TORONTO – Telus jumped in to the mobile payments game Tuesday, partnering with CIBC on a mobile payment app for Telus mobile devices with Near-Field Communications (NFC) capability.
Beginning today, Telus customers using the CIBC Mobile Payment App and that have a CIBC credit card account will be able to make mobile payments under $50 at popular retailers across Canada including coffee shops and grocery stores.
CIBC credit card clients using Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy SIII, Samsung Galaxy Note II and HTC One on the Telus network will be able to download the app from Google Play immediately, while Telus’…
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GATINEAU – Submissions to the CRTC on its wholesale domestic roaming rates proceeding break down just where most would expect.
In December, the CRTC launched a review of the rates Rogers, Bell and Telus charge smaller wireless service providers when customers of those smaller companies use their phones to roam outside of their own provider’s home network. The primary accusation of the Commission is that the big three are charging the likes of Wind and Eastlink more than they charge American operators whose customers roam on networks here when they travel.
In the summer of 2013, the…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC will examine licence renewal applications from Rogers Media, plus consider a second request for a Canadian film channel and a pay-per-view service for Telus at a hearing scheduled for April 8, 2014 in Gatineau.
The Commission made public Wednesday that Rogers has filed applications to renew the broadcasting licences for 17 of its television services and stations, including its City stations, multilingual ethnic television stations and Sportsnet. In addition to licence renewal, the Commission will examine “key issues” relating to these applications including the group-based approach to the licensing of the City television stations and…
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TORONTO – While we first reported here that Quebecor’s cable and wireless division Vidéotron might be interested in buying ailing Mobilicity and stocking up on 700 MHz spectrum in the ongoing auction, most reaction has been disbelief.
In a research note to clients on Monday, BMO Capital Markets analyst Tim Casey doesn’t buy it. “We acknowledge there is a potential opportunity for a non-incumbent bidder in the auction (such as Quebecor, EastLink, Novus or Feenix) to scoop up the remaining prime block of 700MHz spectrum (for Southern Ontario, Eastern Ontario, B.C. and Alberta) at attractive valuations….
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WHISTLER, B.C. – While Rogers, Shaw and Telus say they are supportive of an a-la-carte channel environment, executives from each company offered up some cautionary advice during CIBC’s annual Whistler Institutional Investors conference last week.
Speaking at the event January 23, Steve Wilson, Shaw’s executive vice-president of corporate development and CFO, acknowledged the industry realizes that consumers want more choice, and from his company’s point of view, it’s about giving them the ability to access content in a variety of ways. There also needs to be consideration given to the impact that has on the Canadian broadcasting system and the…
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WHILE THE CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTION television market is at the beginning of a decade-long decay, growth is still in the cards for cable and telecom companies in Canada thanks to the world’s shift to broadband, says a new report from Scotiabank.
The report, entitled “Embrace the Evolution” (whose cover photo is pictured) says thanks to broadband internet “the growth outlook is bright” for telcos and cablecos (1%-1.5% revenue growth and 2.5%-3.5% in EBITDA growth), due partially to more predictability on the capital expenditure front – and the concentration on more profitable broadband products and services.
However, it won’t be pretty on the…
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Launches this week:
Sasktel brings high speed Internet to four more communities
REGINA – SaskTel has rolled out high speed Internet to Bruno, Annaheim, Elbow and Middle Lake.
Residents of these communities are now eligible to subscribe to SaskTel’s High Speed Basic Level 2 package that gives speeds of up to 5 Mbps download.
This expansion is part of the long-term strategy to increase access to High Speed Internet in rural Saskatchewan. That strategy includes upgrading speeds to 10 Mbps download in over 220 existing DSL communities, in addition to expanding DSL of up to 5 Mbps to 50 additional communities. SaskTel…
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TORONTO – A coalition of Canadian academics and consumer groups are asking the country’s biggest telecommunications service providers to divulge the extent to which they pass on their customers’ private information to government agencies when asked.
Spearheaded by Toronto-based researcher Dr. Christopher Parsons, the organization sent letters to 16 different companies this week, including Bell, Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Telus and Videotron, asking them to respond to questions on their data retention and sharing policies. The telcos were asked to respond or commit to responding by March 3, 2014.
“Specifically, we are asking how, when, and why your company discloses information to…
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TORONTO – Verizon Wireless' strong wireless growth in fiscal year 2013 may bode well for Canadian incumbent wireless carriers, says an industry analyst.
In a note to clients on Tuesday, Dvai Ghose, Managing Director/Head of Research for Canaccord Genuity, said that incumbent wireless subscriber growth in North America still looks to be “robust despite maturation”, and predicted postpaid subscriber base increases at all three Canadian incumbents when they post their financial results for 2013 within the next few weeks. He estimates a 5.7% year-over-year increase at Bell Mobility, a 4.7% uptick at Telus Mobility and a 3.2% rise at Rogers Wireless.
Despite maturation, slowing…
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TORONTO – HBO Canada is offering another free sampling opportunity for three of its “buzzworthy series” following their broadcast premieres.
The channel said that the first episodes from HBO’s new dramedy Looking, the second season of Cinemax’s Banshee, and Season 3 of HBO’s Golden Globe Award-winning series Girls are available now on HBOCanada.com, TMN GO, Movie Central On Demand, and via on-demand platforms of participating television providers.
All new HBO programming airs day-and-date with HBO in the U.S. In Eastern Canada, episodes are available on TMN GO, HBOCanada.com, and HBO Canada OnDemand. In Western Canada, episodes will be available…
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