Search Results for: telus

Cable / Telecom News

Bell wants CRTC to defer small cell jurisdiction question to Federal Court of Appeal

By Ahmad Hathout Bell wants the CRTC to defer to the Federal Court of Appeal to determine whether the regulator has jurisdiction over small cell attachments on telco-owned or controlled structures – or, in the alternative, separate that question from the rest of its proceeding on the matter. The telco filed a Part 1 application Tuesday challenging the CRTC’s preliminary view on which it launched a proceeding earlier this month that it has concurrent jurisdiction with Innovation Canada (ISED) over the wireless attachments crucial for 5G technology. Bell has always argued that ISED, which manages spectrum auctions required… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Competition Bureau pleased with cost award limitations after Rogers-Shaw fight

By Ahmad Hathout A senior official from the Competition Bureau told members of Parliament on Monday that the watchdog is pleased with a proposed amendment to the Competition Tribunal Act that would shield it from cost awards except in limited circumstances, after it was forced to pay $12.9 million after challenging Rogers’s proposed acquisition of Shaw. A proposed amendment in Bill C-59, which is one of two pieces of legislation to overhaul Canada’s competition rules, would limit the scope by which the Competition Tribunal can force the law enforcement agency to compensate private parties in the event it… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus and Cisco launch new 5G capabilities for connected cars

Cisco and Telus announced Monday they are launching new 5G capabilities in North America to serve IoT use cases across industry verticals, with a focus on connected cars. “The network will serve as a foundation to support drive testing by a major North American automotive manufacturer’s 5G Connected Car, while setting the stage for enhanced experiences for customers and revenue opportunities for carmakers,” says an announcement made by Cisco at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The name of the car manufacturer was not revealed in the press release. However, Telus and General Motors  Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Freedom’s subscriber acquisition plan includes bundling: Peladeau

By Ahmad Hathout Quebecor executives said Thursday that they’ve been okay with forgoing revenue in a strategy to capture customers, which includes lower prices and competitive international roaming packages on the road toward bundled home internet with its newly acquired Freedom brand. Freedom last year introduced a $50 “unlimited” talk and text plan with 40 GB of LTE data that can be used across Canada and the United States. It later launched a $65 global roaming plan that covers 73 destinations. Hugues Simard, Quebecor chief financial officer, acknowledged the loss of revenue there but said the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cablecos warn CRTC about TekSavvy ask to maintain coax or force aggregated last mile fibre

By Ahmad Hathout Cogeco is warning the CRTC that an application by TekSavvy requesting that the cableco be forced to maintain its coax facilities or else provide aggregated last mile fibre access so it can maintain connectivity to its customers at locations in Burlington and Windsor is offside. TekSavvy filed the Part 1 application last month warning that its customers at those locations will lose access if Cogeco continues its migration away from older coax technology and toward fibre, alleging that the only means for the wholesaler to get fibre access from a cable company is through the disaggregated regime… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus launches SmartHome+ beta program

Telus said Tuesday it is looking for tech enthusiasts and environmentally conscious Canadians to join its Telus SmartHome+ Beta program that it said will help shape future smart home technology. Participants in the beta program will get an exclusive look at Telus’s new SmartEnergy product, “an innovative, first of its kind product in Canada that enables customers to save on their energy bills,” according to an emailed announcement. “Participants will also get early access to our new Home View smart camera plan, which uses AI technology to detect and differentiate between various… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus, AWS, Samsung partner on virtual roaming gateway trials

Telus, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday they are teaming up to create North America’s first virtual roaming gateway, improving reliability, speed and latency for customers travelling abroad. “Traditionally, roaming traffic (voice, data, and SMS) is routed through the provider’s home country, resulting in slower speeds for customers. With this revolutionary new approach, TELUS is able to house their network within AWS Regions worldwide, using virtualized roaming gateways,” a Telus press release explains. “This means that traffic no longer needs to go through Canada, but will be routed directly to the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

As indies prepare to use last mile fibre, CRTC told to weigh on side of lower wholesale rates

By Ahmad Hathout The commission should not fear threats of lower investment in incumbent networks when it comes to set wholesale internet rates, the benefits of which will allow independent service providers to build their own networks, the CRTC heard on the final day of its wholesale internet hearing. The CRTC has been wrangling during the week-long hearing over the question of what the sweet spot is for a rate on which independent internet service providers can lease capacity from the incumbents’ networks. Adam Scott, the CRTC’s vice chair of telecommunications, referred to the risk of the commission falling on either… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers, Cogeco fend off Telus proposal on wholesale access

By Ahmad Hathout Telus’s proposal to ride on its competitors’ internet networks outside of its home territory would be destructive to facilities-based competition and would create an existential crisis for regional wholesalers, two prominent cable companies told the CRTC on Thursday. Representatives from Telus said Wednesday that the Vancouver-based telecom should be able to wholesale internet capacity from competitor networks to drive diversity of choice and competition, or the regime would be “useless.” The telco also pushed back against claims that it is a national incumbent, instead saying that its preferred status would be a regional player that’s a new… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus partners with Samsung on Canada’s first 5G virtualized open RAN

Telus and Samsung announced Thursday they will build the first commercial 5G virtualized and open radio access network (RAN) in Canada, and they are expanding their existing collaboration from greenfield to brownfield deployments. Telus selected Samsung as one of its 5G network vendors in June 2020. Their approach to infrastructure deployment “embodies the essence of collaboration, bringing together manufacturers and providers to create a modular, state-of-the-art wireless network,” a Telus press release says. “It is also one of the first truly virtualized Open RAN deployments within a complex, brownfield network environment,” the… Continue Reading