Quebec…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications reported a third quarter net profit of $466 million down from $491 million reported from the previous year. Revenues for the three-month period ended September 30, 2012 increased about 1% to $3.17 billion, up from $3.13 billion a year earlier. It added 76,000 postpaid net wireless subscribers and says smartphone subscribers now represent 65% of its wireless base, up 13%.
“Our top line and operating profit growth in the third quarter was highlighted by strong postpaid wireless smartphone sales and accelerated wireless data revenue growth, as well as strong margins in both…
Continue Reading
WATERLOO – Research In Motion has been selected by EnStream LP, a joint venture of Canadian carriers Bell, Rogers and Telus, to provide its Secure Element Manager (SEM) solution to manage credentials on wireless handsets in Canada that support Near Field Communication (NFC) services. NFC-enabled smartphones can be used as “digital wallets” that allow payments to be deducted from stored accounts simply by placing the phone in front of a transponder at the retail point of sale. SaskTel also confirmed they have partnered with EnStream and will exclusively utilize their Secure Element Management (SEM) platform.
RIM's…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications reports it has acquired 11,162,084 Class A subordinate voting shares of theScore, Inc. (Score Digital), initially announced on August 25, 2012 for $167 million.
Rogers says it acquired the Class A subordinate voting shares of Score Digital for investment purposes. The company says it has no current intention of acquiring ownership of or control or direction over any additional shares of Score Digital. But it reserves the right to acquire additional shares of Score Digital, to sell all or any portion of its holding of such shares or to enter into derivative or other…
Continue Reading
THE ASTONISHED FEEDBACK came fast and furious late Thursday as people tried to give voice to their feelings on the Commission decision to deny Bell Canada’s $3.4 billon purchase of Astral Media.
******************** “Like most observers, we had expected conditional approval,” said analyst Dvai Ghose of Canaccord Genuity in a note to clients. “This could also have implications for other potential media transactions such as Shaw-Corus, although in that case both entities are already controlled by the Shaw family. We also believe that the speculation of a Corus bid for Astral could rise and could be more palatable for regulators.
“While…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – A new strategic alliance with Microsoft will enable Rogers subscribers to connect their Windows Phone 8 devices to a growing ecosystem where they can readily communicate with all the screens in their household says Rob Bruce, President, Rogers Communications. He believes the alliance will enable Rogers to “attract more high-valued customers” by leveraging the features of Microsoft’s Windows 8 platform.
The announcement today makes Rogers the exclusive Canadian provider of the Nokia Lumia 920, Windows Phone 8X by HTC (8GB) and the Samsung ATIV Smart PC tablet. Rogers will also retail the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Edison Research's Sean Ross will address delegates at Connection 2012 says The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB). As Vice President of Music and Programming for Edison Research, Ross will present findings of recent research, entitled Radio’s Progress in the Digital Ad Space. He will share the study conducted with principals, account managers, planners and buyers at digital and general agencies, which analyzed perceptions and attitudes about radio. The study reveals participants’ feelings about, and interactions with, the digital offerings of AM/FM Radio companies as well as those with pure-play Internet radio companies.
Ross a 30-year…
Continue Reading
WINNIPEG – Beginning October 20, 2012, 10-digit dialing will become mandatory for all local calls in Manitoba which brings the three-month transition period to an end, and on November 3, 2012, the new area code 431 will be introduced in the province.
Since July, local calls made using seven digits were interrupted by a recorded announcement before the call went through. As of this Saturday, local calls will no longer be completed without first dialing the 204 area code. The Telecommunications Alliance (members include MTS, Rogers, TELUS, Bell and Westman…
Continue Reading
