By Ahmad Hathout
The mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) regime, once confined to individual consumers and small businesses, has been expanded to include internet of things (IoT) and enterprise customers now that the CRTC on Wednesday ordered the large telecoms to modify their tariffs to enable competitors to wholesale network space to serve those particlar clients.
The regulator affirmed Wednesday its preliminary view that the IoT segment, which includes the machine-to-machine market, and the enterprise market, defined as companies with 100 or more paid employees, see similar market dynamics as the rest of the segments under regulation –…
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The chief technology and information officer (CTIO) for Rogers has retired from the company late this summer, Rogers confirmed.
Ron McKenzie was brought on in July 2022 as the cable giant’s CTO to replace Jorge Fernandes in the wake of the Rogers network outage that knocked out services for millions of Canadians, which prompted a regulatory study and the company announcing billions of dollars in network resiliency initiatives.
“Being the CTIO of Rogers has been an incredible honour with such a long history of innovation,” McKenzie said in a LinkedIn post. “Leading the best Technology team in the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Organizations representing news media and their workers are warning the CRTC not to redirect any of the $100 million they were earmarked by Google toward public interest participation in CRTC proceedings related to news linking matters.
The Broadcasting Participation Fund (BPF), which bankrolls public interest participation in CRTC proceedings, filed a Part 1 application this summer requesting that the commission expand its mandate to include matters pertaining to large technology platforms that must pay to link to Canadian news content under the Online News Act. Google has already agreed to put an annual inflation-indexed $100…
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Corus Entertainment’s Global Edmonton TV station, which launched as independent ITV (CITV-TV) on Sept. 1, 1974, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend with special programming.
Starting Aug. 30 and all weekend long, Global Edmonton will feature on-air celebrations, reporters and anchors sharing their favourite stories, and photos from the archive. More than 90 alumni will be in the studio for a special cake cutting, says an emailed Corus announcement Tuesday.
“Launched in 1974, this new television station signed on to deliver to Edmonton viewers a new look, a local focus, and programming that had never been seen before,” Corus’s announcement…
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Recent news headlines illustrate that emergencies can strike with little warning and alarming regularity, highlighting the need in Canada for advanced public safety communication networks.
The Role of Ericsson
Ericsson, a global leader in telecommunications, has significantly contributed to the standardization of wireless communications. The company’s 70-year presence in Canada underscores its commitment to providing innovative solutions that cater to the unique needs of the Canadian landscape, particularly in being a major contributor to R&D in Canada, but also in enabling communications infrastructure in the country. Ericsson will collaborate with major wireless service providers, as well as myriad stakeholders to innovate…
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By Connie Thiessen
Corus Entertainment has filed a complaint with the CRTC, alleging Rogers’ undue disadvantage in the wake of its merger last year with Shaw Communications, is leading it to engage “in predatory behaviour, enabled by dominant size and scale, to foreclose on potential competition.”
The Part 1 application, published in redacted form on the CRTC website on Monday, focuses specifically on Rogers move to offer the ad-supported version of Disney+ to existing Ignite TV customers, which Corus says is part of an effort to lure subscribers away from its Disney-themed specialty channels. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Rogers has “actively favoured Disney+ over Corus’ Disney-themed channels when subscribers attempt to search for content;…
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Roku announced Wednesday it has recently hired Ivan Pehar as its new ad sales director for Canada.
Pehar most recently served as the head of Canada ad sales at Spotify, a position he left earlier this summer. As country manager at Spotify Canada, Pehar “played a pivotal role in developing its go-to-market strategy for Canadian brands,” reads an emailed Roku announcement about his hiring at the streamer.
Prior to joining Spotify in late 2019, Pehar was head of revenue and agency partnerships at Twitter’s Canadian office, where he advocated for the integration of social media into marketing strategies, according to Roku’s…
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Corus Entertainment announced Wednesday it is eliminating the position of executive vice president and chief revenue officer currently held by Greg McLelland, who will step down from the role effective Aug. 31.
The move will see Barb McKergow taking on the expanded role of senior vice president of advertising for Corus, reporting to co-CEO Troy Reeb and joining the media company’s senior leadership team. Her appointment is effective Sept. 1.
In her expanded role, McKergow will oversee all advertising sales, revenue management, research, advanced advertising and data teams at Corus.
Corus said in a press release the refining of…
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The CRTC in a decision last week denied an April 2023 application from a group of six public interest organizations asking the commission to accelerate the payment of tangible benefits allocated to the Broadcasting Participation Fund (BPF) as part of the CRTC’s March 2022 approval of Rogers’s acquisition of Shaw’s broadcasting assets.
The group behind the application included the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications, the Consumers’ Association of Canada (Manitoba), the Consumers Council of Canada, Option Consommateurs, and the Union des Consommateurs.
In its Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Videotron’s Freedom Mobile announced Thursday all monthly plans will now include access to its 5G network and roaming in the United States and Mexico – including new low-cost options starting at $5 per month after a digital discount is applied.
With the $5 monthly digital discount applied across all plans, Freedom subscribers can now start at a mere $5 per month to get access to the next-generation network and roaming in the U.S. and Mexico with 100 MB of data, two hours of talk and unlimited texting. At $20, they can get 3 GB of data with two…
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