GATINEAU – In their final written submissions to the CRTC on the proposed purchase of Astral Media by Bell Canada, various interveners say there are no words, no new rules the Commission can write which will sufficiently protect the Canadian TV system from the market power of a combined Bell/Astral.
That, tied to the fact Bell has told the Commission in no uncertain terms it will not proceed with the merger should it be required to divest any other assets, means the whole deal should be denied, just like the first one was rejected last fall. ( Continue Reading
DENVER, COLO. – Telus Optik TV customers in Alberta and British Columbia can now tune into the World Fishing Network (WFN) in HD.
“We’re excited to expand our partnership with TELUS and deliver some of the best fishing and outdoor lifestyle programming to Optik TV subscribers in crystal clear HD,” said Sean Luxton, SVP of digital and content distribution for WFN in a release.
WFN HD (Ch. 721) is offered as part of the Adventure Extra Package or a la carte, and continues to be available to Optik TV subscribers as part of the same…
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WHILE DROPPING IN ON the CRTC’s two-week hearing into new and renewed mandatory carriage requests (on cpac.ca) – and poring over some of the transcripts since its conclusion, two thoughts bubbled up above all the facts, self-serving opinion and pure BS that is a Commission hearing: The CRTC should impose some sort of mandatory penetration based rate card, a-la Bell Media’s, upon the entire regulated TV industry – or just deregulate the whole damn thing (which is not actually an option).
Independent broadcasters (those not owned by a vertically integrated entity) have little, if any, leverage when it comes to…
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OTTAWA – Canadian wireless operators remain largely unconvinced that Industry Canada’s proposed changes to spectrum licence transfers will be good for the wireless market. New entrants and incumbents alike are opposed to any rule changes that would limit a secondary spectrum trading market.
Mobilicity acknowledges that the department is trying to create a more competitive wireless market and took a first good step in setting aside spectrum in the 2008 Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) auction. But the upstart says “the imposition of additional vague, open-ended restrictions on the transferability of spectrum” won’t help new entrants raise the capital they need…
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MONTREAL – It's the darling of the Canadian telecom field these days among Bay Streeters, and Telus again had a strong quarter, posting a 13% increase in quarterly profit in its Q1 results released Thursday as it added tens of thousands of new wireless and IPTV customers.
It’s wireless ARPU has grown to over $60 a month and the price of its newly split shares is on the rise. Churn is down, customer satisfaction is up, wireline revenues are increasing, and dividend payouts are growing for investors. According to EVP and chief…
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NETWORK EXPANSION NEWS
Launches this week:
Telus expands 4G LTE service in B.C. and Ontario, invests $265 million in Quebec
VANCOUVER – Over this past week, Telus announced the expansion of its 4G LTE wireless network service to communities in British Columbia and Ontario, as well as a $265 million investment in Quebec to augments its Optik TV and fibre-to-the-home network.
Telus said it is spending $300,000 to expand its 4G LTE wireless network service to Big White, Nelson, and Hudson’s Hope, B.C., with $100,000 allocated to each community. This investment is part…
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VANCOUVER – Telus announced a second consecutive quarter of net profit growth of $362 million, an increase of 13.5% over the same quarter in 2012.
First quarter revenue increased by 4.8% to $2.76 billion, compared to the same period a year earlier, driven by increased revenue in the company’s wireless, high-speed internet and Optik TV businesses. Consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) also increased by 5.4% to $1.03 billion, resulting in a corresponding jump in earnings per share of 14% to $0.56, which reflects the company's mid-April two-for-one stock split.
Telus reported…
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TORONTO – SaskTel and Telus’ Koodo Mobile ranked highest in customer satisfaction for the second year in a row, according to a new study released today by J.D. Power & Associates.
Among full-service carriers, SaskTel’s score was highest at 712, which was 13 points higher than its 2012 score. The survey noted that SaskTel performed particularly well in terms of offerings and promotions, customer service, and the sales process.
Koodo Mobile from Telus scored highest among stand-alone carriers with 765 points, also up higher by 13 points from 2012. The wireless provider stood out for…
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Story and photo by Steve Faguy
MONTREAL – After Telus, Rogers, EastLink, Cogeco and Quebecor, the last word on Bell’s failed relationship with competing BDUs went to the little guys. And they had some eye-opening facts and figures to back up their claims that Bell isn’t playing fair.
“We are not here to engage in regulatory arbitrage,” said Jim Deane, chair of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, which represents about 115 small cable companies across Canada. “CCSA members are fighting for their lives.”
Speaking as one of the final interveners in the hearing over Bell Canada?s proposed purchase of Astral Media, the…
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MONTREAL – In a lengthy appearance before the CRTC commissioners on Wednesday (more than twice as long as either Rogers or Telus the day prior) Cogeco Cable left no doubt where it stood on the question of Bell Canada buying Astral Media: There can be no compromises, no new regulatory caveats that make this deal palatable, and so the merger must be denied. Again.
Cogeco’s argument was similar to the one EastLink made earlier on Wednesday, but the Montreal-based cable and radio firm offered up more detail. CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais has asked the opposing interveners Tuesday and Wednesday for…
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