TV stations will be moving
OTTAWA – As expected, 30 MHz of an available 70 MHz of new wireless spectrum to be auctioned off next year will be set aside for smaller, regional companies and possible new entrants in an attempt to push additional competition in the Canadian wireless market.
Wednesday evening, just as the federal government shut down for a two week Easter Break, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada released the much anticipated framework for the auction of 600 MHz spectrum, a band prized for its ability to both travel long distances…
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GATINEAU – Today the CRTC said no, for now, to Wi-Fi first mobile operators, effectively shutting down the business plan that was Sugar Mobile, it dramatically slashed the wholesale rates network owners can charge others to roam on their networks, and it gave Rogers, Bell and Telus a month to come up with new skinny wireless data plans for Canadians.
While confirming that Wi-Fi first network operators can not roam on cellular networks and become full fledged resellers, and making no determinations on mandated MVNOs, the Commission decided instead to respond to the federal government’s request to re-examine its wholesale…
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TORONTO – Internet service providers of every size and shape (except one big one) have launched a new coalition to rally Ontarians to help them battle large proposed rate increases for utility pole attachments.
While some local hydro companies have been pushing rates far higher, the Ontario Energy Board wants to set a standard rate across the province of $52 per pole per year, far above the current rate of $22.35. The three largest utilities, Hydro One, Toronto Hydro and Hydro Ottawa, have already boosted their rates to $41, $42 and $53.
Such rate increases for pole attachments will only…
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THE SHALLOW BANALITY of the announcement is what’s initially most irksome.
Today’s press release touted the federal government’s involvement in helping fund leading-edge 5G technology development in Ontario and Quebec – something it says is brand new but was actually announced 17 months ago – and the best three levels of government and five leading tech companies can come up with as a lead is:
“Imagine a world where you start off the day right because your refrigerator has tracked how much food you have and ordered replacement items for you. Your commute…
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However, it's likely just temporary
OTTAWA – While Canada’s publicly traded television service providers lost almost 20% fewer TV subscribers in 2017 versus 2016, this is likely a temporary positive turn in a long road of permanent TV subscriber declines in the future, according to new research released Wednesday.
Ottawa-based research and consulting firm Boon Dog Professional Services found that BCE, Rogers, Shaw, Vidéotron, Cogeco, and Telus combined lost approximately 166,000 in their respective 2017 fiscal years, down from an estimated 205,000 lost in the previous year.
Boon Dog partner Mario Mota credited the improved cord-cutting numbers for 2017 to the…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) chair Sylvie Courtemanche has been named Woman of the Year by Women in Communications and Technology (WCT).
Prior to joining CBSC in January, Courtemanche (pictured) was a senior executive at Corus for both regulatory matters and government relations. She has also held roles as EVP policy and regulatory affairs for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, legal counsel at the CRTC, and had her own consulting practice related to broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada.
Cogeco Connexion was named company of the year, and WCT also named 9 other recipients of its annual awards, which recognize…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied requests from both Bell and Telus seeking forbearance from the regulation of billing and collection service (BCS).
BCS is a mandated wholesale service that requires all local exchange carriers to bill and collect on behalf of alternate service providers (ASPs), such as long distance service providers, with respect to certain eligible services. These eligible services include casual long distance services (also known as 10-10 services), 900 services, collect call services, and bill-to-third call services. BCS enables an ASP to provide services to a local exchange customer without having a pre-existing billing relationship, or establishing…
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TORONTO – EnStream is offering more services that use real-time mobile network and account information to protect and confirm a consumer's online identity.
The mobile commerce joint venture company owned by Bell, Rogers and Telus said that the new services include enhanced analytics for name and address matching, mobile device authentication and mobile location services covering over 90% of the Canadian market, all without requiring any pre-loaded software on mobile devices.
"Validating identity is perhaps one of the biggest challenges on the Internet today, especially with the move to mobile," said EnStream’s chief identity officer Robert Blumenthal, in the news release….
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OTTAWA – After being deluged with over 1,600 complaints from Public Mobile customers last week after the company decided to increase a popular promotional pricing plan by $10 a month (which it subsequently backed down on), the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS) is reminding consumers that they must first contact their telecom or TV service provider to try and resolve any grievances.
In a letter published Tuesday entitled Lessons from the Public Mobile price increase, CCTS took issue with an iphoneincanada.ca article that repeated advice from a social media user about how to file a…
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And why CPE should be reduced for traditional media companies
GATINEAU – Saying online content platforms have radically altered the Canadian broadcasting system is as undeniable as it is now cliché. Netflix itself, has an estimated six million subscribers in Canada, an amount greater than half of all cable TV subscriptions here.
With Amazon Prime growing and the arrival of other online services in the future (BritBox arrived this week and CBS All Access is coming), the Canadian system needs to evolve with this new reality in mind, several have told the CRTC…
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