OTTAWA – On Monday afternoon, the CRTC released its much-anticipated digital migration framework – the set of rules by which analog pay and specialty services will move into an all-digital distribution mode.
And at first blush, broadcasters and at least one cable company both actually say they like it.
The 13,000-plus word document follows some of the model set out by Rogers Communications and a group of major broadcasters, which www.cartt.ca first reported on in May.
"We haven’t done a full analysis on it yet, but it looks like a very positive step in terms of striking a balance…
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WHISTLER, B.C, – There was precious little new information doled out today by some of the participants at RBC Capital Markets annual telecom and media conference in the B.C. ski town.
However, one key parallel was drawn during the afternoon session featuring Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette, Rogers Cable president Edward Rogers, Bell Canada’s consumer solutions president Kevin Crull and Bell Nordiq CEO Roch Dubé.
When talking about the potential for cable telephony market penetration, Rogers said that a 15% to 20% local market share gain by cable companies was probably too conservative when saying it could be done…
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HALIFAX – Aliant today launched its high-speed wireless service in Halifax. The new service will provide Aliant’s wireless customers access to wireless data speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps – and new and enhanced applications on their wireless devices.
Customers in the Halifax area will be the first to experience new wireless data speeds – five times faster than what is currently available. Customers will be able to access information on their wireless device – notebook computer, PDA, or cell phone – "at speeds close to those of their home broadband connection," claims the release.
Streaming video and TV…
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WHEN PEOPLE FIND OUT I AM the president of Babytel, an independent provider of high-speed Internet phone service, the first question I get is about our name, (most love it), followed closely by “how in the world can you compete against the big guys?”
How we compete is quite simple: we are finding unique opportunities, such as being the VOIP backbone for partners like independent cable companies and ISPs, and we are selling to niche markets like Asian and African communities in Canada.
(I will refer the genesis of our name to later.)
There is incredible opportunity. VOIP opens…
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DESPITE THE IMMINENT SHUTDOWN of the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association, a move which will cost 26 jobs, Canada’s smaller independent operators have already decided they must have a continuing presence in Ottawa.
As reported first by www.cartt.ca early Friday afternoon, Rogers Cable, the largest remaining member of the CCTA, decided to rescind its support of the association, effectively killing it – even though no other member wanted to pull the plug. Even Rogers didn’t really want to do it.
However, no CCTA member is blaming Rogers for the demise of the 50-plus year-old association. Indeed, the CCTA’s board of…
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MONTREAL – Subscribers to Videotron’s illico digital cable are able to access Olympic coverage from Radio-Canada, the French-language network of the CBC, via video on demand.
Under an agreement announced Friday, over 160 hours of programming will be available free of charge and without commercial interruption on VOD throughout the 2006 Winter Games in Torino.
Illico customers will be able to go to channel 900 to watch the competitions and the opening and closing ceremonies 24 hours after they are broadcast on Radio-Canada, which is the same as what Rogers is getting from CBC in its territories.
“We are…
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OTTAWA – Bragg Communications, the parent company of Halifax-based MSO EastLink, has appealed to the CRTC to expand what can be shown in the two minutes of ad time U.S. cable channels make available for local ads.
CRTC regulations currently say that cable companies may only promote their video or audio services within that avail time. Cablecos can claim 25% of the time and must give the rest up, at cost, to Canadian broadcasters to promote their channels. Channels like CNN and the Golf Channel make two minutes per hour available to its carriers to sell advertising, which is…
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Worldwide cable telephony service revenues rose from US$4.5 billion in 2004 to US$5.6 billion in 2005, and are projected to reach US$10 billion by 2009, reports American research firm In-Stat.
"The widening availability of VOIP-based cable telephony services has resulted in thousands of new cable telephony subscribers for operators like Time Warner Cable and Cablevision in the United States, Videotron and Shaw Communications in Canada, and Liberty Global in Europe," says the In-Stat release.
"The key attraction for cable operators is the cost advantage that VOIP offers in comparison with circuit-switched service," says Michael Paxton, In-Stat analyst….
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TORONTO – Thanks to integration expenses (of Microcell and Call-Net), Rogers Communications posted a loss of $66.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2005, ended December 31st..
While that’s a far larger quarterly loss than in Q4 2004, the wireless, cable, telecom, and media giant’s annual loss was 33.5% lower than last year at $44.6 million.
Revenue in the quarter was $2.12 billion, a 35.4% increase over the same period last year and operating profit was $513 million, a 14% jump. Revenue for the full year was $7.48 billion, a 33.4% increase while OP was $2.14 billion, a 23.6%…
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TORONTO – Rogers Wireless customers now have access to more than 1,500 podcasts, covering a range of topics, thanks to a new arrangement announced this week by the wireless company and Melodeo.
The Rogers Podcast Service, North America’s first mobile podcast service, will feature news and sports, comedy and music. The catalogue of podcasts is updated throughout the day as new feeds are received, bringing fresh content to subscribers continually.
Rogers Podcast Service can be accessed on subscribers’ cell phones through the Rogers Wireless navigate mobile Internet portal, within the GET INFO category.
"Rogers Podcast Service allows our customers…
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