OTTAWA – On Friday, the Federal Court of Appeal granted a temporary stay of CRTC Telecom Order 2019-288, the decision which set new, lower, wholesale rates for third party internet access providers and also forced the incumbent network operators to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in retroactive fees to the independent resellers.
Cable companies Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco, Videoton and Eastlink were the first to file for a stay as well as for leave to appeal the CRTC decision, as we reported here. Bell Canada has also filed its own appeal application…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Bell Media’s Discovery will be on a month-long free preview from October 10 to November 7.
Along with the free preview release, Discovery announced new seasons of two of its marquee Canadian series. Season nine of Highway Thru Hell will begin production this fall and Mighty Trains is already in production on season four, with filming taking place in Peru, Japan, Serbia, and other regions.
The free preview is available via participating television service providers including Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, SaskTel, and others.
www.discovery.ca
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – As part of its campaign pledge to “make life affordable for Canadian families,” the federal Liberal Party says that if it remains in power following next month’s election, it will “take strong action” to have cellphone bills reduced by 25% within four years and save a family of four nearly $1,000 a year.
To reach that target, the Liberals say they will “work with telecom companies to offer plans comparable to global prices,” along with an unlimited family plan, according to their party’s platform on cellphone bills released Sunday.
The governing party also targets…
Continue Reading
KELOWNA – Offering television is still a must, but it’s time to move away from the old-fashioned way it’s still structured and priced, according to the closing panel of the annual 2019 Canadian Communication Systems Alliance conference.
In the Tuesday session titled “embracing the future of video”, four panelists told delegates there remain good reasons why network operators shouldn’t (yet) walk away from TV in favour of just offering customers a broadband pipe (leaving them to find video on their own, likely with the help of one or more of the Silicon Valley tech and content giants). While broadband earns…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Saying the CRTC has erred in law and jurisdiction five different ways, Canada’s incumbent cable operators have filed for leave to appeal the recent CRTC decision on aggregated wholesale internet rates. The companies have also filed for a stay of that Commission decision (Telecom Order 2019-288), as well, until a decision on the appeal is set.
Having spent billions of dollars over the years on their networks, Rogers, Shaw, Vidéotron, Cogeco and Eastlink say the rates the Commission has set are below their costs – and the retroactive amount to be paid back…
Continue Reading
Rogers Infinte customers surpass 750,000
TORONTO – A handful of Canadian telecom executives didn’t hold back on their thoughts about the CRTC’s ruling on wholesale internet, MVNOs and more during BMO’s 20th Annual Media and Telecom Conference, held Tuesday.
“The footprint as a…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Expect network investment to plummet, the growth of the digital economy in Canada to stall and an invasion of well-heeled foreign broadband resellers if the recent CRTC decision on third party internet access wholesale rates is not overturned, says a report published this week by TD Securities.
While saying he expects the decision to be challenged and overturned or at least revised, TD telecom and media analyst Vince Valentini pulls no punches in his analysis, saying the Commission-set wholesale rates and retroactive rebates are bad for the incumbent carriers, their customers and Canada as…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Broadcaster Asian Television Network says it is continuing to feel the sting of piracy as its revenue continues to decline, but that it is hopeful the Broadcast and Telecom Legislative Review Panel might have a lifeline for it come January.
For the second quarter, ended June 30, operating revenue came in at $2.9 million, down from $3.9 million in the second quarter of 2018. Net loss for the period came in at $941,000, more than double Q2 2018’s $426,000.
“Declining revenues are predominantly as a result of increased internet piracy and consumers shifting towards illegal digital IPTV set-top…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Canadian BDUs recently began telling customers as of September 30th, both Cosmo TV and the Independent Film Channel will cease broadcasting because owner Corus Entertainment has decided to shut them down.
According to Corus filings with the CRTC, the two specialty services were showing some profit, but those, along with their subscriber numbers, were shrinking, meaning they weren’t earning enough to make it worthwhile to renew their licensing deals.
Cosmo TV (which licenced the Hearst Publishing Cosmopolitan magazine brand in Canada) had 2.5 million subscribers as of the end of August 2018 (the most recent figures available) and earned…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications today said Freedom Mobile has launched its LTE network in eight more western Canadian cities.
“We are excited to invite the residents of Lethbridge, Kamloops, Vernon, Prince Rupert, Penticton, Courtenay, Comox, and Campbell River to join Freedom Mobile and experience our fast LTE network on the fair and affordable data plans that are disrupting the Canadian wireless market,” said Paul McAleese, Shaw’s wireless president, in the press release.
As part of its expansion, Freedom Mobile is offering introductory pricing on Big Gig Unlimited plans to residents in each of the cities, which added…
Continue Reading
