STOCKHOLM – Ericsson has closed the sale of the majority stake of its MediaKind business to private equity firm One Equity Partners, a year after it first announced the sale.
One Equity Partners is now the majority owner, with Ericsson holding 49% of the shares after the transaction on January 31, 2019.
In Canada, Bell Canada (Fibe TV), Telus (Optik), SaskTel (maxTV) all use the technology for their TV services, and Cogeco Connexion will also soon offer it to its cable customers.
“In partnering with One Equity Partners, MediaKind is established as a leading independent video technology company with strong and committed…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC needs more information from Iristel and Telus as it inches towards a final ruling in the dispute between the two telcos over failed calls to the North.
In a January 29 letter addressed to the respective regulatory heads, the Commission laid out four steps as part of the process for the review of the dueling final relief requests:
– Step 1. Iristel and Telus are to file responses to the relevant requests for information listed in the letter’s appendix 1 with the Commission by February 19, 2019.
– Step 2. Any interested parties may file submissions with…
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GATINEAU – CRTC submissions are sometimes entertaining when issues are significant, potentially polarizing and wildly debated.
However, and as we indicated previously, this new proceeding into the establishment of an Internet Code of Conduct is mostly incremental in its scope, since a lot of issues have been dealt with in prior proceedings (and in other codes).
Maybe that’s why Bell, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services, provincial governments, unions and consumer groups have not bothered at this stage.
No reply phase is complete without an incumbent taking a swipe at the Competition Bureau, though. In this case…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a request from Telus to amend that company's regional broadcasting licences for various terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings in British Columbia and Alberta by deleting six licensed areas.
In its application, Telus asked to drop the areas of Prince George, Terrace, Vernon and Penticton in BC, and Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray in Alberta, citing the carve-out criteria required to remove a service area as a separate, exempt undertaking from a regional licence.
But the Commission said that Telus did not meet the exemption criteria and that the community programming that Telus distributes in these six licensed areas did…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has waded in to an ongoing dispute between the city of Calgary and a group of big telco carriers over a municipal rights-of-way bylaw and a proposed municipal consent and access agreement (MCAA).
The Commission said Friday that it was turning down an application by the city seeking a declaration and determination that certain telecommunications carriers may rely upon Calgary’s rights-of-way bylaw for the performance of their obligations under section 43 of the Telecommunications Act, which deals with access to infrastructure.
The decision also approved certain terms and conditions of an MCAA between Calgary and…
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VANCOUVER – Sportsman Channel Canada has replaced World Fishing Network on TV lineups in Canada.
Sportsman Channel Canada, like its U.S. cousins Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, will feature “the most trustworthy and reputable Canadian experts in the outdoor industry” through programming that includes entertaining and educational hunting, fishing and shooting programs, according to the news release.
The channel is a partnership with Canada's Outdoor Group Media and Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks.
“The launch of Sportsman Channel Canada will undoubtedly prove to be a viewer favorite throughout Canada,” said Outdoor Group Media president Mark Yelic, in the release. “We…
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MONTREAL – With just days to go before Bell Let's Talk Day on January 30, Bell issued a public thank you to the Canadian organizations supporting the initiative and promoting its messages around mental health.
"Everyone's engagement in mental health is crucial to making progress, and we can all join the conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day by sending messages of support to fight the stigma, call for action and directly drive Bell's funding for mental health programs”, said Bell Let's Talk chair Mary Deacon, in the news release. “We're grateful to these leading organizations for encouraging everyone to get engaged in the…
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TORONTO – Former Telus exec Kevin Banderk has been named Chief Commercial Officer of eSight, creators of sight-enhancing glasses for the visually impaired.
Banderk spent over 15 years at Telus, departing in 2017. He had then been mobility/marketing VP and head of Telus consumer mobility. He also oversaw the development and launch of flanker brand Koodo Mobile plus was part of the acquisition and integration of Public Mobile.
In his new role, Banderk will oversee sales and marketing from eSight’s Toronto office.
"I'm excited to join a Canadian startup that has always been driven by positive change, and I look forward to…
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TORONTO – Telus is expanding its smartphone affordability program to allow new and renewing customers to upgrade to the latest smartphone devices for a lower upfront cost when the customer agrees to bring back the device at the end of their contract.
Customers who select the Bring-It-Back program will receive a deduction off the upfront cost of their new device (the exact dollar amount will depend on the specific device). At the end of their two-year contract, customers can bring the device back to Telus in good working condition and upgrade to a new device with the option of…
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WE DON’T YET KNOW what public process the expert panel reviewing Canada’s Broadcasting, Telecom and Radiocommunication Acts, headed by Janet Yale, will follow as this year unfolds.
So, when the deadline for written submissions to the Broadcast and Telecom Legislative Review (BTLR) panel came on Friday, January 11, we asked various companies and groups for their submissions. Most gladly sent them. Some sent excerpts. Others decided to keep them private for now, since the panel itself has not yet told us, or anyone, definitively, what the plan is for making them public.
Because of the volume, we have decided to begin…
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