Bell and cablecos argue Cabinet proves them right
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Independent and incumbent internet service providers have filed letters to the Federal Court of Appeal explaining the impact of the Federal Cabinet’s decision last weekend on the CRTC’s decision to slash wholesale internet rates and whether it should factor into the court’s ultimate decision.
On August 15, one year following the decision by the CRTC to slash wholesale internet rates, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) said the Regulator’s decision “do not, in all instances, appropriately balance the policy objectives of the wholesale services framework” and that in…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA — In the third installment of its series of reports looking at network traffic volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) says Canadians continued to use telecom services in June and July at higher rates than before Covid-19.
“The gradual relaxation of mobility restrictions across the country are reflected in the increase in mobile network traffic, with median wireless traffic exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels. Meanwhile, despite some businesses and public spaces reopening, wireline traffic volumes continue to show that many Canadians are still relying heavily on home internet services to stay connected to their workplaces, families,…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The Canadian Football League officially called off its 2020 season today after being turned down by the federal government for a special bailout. The league and its players were hoping to play a shortened season using Winnipeg as a bubble city for all games.
“Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future,” said league commissioner Randy Ambrosie in a press release. “We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL.”
Losing…
Continue Reading
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – At 9 a.m. Saturday, the federal government released its ruling on the cabinet appeal of the CRTC’s August 15, 2019 decision on new wholesale rates third party internet access ISPs must pay incumbent network operators.
It required a few readings to understand.
A year ago today, the CRTC issued an order setting the final rates for wholesale internet access (including over $300 million in retroactive payments) and the large ISPs did not like it one bit. They appealed it to cabinet, consistent with section 12 of the Telecommunications Act. The Act also says that Cabinet…
Continue Reading
Telus supports Bell’s plan to strike Matrix from the record
By Greg O’Brien
GATINEAU – Of the 11 organizations to respond to the CRTC’s request for comment on Bell Canada’s demand to strike a key economic report from the public record of the wireless policy review proceeding, only one supports the idea.
Bell has asked the Commission to remove a report from the official record of the policy review which underpins the Competition Bureau’s submission to the CRTC that a modified, but mandated, mobile virtual network operator regime must be established. The Bureau’s final comments and the report done by Matrix Economics…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The CRTC announced this afternoon over 10,100 households in rural Manitoba, the Yukon and Northwest Territories will soon get access to improved broadband.
The Commission’s Broadband Fund will contribute $72 million to the selected five projects which will cover 51 communities, the majority of which are Indigenous. The total size of the fund is $750 million, to be distributed over five years, and the Regulator is currently considering applications made to its second round of funding.
The money from this first round will go to Broadband Communications North for a satellite project in northern Manitoba, and to Bell Canada…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) announced Tuesday its new original production Level Playing Field, hosted by Paralympian Greg Westlake, will debut on AMI-tv on September 7.
Consisting of eight half-hour episodes, the series celebrates the power of sports by introducing audiences to the athletes, community groups, healthcare professionals and grassroots innovators across the country who are helping to drive positive change through sport.
The premiere episode features Rob Shaw, a 30-year-old para-athlete from North Bay, Ont., who has been playing tennis competitively from a young age and coaching, including coaching wheelchair tennis. After sustaining a spinal cord injury which resulted…
Continue Reading
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Moviegoers in Oxford County, Ont., have been enjoying a drive-in movie experience this summer at the newly restored Oxford Drive In, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and local telecom provider Execulink Telecom announced Tuesday it is now the Platinum Season Sponsor for the outdoor movie theatre.
“We pride ourselves on being fiercely local and supporting local initiatives that better our communities,” said Ian Stevens, president and CEO of Execulink Telecom, in the news release. “Oxford County is full of kind, hard-working people who deserve peace of mind in knowing they’re staying safe while enjoying all that summer has…
Continue Reading
By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – In May, Eastlink challenged CRTC Telecom Order 2020-660 issued in February where the Commission denied a request from Eastlink to impose customer credit limits that would help Eastlink mitigate delinquent third party internet access customers.
The Halifax-based company filed the application requesting the CRTC review and vary the decision, in light of the pandemic and the financial situation the crisis has created.
After requests for information and procedural requests, the final deadline to file intervention was pushed back to July 24.
In interventions, Shaw and Videotron agreed with Eastlink saying the Commission was wrong in denying…
Continue Reading
Rogers in favour of transport subsidies for rural fund
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Rogers and Bell are among those in favour of a “flexible” approach for the use of the Federal government’s yet-to-be-announced $1 billion Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) to support rural backbone, transport and last-mile projects, according to Rogers and a briefing note prepared for the rural economic development minister.
In a stakeholder page on its website, ISED asks those providing feedback on the program’s design to answer questions including: “In situations where government is only funding backbone investments, how could last-mile investments be facilitated?” And, “Are there particular…
Continue Reading
