TORONTO – Rogers Wireless announced Wednesday that it will be turning down its older TDMA and analog networks effective May 31, 2007 and will move customers on these older networks onto its advanced GSM network.
GSM, which stands for Global System for Mobile Telecommunications, is proven for its superior coverage and signal quality and is used by 80% of the world’s wireless customers including the vast majority of Rogers customers in Canada, says the press release.
"By transitioning subscribers who are still on our TDMA and analog networks to our more advanced GSM service, these customers will enjoy the…
Continue Reading
PETERBOROUGH – Lindsay Broadband has hired Christopher Skarica as its new vice-president of engineering.
Skarica spent 11 years in cable (Maclean-Hunter, Rogers, Cogeco) before moving to Nortel Networks in 1999 and then Broadbus Technologies (now Motorola) in 2004.
Prior to Nortel, he was the director of engineering for Cogeco Cable’s Ontario Operations. "Christopher has played key roles in the design and implementation of new technologies in cable TV networks including dual band and multi-beam satellite reception, two way optical and RF HFC equipment, SA and GI digital video compression systems, digital DWDM optical transport networks, Packet Cable compliant voice…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Sportsnet tore the wrapper off its new flagship show, Sportsnet Connected, on Monday evening, aimed squarely at the young male audience.
It was a little irreverent and a little silly (even moreso than sports news programs usually are), the anchors wore jeans, ties are now verboten and I think I saw one host’s hirsute bellybutton (no, not Martine Gaillard’s), while some of the other reporters grew out a soul patch.
Most of the chairs have vanished and the anchor desks are either gone or redesigned – and 6 p.m. host Brad Fay looked maybe a little…
Continue Reading
SAN FRANCISCO – If you’re at all involved in the communications field, you’re at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Cartt.ca has its CE editor there this week, for example.
But not Apple. It annually hosts Macworld at the same time as CES, kind of thumbing its nose at the other industry heavyweights who these days are trying hard to emulate Apple’s design, functionality and "cool" factor, especially when it comes to portable music players.
Today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs used his Macworld keynote speech to make official two new products that most industry observers were sure…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – As of December 31st, 2006, Rogers Communications had over 6.77 million wireless customers and 2.27 million cable customers. Both numbers are much better than the 2005, but growth rates have slowed somewhat according to a release the company issued this morning.
The company added 384,500 new postpaid wireless customers in the fourth quarter of 2006 and 1.375 million during the entire year (to 5.4 million). However, subscriber growth slowed by 9% as compared to Q4 2005 and by 5.4% for the full year. Churn, however, dropped to 1.24% in the quarter compared to 1.57% in Q4 ’05….
Continue Reading
FINAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE CRTC on its conventional television policy review were due in yesterday.
Cartt.ca managed to get our hands on eight submissions (unfortunately, none of the companies serving the Francophone market responded to our e-mails), which were filed by parties Wednesday in response to what they were asked – or what others were asked – during the seven-day oral presentations that began on November 27th.
(Ed note: Thank goodness broadcasting vice-chair Michel Arpin – who looks as though he’ll be the Commission’s Interim Chair for the time being as the PMO explores more candidates to replace departing…
Continue Reading
NOW THAT MY TWO-AND-a-half year old daughter has outgrown her predilection towards throwing things at our living room television (think keys and golf balls, not stuffed animals), I decided my Christmas gift to the family (okay, to me) would be a new television.
I want my HDTV.
Last month though, CTAM Canada published a piece of research which said, in essence, that Canadian consumers are not getting enough information on how to get the best high definition experience and too often are leaving the stores without a digital cable or satellite receiver, which is the best way (and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Movies from The Walt Disney Company are now available on Rogers On Demand, the company announced this week, which was reported here.
The multi-year video on demand movie rental agreement means Rogers customers will be able to purchase on demand a selection of new release and library features from The Walt Disney Company’s extensive portfolio. Titles include the Disney/Pixar hit animated comedy-adventure Cars and blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
“We’re delighted to conclude our first VOD agreement in Canada, and to be working with Rogers to bring this wide selection of hit movie content…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Look for CanWest Global’s Australian divestiture to pick up speed.
Alliance Atlantis Communications announced Wednesday morning that it is officially on the market, meaning the usual suspects like Corus Entertainment, Astral Media, CanWest Global and maybe Rogers Communications and Quebecor Media will soon be kicking tires and checking service records – if they haven’t already.
Bell Globemedia is about to start trying to digest CHUM Ltd. and is probably not going to be in the running, especially since it would probably run afoul of competition rules if it tried to grab both CHUM and Alliance Atlantis.
With…
Continue Reading
TORONTO and LONDON – Rogers Cable will be the first Canadian company to offer Disney Corp.’s Buena Vista International Television content on its video on demand platform in Canada, according to World Screen News.
Rogers digital cable customers will be able to watch Disney live action and animated movies on Rogers On Demand through their digital set top boxes in Ontario, says the story.
"Customers will be able to access new releases and library features. Among the titles included in the deal are Cars, which launches December 22 on the service, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s…
Continue Reading
