Proceeding on new mobile reporting standard launched
By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Thursday that it will begin making certain annual telecom coverage data public.
The previously confidential coverage data includes internet and mobile service by provider, technology and speed down to the 250-metre road segment level, which the regulator said will make it easier for Canadians to easily find services available in their area at a more granular level.
The data will be shared with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), which will use that it to update its national broadband map.
The decision comes in response to a request by British Columbia’s…
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Still had impact on subscriber base
By Ahmad Hathout
The head of Corus said Wednesday that the removal of some of its kids channels has boosted other brands in unprecedented ways.
“Our thoughtful rationalization of our kids specialty portfolio to better reflect viewer demand has resulted in some audience consolidation into our remaining kids brands,” John Gossling said on a first-quarter earnings conference call Wednesday.
“We saw YTV and, for the first time ever, Boomerang position within the top 20 networks this fall,” he continued. “These achievements underscore the effectiveness of our strategic programming decisions and the continued appeal of our brands to…
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The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) received a record number of complaints from telecom and TV customers this past fiscal year, with billing problems continuing to be the leading complaint issue, according to the CCTS’s annual report published early Wednesday.
Between Aug. 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025, the CCTS accepted 23,647 complaints from customers across Canada. This represents a 17 per cent increase from the previous year and is the highest number of complaints accepted in the CCTS’s history.
The top 10 issues raised across all service types were: incorrect charge for…
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Telus claims lawsuit has no merit
By Ahmad Hathout
An Asian content programmer is alleging Telus has been broadcasting its programming without consent.
APNA Desi TV Network Inc. alleges in a statement of claim filed in Federal Court last month that Telus has been retransmitting Prime Asia Television content that it claims it has the exclusive rights to broadcast in the country.
“Plaintiff expressly notified the Defendant verbally in a meeting held in December 2023 and in January 2024 in writing of its exclusive rights and provided documentary confirmation,” the copyright complaint claims. “Notwithstanding such notice, the Defendant continued to carry, market, broadcast…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Eastlink is expressing disappointment Friday after the CRTC blocked it from destandardizing certain internet speeds for third-party service providers that it no longer offers to its own retail customers.
In March last year, the regional telecom asked the CRTC to allow it to eliminate the 100 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload and the 300/10 Mbps speed tiers from competitor access as it stopped offering those tiers to new retail customers in December 2024. The telecom said the proposal was part of its effort to streamline and consolidate its service offerings.
But the CRTC denied the change Friday on the basis…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled last month that a trial court should consider punitive damages in a proposed class action lawsuit involving the reimbursement of phone unlocking fees.
In February 2024, the Quebec Superior Court authorized a class of plaintiffs to sue Rogers, Bell, Telus, and Quebecor for charging phone unlocking fees to Quebec customers between the period of August 14, 2014 and December 1, 2017.
But the court denied a request to allow the class to seek punitive damages, which would go beyond reimbursement, in part because it believed that the telecoms did not act maliciously. The…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) has formally made way for a stretch of spectrum to be used for wireless backhaul capacity.
The department last month removed the multipoint communication system (MCS) designation for the 21.2-21.8 GHz and 22.4-23 GHz bands to create a contiguous stretch for fixed point-to-point systems, such as wireless backhaul. The repurposed spectrum will be licensed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Enhanced backhaul capacity will be required so that the increased data traffic in a mobile network between the base station and a user can be effectively…
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Bell announced Monday it has been awarded $24,000 in compensatory and punitive damages by the Court of Quebec in a case involving theft of the telco’s copper wire in Chicoutimi in January 2024.
In a decision handed down Nov. 26, the Quebec court awarded Bell $19,000 in compensatory damages for network repairs and $5,000 in punitive damages, which a Bell press release said underscored the seriousness of the offence and its consequences.
The copper theft in Chicoutimi on Jan. 2, 2024 resulted in 94 customers losing internet service for more than 36 hours,…
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Telus announced Tuesday it has partnered with kini mobile to launch Made for Pinoys, new prepaid mobile plans that offer dual Philippine-Canadian connectivity on Telus’s 5G network.
These plans allow customers to maintain both Philippine and Canadian mobile services on a single device, “while addressing the unique connectivity needs of Filipino residents, international students, temporary foreign workers and travelers who spend time in both countries,” said a Telus press release.
“TELUS is proud to support the Filipino community in Canada with connectivity solutions designed specifically for their needs,” said Kal…
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Telus announced last week the launch of its new Mobility for Good for Indigenous Women at Risk program in Manitoba, in partnership with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs – First Nations Family Advocate Office (AMC-FNFAO) and non-profit Indigenous services organization Ka Ni Kanichihk.
This marks the third expansion of Telus’s program that provides free smartphones and wireless services to Indigenous women who may be at risk of or experiencing violence. First launched in Alberta and B.C. in 2021, and later expanded to Ontario and Quebec, the Telus…
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