IN OUR EVER-MORE connected world, there are fewer secrets. People talk, they e-mail, they SMS, Facebook, tweet and YouTube.
They often use those outlets to speculate, pontificate, fustigate, postulate and guesstimate. Which means those “secrets” are sometimes true. Sometimes not. Sometimes educated guesses. Sometimes hopeful. Sometimes fuelled by less than good intentions.
So, it’s a good idea once in a while to take a few of those secrets and rumours floating around and ask someone in charge about them – and also to put the issues of the day facing our industry in front of someone at the top.
For this Cartt.ca…
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LOOKED AT THROUGH A Darwinian lens, the current Canadian television industry is at an evolutionary crossroads.
Changes in the ecosystem have resulted in a new species of TV-content provider: the non-Canadian, unregulated video sector, known as over-the-top (OTT). Among those migrating into the country are Netflix, Boxee, Apple and Google TV (oh, there are more – and more to come).
Like any addition to an environment, it’s changing the landscape, but the question is whether it’s a threat or will it be assimilated.
“We don’t see a big problem at this point. Look at OTT, whether Netflix or Apple TV or Google….
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OTTAWA – Huawei, Telus and Carleton this week signed a more than $1.4 million deal today to establish a research lab dedicated to enterprise cloud services.
Located in Carleton University’s new Canal engineering building, the Huawei-Telus Innovation Centre for Enterprise Cloud Services will give students, faculty and industry an opportunity to research real-world problems associated with cloud computing such as security and performance issues, according to the companies.
“In addition to the joint innovation centre we announced with Telus earlier in the year, this new lab, another strategic partnership with Telus, is dedicated to enterprise cloud services, and underscores our…
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BANFF – Would relaxing the rules on foreign investment in Canada around our communications sector help to create competition which in turn, would benefit consumers with lower prices and more choice, or, would it spell the end of our cultural sovereignty?
That theme was the focus of a spirited panel debate Tuesday at the Banff World Media Festival appropriately titled ‘Foreign Ownership: The Impact on the Communications Business’.
Norm Bolen, president and CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), came down hard, and consistently, on the side of preserving Canada’s unique culture at all costs, something that only Canadian ownership can…
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BANFF – It seems as though you can’t go far at the Banff World Media Festival without hearing talk about over-the-top (OTT) providers, and, depending on your point of view, whether they are a bane or boon to the Canadian broadcasting industry.
At a panel discussion on Monday called "OTT Services The Future of Television" — moderated by Telus’ Michael Hennessey — a Canadian cable company, broadcaster and the independent producers coalition faced down a trio of representatives from foreign OTT services Google TV, Boxee and Netflix. But with every expectation of fireworks, the predominant tone of the discussion seemed to be one…
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TORONTO – As promised last week, Telus announced Monday the company is lowering its roaming voice and data rates by up to 60%.
With the launch of Telus’ new “clear and simple international travel pricing,” all customers will now get the same low roaming rates when they’re traveling. Separate travel bundles and passes will no longer be required to take advantage of the lowest rate, making it easy and hassle-free for customers to use Telus wireless services when overseas.
"After the launch of our new HSPA+ wireless network in late 2009, Telus was able to offer our customers a…
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WELL, THAT WAS predictable.
We awoke Wednesday morning to a new report on wireless – this time on data roaming charges – from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The press release bellowed: “More effective competition and better regulation needed to cut high mobile data roaming costs, says OECD”.
When an international body with an unwieldy membership and fuzzy, broad mandate such as the OECD says we need more regulation of this or that, my automatic bullshit antenna engages. I also wondered aloud right away where Canada would rank in the report and in the press release (the only bit…
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TORONTO – Telus customers will soon be able to use Skype on their smart phones and purchase Skype credits through their Telus accounts. In addition, Telus will launch the first Skype edition smart phone in Canada, the LG Optimus Black, the companies announced Thursday.
Skype is a software application that allows users to make low cost voice and video calls and chats over the Internet. With 663 million registered users as of 2010, the company was acquired by Microsoft for US$8.5 billion last month.
Telus said that its partnership with Skype will allow customers to make unlimited Skype-to-Skype voice calls and instant…
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VANCOUVER – Telus and the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) have completed a new collective agreement following a series of ratification meetings.
Telus said Wednesday that more than 80% of its employees who cast their ballots in more than 30 communities voted to accept the new contract. The new agreement, covering approximately 12,100 employees nationally, takes effect Thursday and expires on December 31, 2015.
"I am pleased the agreement was endorsed by our team members across Canada," said president and CEO Darren Entwistle, in a statement. "This is great news for Telus, our team members and our customers, enabling us to…
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OTTAWA – The Governor in Council (GIC) did not exceed its authority under the Telecommunications Act when it ruled that Globalive Wireless met the Canadian ownership and control test, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) said in a June 8 decision.
In a statement, Globalive’s Wind Mobile proclaimed its vindication.
“We and our 300,000 customers are thrilled with this decision,” said Anthony Lacavera, chair of Globalive. “Now we can continue delivering value and choice to Canadian consumers without the distraction and expense of challenges by our competitors to our right to operate.”
The ruling comes after the Federal Court of Canada…
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