TORONTO – While the overall number of IT security attacks are dropping, the rise of mobile computing and the growing sophistication of attacks are posing a new threat, according to the Telus and Rotman School of Management's fourth annual study on Canadian IT security.
The study, released Tuesday, surveyed more than 600 Canadian IT professionals across government, public and private sectors, providing insight on the Canadian security landscape, especially as it relates to emerging trends in breaches, threats and preparedness.
The top three breaches reported in 2011 include viruses and malware (46%), laptop or mobile hardware device theft (22%), and phishing/pharming (20%). …
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GATINEAU – Rather than picking one system over another, the CRTC has chosen to give the large Internet providers the choice in how they charge small competitors who use their networks. The commission has, however, rejected Bell’s bid to charge on an aggregated volume basis, instead opting for a capacity-based approach.
In its much-anticipated usage based billing decision, the Commission chose capacity as the proxy over an aggregated volume method. Bell Canada and Rogers Communications Inc. advocated for the latter approach.
Bell suggested during the hearing that a capacity-based approach would result in independent ISPs keeping traffic volumes high resulting in…
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READERS MIGHT HAVE sensed with my column Thursday that I am taking the issue of getting broadband to low-income families very seriously. I called the fact that we have nothing in Canada to help the poor get broadband in their homes embarrassing, especially when compared to the ambitious and comprehensive Connect 2 Compete program that was launched in the United States this week by the Federal Communications Commission, numerous cable companies and other firms.
Then, reporter Peter Nowak reports today that Canada is the ONLY country in the G8 with no assistance…
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OTTAWA – Industry Canada should open up the TV white spaces spectrum in the broadcast band below 698 MHz on an unlicensed-basis, many companies are telling the department in its consultation on the as-yet used spectrum.
Earlier this summer, the department kicked off a consultation seeking input on the best ways to make the spectrum available. Cartt.ca reported on SMSE-012-11 in September. Companies tell Industry Canada that making white space spectrum licence-exempt will benefit consumers because of its ability to increase communications options.
Shaw Communications, which recently abandoned plans to deploy a mobile…
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TORONTO – In a company-wide memo leaked to the popular Canadian wireless blog Mobile Syrup, Public Mobile CEO Alek Krstajic outlined his company’s “very successful quarter”, noting the Canadian wireless upstart now has over 150,000 subscribers.
(A Public Mobile spokesperson confirmed to Cartt.ca that the memo was the genuine article.)
“We finished the quarter with more than 150k customers, with September being the best month for growth in the history of Public Mobile,” wrote Krstajic. “More importantly, when we look at the results of the incumbents, our importance to…
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OTTAWA – With more Canadians than ever connected to all manner of devices in so many ways, complaints about wireless services, Internet access and VoIP providers more than doubled in the past year, according to the 2010-2011 annual report for the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
The CCTS said that it received 8,007 complaints, up 114% over last year, which Commissioner Howard Maker noted was the largest year-over-year increase in complaints in the organization’s four year history.
Wireless complaints accounted for 62.3% of all complaints, up from 51.7% last year, which Maker said reflected the increasing availability of…
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VANCOUVER – Third quarter profits at Telus rose by 30%, which the company said Friday was generated by increases in its wireless, wireline and data revenues.
Net income for the quarter ended September 30 was $326 million, a sizeable jump from $251 million in the same period last year. Adjusting for three non-recurring items in the third quarter of 2010, normalized net income was higher by 12%.
Revenues for the quarter grew 6.5% to $2.6 billion, compared to $2.5 billion last year, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $968 million increased by 3% from $941 million due to revenue…
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GATINEAU – The chairmanship of the CRTC is often said to be a thankless job, so, many of the leading regulatory folks in Canadian telecom set about to change that this week, getting together to thank outgoing CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein for his yeoman’s work these past five years.
When he came on board as chair in 2007, von Finckenstein promised an open, accountable and transparent Commission. With dozens of public proceedings and many new ways to include the public in the debate launched under his watch, we got that in spades under von Finckenstein, who oversaw his final…
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GATINEAU – Some consensus around a Rogers Communications proposal for IP to IP connection emerged during the first day of rebuttals Monday at the CRTC’s interconnection hearing.
Rogers decided that it would be easier to live with the status quo in IP interconnection and pay for the costs of converting IP traffic to TDM (time-division multiplexing) to terminate voice calls on ILECs network as long as ILECs would negotiate IP interconnection where they offer it to either a subsidiary, a division or an unaffiliated carrier. Last week, Rogers requested the commission require the ILECs to pay…
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WINNIPEG – Residents of Manitoba are encouraged to begin using 10-digit dialing for all wireline and wireless calls starting December 1st, in preparation for the mandatory switch over which begins on July 29, 2012.
The Telecommunications Alliance, whose members in Manitoba include MTS, Rogers, Telus, Bell and Westman Communications Group, said Tuesday that the province’s telecommunications service providers will all be able to support 10-digit dialed calls starting early next month.
"10-digit local dialing and the addition of a new area code are forward-looking measures that will help the entire communications industry meet the continually growing demand for new services. A…
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