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…
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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…
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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…
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TORONTO — Rogers Communications and Sheridan College announced today a new two-year partnership that will focus on 5G autonomous vehicle research and development through Sheridan’s Centre for Mobile Innovation (CMI), located at the college’s Trafalgar Road Campus in Oakville, Ont.
The collaboration “will involve studying the potential of integrating navigation, diagnostics, and infotainment systems into autonomous vehicles over new 5G wireless technologies and networks, and research into the areas of intelligent transport systems in a multi-user-environment,” explains a press release.
“Sheridan is thrilled to partner with Rogers on this exciting new research,” said Andrea England, vice-provost of research at Sheridan, in…
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CREATORS CAN NOW apply to take part in the first Northern Canada Producer Accelerator (NCPA), a joint program between the Yukon and Northwest Territories, which was announced today by Screen Production Yukon Association, Northwest Territories Professional Media Association, Yukon Media Development, and the Northwest Territories Film Commission.
“Produced by Access Canada, the NCPA will offer training, mentorship, networking, and market access for up to ten (10) content producers in the Yukon and Northwest Territories,” a press release says.
“In order to ensure it is best positioned to address the unique needs of Canada’s northern producers, the NCPA will work closely with…
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By Ken Kelley
WITH LAST WEEK’S news that Disney intends to roll-out a cheaper, ad-supported tier of Disney+, Corus Entertainment CEO Doug Murphy (above) sees the move as a full circle moment.
“The market is waking up to the fact the bloom is coming off the streaming rose,” Murphy told Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan during the bank’s annual TMT (telecom, media and technology) Conference.
While subsequently qualifying his statement to say he considers Disney to be the smartest operator of all digital platforms thanks to how the company segments its offerings on Disney+ while also preserving its channels business, he…
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The Field of Dreams business philosophy
By Mark Goldberg
IF YOU BUILD IT he will come.
Often misquoted as “If you build it, they will come”, the mantra from “Field of Dreams” has become a metaphor driving many business plans.
Unfortunately, reality shows that if you build it, whatever “it” may be, you improve the chances for them, whoever “them” may be, to come.
The Field of Dreams business case philosophy has been a driving force behind many government broadband programs. Just get broadband built, people will sign up. Build broadband pipes into this community and knowledge-based workers will work from home. Build municipal…
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VANCOUVER – While Rogers Communications has been working on its acquisition of Shaw Communications, Telus has been accelerating its broadband build program in the hopes of grabbing market share ahead the proposed deal’s approval.
“We knew the timeline for… going through the process of approval was 18 months to two years, and then they’ve got a post-acquisition integration effort,” said Tony Geheran (above), executive vice-president and chief operations officer at Telus, in an interview with Cartt.ca.
Based on this, in May 2021, Telus announced it would invest an additional $1.5 billion in capital expenditures over 18 months. This pulled forward…
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Interventions suggest scope of CRTC hearing could be appropriately widened
OTTAWA – The CRTC’s decision on the future of the Russian state-funded English-language news service RT is unlikely to have a significant impact, Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. (ECGL) argues in an intervention submitted to the CRTC yesterday.
RT came to Canada in 2009 after ECGL applied to add it to the Commission’s list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution in Canada.
The CRTC received an order from the Governor in Council last week, asking it to “hold a hearing to determine whether RT (formally known as Russia Today)…
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ROGERS PRESIDENT AND CEO Tony Staffieri (above, centre) is “unsurprised” François-Philippe Champagne, the minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said he would not allow the company to acquire all of Shaw Communications’ wireless licences last week.
Speaking with Scotiabank telecom analyst Jeff Fan (right) at the bank’s telecom, media and technology conference this afternoon, along with Glenn Brandt (left), Rogers’ chief financial officer, Staffieri said the statement was actually “very helpful in terms of articulating their broad view, which is on the wireless side, what they’d like to see is a continued fourth player in the marketplace.”
Overall, Staffieri told…
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