Bureau notes past Shaw comments about its influence in the market
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau has asked the Federal Court to compel the disclosure of records from four telecoms related to its inquiry into the proposed purchase of Shaw by Rogers.
The competition watchdog filed the first in a possible series of document requests on July 22, which, if approved, will force Bell, Telus, Quebecor, and Xplornet (respondents) to disclose related information on mobile wireless activity in the shared operating provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba, and outside.
That information, which falls roughly within the timeframe between…
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By Denis Carmel
IN A DECISION RENDERED last Thursday, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) dismissed an application for judicial review that had been brought by six broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) and partially granted an application made by a group of nine collective societies.
The appeals stem from a decision from the Copyright Board of Canada (the Board), issued in August 2019 relating to royalties for the period 2014–2018.
In Canada, cable providers (BDUs) can distribute local over-the-air television signals for free and without permission from the signal owner. But, in the case of distant signals, the BDUs can distribute without permission…
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Telus fastest mobile operator during the quarter
SEATTLE — Shaw Communications and Rogers Communications were the fastest fixed broadband providers in Canada in the second quarter of 2021, according to Seattle-based broadband and mobile network testing company Ookla, which released its Q2 2021 Canada Market Report today.
Using Speedtest Intelligence data from the second quarter, Ookla gave Shaw and Rogers speed scores of 181.66 and 179.95, respectively, for their fixed broadband network performance. Ookla’s speed score incorporates measurements of each provider’s download and upload speeds to rank network speed performance, with 90% of the final score being attributed to download…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications announced today Suncor will be the first presenting sponsor of its Shaw Charity Classic golf tournament which, after being cancelled last year due to Covid-19, is returning to Calgary in August.
“The Shaw Charity Classic presented by Suncor promises to play a key role in building our community back stronger from the pandemic,” said Sean Van Kesteren, the tournament’s executive director, in a press release.
Since its inception in 2013, the Shaw Charity Classic has raised more than $61.1 million for Alberta youth charities, primarily through its Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink charitable program.
“Over the…
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CityWest, meanwhile, seeks to be its own last-mile provider
By Ahmad Hathout
Shaw Communications wants to, in some capacity, get involved in British Columbia’s $45.4-million Connected Coast fibre project, according to a briefing note obtained by Cartt.ca.
The company has asked the project’s main proponents, Prince Rupert’s CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District, to “partner to accelerate the delivery of service and/or as a key wholesale customer,” according to the note, written ahead of a February 3, 2021 meeting between company officials and B.C.’s Ministry of Citizens’ Services, which manages broadband in the province.
CityWest and Strathcona had chosen Baylink Networks as the prime…
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TORONTO — Following its annual members’ meeting, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced the appointment of Jason Badal, Sanae Takahashi and Chantale Coulombe to its board of directors.
Badal is currently director of the multinational merchants segment at Shopify and prior to that was head of business affairs and development at Rogers Media (before it was called Rogers Sports and Media) and Sportsnet. Before that, he was director of business and legal affairs at Score Media, before it was acquired by Rogers Media.
Now retired, Takahashi is an experienced strategic planner and marketing professional with 20 years of executive experience…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications last week posted a revenue increase of 4.8% to $1.38 billion for the company’s third quarter of 2021, which ended on May 31st, compared to the same quarter in 2020.
The company also saw an increase of 5.4% to $642 million, in its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in the quarter. Shaw’s Q3 results included what it called “incremental wireline consumer revenue of approximately $20 million related to the release of a provision following the CRTC decision on final aggregated third party internet access (TPIA) rates.”
“Our third quarter and year-to-date results reflect…
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Start.ca wants government to overturn decision; CNOC launches email campaign
CHATHAM, LONDON and OTTAWA — On Monday, independent ISP TekSavvy Solutions filed a notice of motion with the Federal Court of Appeal seeking leave to appeal the CRTC’s recent wholesale third-party Internet access (TPIA) rates decision which reversed the Commission’s August 2019 decision to lower the rates.
Monday was the deadline for parties to file a court appeal against the Commission’s decision.
TekSavvy has already filed a petition to cabinet in May, asking for the CRTC’s 2019 final rates order to be reinstated. In its petition, TekSavvy also asks for CRTC…
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WITH THE CANADA DAY holiday coming Thursday, Cartt.ca will not be publishing its regular newsletter that day.
We’ll still be following the news this week, of course. For example, Corus Entertainment and Shaw Communications will be releasing their third quarter results on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. And, we’ll tell you about whatever happens (or doesn’t) to Bill C-10 at the Senate, among other things.
Cartt.ca will also have a special announcement of its own on Monday, July 5.
Our regular newsletter will return on Tuesday, July 6.
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By Greg O’Brien
CHATHAM, Ont. – Back in 2017, the official reason former Ontario CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan was finally removed from his position is because he met privately and “inappropriately” with a person who had applied for a radio station licence prior to the decision on a licence being officially announced.
Readers of Cartt.ca back then will remember the whole story was longer and much more complicated than that (and we’re not going to rehash it here), but today, independent ISP TekSavvy said it has filed additional evidence with the federal government showing CRTC chair Ian Scott met inappropriately with…
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