GATINEAU – The current wholesale broadband access regime has made it very difficult for new IPTV providers to compete against incumbents, argued independent ISP/IPTV provider VMedia in appearance before the CRTC’s Fibre Hearing on Friday.
Company representatives said that costing under capacity-based billing (CBB) doesn’t make sense for them and the resulting inconsistent rates affect its ability to offer a triple-play bundle of voice, Internet and TV at prices that are competitive with the incumbents.
In its opening remarks, VMedia provided details about rates it would be required to pay to access facilities from an incumbent to replicate current incumbent IPTV…
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GATINEAU – Cogeco Cable says it doesn’t need to be all or nothing when it comes to regulating wholesale access to incumbent broadband facilities. The company told the CRTC Thursday morning that establishing a framework which encourages negotiation while providing a reference rate as a backstop could help stimulate more wholesale competition.
“We’re proposing something that will actually help the markets move from a current situation with regulation to a completely deregulated market. We think we need some steps along the way so that’s why we’re proposing this approach,“ said Philippe Jetté, senior VP of technology and strategy…
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OTTAWA – While official spectrum license transfer applications were filed by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications in early September, sources tell Cartt.ca senior officials at Industry Canada have let Rogers executives know they’re unlikely to be granted control of Shaw Communications’ unused AWS wireless spectrum.
In January of 2013, as part of a larger deal, Rogers bought an option from the Calgary-based company to acquire its AWS spectrum in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Northern Ontario to be exercised when the moratorium on its sale expires. It ended September 1st and the two companies applied to…
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TORONTO – When the Xbox 360 app for Rogers/Shaw’s shomi subscription video-on-demand service is launched next week, it will be thanks largely to Digiflare, a Toronto-based TV Everywhere app developer.
Digiflare has been working with the shomi project team for the last several months on the design and implementation of the shomi Xbox 360 application, expected to be officially launched on Dec. 2. Digiflare also contributed previously to the front-end design and implementation of the shomi.com website launched in early November and is working currently on a Chromecast app, which as of yet has no announced release date.
“From our standpoint,…
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TORONTO – TV programmers and BDUs should consider their TV Everywhere offerings as a way to retain paid TV subscribers, in the face of increasing consumer use of OTT services and the continuing trend toward channel-trimming and cable-cutting.
That was the consensus among broadcasting industry experts who spoke at CTAM Canada’s 2014 Broadcaster Forum, held on Wednesday at the Sony Centre in downtown Toronto. More than 250 were in attendance.
Gord Hendren, president and CEO of Charlton Strategic Research in Toronto, presented research done earlier this year which indicates the vast majority of paid TV subscribers are very likely…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications has reached a commercial agreement with the City of Campbell River in B.C. to extend Shaw Go WiFi into municipal buildings and public areas within the coming months.
The five-year non-exclusive deal will see Shaw Go WiFi hotspots installed in City Hall, Tidemark Theatre, Willow Point SportsPlex, Campbell River Community Centre, Campbell River Museum, the Maritime Heritage Centre and the Discovery Pier. The City of Campbell River will continue to supply free WiFi at the airport, City Hall and the Community Centre using its own network and third-party installations.
There is no cost to the City, and…
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TORONTO – With statistics continuing to be dismal regarding the number of women in senior management positions in Canadian businesses, Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) is hoping its Protégé Project will give a well-needed career boost to executive-minded women in the communications, media and technology industries.
WCT announced Wednesday it has begun to accept applications for the Protégé Project, which was created in partnership with Shaw Communications and non-profit organization Catalyst Canada. The idea of the Protégé Project is to match senior women executives with C-level executives who will act as sponsors, providing networking opportunities to help…
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OTTAWA – Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) is now accepting applications for The Protégé Project, a pioneering new program designed to spur female leadership in Canada’s communications, media and technology sectors.
A partnership with Shaw Communications and global non-profit organization Catalyst Canada, The Protégé Project will see fast-tracking senior women executives matched with powerful sponsors who will give them a leg-up to the industry’s top decision-making positions and a direct line to influence innovation in the digital economy.
Communications, media and technology companies acknowledge that their boards and senior management ranks are falling far short when it comes to welcoming women,…
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TORONTO – Members of the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) voted 73.7% in favour of joining the United Steelworkers (USW) in a referendum vote counted Friday.
The TWU represents 12,000 members across Canada who work for telecommunications companies including Telus and Shaw Communications, as well as employers in related telecommunications sectors. The USW is a diverse private-sector union with 225,000 members working in every region and sector in Canada.
The merger agreement takes formal effect on January 1, 2015, but both unions said that they will kick off joint activities immediately. The agreement includes strong, mutual commitments around collective bargaining, education, organizing…
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TORONTO – Canada needs an autonomous Internet infrastructure that keeps local web traffic routed within the country’s borders as much as possible, said Jacques Latour, chief technology officer for the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), during a presentation at the Canadian ISP Summit in Toronto on Monday afternoon.
Latour said too much of Canadian Internet traffic flows south of the border through major U.S. cities, such as New York, Chicago and Seattle.
“If for some reason there’s an attack against the U.S., like a cyber-attack, and they decide to shut down the borders, in Canada we’re screwed,” Latour said….
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