DENVER – Looking towards the future, two cable industry standards groups have adopted two different sets of technical specifications aimed at spurring the industry’s deployment of all-fibre networks.
In late December, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) finally approved its Radio Frequency over Glass (RFoG) standard after more than two years of discussion and sometimes testy technical debates. The new RFoG specs enable cable operators to extend fibre lines all the way to homes and businesses without needing to switch out their existing headends, back-office systems, set-top boxes, cable modems, or other equipment. As a result, MSOs now have…
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TORONTO – Mobilicity dismissed the notion that Canada’s incumbent wireless carriers require more spectrum while announcing its intention to participate in the upcoming 700 MHz auction.
“For years, Canada’s Big Three ‘tri-opoly’ have been acting like squirrels preparing for a 50-year winter”, said chairman John Bitove, in a statement. “They hoard spectrum to keep others from giving consumers an affordable choice and Canadians have been paying the price for their self-serving interests for far too long.”
In its submission, Mobilicity asked that:
-set-aside for bidders who qualify as Canadian-owned and controlled entities with less than 10% of total wireless telecommunications market revenue…
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“WE’RE AT SUCH A significant spectrum disadvantage, we think government should level the playing field,” says Globalive CEO Tony Lacavera about the wireless auction of 700 MHz spectrum, expected in late 2012.
So significant is that disadvantage, the federal government should set aside all of the spectrum and bar any wireless company which holds 800 MHz spectrum (each of the big incumbents, that is) from participating in the 700 auction.
“We know we’re making a pretty significant ask here, but on the other hand, the incumbents have incredible swaths of spectrum,” added Lacavera (whose wireless company operates as Wind, of course)…
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OTTAWA – The incumbent wireless operators want a straight-up winner-take-all auction (mostly).
Those newer to the wireless game want some protective rules in place. They say some restrictions (set asides, caps) are needed in order for them to be able grab a slice from the lucrative, high quality, 700 MHz wireless spectrum to go on auction likely in 2012 or 2013.
In November, Industry Canada launched a consultation on a technical framework to auction spectrum in the band 698-806 MHz (also known as the 700 MHz band). Comments were sought on general policy considerations related to commercial mobile broadband spectrum…
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EDMONTON and CALGARY – Telus will invest $650 million across Alberta this year to further expand and enhance its wireless and wireline networks, the company announced Monday.
The telco will continue to invest in its Optik TV and high-speed Internet services by laying thousands of kilometers of fibre optic lines to support growing demand in the province, install 80 new cell sites to further expand its 4G wireless network, and, will introduce the Dual Cell upgrade to its HSPA+ network, doubling the manufacturer-rated peak wireless Internet speeds to up to 42 megabits per second.
"Our planned $650 million investment this year in…
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TORONTO – Telus is adding 11 more channels from Asian Television Network (ATN) to its Optik TV lineup.
The new channels, available now on free preview through March 21, will provide an even broader selection of channels in languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Tamil, and English. Programming spans news, sports, music, movies and more.
"At Telus we are committed to providing a broad range of TV channels that reflect the diversity of our customers," said Blair Miller, VP of content solutions, in the announcement. "The South Asian community is a large and dynamic part of Canada and we’re thrilled that we will…
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WINNIPEG – Telus debuted its new 4G mobile network with Dual Cell HSPA+ network access to its customers in Winnipeg on Tuesday, weeks before it plans to roll out Dual Cell HSPA+ technology in the city.
The Dual Cell upgrade doubles the manufacturers rated speed of HSPA+ from 21.1 Mbps to 42.2 Mbps. An industry-recognized 4G technology, HSPA+ provides an interim step towards the deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network technology. The telco also began stocking new devices such as the iPhone 4, BlackBerry Torch and 4G Mobile Internet keys in its stores across the city.
"Telus is pleased to bring Winnipeggers…
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OTTAWA – Three major actors in the Canadian broadcasting sector say they are bullish on the future of the system in the face of new technologies and changing consumer TV viewing behaviour.
CBC/Radio-Canada, Astral Television Networks and Shaw Media said they have taken steps to ready themselves for new consumer content consumption behaviour resulting from new mobile technologies and other emerging platforms. They noted they did this even in the face of a significant advertising downturn resulting from the global financial recession.
During a panel moderated by former Global TV News anchor Kevin Newman, representatives from the three companies…
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WHILE BRAD SHAW is now CEO of a much different Shaw Communications than the one his father JR and brother Jim built and ran, one aspect hasn’t changed.
No handlers.
As a journalist, I’ve interviewed many CEOs and other senior executives at large corporations. Most of them come to interviews with one or two others in tow who keep tabs on the interview or have other tasks. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s just not the way the Shaws do things. Never been their style. When a reporter calls the company with a question, invariably the president or CEO is the…
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OTTAWA – Opponents and supporters of vertical integration faced off in a feisty debate during a session at the Canadian Media Production Association’s (CMPA) annual Prime Time conference in Ottawa on Thursday.
Representing the “prosecution” in the session, titled Vertical Integration on Trial, Telus argued that producers and independent broadcasters are going to be disadvantaged by having fewer outlets for distribution. As well, broadcasters would have to fight the vertically integrated company on issues such as channel placement.
A critical issue, according to Michael Hennessey, senior VP of government and regulatory affairs at Telus, is one of access where…
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