Auction starts today
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The strings attached to the federal government’s 3.5 GHz spectrum, whose auction beginning today will repurpose portions of it for mobile wireless use, include a speed-to-deployment component that complements federal policy to accelerate connectivity throughout the country by the end of the decade.
Winners of the auction, which Innovation Canada said will take “several weeks,” will have to deploy the spectrum largely within the 2030 timeframe for which the federal government hopes to provide access to all Canadians to high-speed internet.
While the focus is largely on what the 3.5 GHz spectrum will do for…
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Why we can’t allow two companies who don’t lead, to merge
By Brad Danks
IF YOU HEARD A PRIMAL scream coming from across the country during your morning coffee last Thursday, no doubt it came from people like me who were reading the article in this publication entitled, Why more Canadian media consolidation is a must, summarizing a report from Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan that recommends the merger of Bell Media and Corus Entertainment.
It’s not clear whether this is an idea actually being considered by those companies, the banks or major investors or if it is just a random report…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications today announced an open call for Calgary-based 2SLGBTQ+ artists and muralists to participate in the second annual Shaw Pride Marches On public art installation at Central Memorial Park in recognition of Calgary Pride.
Beginning today and extending through Friday, July 9, artists in the Calgary area are encouraged to submit their proposal, including a 250-word description and illustration of their work. Four artists or artist teams will be selected later this summer.
Once selected, the four artists and groups will install their artwork on August 19 at the four corners of Central Memorial Park, the site of…
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Why Telus is dumping copper, quickly
By Greg O’Brien
EDMONTON – Telus is spending big over the next couple of years to push fibre optics more deeply into its network than ever before, perhaps even more deeply than most other telcos around the world.
Zainul Mawji, the company’s executive vice-president home solutions (and one of the highest-ranking women in Canadian telecom), has been at the tip of the company’s fibre spear since it began its PureFibre push in 2013. “I was employee number two on that particular foray in our organization,” she told Cartt.ca in a late May interview.
“We had very high…
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MONTREAL – Stingray Group announced this week it has partnered with Shaw Communications to make its Stingray Music TV app available to all Shaw’s IPTV customers across Western Canada.
Starting Friday, Shaw customers gained access to 2,000 curated channels in over 100 genres including pop, rock, hip-hop, indie, country music and more at no extra cost, reads the announcement.
The Stingray Music TV app invites users to combine up to three filters among activity, mood, theme, genre and era. “Each combination returns a tailored selection of corresponding channels to choose from as well as additional suggestions they may also like. Users…
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CALGARY — With the Shaw Charity Classic golf tournament resuming play this summer, Shaw Communications is again asking Canadians to “Chip in for Kids” by donating via text to more than 200 kids and youth charities in Alberta.
When last year’s tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Shaw created the Chip in for Kids program as part of its charitable platform Shaw Birdies for Kids to encourage people to continue supporting Alberta charities through the Shaw Charity Classic Foundation.
Starting today through to August 15, Canadians can donate $10 by texting KIDS to 30333. Shaw will match every donation…
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Government must look before it leaps with C-10
By Monica Auer
THE DECISION BY THE Minister of Canadian Heritage several weeks ago to drop explicit protection for user-generated content uploaded to social media sites from Bill C-10 led to more attention being focussed on the new Broadcasting Act it would create.
In plain language, the Minister’s change means that while users themselves would not be subject to that Act, it would govern social media services “whose broadcasting consists only of” user-uploaded content. Even if the CRTC is unlikely to demand content posted by millions of Canadians on Facebook or YouTube meet its…
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Angry competitive ISPs say prices and regulatory distrust will increase
By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – Large independent internet service provider TekSavvy, having been in the process of building its fibre facilities, was gearing up for next month’s critical 3.5 GHz spectrum auction. In January, competitive ISP Distributel purchased telecom Primus. And several other competitive ISPs reduced their prices in light of what they anticipated would be a new era of lower wholesale internet fees.
But those business decisions were based on the assumption the CRTC would choose lower bulk internet purchase rates that at least were between the interim rates set in…
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By Ken Kelley
TORONTO – It’s not surprising the proposed Rogers-Shaw merger would be one of the first topics that Rogers president and CEO Joe Natale would tackle at the TD Securities’ virtual Telecom and Media Conference on Wednesday.
While the merger still has a number of regulatory hurdles to clear, including the Competition Bureau, ISED Canada and the CRTC, it did chalk up a victory earlier this week when the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta gave the merger the green light. The court’s approval followed an overwhelming thumbs up from Shaw’s shareholders last week.
“We’re very delighted with…
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By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – The CRTC’s second attempt at determining the wholesale costs of internet capacity will determine whether or not third party internet access providers can lower customer rates, if it continues to allow the big telecoms to execute on network investment decisions, or if it elicits yet more appeals.
Striking the right balance on rates for competition and network investment is not only a goal of the Regulator, but it’s a requirement under a cabinet direction from 2020. And Thursday’s upcoming decision – coupled with the CRTC’s decision to force open the big wireless networks to regional carriers…
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