GATINEAU – Despite receiving a request from Rogers Communications to extend the final comment date of the CRTC’s wireless policy review proceeding by another two weeks (which was widely supported by other parties), the Commission decided to stick with the July 15th deadline.
That deadline, of course, was already a months-long extension enacted due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the companies’ and Commission’s operations.
On June 25th, Rogers Communications filed a request to extend the date by two more weeks. Bell Mobility, Videotron, TbayTel, the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic and OpenMedia supported the request, while…
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By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – On Friday Telus made public the board resolution its CEO Darren Entwistle cited during the CRTC’s wireless hearing earlier this year, which says the company will need to free up $1.1 billion if the CRTC carries forward any plan to mandate mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) – companies which ride on incumbent networks without necessarily having their own infrastructure.
The regulator had already expressed a preliminary view prior to the hearing that MVNOs would be appropriate to induce competition in the industry and the federal government has strongly signalled its support for the same.
Telus used audit…
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By Bram Abramson
A RARE CRTC DECISION on the appeal of a “notice to produce”, compelling Hydro-Québec to produce the personal information associated with 10 service addresses, has shed further light on how the Commission will use the information-gathering powers of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) when dealing with intermediary service providers.
Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2020-196, issued on June 18 against Hydro-Québec, echoes a similar 2016 decision in the Royal Bank of Canada’s appeal of a third-party notice to produce. The Hydro-Québec decision interprets the CRTC’s CASL information-gathering authority largely in terms of whether the information compelled by…
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By Greg O’Brien
WHILE SOME PRO SPORTS have returned to play, like the English Premier League, the PGA, NASCAR and others, new and growing outbreaks of the Covid-19 virus in the U.S. threatens the return of the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, each currently planning for a July start or re-start.
If marquee North American pro sports don’t come back to TV soon, as planned, there may be permanent effects on the pay-TV bundle and the overall value of the TV rights, says a recent report from Scotiabank’s media and telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
There are between 8 million and 9…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – During one of the CRTC’s most anticipated hearings earlier this year, Telus CEO Darren Entwistle appeared before the Commission reviewing impending changes to the wireless industry and warned mandating new entrants without facilities to ride on the networks of the incumbents would mean many jobs lost, philanthropic spending slashed and reductions in investments.
It was a defining moment during the hearing. Drawing the attention of national media and critics on social media, it encompassed for some the realities of the competitive delicacy of the industry; for others, it was viewed as a baseless threat…
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REGINA — Saskatchewan will likely rule out using Huawei equipment in provincially-owned SaskTel’s 5G network, according to the minister responsible for the Crown Corporation, in a report by the Regina Leader-Post.
Minister Don Morgan is quoted as saying the provincial government will look at other vendors, specifically Nokia and Ericsson, although a decision has not been made yet.
Bell and Telus announced recently they are using equipment from those two suppliers for their 5G networks, and Morgan says it’s important to be aligned with the other carriers’ moves.
Like Bell and Telus, SaskTel’s current 4G network uses equipment from Huawei.
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GATINEAU — Cartt.ca readers may remember during February’s wireless policy review hearing Telus CEO and president Darren Entwistle said his company’s board had signed a resolution to cut network investments by $1 billion, which would result in 5,000 job losses, if the CRTC mandated mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs).
During his appearance at the hearing, Entwistle offered to file the board’s resolution in confidence to the CRTC, which Telus subsequently did on March 10. According to the Commission, Telus filed the board resolution document entirely in confidence and did not file an abridged version for the public record.
That was…
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VANCOUVER – Telus announced Thursday it is now rolling out its first wave 5G network in Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, and the Greater Toronto Area, and will continue to expand to an additional 26 markets across Canada throughout the remainder of the year.
5G will be available at no additional cost on Telus Peace of Mind plans.
“As the first phase of our 5G rollout, we are pleased to offer citizens access to the next generation of wireless technology that will profoundly enhance the way we connect to information, resources and one another,” said Darren Entwistle, president and CEO.
The company also…
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KEGASKA and LA ROMAINE, Que. – Telus today launched the second phase of its high-speed network deployment in the Lower North Shore (that portion of Quebec tucked under Labrador) to provide all of the region’s communities with access to 4G LTE advanced technology by 2021, meaning residents will have access to mobile phone service and high-speed home Internet with speeds similar to those available in urban centres.
Around 1,000 citizens in these two communities of the vast and roadless Lower North Shore are already connected.
“Telus’ ambition is to deploy its infrastructure in remote regions, especially in the unprecedented context of…
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VANCOUVER — Fans of the loveable critters that appear in Telus ads may be interested to know reusable cloth masks featuring the animals are now available online and in stores, with proceeds going to the Telus Friendly Future Foundation to support public healthcare efforts and Covid-19 relief efforts across the country.
While quantities last, the Telus-branded masks will be available in packs of three for $45, in both youth and adult sizes and in an assortment of patterns. The dual-layered masks are made out of 100% recycled polyester on the outside and 100% organic cotton on the inside, adhering to…
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