By Denis Carmel
The First Law of Economists: For every economist, there exists an equal and opposite economist; The Second Law of Economists: They’re both wrong…
An economist is someone who doesn’t know what he’s talking about — and make you feel it’s your fault…
AS WE NOTED EARLIER, ’tis the season of the Price Comparison Reports. We had mentioned the CRTC Telecommunications Monitoring Report (which was released Thursday), the OECD Digital Economy Outlook Data (not quite yet) and the price comparison report commissioned by Innovation, Science and Economic Development – which is now produced by…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canadians’ increasing use of Internet and mobile services helped to drive up telecommunications revenues 3.2% to $50.3 billion in 2017, slightly faster than the five-year average annual growth rate of 2.9%, the CRTC said Thursday.
In the telecom portion of its 2018 Communications Monitoring Report (CMR), the Commission said that over half (58.2%) of the total revenue share was earned by the country’s large incumbent TSPs, while 34.0% was generated by cable-based carriers, which it defines as the former cable monopolies that currently also provide telecommunications services. Resellers earned 3.6%, other service providers generated 3.2%, and small…
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New low-cost data only plans to be in market within 90 days
GATINEAU – The CRTC announced today it has accepted the revised low-cost data only mobile wireless plans offered – at the demand of the Commission on the impetus of federal government – by Rogers, Bell and Telus.
Further to a public proceeding launched in March, where the big national players responded by initially offering plans the Commission told them were not good enough and to try again, the wireless providers came back with better offers in September which the CRTC said…
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Telus, Shaw, say no licence should be granted, and especially not to Bell or Rogers
GATINEAU – On Wednesday, phase II and III of the hearing into a mandatory carriage licence for a national, news oriented multilingual and multi-ethnic television service was the opportunity for the applicants and then outside intervenors to tell commissioners why they believe certain applications are not special enough to warrant a license under section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act.
Four of the eight applicants chose not to make any presentations Wednesday (perhaps keeping their powder dry for Thursday’s final public reply day) but each of Rogers…
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CCTS Annual Report shows troubling trends
OTTAWA – Just over a month after the telecom industry was raked over the coals for their sales practices by the CRTC, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) released its annual report showing such complaints about wireless, broadband, telecom and TV carriers are on the rise.
Today, the CCTS reported a 57% increase in the number of complaints received during its 2017-18 year (ended July 31st) from Canadian telecom and TV customers, following an 11% increase the prior year. Canadians complained most often about non-disclosure of information, which accounts for almost 15%…
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“THE WORST ENEMY of a regulatory lawyer is the marketing guy,” said Willie Grieve to me during a break at a hearing once. Perplexed, as a new CRTC communications person at the time, I said, “How so?”
“At the beginning, marketing guys come to you asking: Can I do this promotion? And we always say no. So, they stop coming and I get in trouble,” he added, and he walked away.
Those were the days when incumbents telephone companies were not allowed to lower their rates, in order to give a chance to competitors, even for promotions (the bread and butter…
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MONTREAL – Telus has sold its managed web services activities to Alithya, a Quebec-based information technology and consulting service provider with offices in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
The transaction, which closed November 1st, includes the transfer of all customers of Telus Managed Web Services as well as the transition of a small group of employees to Alithya's existing web team. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are very excited to acquire the Managed Web Services business from Telus and to welcome the Web experts who have made this service evolve and shine in recent years," said…
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But interim ruling means squabble not over yet
OTTAWA – Noting that the issue of calls not being completed must be addressed in “an expeditious manner”, the CRTC Friday waded into the dispute between Telus and Iristel over failed phones calls to the North.
Specifically, the Commission approved, in part, interim relief request from both companies. Telus was ordered to ensure that calls to Iristel’s users with in the 867 numbering plan area (NPA), or calls that transit through TCI’s network and terminate on Iristel’s network in that NPA, reach Iristel’s network within 10 days of the decision (by Monday, December…
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VANCOUVER – The first installment of Telus Health’s Originals documentary series takes an unflinching look at the devastating effects of opioid addiction, and how its ravages are being felt in families and communities across every race, gender and socio-economic status.
Painkiller: Inside the Opioid Crisis features interviews with frontline responders, border services and addiction specialists who share their perspective on the underlying problem of the ongoing opioid crisis and try to answer the question: how can our society treat pain without causing more?
The doc is available now on YouTube and on the Telus Optik TV Healthy Living Network on…
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Just part of negotiations, though
TORONTO – Within its most recent bills to some of its cable TV customers, Rogers Communications noted that as of January 1, 2019, their roster of channels will be a little lighter.
“From time to time, we adjust our channel lineups to reflect the changing viewership trends of our customers. As of January 1, 2019, Stingray Juicebox, Stingray Retro, Stingray Loud and Stingray Vibe, will no longer be in your TV package,” reads the note at the bottom of the bills.
All four music video channels are ones which Stingray purchased from Bell…
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