BELLEVUE, WA – Bell placed first in two of Canada’s biggest three markets for wireless speed and reliability, according to tests done by an independent mobile analytics firm.
In its second set of reports on Canada's mobile experience, U.S.-based RootMetrics posted results from its more than 71,000 data, call and text tests, performed using the same phones that consumers can purchase, off the shelves, at their operator’s stores.
The company tested Bell’s Rogers’ and Telus’ networks in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, in addition to regional networks Wind (in Toronto and Vancouver) and Videotron (in Montreal). It conducted the tests in a…
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TORONTO – Four traditional Canadian telcos which not that long ago had no TV subscribers now represent about 1.3 million Canadian subscription television customers.
A key reason behind that growth has been the offer of much more flexible packaging than what had been available from their cable and satellite competitors. While the telco TV companies’ cable competitors have made strides in that direction of late, it was the availability of smaller theme packs of specialty channels and some a-la-carte offerings that set the IPTV carriers apart from their more mature competition – who stuck with larger tiers for a long…
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OTTAWA and WOODSTOCK, NB – After receiving "thoughtful feedback" on Industry Canada's consultation on policy changes in the 3500 MHz band, Industry Minister James Moore was quick to reassure stakeholders that rural Canadians will not lose their broadband services as a result.
“Under no circumstances will our government take spectrum licences away from any local Internet service provider that is providing Internet service to rural Canadians”, Minister Moore said in a statement. "The decisions resulting from this consultation will ensure that the 3500 MHz spectrum band is deployed in the best interests of Canadian consumers, especially those living in rural…
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VANCOUVER – Telus Optik TV subscribers can now watch TSN where and when they want now that the sports network's five national feeds and the TSN Go app are available through Optik on the go.
Access to TSN content and the TSN Go app is offered at no additional charge for Optik TV customers with a TSN subscription. Telus Optik TV subscribers can download the Optik on the go app as well as the TSN Go app from the Apple App Store and Google Play store.
In addition to all five TSN feeds, Optik on the go now provides mobile access…
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OTTAWA – Spectrum set asides, eligibility to purchase set-aside spectrum, and the band plan remain the primary sticking points for Canada’s wireless service providers in reply comments to Industry Canada’s consultation on the AWS-3 spectrum auction framework.
The country’s large wireless operators have panned many aspects of the department’s proposed approach to the AWS-3 auction. A 30 MHz set-aside that includes spectrum contiguous to previously auctioned AWS-1 spectrum gives new entrants a considerable leg up, they argue. Not only do they believe that the set aside is the wrong approach, they think if the department does indeed set…
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OTTAWA – The Wireless Code applies to retail mobile wireless voice and data services provided to both individuals and small businesses, the CRTC reiterated Wednesday.
Responding to an application from Telus, the Commission added that the Wireless Code applies to all contracts between an individual and a wireless service provider where the individual is responsible for some or all charges related to the contract.
Accordingly, the Commission found that both “corporate individual plans” and “employee purchase plans", as described by Telus, are wireless contracts between an individual and a service provider where the individual is responsible for some or all…
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OTTAWA – The Recycle My Cell Student Challenge is back for a fifth year, so c’mon kids and gather up those old mobile devices.
Canadian students from kindergarten to post-secondary are challenged to recycle as many old wireless devices and accessories as possible between October 20 and November 21, 2014. The school in each province and territory that collects the most cell phones (based on school population) will be awarded $500 to be used towards a school environmental project. As a participation prize, eligible schools will receive $1 for every phone they collect and recycle through Recycle My Cell (up to a…
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THE INITIAL CALL FOR THE REVIEW of the broadcasting system and the launch of the Let’s Talk TV consultation process was met with both skepticism and guarded optimism in the industry.
In many ways the industry had this coming. The price for cable television has increased dramatically over the past few decades, outpacing rises in price of most household commodities. The associated explosion in the number of channels, combined with the rise in price has created what behavioral economists call a “correlation effect”. This causes people to assume that the number of channels is the main cause of…
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TORONTO – There’s only a few weeks left to register for the Canadian Wireless Trade Show scheduled for October 29-30 at the Toronto Congress Centre in Toronto.
Now in its fourth year, the B2B tech, telecom, and wireless networking event will feature over 100 exhibitors and last year attracted over 2,500 attendees. This year’s lineup of live talks includes Telus’ Sachin Mahajan on ‘M2M and the Art of of the Possible’ and Samsung Canada’s Paul Brannen on ‘Mobile Trends Changing the Role of the CIO’, in addition to presentations from representatives of Public Mobile, Best Buy and Visa.
Registration and parking is free.
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable could add wireless service to its mix as the country’s newest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), a move that it said will help foster wireless competition in a market dominated by incumbent providers.
In advance of its appearance Monday at the CRTC’s review of wholesale mobile wireless services, Cogeco said in a statement that it will seek “the implementation of appropriate regulatory measures to allow it to enter the wireless market as an MVNO to offer customers more choice, better value and differentiated wireless services”. MVNOs are mobile wireless service providers that lease capacity from facilities-based wireless…
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