By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Between losing a fourth wireless player in a merger and difficulty negotiating with big telecoms on leasing wireless network capacity, smaller carriers and their representatives told members of the industry committee Tuesday that the one-two punch of divesting Freedom Mobile in a Rogers-Shaw combination and mandating wireless negotiations with service-based operators could spell the last vestige of hope for a competitive telecom environment.
Appearing before the committee studying the Rogers-Shaw merger proposal, Matt Stein, who is head of the Competitive Network Operators of Canada, an industry group representing smaller internet service providers (as well as president…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Underlying witness testimony at Wednesday’s Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology meeting into the proposed merger between Rogers and Shaw was the message that there are things the government can control in the event the massive cable and wireless combination gets regulatory approval.
That includes policies on requiring facilities-based telecoms to negotiate with service-based mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which the CRTC is still reviewing, and which federal cabinet can send back if it doesn’t like the Commission’s call; spectrum transfers and radio wave restrictions on the merging entities; open access to towers and backhaul…
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Merger presents a great opportunity for Minister Champagne
By Konrad von Finckenstein
ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS ANNOUNCED on March 15th its intention to buy Shaw Communications for $26 billion, and of course the transaction must be approved by the CRTC, the Competition Bureau and the Minister of Industry, Science, and Innovation.
The three entities will undoubtedly consult with each other and co-operate. Logically the Competition Bureau would go first, the CRTC second and the Minister last.
The CRTC approval should be relatively routine. Shaw is a BDU but has no broadcasting assets, having divested them to Corus. Thus, there are no benefits payable under CRTC…
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By Ken Kelley
TORONTO – Bell Canada CEO Mirko Bibic insists his company isn’t the least bit troubled about the potential tie-up between Rogers and Shaw. While the jury – namely the CRTC, the Competition Bureau and ISED – considers the ramifications of such a deal upon the Canadian competitive landscape, Bibic says Bell plans to continue pushing forward and won’t let the merger distract from its normal course of business.
“ doesn’t change our strategy at all. In fact, I think it reinforces that we’re on the right track,” Bibic said during his appearance at Scotiabank’s 24th annual…
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Trying to make 2+2=5
By Greg O’Brien
OTTAWA – There’s essentially nothing the politicians can do directly about the proposed purchase of Shaw Communications by Rogers Communications because the arbiters are the CRTC, Competition Bureau and ISED. But that would never stop them from extracting their pound of flesh from powerful CEOs, if they so desire. And they desired.
So it was on Monday when Joe Natale, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, and Brad Shaw, CEO of Shaw Communications (along with other senior executives) faced the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and attempted to explain to mostly dubious MPs…
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By Catherine Edwards
IN THE LEAD UP TO the Broadcasting Act review, Canada’s five associations representing the community element (two TV, three radio) were dismayed the Creative Canada Policy Framework, the Shattered Mirror, and the Broadcast and Telecom Legislative Review reports barely mention community broadcasting, despite it being one of the three pillars of the system.
This omission was significant. The community element is uniquely positioned to address the most pressing issues that face our broadcasting system:
the lack of local programming outside major population centres
the lack of programming made by and for minorities, especially Indigenous communities
…
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VICTORIA — The government of British Columbia announced Friday the awarding of provincial funding to CityWest and Shaw Communications for broadband projects that will help deliver improved Internet connectivity to people living in several B.C. coastal communities.
The broadband improvement projects are part of the province’s $1.5-billion “StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan” which was announced in September 2020. At that time, the B.C. government expanded its Connecting British Columbia program with a $90-million grant to encourage investment in broadband and cellular infrastructure in rural and Indigenous communities throughout B.C.
On Friday, the B.C. government announced Internet service provider CityWest will receive…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Independent internet service provider TekSavvy said this week a lower court made an error when, for the first time, it ordered Canada’s ISPs to block the websites of an alleged copyright infringer.
That’s because the Federal Court, in ordering the blocking of websites associated with alleged IPTV infringer GoldTV, leaned too much toward the rights of the copyright holders at the possible expense of free expression and the impact it could have on legitimate content, it alleged in a two-day hearing at the Federal Court of Appeal this week.
TekSavvy is challenging the first site-blocking order…
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TORONTO — In its third report, released today, the C.D. Howe Institute’s new telecommunications policy working group — which includes executives from Bell, Rogers, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and Shaw, among others — says cellular phone services have seen a 25% price drop over the past five years, which they say meets Ottawa’s mandated wireless rate cut.
That means, the group says, it’s time to shift the focus of telecom policy debates to other issues, such as the modernization of the CRTC and rate-setting challenges for mandated access.
Citing data from Statistics Canada’s consumer price index, the telecom group says cellular services…
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By Ken Kelley
MONTREAL – Not that we expected otherwise, but there was no dodging the Rogers-Shaw elephant in the room when Cogeco president and CEO Philippe Jetté spoke during the Desjardins’ Group annual Industrials, TMT & Consumer virtual conference Tuesday.
In fact the session’s moderator, analyst Jerome Debreuil, ripped off the band-aid straight away, asking Jetté if he expected Cogeco would be interested in bidding on any wireless assets Rogers may be forced to divest as part of the tie-up.
“There’s a great deal of uncertainty as far as we’re concerned, as to whether the deal will be approved and…
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