TORONTO – While there are no Canadian carrier CEOs on the speakers’ schedule this year, those executives not in attendance will certainly be paying attention to next week’s Canadian Telecom Summit when it opens Monday morning.
(Ed note: For long-time CTS attendees, this year it is being held at the International Centre, which is just up Airport Road a ways from its former Congress Centre home.)
The event kicks off with an interview on stage with Rola Dagher, president of Cisco Canada (the questions, however, are coming from another Cisco-ite, Ian Campbell, the company’s CTO, service provider mobility and automation, so…
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VANCOUVER – Telus unveiled a new structure for its Optik TV programming Tuesday that sees the addition of “premium entertainment” such as Crave, HBO, Netflix, and multicultural and sports packs bundled directly into TV packages.
The three packages in the new structure each include the Optik TV Essentials channel pack as well as either 4 Theme Packs and 1 Premium for $65 per month, 7 Theme Packs and 1 Premium for $80 per month, and 11 Theme Packs and 2 Premium for $110 per month, all on a two year term. The packages are available now for new and renewing customers…
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Premium Shaw Wireless brand is coming
TORONTO – Speaking at TD Securities Media and Telecom Forum in Toronto last week, Shaw Communications’ wireless president Paul McAleese, echoing similar statements made by Bell and Telus earlier, had strong words concerning the potential government-mandated introduction of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) into the Canadian wireless marketplace.
(Ed note: McAleese knows the MVNO space very well, having spent 12 years in the United States running i-Wireless, an MVNO owned and operated by the Kroger grocery store chain running on the Sprint network.)
“I feel it’s an area that’s badly misunderstood by most,” McAleese said. “…
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TORONTO – While a wide range of hopeful competitors have backed a mandated MVNO, or some sort of variant on it, regime from the CRTC, CFOs from two of Canada’s Big Three Telecoms – Glen LeBlanc (Bell) and Telus’ Doug French – insisted last week such a move would be irresponsible of the Commission to implement.
Speaking at TD Securities Telecom and Media Forum in Toronto last week, the executives, in separate presentations, touted their respective company investments in having built the infrastructure that now serves Canadians from coast to coast. (MVNO =…
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OTTAWA – Wireless carriers will have to provide more granular data to the CRTC, after all.
As part of its submission to the CRTC’s review of mobile wireless services, the Competition Bureau wants to, among other things, do a detailed study on what happened locally (not just in provinces and nationally) when new wireless competitors to the Big Three (Rogers, Bell and Telus) were introduced. To do that, the Bureau needs far more detailed data than the CRTC has asked for in its original requests for information upon the proceeding’s call.
The wireless carriers and…
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Bell also asks for return of long-term contracts
GATINEAU – Competition in the Canadian wireless market is already heated and getting hotter, resulting in an overall and ongoing decline in wireless prices while new competitors continue build out new facilities and take customers from them, so why upset that momentum now, and just at the dawn of 5G, Rogers, Bell and Telus have asked in their submissions to the CRTC’s review of mobile wireless services.
It will surprise no one that the submissions largely hit many of the same themes, especially in their stance against mandating mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs),…
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MONTREAL – Telus will invest $53 million in its wireless and wireline networks in Greater Montreal this year as part of a five-year billion dollar commitment in the province of Quebec, the company said Tuesday.
These investments are part of a 20-year partnership agreement between Telus and the Old Port of Montréal Corporation (OPMC) to equip the landmark site with new technologies, including C-RAN wireless technology and a free high-speed Wi-Fi zone.
Telus said that it has already invested $4 million in the Old Port to create an open-air technology lab which will be used by the new PY1…
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VANCOUVER – Telus has proclaimed itself Canada’s #MostGivingCompany after contributing $150 million and one million volunteer hours to charitable organizations in the past year.
This month also marks the start of Telus’ 14th annual Days of Giving that will see 40,000 employees and retirees volunteer at thousands of activities to help create more sustainable communities across Canada and around the world. In 2018, 36,000 Telus volunteers participated in Days of Giving events through nearly 2,000 initiatives, including sorting food at food banks, filling backpacks with school supplies for children in need, and serving healthy meals to feed the hungry.
“Companies that embrace social…
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GATINEAU – When the CRTC launched its review of mobile wireless services earlier this year it stated: “This proceeding will focus on three key areas: Competition in the retail market; The current wholesale mobile wireless service regulatory framework, with a focus on wholesale MVNO access and the future of mobile wireless services in Canada, with a focus on reducing barriers to infrastructure deployment.”
This focus on Mobile Virtual Network Operators sure did not fall in deaf ears – and some players jumped right in with strong support since the high cost of entry into the wireless business means many players…
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GATINEAU – In its submission to the CRTC’s review of mobile services, Cogeco – which already offers cable, Internet and local phone in various markets in Quebec and Ontario – has proposed another way to get into wireless without losing its shirt.
With less than 800,000 wired subscribers, the company can hardly afford the cost of entry in the wireless club but definitely wants to add mobile so it can provide the entire bundle of services to customers. For years, Cogeco has been advocating a mandated Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) regime to piggyback on larger wireless operators at cost…
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