TORONTO—Although ISED Minister Navdeep Bains' call for lower wireless and broadband prices dominated the buzz at the Canadian Telecom Summit here last week, it was not the only hot subject on the agenda. Far from it, in fact.
During a panel discussion moderated by Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O'Brien, senior officials from Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus, TekSavvy Solutions and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre scrimmaged over such other pressing subjects as software-based competition, low-income broadband subsidies, Wi-Fi-only services, unlimited broadband offerings, the future of the Broadcast and Telecom Acts and…
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TORONTO – An increasing number of Canadians are not only opting for alternative video services, their level of satisfaction is higher for alternatives than for their traditional pay TV service, according to new data from J.D. Power.
The Canadian Television Provider Customer Satisfaction Study measures overall satisfaction with television service providers based on six factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; programming; communication; billing; and customer service. The Canadian Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study is based on five factors (in order of importance): performance and reliability; cost of service; communication; billing; and customer service. Continue Reading
TORONTO—ISED Minister Navdeep Bains' clarion call Monday for the Canadian telecom industry to slash its wireless and broadband prices re-ignited a heated debate within the industry about the sector's direction.
That debate was on full display on the stage of the Canadian Telecom Summit here Tuesday evening. In a contentious 90-minute session moderated by Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O'Brien, senior officials from Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus, TekSavvy Solutions and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre tangled over the industry's current pricing policies and the response needed to the Liberal Government's populist push for lower consumer…
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TORONTO – Canadian communications providers have to become leaders in the debate about the importance of privacy and cyber security to educate consumers, an expert has told a telecom conference.
“They have to be much more vocal,” Ann Cavoukian (pictured), executive director of Ryerson University’s Privacy and Big Data Institute, said Monday at the annual Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto. “We’ve had a lot of conversations but we need much more to explain to the public: ‘This is your data. Telcos may have custody and control, but they don’t own your data. They don’t have right do what they want…
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Modernized OMNI on the way, too
TORONTO – Watch this (digital) space.
That's the word from Colette Watson, senior vice president of television and broadcast operations at Rogers Media, who told Cartt.ca on Tuesday the media player isn't done with the online TV space after it and Shaw’s failed bet on former streamer Shomi.
"We know we have to deliver content where viewers are. How that's packaged, how that's priced, how that's delivered, is still part of the plan, but we should have something to announce in the next few months," she said.
Watson gave no details on its latest over-the-top live TV…
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TORONTO – ISED Minister Navdeep Bains opened the 2017 Canadian Telecom Summit with a speech outlining a number of new government initiatives, but there was one overarching message that has to burn the ears of the incumbent network providers in attendance who were listening.
That is, your prices are far too high.
“The bigger barrier is prices, which are especially high for low-usage cellphone plans,” the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister said in his speech to delegates.
“I get letters regularly from Canadians who are concerned that they are being priced out of the market,” he added in the speech.
“Our government…
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TORONTO – Catholic network Salt + Light is launching in high definition on June 4 after recently moving to its new broadcast centre and studio in Toronto.
Produced and operated by Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, the channel offers programs, event coverage, documentaries and other hope-filled content of relevance to Catholic viewers in both English and French, as well as select Chinese and Italian language programming.
Telus, Bell and Tbaytel are among the BDUs offering Salt + Light HD.
“We are thrilled to finally have enough support to make this important change and deliver on our viewers’ expectations of quality programming,”…
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Momentum building as company concentrates on connectivity
CALGARY – If you say “Yo, Adrian” to Shaw’s new Blue Sky TV voice-activated remote, every Rocky movie the system can find will be displayed on your TV – along with some suggestions of other titles you might like, alongside their Rotten Tomato scores.
It’s hard not to be impressed with such a neat trick, and it’s one which any Shaw Blue Sky TV customer can do in their homes, right now, thanks to the years and millions of hours of work done by thousands of Comcast Corp. developers. To this eye (or ear),…
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MONTREAL — BCE CEO George Cope described it as a “game-changing” offer in the television industry: a digital pay TV service without a set-top box, but Bell’s Alt TV offer seems to be the regular Fibe TV offer that’s less expensive and with fewer features designed to go after the cord-never market.
Available for now only to Bell Internet subscribers in Quebec and Ontario, Alt TV costs about 10% to 20% less than traditional TV, Cope said, with the basic service starting at $15 a month for 30 channels instead of $25. Additional channel packages are…
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VANCOUVER – Register now for CommTech West which this year will take place May 31 – June 1 at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Vancouver.
Join colleagues and clients at the pre-show golf tournament on May 30 at the Quilchena Golf & Country Club. Information and registration is available here.
CommTech West 2017 will provide a diverse line up of more than 20 technical sessions and workshops plus over 80 exhibiting companies. Attendee registration includes full access to the trade show, all sessions, lunches, beverage breaks, and free parking.
Telus continues to lend their strong support to the West show as a platinum…
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