By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – For the first time in five years, private conventional TV revenues increased nationwide in 2019, according to CRTC data released earlier this month.
The accumulated broadcasting data from the Regulator for the year ended August 31, 2019, show an increase to $1.55 billion from $1.54 billion in 2018 for all Canadian OTA TV revenue streams, including local and national time sales, network payments, infomercials, syndication, small market and independent local programming funds and government grants. National ad sales grew a healthy 2.5% to $1.05 billion. The 2019 revenue increase effectively stopped a continued revenue slide since…
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MARKHAM, Ont. — Huawei smartphone users in Canada now have a new way to access mobile apps with the launch today of Huawei’s new Petal Search tool.
Available for download from AppGallery on Huawei devices, the search tool offers an open gateway to download and update a million apps, as well as easily search for news, images and more, all directly from the home screen of the device.
Petal Search is now one of three ways in which Huawei users can find, download and update apps onto their Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) devices, alongside AppGallery and Huawei’s Phone Clone app. AppGallery…
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TMG CEO says deck is stacked against him
By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – Telus has filed a complaint against Telelatino Media Group, accusing the ethnic broadcaster of undue preference, undue disadvantage and tied selling, in violation of the CRTC Wholesale Code. Telus is also asking for leniency from the Commission because it has been in non-compliance with BDU regulations because of this dispute.
In its regs, the CRTC says a distributor which carries a third-language, foreign-owned service must also carry, in the same tier, a Canadian service serving the same ethnic group as long as one is available. It’s known as…
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TORONTO — Saying it’s the first national carrier to offer wireless accessory financing, Rogers announced today customers will now be able to get headphones, smartwatches, cases and such for $0 down, 0% interest and no taxes paid upfront.
Accessories available with Rogers’ new financing option include AirPods and AirPods Pro, Beats, Google Nest products, phone cases, screen protectors, chargers, smartwatches and smart bulbs. (Telus is offering customers the option to finance its new Track+ tracker device, which it launched Wednesday.)
“By extending our financing option to accessories, we’re offering an affordable one-stop destination for our customers to finance the smartwatches, phone…
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VANCOUVER — Smartphone users can now track pets, purses, backpacks and other items (including the people carrying them) with the new Track+ device launched by Telus today.
Track+ can be used in Canada and the U.S. anywhere 4G LTE wireless network coverage is available. Users don’t need to be Telus wireless subscribers to purchase and use the tracker device. The Track+ app can be used on iPhones (iPhone 5 or newer with iOS 11.0 or newer) and newer Android smartphones (with Android 5.0 or newer).
The retail price for the device is $120, but the Telus Track+ plan allows customers to…
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However, people are starting to return to stores and advertisers are coming back
TORONTO — Rogers Communications this morning reported second quarter 2020 results which reflected a full-quarter impact of the Covid-19 economic shutdown. (Expect Bell Canada, Telus and Quebecor to report similar impacts when they file Q2 results in the coming days.)
RCI’s revenue was impacted by the pandemic across the board, decreasing overall by 17% to $3.2 billion in Q2 2020, ended June 30, compared to the second quarter of 2019. The revenue decline was largely driven by 13% and 17% decreases in wireless service and equipment revenue, respectively,…
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By Denis Carmel
JULY 15 WAS THE DEADLINE for intervenors to provide the CRTC with their final submissions in the Wireless Policy Review proceeding.
It has been a long process and it is far from over. Technically, it started with an announcement on February 28, 2019.
However, back in 2015, the CRTC was saying: “When the Commission established the current wholesale mobile wireless service regulatory framework in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-177, it determined that the framework would remain in place for a minimum of five years, to allow for the development of sustainable competition and to encourage continued innovation and investment…
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TORONTO – Telus today was named the fastest internet service provider (ISP) in Canada by PCMag.
The publication recognized Telus as the fastest among the major ISPs. Rogers placed second and Bell, third, among the six large ISPs PCMag recognizes in Canada. The magazine used results from 33,782 tests in Canada taken between June 1, 2019, and June 2, 2020.
“We take 80 percent of the download speed, 20 percent of the upload speed, and add those numbers to generate a PCMag Speed Index (PSI). That number makes it easy to perform an at-a-glance determination of exactly which ISP is the…
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Iristel is sticking with Huawei partnership, but moving slowly on deployment
By Ahmad Hathout
MARKHAM – Independent network operator Iristel will await a decision by the federal government on whether Huawei will be allowed to participate in the country’s 5G networks and is, in the meantime, not moving off its decision to partner with the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer. However, the company said it’s handling roll-out of the equipment cautiously.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom announced that it will ban the use of Huawei from its 5G network and carriers must remove the company’s equipment from their 5G apparatuses by 2027,…
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“Scare tactic,” says CNOC
By Linda Stuart
OTTAWA — If the CRTC mandates mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to wireless incumbents’ networks, Canada’s gross domestic product would be reduced by an estimated $10 billion within five years, according to a new PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) study released today by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA).
In addition, other negative impacts on the Canadian economy would include an estimated $2.5 billion reduction in government tax revenue, approximately 94,000 jobs lost across the supply chain, and a widened digital divide between rural and urban communities in Canada, says the PwC report, which was commissioned by…
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