TORONTO – Nearly half of Canadian businesses have no plans to implement Internet of Things technology, while the other half is ready to jump on board, says a new study commissioned by Telus.
The study, conducted by MARU/VCR&C, surveyed 506 IT decision makers from businesses across Canada in March 2016. It found that 52% of Canadian businesses are considering, planning, piloting or deploying an Internet of Things (IoT) solution, while 48% indicated that they have no plans to adopt the technology, with 64% of those respondents saying that there is no business need.
Nearly two-thirds of businesses who are in the…
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TORONTO – Connected smart home devices are well on their way to becoming as prevalent as smartphones and tablets in Canada, says a new study commissioned by Telus.
The study, conducted by MARU/VCR&C, found a significant gap between those that believe that smart home technology will benefit their lives (61%) and those who currently own a smart home device (34%). Some 63% of respondents said that that they will own at least one smart home device – such as a smart TV, thermostat, lighting, appliance, or entry and security system, by 2018, and half of those predicted that they will…
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PRINCE GEORGE and KITIMAT, B.C. – Telus has announced plans to invest $4.5 million in Prince George and $4 million in Kitmat to increase wireless and high-speed Internet capacity to meet the rapidly growing demand in those communities.
This significant investment is part of Telus’ commitment to invest $4.5 billion in British Columbia through 2019 to extend fibre optic infrastructure directly to thousands of homes and businesses in rural and urban communities, further strengthen wireless service, and support key services including healthcare and education with new technologies, the company said Tuesday.
By the end of 2019, Telus says that it will…
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TORONTO – Independent specialty movie service Hollywood Suite announced today the launch of the new web version of the Hollywood Suite GO app (HSGO).
The newly designed VOD service is an extension of the premium movie channels and is available at hsgo.ca for Hollywood Suite subscribers from Access Communications, Cogeco, Eastlink, Hay Communications, MTS, NorthwesTel, Rogers, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Source Cable, Telus Optik TV, and VMedia.
“We are excited to offer our subscribers another platform to watch their favourite movies from Hollywood Suite, allowing them to experience their cinematic choices, anytime, anywhere,” said David Kines,…
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GATINEAU – In an unprecedented move, CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais used a break in the Basic Service Objective hearing to make a significant point through a personal address to the hearing: we’ve decided already that broadband is essential to Canadians. (The full text of that address can be found here.)
“Overall, in a nutshell, witnesses that appeared so far have agreed to a self-evident truth: today, in Canada, broadband is vital,” he said. “So, unless you disagree with this conclusion, let us not spend more hearing time on this self-evident truth. We have other, more important…
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VANCOUVER – High-speed Internet coverage in rural British Columbia communities in the north, south and Interior of the province is about to get faster and more reliable.
Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, West Vancouver MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Friday from Vancouver that 10 BC Internet service providers are receiving approximately $16 million from the Federal Government to increase broadband Internet access for approximately 23,000 households in the province. In addition, the provincial government will also kick in about $3.4 million for six of the projects through its Connecting British Columbia program.
"Faster, more reliable broadband Internet is essential for people…
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Chair's comments change the focus of the hearing, puts government, industry, on notice, to get their acts together
GATINEAU – The the second week of the CRTC's basic service objective (BSO) hearing featured a rare moment of reflection from CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais which will now alter the focus of this hearing. Below are Blais' unedited personal thoughts, made just prior to Monday's lunch break.
Those of you who are familiar with CRTC proceedings will appreciate that it is unusual for Chairs to make formal remarks beyond those made at the beginning of the oral hearing.
But this is an exceptional…
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GATINEAU – So far, the CRTC’s basic service objective (BSO) hearing has been largely focused on broadband backbone network, speed and data caps, but on Thursday, the panel of commissioners were dealt doses of reality on the need to implement a low cost broadband service when the broad Affordability Access Coalition (AAC) making its appearance.
AAC is a collection of organizations including the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), the Consumers Association of Canada (CAC), the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and others. The group argued that a minimum basic broadband should carry speeds of 10 Mbps download…
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GATINEAU – Some 66,000 Canadians, or just 0.5% of Canadian television households, have signed up for the new slimmed down basic TV programming packages five weeks after they debuted, the CRTC said Friday.
The Commission asked ten of the country’s biggest TV service providers – Access Communications, Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, MTS, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Telus and Vidéotron, to add up subscribers to their new basic television packages. These ‘skinny basic’ packages, priced at $25 or less, debuted March 1st amidst great fanfare touting choice and affordability.
TV service providers also began offering either pick-and-pay for individual channels or small packages of…
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TORONTO – Canada's wireless tower owners are putting too much pressure on tower consulting and construction companies to cut their costs, the inaugural conference of a new industry safety association was told today.
Tom Vardy, president of Fredericton-based Varcon Inc., a tower consulting engineering firm, complained Monday that tower owners are "bashing" suppliers so much he’s concerned worker safety will be affected. "Pressure for unrealistic service provider pricing is getting ridiculous," he said. "That's what got the United States (communications tower industry) in the (safety) hole they were in 10-15 years ago. As a Canadian group…
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