MONTREAL and TORONTO — Independent internet service provider Distributel has agreed to be acquired by Bell for an undisclosed amount, the companies said in an announcement today.
Distributel will continue to operate independently after close of the deal — which is subject to standard regulatory approval — and Matt Stein, the CEO of the company, will remain at the helm, a press release said.
“With this announcement, Distributel is better positioned to compete and deliver on our decades-long commitment to bringing choice and affordability to Canadians from coast to coast to coast,” Stein said in the release. “We hope Canadians are…
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TORONTO — Rogers today launched a new Wi-Fi 6E modem, saying its the first major provider to do so and saying the offering makes the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available that more than doubles the bandwidth of the previous generation.
“Select customers in areas across Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland can now take advantage of the new Wi-Fi modem for the best in-home Wi-Fi experience that will revolutionize how they game, stream and connect, now and in the future,” reads a Rogers press release.
Rogers also announced its new Ignite Internet service offering 8 Gbps symmetrical speeds is now…
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TORONTO — Firstlight Media, a Toronto-based provider of cloud-based over-the-top infrastructure to streaming service operators, announced today it is rebranding as Quickplay, leveraging a brand it acquired when it purchased video streaming platform provider Quickplay Media from AT&T in March 2020.
The company rebranding comes “at a time of pivotal technology and business success,” according to a press release, which notes Quickplay will preview a new generation of cloud-native capabilities and announce major client wins during the IBC 2022 conference in Amsterdam next month.
“As we’ve extended our leadership in cloud-native streaming, it’s become clear…
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OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) filed a disclosure request to the CRTC on Friday asking the commission to release information filed by Rogers in confidence about the Canada-wide network outage that occurred last month.
Information requested by the advocacy group include the cost breakdown of the company-promised $261 million to physically separate the wireless and wireline networks and how long it will take; how the new facilities and equipment will be deployed as part of the separation plan; and redacted examples of the network initiatives as part of the company’s promise to invest $10 billion to fund…
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TORONTO — In an effort to earn back the trust of its customers after its nationwide network outage in July, Rogers Communications last week announced a number of commitments it is making, using newspaper ads and emails to customers to get its message out.
On its website, Rogers outlines the five commitments the company and its employees are pledging to its customers.
The first is its commitment to network reliability. Rogers says it will invest $20 billion in its network over the next five years “to help ensure we’re meeting and exceeding your expectations.”…
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TORONTO — Rogers Communications announced last Friday the availability of Apple TV+ on Ignite TV and Ignite Streaming.
“With the integration of Apple TV+, we are excited to expand our offerings so that our Ignite TV and Ignite Streaming customers can enjoy all the award-winning, premium Apple Original series and films,” said Robert Dépatie, president and chief operating officer of home and business at Rogers Communications, in a press release.
“We are committed to providing an enhanced viewing experience for our customers, with unparalleled access to amazing content and the most integrated search of any…
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TORONTO – Julie Adam (above), president of news and entertainment at Rogers Sports and Media is leaving the company next month.
“After a remarkable career of more than 20 years at Rogers, Julie Adam is leaving the company next month,” a Rogers Sports and Media spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Cartt.ca. “We are grateful for her many lasting contributions to our business and teams, and her innate ability to lead with kindness.”
Adam has worked in numerous roles at Rogers Sports and Media over the years having started out as programming director at KiSS 92.5. Her other roles have included vice-president…
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THE BIGGEST STICKING point for the proposed merger of Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications continues to be Shaw’s wireless assets.
As Cartt.ca previously reported, this is even after the companies came to a definitive agreement with Quebecor for the sale of Shaw’s Freedom Mobile. (The agreement is contingent on the Rogers/Shaw merger closing and on necessary approvals.)
Both the federal government and the Competition Bureau have been clear they have concerns about competition in Canada’s wireless market and about the impact Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw could have on it.
Industry minister François-Philippe Champagne issued a statement back in March…
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Telecom unable to answer MP’s question about economic losses
OTTAWA – Rogers Communications has provided more information to the CRTC about its recent nationwide outage, including that roughly 60% of its average daily volume of 9-1-1 calls were successfully completed by its wireless customers on July 8.
Responding to a second round of questions from the Commission on Aug. 22, Rogers explained why some 9-1-1 calls went through while others did not.
“In cases where customers were not able to successfully complete their 9-1-1 calls through the Rogers wireless networks, their devices should have attempted, as per standard industry specifications, to scan…
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No set rates means decision will require a lot of work and time to implement, CEO says
By Amanda OYE
OTTAWA – Last week, when renewing independent broadcaster OUTtv’s licence for a five-year term, the CRTC also granted the service dedicated to the LGBTQ2 community, “must-offer” status for three and a half years in the English-language market starting next March.
Noting that with the decision the CRTC has recognized the distinctiveness and vulnerability of the LGBTQ2 community, OUTtv CEO Brad Danks said in an interview with Cartt.ca the decision was also an indication the Commission recognizes that without regulatory support, OUTtv…
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