Decision will create challenges for efficient 5G rollout: Telus
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is correct in its interpretation of “transmission line” under the Telecommunications Act to mean just wireline infrastructure for the purposes of regulating attachments to public property, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday.
The 7-2 ruling upholds a lower court’s decision and means the regulator does not have jurisdiction over wireless attachments on that property, forcing the telecoms to go directly to the municipalities that govern those structures to get access that they say they need to expand the next-generation 5G network.
The high court used at least two…
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In honour of Earth Month, Telus has launched two new initiatives offering customers a way to join the telecom in reforestation efforts, following two record-breaking wildfire years in Canada.
From April 17 to May 15, for every new or certified pre-owned Android device purchased by a new or returning customer, Telus will plant a tree in a wildfire-affected region of Canada. In addition, when a customer trades in any used device, Telus will plant a bonus tree. This promotion is available in select Telus and Koodo stores, online or via customer service reps.
On April 22, Telus launched limited-edition “Tree Totes”…
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Telus announced Tuesday it plans to establish its first Sovereign AI Factories in Rimouski, Que., and Kamloops, B.C., with the former facility starting operations this summer followed by expansion to the latter facility.
Originally announced in March, Telus’s Sovereign AI Factories are designed to be secure facilities providing Canadian businesses and researchers access to supercomputers and software needed to train AI and to help develop AI products, while keeping data safe within Canada’s borders.
“As the first North American service provider to become an official NVIDIA Cloud Partner, TELUS will deploy NVIDIA’s latest Hopper-…
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Telus announced last week the launch of GameRx, a digital resource designed to let users explore the potential wellness benefits of interactive gaming.
“This first-of-its-kind, wellness-focused gaming website aims to break down the stigma surrounding gaming, offering Canadians evidence-based recommendations for video games that can address various concerns such as stress, mobility, focus, memory and loneliness,” reads a Friday press release from Telus.
Available now in English, with French language support coming by the end of April, GameRx offers a curated selection of video games tailored to improve users’ wellness.
“As a leader in connectivity, TELUS…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers announced Friday it has finalized an agreement to sell for $7 billion a 49.9 per cent stake in a portion of its wireless traffic transport infrastructure through a subsidiary to pay down debt.
The investors will be led by American asset manager Blackstone and include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation. Blackstone will also hold a 20 per cent voting stake.
Rogers, which will hold the rest of the shares including voting control, will continue to have full…
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Telco suggests ‘rare’ use of subpoena power if AG doesn’t hand over materials
By Ahmad Hathout
Last month, Canada’s attorney general (AG) filed a motion to strike as moot an application filed by Telus in December that asked the Federal Court to quash a cabinet order that asked the CRTC to reconsider allowing the three largest telecoms to use the fibre facilities of Bell and Telus in Ontario and Quebec.
The AG argues that, because the CRTC declined to change the interim decision after a proceeding on that order, Telus’s application – which alleges that cabinet…
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Telus’s CEO Darren Entwistle confirmed Wednesday that the telco is “evaluating a potential plan” to sell a minority stake in its wireless towers to pay down debt.
The Globe and Mail, citing anonymous sources and documents, reported that the company has hired TD Securities to roadshow a 49.9-per-cent stake in its portfolio of 3,000 towers.
“We have engaged with advisors to explore the monetization of our tower infrastructure,” Entwistle said in a press release. “If we are able to do this within the parameters of our desired economics, it would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our network…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Industry Canada’s new fee structure for spectrum below the 10 GHz band is contrary to the challenges facing the Canadian economy, the trajectory of mobile wireless prices, and out of touch in relation to peer countries, the largest wireless service providers are arguing.
Earlier this month, the department changed how it would charge for those spectrum fees in certain low and mid bands. Instead of the existing annual base rate with a multiplier based on MHz held and population served, the department has opted instead for a three-rate fee system that applies discounts to an annual base rate…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TekSavvy is warning this month that a telco requirement to buy a minimum percentage of what it says is unnecessary capacity to get access to higher gigabit services on aggregated fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks will result in higher costs and lower sales.
The independent telecom is responding to an application by Bell, filed last month, that requests approval of the CRTC to remove the 10 Mbps, 50 Mbps, and 300 Mbps speed tiers for competitors’ residential customers in its Aliant operating territory in Atlantic Canada. Bell explains that it has no customers on the tiers proposed to be removed…
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By Connie Thiessen
Telus, in collaboration with NVIDIA, has announced plans to build a Sovereign AI Factory, a secure facility promising to provide supercomputers and software needed to train AI, while keeping data safe within Canada’s borders.
The telco says the factory, which will leverage its high-speed fibre-optic network, will give Canadian businesses and researchers access to cutting-edge technology to develop smarter AI products, streamline operations and stay competitive.
NVIDIA’s latest Hopper- and Blackwell-based supercomputers will power the AI Factory. Telus plans to deploy NVIDIA’s latest-generation graphics processing units (GPUs), following NVIDIA Cloud Partner (NCP) Reference Architectures and software stack, at its data…
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