By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC has ordered Tuesday several changes be made to the proposed tariff pages of the national players and has set a timeline for the implementation of the mandated mobile virtual network operator regime.
MVNO-eligible regional providers with spectrum and facilities were provided the opportunity to comment on the proposed tariffs of Rogers, Bell, Telus and SaskTel, which include the terms by which they would provide access to their wireless networks.
On Tuesday, the CRTC kept some of those terms the same but is forcing the large players to modify their proposals in response to regional carrier…
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By Ahmad Hathout
VANCOUVER – As the country’s cable companies move toward incorporating the next DOCSIS technologies that allow for fibre-like internet speeds over older cables, Telus executives touted its fibre infrastructure as a differentiator in its pursuit of more subscribers on higher speeds.
“By any measure, PureFibre exceeds DOCSIS and will endure to deliver exceptional reliability and symmetrical speed advantages to our customers as investments in Docsis aim to catch up,” Zainul Mawji, executive vice president and president of Telus Consumer Solutions, said on the company’s first quarter conference call Thursday.
Last month, Rogers announced that it was in a trial…
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By Ahmad Hathout
MONTREAL – A well-funded Videotron, newly equipped with Shaw’s Freedom Mobile, will mean regulators will not need to worry about a viable wireless fourth player in an already competitive market, Bell CEO Mirko Bibic said during a first quarter conference call Thursday.
“We now have four well-capitalized significant players,” Bibic said. “That is very rare across the global footprint, and I think if you are sitting there from a public policy position…having four players like that is quite significant and will enhance competitive competition and consumer value.
“I think the job ought to be considered as having been done…
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TORONTO – Rogers said Thursday that it is reducing the price of data on certain 5G plans.
The largest cable company in the country said that its $85 per month 5G plan will now include double the data from 25 to 50 GB, effectively reducing the price of the price per gigabyte by 50 per cent.
Customers who buy Rogers wireline services can also now get the company’s starter 5G plan for 35 per cent cheaper than its previous 5G entry plan. The company said it can now offer bundled services in nearly 70 per cent of Canadian households following its…
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OTTAWA – Innovation Canada decided Wednesday on the parameters for its framework that will allow certain 5G spectrum bands to be allocated for use in local and small-scale applications without the need for users to go through a competitive auction process to obtain them.
The department launched a consultation last summer to determine how it should go about dedicating spectrum in the 3900 to 3980 MHz band and parts of the 26, 28 and 38 GHz bands for a non-competitive licensing framework, which it said would go to benefit various local sectors and innovations, including real-time monitoring of farming and…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association is launching Wednesday a rebranding to move away from its exclusive focus on the wireless industry.
The Canadian Telecommunications Association, as it is now called, reflects the association’s “expanded focus on both wireline and wireless telecommunications,” according to a release provided exclusively to Cartt. “The new brand represents the latest chapter in the association’s nearly 50-year history.”
The association will formally announce the news later this morning.
“New technologies and consumer demands have blurred the lines between the capabilities and use of wired and wireless telecommunications,” said a blog post…
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By Connie Thiessen
Rogers Sports and Media has made changes to its radio and television management structure that see Amber LeBlanc promoted to a national programming role, expanded duties for OMNI and CityNews Director Amar Sodhi, and CityNews Vancouver Director Charmaine de Silva part ways with the company.
The changes come as Dave Budge, vice president of news and information, retires after a decade with Rogers Sports and Media and five in broadcast news. Prior to his retirement last month, both radio and television news reported to Budge.
The company has now reorganized its TV and radio news operations separately with a…
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By Ahmad Hathout
CALGARY – Rogers is preparing to make additional cuts to the Shaw team, which will include layoffs in the programming and communications departments, according to individuals with direct knowledge of the matter.
Vice president of programming Andrew Eddy and vice president of external affairs Chethan Lakshman are expected to depart the company this week, the individuals said. Katherine Emberly, president of business at Shaw, announced on her LinkedIn page Friday she was also leaving the company.
It is unclear to Cartt how many more are expected to be let go as part of Rogers’s integration of the cable company…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said Wednesday that the company is partnering with SpaceX to use Starlink satellites to provide connectivity to cell phones on the ground.
The satellite-to-mobile technology will provide text, voice and data compatibility to connect remote parts of the country not reached by the company’s terrestrial networks.
“As the country’s biggest investor in 5G spectrum with Canada’s largest 5G network, Rogers is proud to work with SpaceX to expand wireless coverage across all of Canada, from coast to coast, to keep Canadians connected and safe,” Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said in a press release. “In the future, these…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said Wednesday that the company’s side agreements with Videotron that are part of its deal to acquire Shaw are “not much different” than existing ones it has in place for other competitors.
The cable giant committed to providing favourable wholesale internet access and roaming deals to the Montreal-based company, which acquired Shaw’s Freedom in the deal, to appease regulators and allay fears that the combination would diminish competition.
But over the last several months, questions were raised by competitors as to the nature of the deals and whether they would significantly advantage Videotron…
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