OTTAWA – The CRTC has turned down a request from three consumer groups asking it to expand and/or revise the geographic boundaries for local number portability (LNP) to more accurately reflect the current network and marketplace structure for telephony services.
LNP allows subscribers to keep the same telephone number when changing service providers. The Commission required all wireline local exchange carriers to implement LNP as part of its framework for local competition established in May, 1997.
In an application dated June 15, 2015, the Consumers' Association of Canada, the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British Columbia, and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre proposed…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC shouldn’t bow to pressure from the vertically integrated (VI) entities and loosen any regulatory measures on their activities, according to comments from the non-VI broadcast distributors.
In comments to the licence renewals of the large English and French-language ownership groups (for which a public hearing is coming in November), the non-VI BDUs tell the Commission that in fact it needs to strengthen regulations ensuring the VI companies (Rogers, Bell and Quebecor) don’t exhibit any anti-consumer and anti-competitive behaviour.
Telus says the Commission has rules to ensure carriage contracts for TV channels are done on…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s Discovery is gearing up for its first-ever nationwide free preview this fall which will include the debut of Frontier, its first original Canadian scripted drama.
Set against the raw backdrop of 1700s Canada, Frontier (pictured) stars Jason Momoa in a thrilling action-adventure series that revolves around warring factions vying for control of the fur trade in a ruthless game of wealth and power. The series will debut on November 6. Other programming highlights include the return of Canada’s Worst Driver and the premier of new original Canadian series Tougher Than It Looks? on October 24.
Discovery’s free preview…
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MONTREAL – A Quebec Court of Appeal ruling could result in a class-action lawsuit over excessive international roaming fees charged by the country’s biggest wireless providers.
According to a Globe and Mail report, Rogers, Bell and Telus could be on the hook for millions of dollars for allegedly charging high international data roaming fees to Quebec customers that used their smartphones in the U.S. and other international destinations after January 8, 2010.
The potential lawsuit stems from a complaint made by a Rogers’ Fido customer in Montreal who was billed $250.81 in extra charges for using 40.82 megabytes of data…
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Bell wanted connecting links and line-sharing service included
GATINEAU — The CRTC announced Tuesday it has denied an application from Bell Canada to expand previous regulatory policy determinations regarding the unbundled local loop framework and the rates for certain wholesale legacy services.
In its Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-326 issued in July 2015, the Commission made a number of determinations regarding the regulatory framework for wholesale wireline services, including wholesale legacy services. Specifically, the CRTC determined that the provision of unbundled local loops (ULLs) would no longer be mandated and would be phased out, and that the rates for certain wholesale…
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MISSISSAUGA – Bell Canada today issued a press release saying it has successfully demonstrated fifth generation (5G) mobile technology in collaboration with Nokia.
Conducted at Bell's Wireless Innovation Centre in Mississauga, the trial used spectrum in the 73 GHz range to achieve sustained data speeds more than six times faster than top 4G mobile speeds now available in Canada, say the companies.
"The success of the first 5G trial means we are well positioned to lead the way to the next generation of mobile technology," said Stephen Howe, Bell's chief technology officer and executive vice president, in the release….
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VANCOUVER – Canadian fibre optic provider Dixon Networks is celebrating 50 years of helping Canadians connect and communicate.
The Vancouver-based company started in 1966 by connecting families in rural B.C. with basic telephone service. It now has offices in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, and counts Telus, Rogers, Shaw, Delta Cable, the Province of Ontario, Alberta SuperNet and the City of Burnaby among its customers.
“Dixon has been a quiet leader in Canada’s tech industry for fifty years,” said CEO Brian Harris. “We laid the fibre that allowed people across British Columbia to first surf the Web. Now, we’re building…
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THOMPSON, MB – Bell and MTS have announced plans to expand mobile and wireline broadband communications networks in northern regions of the province, including full LTE and HSPA+ wireless coverage for the Highway 6 corridor to Thompson, Manitoba's Hub of the North.
The two companies said Thursday that the plans also include new wireless and wireline broadband services for the indigenous communities of Easterville, Gods Lake Narrows, Gods River, Grand Rapids and Red Sucker Lake, plus enhanced broadband service for key mining centre Flin Flon.
“The Bell MTS broadband service improvements unveiled today will be the largest capital investment in wireless…
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a.k.a. net neutrality…
GATINEAU – There is pretty broad consensus among many of the interveners in the CRTC’s differential pricing consultation that the practice can have a positive impact on the ISP business, content providers and consumers.
First round comments to the Commission’s Examination of differential pricing practices related to Internet data plans (2016-192) revealed though that it’s not a cut and dried issue. For instance, Bell Canada argued that zero-rating and sponsored data pricing mechanisms – two differential pricing practices or DPPs – are common in the communications world.
The company pointed to toll free calling and time of use…
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EDMONTON – Stollery Children's Hospital has become the first Alberta hospital to offer the Upopolis social network to their young patients.
Powered by Telus Health and created by Kids' Health Links Foundation (KHLF), Upopolis.com is Canada's only private, secure and trusted online social network designed for kids and teens receiving medical care in hospitals and clinics. The site offers access to medical content written in kid-friendly language so patients can better understand their diagnosis and treatment plan, plus enables connections with other patients who share similar diagnoses through public and private discussion groups.
In addition to remaining securely and privately…
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