Bell and cablecos argue Cabinet proves them right
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Independent and incumbent internet service providers have filed letters to the Federal Court of Appeal explaining the impact of the Federal Cabinet’s decision last weekend on the CRTC’s decision to slash wholesale internet rates and whether it should factor into the court’s ultimate decision.
On August 15, one year following the decision by the CRTC to slash wholesale internet rates, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) said the Regulator’s decision “do not, in all instances, appropriately balance the policy objectives of the wholesale services framework” and that in…
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CALGARY — As the company looks to grow and promote its recently launched Shaw Mobile brand, Shaw Communications announced Tuesday it has opened 11 new retail locations across B.C. and Alberta, with plans for more in the coming months.
Shaw’s retail expansion includes new concept stores in the regional hubs of Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Kelowna and Kamloops, as well as Calgary and Edmonton. A 12th new concept store is expected to open soon in Red Deer. By the end of 2020, new retail locations will be added in Langley, Victoria, West Vancouver, Prince George and Nanaimo, says the Shaw…
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OTTAWA — In the third installment of its series of reports looking at network traffic volumes during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) says Canadians continued to use telecom services in June and July at higher rates than before Covid-19.
“The gradual relaxation of mobility restrictions across the country are reflected in the increase in mobile network traffic, with median wireless traffic exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels. Meanwhile, despite some businesses and public spaces reopening, wireline traffic volumes continue to show that many Canadians are still relying heavily on home internet services to stay connected to their workplaces, families,…
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CALGARY and TORONTO — Shaw Communications’ senior vice-president of digital, product and service delivery, Sarah Miller Wright, is leaving the company to join Manulife Canada as its head of operations.
Miller Wright’s previous leadership roles at Shaw included being senior vice-president of customer care. At Shaw, she led several transformation initiatives, driving greater digital adoption to ultimately enhance the overall customer experience, says the Manulife news release announcing her arrival. Miller Wright also spearheaded Shaw’s shift to an agile way of working, building more effective systems and processes and finding new ways to collaborate across teams, says the release.
She was…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Football League officially called off its 2020 season today after being turned down by the federal government for a special bailout. The league and its players were hoping to play a shortened season using Winnipeg as a bubble city for all games.
“Our league governors decided today it is in the best long-term interests of the CFL to concentrate on the future,” said league commissioner Randy Ambrosie in a press release. “We are absolutely committed to 2021, to the future of our league and the pursuit of our vision of a bigger, stronger, more global CFL.”
Losing…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – At 9 a.m. Saturday, the federal government released its ruling on the cabinet appeal of the CRTC’s August 15, 2019 decision on new wholesale rates third party internet access ISPs must pay incumbent network operators.
It required a few readings to understand.
A year ago today, the CRTC issued an order setting the final rates for wholesale internet access (including over $300 million in retroactive payments) and the large ISPs did not like it one bit. They appealed it to cabinet, consistent with section 12 of the Telecommunications Act. The Act also says that Cabinet…
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Telus supports Bell’s plan to strike Matrix from the record
By Greg O’Brien
GATINEAU – Of the 11 organizations to respond to the CRTC’s request for comment on Bell Canada’s demand to strike a key economic report from the public record of the wireless policy review proceeding, only one supports the idea.
Bell has asked the Commission to remove a report from the official record of the policy review which underpins the Competition Bureau’s submission to the CRTC that a modified, but mandated, mobile virtual network operator regime must be established. The Bureau’s final comments and the report done by Matrix Economics…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications announced today that after it finished network upgrades in Drayton Valley this week, it is now able to offer gigabit download speeds to all of its residential customers in Alberta.
Drayton Valley is a community of 7,200 people about 140 kms west of Edmonton.
By completing that upgrade, Shaw now delivers its fastest internet tier, Fibre+ Gig, to every community that it services in more than 100 municipalities and First Nations across the province.
“We understand a fast and reliable internet connection is critical for our customers whether they are at home, in the office, or on-the-go, which…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC announced this afternoon over 10,100 households in rural Manitoba, the Yukon and Northwest Territories will soon get access to improved broadband.
The Commission’s Broadband Fund will contribute $72 million to the selected five projects which will cover 51 communities, the majority of which are Indigenous. The total size of the fund is $750 million, to be distributed over five years, and the Regulator is currently considering applications made to its second round of funding.
The money from this first round will go to Broadband Communications North for a satellite project in northern Manitoba, and to Bell Canada…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications today launched a teleworking gateway called Smart Remote Office which brings the security and functionality of working in the office to the homes of employees of Shaw Business customers.
“The pandemic forced many businesses to accelerate their remote working policies or build new ones entirely from scratch,” said Katherine Emberly, president of business, brand and communications, Shaw Communications, in the news release. “After working from home for five months, businesses realize they need technology that can keep their employees securely connected while working with critical files and applications. Smart Remote Office is a solution that…
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