QUISPAMSIS, NB — The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) said today it has called on the CRTC to stop Rogers Communications “from shutting down the satellite delivery of television signals to thousands of Canadians living in rural communities and the Far North.”
Just prior to the Commission’s March 24 approval of Rogers’ purchase of Shaw Communications, which includes Shaw Broadcast Services (SBS), “Shaw announced that a critical component of the SBS service, known as HITS-QT Plus, would be shut down by year end,” according to the CCSA’s press release.
The CCSA has been calling on the…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications earlier this month launched an initiative with Tree Canada that challenges Canadian gamers across the country to help turn digital trees into real ones, with the goal of planting up to 20,000 trees.
To help kick off Earth Month, last week Shaw teamed up with three professional gamers (MDee14, Ty_digital and Kate, pictured above, left to right) to plant as many virtual trees as they could during a one-hour Twitch stream. For every virtual tree planted, Shaw will plant a real tree with their…
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WIND MOBILE FOUNDER Anthony Lacavera (above) wants Canadians (and the federal government) to know he knows they deserve better.
In an open letter posted to his website, Lacavera argues Canada now has the “opportunity to permanently solve our decades-old mobile competition problem.”
That opportunity, of course, is centred around the sale of Freedom Mobile.
Early last month, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne issued a statement saying he would not allow Rogers Communications to acquire all of Shaw Communications’ wireless licences.
Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw requires approval from ISED, the Competition Bureau and the CRTC. (The CRTC is the…
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TORONTO and MUMBAI — QYou Media Inc. announced today The Q India is set to launch both its flagship Hindi channel The Q and its recently launched channel The Q Marathi to the global India diaspora via toober, a live TV app offering popular channels from around the world in more than 20 languages.
The toober app is currently available in Canada on Rogers, Shaw, Videotron and Apple TV. It is expected to soon be available on Roku and Android as well, according to a QYou Media press release.
Video broadcast solutions provider Nextologies Limited is the company behind…
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OTTAWA – The Government of Canada announced today is supporting affordable high-speed Internet in Canada through a second phase of the Connecting Families initiative.
“In partnership with 14 participating ISPs across the country that are voluntarily contributing to the initiative by offering $20 a month high-speed Internet services, the Government of Canada will help connect hundreds of thousands of low-income families and seniors to affordable high-speed Internet,” a press release explains.
The second phase of Connecting Families, which was originally announced last August, is introducing faster speeds, in line with the government’s connectivity strategy, which aims to ensure all Canadians…
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SEVERAL CANADIAN TELECOMS have decided to continue waiving fees for Canadians connecting to loved ones in Ukraine.
As Cartt.ca reported last month, many Canadian telecoms chose to waive fees for calls and texts from Canada to Ukraine, with several stating they intended to do so until the end of this month. Most, however, have now extended this deadline.
SaskTel announced last Friday it will continue to waive long-distance charges for wireless, landline and business calls from Canada to Ukraine, international text messages from Canada to Ukraine and roaming charges for calls, texts and data overages for customers currently in…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC today approved the broadcast side of the merger between Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, with several conditions attached.
The Commission concluded the transaction – when modified – “is in the public interest and advances the objectives set out for the Canadian broadcasting system in the Broadcasting Act,” its decision reads. “Canadians as consumers will benefit from this transaction.”
One of the conditions included in the decision requires Rogers to submit a revised tangible benefits proposal. Tangible benefits were a significant topic of discussion during the CRTC’s hearing last November.
Originally, Rogers proposed a tangible benefits package…
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“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…
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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…
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Also requests he make careful decisions about his participation in certain proceedings
GATINEAU – The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) today asked CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott directly to resolve a backlog of CRTC decisions and to consider his participation in certain Commission proceedings.
In a letter filed today via GCKey, which Cartt.ca has received a copy of, CNOC asks Scott “to resolve the Commission’s backlog of competition moving decisions as soon as possible,” arguing the CRTC “has accumulated a severe backlog of pending decisions and / or inactive proceedings that involve matters that are critical to…
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