“I’m not building yesterday’s telecom,” founder says
By Amanda OYE
RICHMOND, B.C. – After spending nearly two decades working for a major Canadian telecom, Babbl Communications’ president and founder Jason Speers (above) decided to put what he had learned to use to bring down Internet prices in western Canada.
Babbl is a third-party Internet access (TPIA) provider that was launched last September and currently serves over 40 communities in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Southern Vancouver Island and the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Internet packages, which are currently being offered at a discounted rate, include $35/month for Internet 75, $45/month…
Continue Reading
WATERLOO REGION, Ont. — Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) announced today construction is underway on a rural broadband project in the Region of Waterloo that will bring high-speed Internet service to 92 homes and businesses in the Township of Woolwich.
EH!tel Networks was awarded the contract and $584,000 in funding by SWIFT in December 2020. The ISP is constructing a 14-kilometre fibre broadband network to bring high-speed Internet service to residents living between the rural communities of Weissenburg and Maryhill.
Construction of the new high-speed network started in January, according to SWIFT’s press release today, and is expected to…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Rogers Sports and Media’s Sportsnet and Canada Basketball yesterday unveiled plans to launch GLOBL JAM, an event they are calling “a first-of-its-kind international basketball showcase in Canada.”
Scheduled to take place in Toronto from July 5-10, GLOBL JAM “will shine the international spotlight on the game’s rising stars and feature women’s and men’s teams from around the world competing in an Under-23 tournament live at Mattamy Athletic Centre and broadcast nationally on Sportsnet,” explains a press release.
GLOBL JAM will also feature festivities at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto celebrating “the intersection of sport, art and culture”, as well…
Continue Reading
Freedom Mobile founder wants to buy the company back
TORONTO – Xplornet Communications Inc. is in talks with Rogers Communications Inc. about purchasing Shaw Communication Inc.’s Freedom Mobile, according to the Globe and Mail, which cites “three sources familiar with the talks.”
It was reported last week Rogers is in talks with potential buyers for Freedom. This news followed a statement from François-Philippe Champagne, the minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, which indicated he would not allow Rogers to acquire all of Shaw’s wireless assets.
Rogers needs approvals from the CRTC, Competition Bureau and ISED before it can…
Continue Reading
One is also a member of the Rogers Control Trust advisory committee
TORONTO – Two new directors have been nominated to Rogers Communication Inc.’s board along with the current directors, all of whom have been nominated for re-election at the company’s 2022 annual general meeting, which will be held on April 20.
According to a Rogers information circular, the board has set the number of directors to be elected at the upcoming meeting at 15.
In addition to the 13 current directors, David Robinson (above, left) and Dr. Mohamed Lachemi (right) have been nominated to be elected.
Robinson is a Rogers family…
Continue Reading
Collaborating on hybrid workplace communications and 5G innovation
TORONTO — Rogers and Microsoft announced today a five-year strategic alliance “to help enterprise and small and medium business customers accelerate digitization and take full advantage of hybrid work and 5G-enabled solutions,” according to a press release.
Rogers has selected Microsoft’s Azure platform “as its strategic cloud for infrastructure and technology workloads and will leverage Azure’s public cloud capabilities to power innovation, unlock new customer experiences and enable employees to collaborate with more agility across the organization,” the release reads.
As a result of this alliance, which builds on the two companies’ long-standing relationship, Rogers…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA and GATINEAU – The CRTC announced today Canadian television service providers can no longer distribute the Russian state-funded English-language channel RT (Russia Today) or RT France.
The Commission formally removed both channels from its list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution in Canada after determining their continued distribution “is not in the public interest,” according to a press release.
“RT’s programming is not consistent with the standards against which Canadian services are measured nor the policy objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act,” the release explains.
“The CRTC is also concerned with programming from a foreign country…
Continue Reading
Telecoms generally against ISED proposal for restricted areas around airports
By Amanda OYE
OTTAWA – Comments submitted to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (ISED) Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3800 MHz Band, show Canada’s telecoms are divided on which, if any, pro-competitive measures should be adopted for the 3800 MHz spectrum auction, expected to be held in 2023.
ISED proposed three options for competitive measures for the 3800 MHz auction – a 50 MHz set-aside, a 100 MHz cross-band cap (this would apply across the 3500 MHz and 3800 MHz bands), or both.
The set-aside option…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Following a three-year absence due to the global pandemic, Canadian Music Week’s Radio Active conference is returning as a live in-person event and will take place June 7-8 at the Intercontinental Centre Hotel in Toronto, CMW event organizers announced today.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, CMW and the Radio Active summit have not been held in-person since May 2019.
The audio conference Radio Active 2022 – The Future of Audio will feature more than 20 sessions available at the live in-person event and in a virtual on-demand format.
Featured speakers from North America, Europe and Australia include: Caroline Beasley…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications is in talks with potential buyers of Shaw Communications’ Freedom Mobile, although according to the Globe and Mail, these talks do not include Quebecor subsidiary Videotron.
The news comes following a statement earlier this month from François-Philippe Champagne, minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in which he said he would not allow Rogers to acquire all of Shaw’s wireless assets. (Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw still needs approval from ISED, the CRTC and the Competition Bureau.)
At a Scotia Bank conference the following week, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said Rogers found the statement to be…
Continue Reading
