OTTAWA –The responses filed to ISED’s consultations on the 3500 MHz and 3800 MHz band pit incumbent fixed wireless service providers against mobile operators eager to deploy 5G services. The terrestrial operators, however, face opposition from satellite operators eager to protect the C-band. Caught up in the cross-fire are customers and communities who are reliant on existing services – both terrestrial and satellite.
Comments by a number of parties have been posted in response to Gazette Notice SLPB-004-18 — Consultation on Revisions to the 3500 MHz Band to Accommodate Flexible Use and Preliminary Consultation on Changes to the…
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Plan savings require pre-authorized payments
CALGARY – With an eye on the upcoming back-to-school period, Shaw’s Freedom Mobile rolled out two cheaper entry-level data plans Thursday.
The first plan offers 1 GB of data and unlimited text to Canada and the U.S. for $25 per month, while the second provides 250 MB of data, 100 minutes of Canada-wide talk, and unlimited text to Canada and the U.S. for $15 per month.
As reported previously, Bell and Telus have offered 500MB for $30/month and Rogers 400MB for $25 in their proposed low-cost data only plans demanded by the CRTC earlier this year.
Shaw’s…
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Consumers, employees, stakeholders encouraged to come forward
OTTAWA – Canadians who have been on the receiving end of misleading or aggressive retail sales practices from the country’s telecommunication companies will now have the opportunity to tell their story to the CRTC. We suppose those who've had good experiences can also tell their stories, too, should the urge strike them.
The Commission said Monday it is kicking off an inquiry on whether high-pressure and unsavoury sales tactics are used by Canada’s large telecommunications service providers. It wants to hear from consumers – including those who are vulnerable due to their age,…
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VICTORIA – Telus is behind a new “clinic on wheels” delivering primary healthcare to the city’s most vulnerable citizens.
In association with Doctors of the World, the Mobile Health Clinic acts as a vital link between the community and the health authority, enabling the reconnection of homeless citizens to the public health and social services network.
Unveiled late Wednesday, the Mobile Health Clinic is equipped with Telus Health’s electronic medical record (EMR) technology and Telus LTE Wi-Fi network technology to assist the onboard care team in delivering immediate, quality care. Skilled practitioners may collect and store data, examine results over time, and…
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GATINEAU – Although the CRTC proceeding on lower-cost data-only plans or skinny wireless was not supposed to be targeted towards a means-tested subset of low-income households, the deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing Canadians (DDBHH), seem to have scored a victory.
In its final reply, Bell Mobility (BCE) indicated that they would extend an existing promotion for people with disability. “In order to ensure that new lower-cost data-only plans accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, we would extend our 2 GB data add-on to our customers with disabilities in conjunction with our proposed plans. This means that persons with…
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RICHMOND, B.C. – Telus will invest $110 million to connect more than 90% of homes and businesses in Richmond and Steveston directly to its fibre optic network.
The gigabit-enabled Telus PureFibre network will enable connected residents to immediately take advantage of dramatically faster Internet speeds of up to 150 Mbps, while businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and other institutions can access even more speed and capacity, reads the news release. The network offers symmetrical service, meaning that customers can upload just as fast as they download.
Construction work is currently underway, and Telus said that it anticipates connecting the majority of homes and businesses by…
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TORONTO – EnStream and digital identity authentication company Payfone are teaming up to stamp out passwords with a new global mobile-based federated digital identity platform.
The new Mobile ID service, to be available initially in Canada, will allow consumers to log into accounts or verify transactions with any participating online service using a single mobile app on their phone. Backed by participating mobile network operators, the service will bring together EnStream's Mobile Connect solution with Payfone's Trust Score identity and fraud analytics solution, which is currently used by Fortune 100 banks, retailers, and health insurance companies, among others.
According to…
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Videotron, SaskTel ranked tops again
TORONTO – Canadians with smart home devices are willing to pay more for their internet but are quick to switch internet providers, according to new data from J.D. Power.
The 2018 Canada Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study measures overall satisfaction with internet service providers and is based on five factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; communication; billing; and customer service. The 2018 Canada Television Provider Customer Satisfaction Study is based on six factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; programming; communication; billing; and customer service. Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The communications needs of most Canadians are met with land-line telephones (still) and wireless plans. But if you’re a deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing Canadian (DDBHH), wireless video is essential. It offers mobility and efficiency, but of course video consumes a lot more data than voice.
So, when the CRTC determined the gap in the wireless service market was low-cost data-only service, or skinny wireless, and asked the big wireless companies to file new prices and capacities, the deaf community paid attention.
First, for them, the voice portion of any package is hardly useful, neither is voicemail service….
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Competition Bureau invokes Sugar Wireless as a model to follow
GATINEAU – “Generally, the Bureau does not favour price controls. However, the presence of market power in this industry; the natural experiment offered by Sugar Mobile’s attempted entry into the wireless services industry; and the fact that similar LCDO Plans have arisen without government intervention in some foreign jurisdictions informs the Bureau’s view that LCDO Plans can increase economic welfare and consumer choice in Canada’s wireless industry.”
So says the Competition Bureau of Canada’s submission to the CRTC about the low-cost data only wireless plans submitted to…
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