GATNIEAU – Many broadband Internet providers say the CRTC must refrain from adopting new funding mechanisms for the deployment of high-speed networks to under-served and unserved areas of the country and let the market play it out.
In final submissions to the basic service objective (BSO) proceeding, providers are nearly unanimous in arguing that the current approach of market forces and targeted government funding is working. They say 96% of Canadians already have access to a minimum 5/1 Mbps (downstream/upstream) service and that figure will jump to 98% once the final round of Connecting Canadians funding is spent.
For Bell Canada,…
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VANCOUVER and HONG KONG – Telus has closed the sale of the 35% stake of Telus International to Baring Private Equity Asia, the company said Wednesday.
The $600 million deal, first announced on May 5, values Telus International at $1.2 billion. Launched in 2005, the Telus subsidiary provides customer service, IT, and business process services to the telecommunications, utilities, high tech, gaming, finance, retail, e-commerce, travel and logistics, and health care sectors.
"Telus International is now poised, with the backing and support of Telus and Baring Asia, to continue its rapid growth in the years ahead," said Josh Blair, Telus' chief…
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OTTAWA – Bell is third big wireless provider to reach an agreement with the Competition Bureau to credit or refund its customers who were charged for premium text messages that they had been led to believe were free.
The Bureau said Friday that Bell will issue rebates of up to $11.82 million to select current and former wireless customers after it concluded that the company made, or permitted to be made, false or misleading representations in advertisements for premium text messages, including trivia questions and ringtones, in pop-up ads, web pages and on social media.
The rebates will be issued to certain…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s Bravo has unveiled a slate of new and returning dramas as it preps for a month-long free preview starting June 1st.
The new shows include crime drama Animal Kingdom which debuts June 14 with a two-hour premier, mystery series Guilt on June 21, as well as the return of its original series 19-2 (pictured) on June 20. Cult favourite Pretty Little Liars also debuts on Bravo starting June 21.
The Bravo Freeview will run June 1 – 30 on over 30 TV service providers across Canada, including Bell, Rogers, Eastlink, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Cogeco, Telus, Sasktel, Tbaytel, Videotron,…
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MORRIS, MB – Bell and MTS have announced plans to extend broadband wireless coverage along Highway 75, Manitoba's main transportation corridor linking Winnipeg with the United States border.
Highway 75 is Manitoba's most important north-south link, and the border crossing at Emerson and Pembina, North Dakota is one of the busiest in Western Canada. Residents and travelers along this route currently experience limited coverage along three stretches of Highway 75: between Ste. Agathe and Morris, between Morris and Highway 14, and between Highway 201 and Emerson.
The two companies said Friday that three major new Bell MTS wireless cell sites linked…
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Independent operators say minimum should be 10 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up
We are at the end of the CRTC’s proceeding reviewing the basic telecommunications needs of Canadians. Launched close to a year ago, the CRTC has received widely diverse proposals in response to the fundamental questions of: Which services do Canadians need to participate meaningfully in the digital economy; and what is the CRTC’s role in ensuring the availability of affordable basic telecommunications services to Canadians? The CRTC has also reached out to Canadians under the banner of “Let’s Talk Broadband Internet!” with a survey on various topics. When…
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VANCOUVER – Telus has promoted Doug French to Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer after John Gossling unexpectedly announced that he is leaving the company “to seek other opportunities”.
Gossling, who joined Telus 3 ½ years ago, will work with French for the rest of this month to ensure an effective transition of responsibilities, reads the company’s announcement on Monday. French (pictured) has been with Telus for 20 years, holding key roles as controller for its largest business and consumers units and more recently as corporate controller.
"Doug French has the breadth of experience necessary to help drive the continued success of Telus' proven…
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OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau is asking Canadians to weigh in on BCE’s proposed acquisition of MTS and the subsequent sale of dealer locations and wireless subscribers to Telus.
The Bureau is currently reviewing the $3.9 billion deal as part of a merger review, where it consults with stakeholders like suppliers, competitors, industry associations and customers to obtain their feedback on the competitive implications of a proposed transaction. Under the Competition Act, the Bureau has a mandate to review mergers to determine whether they are likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition.
Canadian consumers and stakeholders are…
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OTTAWA – The short answer to that question is yes. However, is it the right answer, when there still is so often much disagreement about what net neutrality means?
While often valid, that complaint can’t be brought to the fore every single time there is a network dispute, said TekSavvy Solutions chief legal and regulatory officer Bram Abramson on Friday while presenting a paper to the Law Society of Upper Canada’s biennial conference on new developments in communications law and policy. That said, just because everyone now understands that traffic on all networks must be managed and has always been…
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OTTAWA – Can Canada maintain a rights market of its own for cultural content in the face of rampant and rapid technological change? If so, how? Should we? At what costs? What would any new rules say?
These very difficult, complex questions, along with Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s recent announcement that our aged legislation covering Canadian content rules will soon be getting an overhaul, were front and centre during the first morning of the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Biennial conference into new developments in communications law and policy at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.
For example,…
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