TORONTO – Canada’s largest unions continued their opposition today to the federal government’s refusal to budge on a wireless policy that would give Verizon preferential treatment if it were to enter the Canadian market.
Two of those unions are taking their “keep Verizon out of Canada” message to the streets in a rally planned for this Friday in Toronto.
A media advisory released today by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union and the Canadian Auto Workers said members are planning to protest the federal government's decision to allow U.S. telco giant Verizon to compete in Canada’s telecommunications market with…
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VANCOUVER – A new report from The Fraser Institute this morning says that Ottawa will only achieve its stated goal of providing Canadians with more choice and competition in the wireless marketplace if it removes restrictions on foreign ownership of telecommunication companies.
“The goal of achieving and maintaining a competitive market is not the same as having a minimum number of competing firms,” said Steven Globerman, Fraser Institute senior fellow and Kaiser Professor of International Business at Western Washington University, in the official press release. “By setting up rules that handicap the three large Canadian telecoms and favour small or…
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TORONTO – While James Moore told Cartt.ca on Tuesday the 700 MHz spectrum auction will not be delayed – nor will the federal government be revisiting its wireless policies – Rogers Communications CEO Nadir Mohamed is equally strident saying he has “absolutely not” given up on convincing the Industry Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office to change their minds on both fronts.
“I still firmly believe the best answer comes from dialogue and debate and discussion, and that’s the process we’re in. There’s no question in my mind that there’s always time to make the right…
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INDUSTRY MINISTER JAMES MOORE has fair sized reservoir of stamina. After two full days of going west to east talking wireless with just about everyone who’ll ask for his time – and with three days of that still lying ahead – he sounded fresh and combative when it was our turn Tuesday afternoon to talk with him.
For readers not vacationing incommunicado for the past two months, Minister Moore has taken this week to tour the country to talk up the federal government’s wireless policies in the face of an all-out onslaught of sustained criticism from…
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OTTAWA – A survey released Wednesday morning by Nanos Research, commissioned by Telus and Bell, says a clear majority of Canadians (81%) believe that neither foreign? nor Canadian-?owned telecommunications companies should be favoured in the upcoming 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction.
“If the government were to create an advantage in the marketplace in any industry, respondents prefer that the government favour Canadian (70%) over foreign?owned companies. Only 2% prefer that foreign?owned companies be given an advantage,” reads the Nanos press release.
Respondents are clearly more likely to think that Canadian companies would do a better job at creating jobs, investing and…
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VANCOUVER, B.C. –? A new wireless digital box launched Tuesday by Telus means the carrier's Optik TV customers can place their TV anywhere in the home or yard without having to plug it into a TV outlet.
Telus says the Optik wireless digital box works the same way as its wired Optik digital box, but instead receives the TV signal over the air from a wireless access point up to 60 metres away, eliminating the need for a physical connection between the digital box and the TV outlet. A corded power supply and connection between the TV…
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IN WHAT APPEARS TO be a big blow to the federal government’s plans to entice outside investors into Canada in order to be a fourth national wireless carrier, American wireless company Verizon has apparently pulled the plug on buying Wind Mobile or Mobilicity, reports the Globe and Mail.
The report, citing anonymous sources, says Verizon has – for now – decided to set aside any attempted purchase of the two companies, both of which have been for sale for months, until after the January 2014 auction of 700 MHz spectrum.
The report says Verizon will now decide…
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CALGARY – The Alberta Flood Aid organization announced Wednesday evening that the Alberta Flood Aid benefit concert taking place at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Thursday, August 15th will be broadcast and webcast live, commercial-free starting at 6 p.m. MT (8 p.m. ET) across Canada and around the world.
The star-studded 4 hour program, hosted by Brent Butt, can be seen live on the following outlets: * Omni Alberta Shaw Channels 4 (SD) and 214 (HD) (Calgary) * Omni Alberta Shaw Channels 11 (SD) and 214 (HD) (Edmonton) * Omni Alberta Telus Optik Channel 5 (SD) (Calgary and Edmonton) *…
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BURNABY, B.C. – A telecom union which represents Telus and Shaw employees added its voice to the ongoing opposition to U.S. telecom Verizon's potential entry into the Canadian market, saying today that Canadians are being misled by the "mirage" that having a foreign carrier will mean increased competition and cheaper phone rates.
“Tempting voters with the lure of cheaper cell phone bills seems to be Mr. Harper’s plan, but it's a mirage. There is no guarantee of lower prices. It is a complete manipulation of the Canadian public,” said Lee Riggs, national president of the Telecommunications Workers…
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TORONTO – While acknowledging any changes to the 700 MHz wireless auction rules at this stage are “a long shot,” telecommunications and cable analyst Jeff Fan of Scotia Capital still believes that the chances of Verizon coming to the Canadian market are less than 50%.
Simply put, there doesn’t seem to be enough of a return on what would be about a $2.7 billion investment available to the big American cellco, were it to buy Wind Canada and purchase spectrum in the auction, as has been rumoured, plus other costs.
In a research note to investors on Monday, Fan provided an…
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