MONTREAL – Telus will invest $111 million in its communications infrastructure across Greater Montreal this year on its advanced fibre optic network that will stretch more than 4,000 kilometres, the company said Monday.
The investment, part of Telus’ pledge to spend $2 billion in Quebec through 2020, will increase the network's transmission capacity and extend its reach into sectors including Old Montreal, Anjou, Boucherville, Dorval, Île-Bizard, Pierrefonds and Pointe-Claire.
Telus added that it will also build indoor distributed antenna systems (DAS) this year in several health and educational facilities, including the McGill University Health Centre, the Montreal Heart Institute, the Jewish…
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a.k.a. net neutrality…
GATINEAU – There is pretty broad consensus among many of the interveners in the CRTC’s differential pricing consultation that the practice can have a positive impact on the ISP business, content providers and consumers.
First round comments to the Commission’s Examination of differential pricing practices related to Internet data plans (2016-192) revealed though that it’s not a cut and dried issue. For instance, Bell Canada argued that zero-rating and sponsored data pricing mechanisms – two differential pricing practices or DPPs – are common in the communications world.
The company pointed to toll free calling and time of use…
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EDMONTON – Stollery Children's Hospital has become the first Alberta hospital to offer the Upopolis social network to their young patients.
Powered by Telus Health and created by Kids' Health Links Foundation (KHLF), Upopolis.com is Canada's only private, secure and trusted online social network designed for kids and teens receiving medical care in hospitals and clinics. The site offers access to medical content written in kid-friendly language so patients can better understand their diagnosis and treatment plan, plus enables connections with other patients who share similar diagnoses through public and private discussion groups.
In addition to remaining securely and privately…
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GATINEAU – In an unsurprising decision, the CRTC denied Bell Canada’s request to review and vary the decision which gives third party independent Internet service providers access to incumbent networks’ newest fibre infrastructure.
Bell had submitted a Part 1 application to the CRTC to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326 that states incumbent telecom providers must introduce a “disaggregated wholesale broadband access service” (DBS) so that independent ISPs gain access to FTTH (fibre to the home) facilities.
In a nutshell, Bell believes the CRTC’s decision has unfairly changed the rules governing fibre-to-the-home broadband networks by mandating…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s The Comedy Network is readying new series and epsiodes as it preps for a free preview from June 30 – August 4.
The new content includes the linear TV premiere of the CraveTV original hit Letterkenny and the new series Wrecked (pictured), a half-hour single camera comedy that follows a group of plane crash survivors trying to make a new life for themselves on a deserted island. It also includes a marathon of The Detour, the return of Angie Tribeca, and new episodes of Just For Laughs: All Access.
The Comedy Freeview is available on TV service…
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Urges all to be more transparent, too
TORONTO – The federal privacy commissioner urged telecommunications companies to stand up to police if they ask for subscriber data without a court order.
Daniel Therrien made the plea Wednesday in a keynote address to the annual Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, complaining that police are trying to re-open the fight over lawful access to metadata and subscriber data he thought ended with the 2014 Supreme Court of Canada decision.
That ruling said police need a court order for subscriber information unless it is an emergency. But several law enforcement bodies, including RCMP commissioner Robert…
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TORONTO – John Gossling has been named executive vice-president and chief financial officer at Corus Entertainment where he will replace the retiring Tom Peddie.
Gossling left Telus less than a month ago after 3 ½ years. His prior career experiences include CFO at CTVglobemedia Inc., VP financial operations at Rogers Communications and CFO at Rogers Wireless, and partner at KPMG LLP.
Gossling will join Corus on July 4 and be based in Toronto at Corus Quay. The company said that Peddie will retire from the company at the end of August after 17 years of service, and that the two will…
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WINNIPEG – An independent proxy advisory research firm is recommending that MTS shareholders vote in favour of BCE’s proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of the regional player.
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) offered the recommendation in a report released Tuesday. The special meeting of MTS shareholders will take place June 23 at the Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg, and the MTS Board of Directors has unanimously recommended that shareholders vote to approve the deal.
“A vote FOR is warranted based on a review of the terms of the transaction, in particular, the implied premium and the reasonable strategic rationale”, ISS said in the report. “Shareholders have the…
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TORONTO and VANCOUVER – Telus Health and electronic medical record (EMR) provider QHR Technologies are teaming up to improve communications between healthcare providers across Canada.
Together, the companies intend to create a national, secure, standards-based, and open communication solution that will help the more than 23,000 physicians who use their electronic medical record solutions while caring for their patients. The solution will allow physicians across the country to efficiently and securely exchange patient information, and facilitate the dialogue healthcare providers need to have when diagnosing and designing care plans for their patients.
Telus Health and QHR added that they plan to…
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Sees no way to add video to Unlimited offer
TORONTO – Despite having spent $2 billion so far on spectrum, plus a network build, then an upgrade to LTE all between 2010 and now, Vidéotron sees more spending on the horizon as 5G approaches. So today its CEO called on the federal government to maintain “spectral balance” when formulating the rules around the next auction of low frequency spectrum in the 600 MHz range.
In a keynote speech to the Canadian Telecom Summit on Wednesday morning, Manon Brouillette noted the sheer pace of technological change in our industry, remembering she spoke…
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