TORONTO – Canadian mobile phone users will soon be able to make video calls across competing mobile networks after Rogers, Bell and Telus announced the completion of two-way mobile video calling trials.
Mobile video calling is currently available through several carriers in Canada, but both callers must be on the same carrier’s network using compatible handsets. When inter-carrier mobile video calling is launched video calling will be possible across multiple carrier networks and will create North America’s largest two-way mobile video calling community, say the companies.
"We are proud to be part of the first inter-carrier partnership in North America to…
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TORONTO – Rogers is offering new wireless data roaming packs aimed at customers who are frequent travelers to the U.S.
The new North American One Rate wireless data plans are designed to provide additional cost certainty to customers travelling south of the border, along with the flexibility and convenience to use their device’s data capabilities (e-mail, mobile web surfing, downloading documents) the same way they would while in Canada, without incurring roaming fees when using data within their monthly allotment.
"As Canada’s leading wireless carrier and smart phone leader, we are thrilled to offer even more innovative roaming solutions”, said John Boynton,…
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TORONTO – While an Ontario Superior Court judge on Friday gave Shaw Communications the green light to move ahead with its plan for CanWest Global, other companies have come forward to say, “hey, we would have liked to get in on the bidding, too.”
However, companies which wanted to take a close look at the troubled broadcaster and newspaper publisher had to first sign a non-disclosure agreement which prevented them from even talking to Goldman Sachs, which is the key creditor as the 65% equity holder of CW Media Holdings, the division which owns and operates CanWest’s specialty channels.
Canwest…
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TORONTO – Rogers will purchase for cancellation 4 million of its outstanding Class B non-voting shares for an aggregate purchase price of $125.5 million.
The shares represent approximately 0.83% of the Class B shares outstanding at February 11, 2010. The private purchase was made under an issuer bid exemption order issued by the Ontario Securities Commission.
www.rogers.com
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CALGARY – The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has approved Shaw’s takeover bid of Canwest, despite a last minute rival bid lead by investment fund Catalyst Capital, the Asper family and two former Rogers execs.
The Calgary-based cable company has entered into agreements with Canwest and certain 8% senior subordinated noteholders for a minimum commitment to buy $95 million worth of Class A voting shares in a restructured Canwest, which represents 20% equity and an 80% voting interest.
Shaw’s initial equity interest will exceed 20% depending on the number of Canwest creditors that elect cash rather than shares in restructured…
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BARCELONA and TORONTO – Rogers will become the first Canadian wireless provider to offer the new Acer Liquid e smart phone device.
The Acer Liquid e features the latest Android 2.1 operating system, a 3.5” high definition display, and advanced new features and functionality. The device will be available exclusively from Rogers beginning this spring.
“Rogers is very excited to be partnering with a highly respected global brand like Acer to bring the Acer Liquid e to Canadian consumers”, said John Boynton, EVP of marketing, in the announcement. “By exclusively launching the first Acer smart phone in Canada, we are once…
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TORONTO – Goldman Sachs has thrown its support behind a new proposal to restructuring Canwest Global Communications and bring it out of bankruptcy protection.
A group led by Toronto-based investment fund Catalyst Capital which includes the Asper family, former Rogers Broadcasting chief Rael P. Merson and John Tory, announced today that they have submitted to the Canwest Special Committee a restructuring proposal to facilitate the company’s emergence from the CCAA process.
The proposal requires no material amendments to the original court filed plan and would maximize the value of the Canwest estate while expediting its exit from the CCAA process as…
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VANCOUVER – Ratings for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games continue to skyrocket.
According to data from Canada’s Olympic broadcast media consortium, 6.2 million watched Team Canada defeat Norway on day 5 of the Games, with viewership rocketing to nearly 9 million in the final minute of the 8-0 rout.
The mid-afternoon audience watching Maëlle Ricker win Canada’s second gold medal peaked at 5.9 million viewers as she crossed the finish line in ladies’ snowboard cross, while an average audience of 3.7 million watched the event itself. 2.9 million watched on CTV as she received her medal.
The day 6 recap reported that 3.5 million…
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TORONTO – Rogers’ OMNI Television has funded three public service announcements designed to combat racism.
Commissioned by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, the spots will be versioned into Cantonese, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil and Urdu in order to span a range of Canada’s ethnic communities.
“The impact of making key anti-racism messages available to multilingual audiences is an important step towards building an inclusive and accepting Canadian society,” said Madeline Ziniak, OMNI’s national vice president, in the announcement. “OMNI is privileged to contribute, participate and make a difference in these aspirations.”
The spots will be unveiled at a presentation in…
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OTTAWA – Comments filed on the CRTC’s reconsideration of speed matching strike a familiar refrain: Would-be competitors say Canadians will suffer if the CRTC doesn’t mandate speed matching and access to higher-speed local access facilities for them, while incumbent telcos tell the Commission that doing so will threaten future network investments.
Telcos were already required under CRTC regulations to provide speed matching (also referred to as service parity) to competitors over both legacy copper facilities as well as their faster fibre, or next-generation networks (NGNs). But the implementation of the rule was put on hold following appeals to the…
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