VANCOUVER – Telus confirmed Wednesday that in early 2012 the company will launch its ultra-fast Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.
LTE technology boasts of download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 70 Mbps. Following field testing in 2011 and the completion of an RFP process currently underway, construction on Telus’ next generation, 4G+ LTE network will begin in the latter half of 2011 in major urban markets across Canada.
(Ed note: Ever since the International Telecommunications Union reclassified – downwards – what kind of network could be labelled 4G to include deployed…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC must give broadcasters the flexibility to compete against over the top (OTT) competitors such as Netflix, Google and Hulu, Shaw Media told the CRTC during the third day of the group-based licence renewal hearing.
“The threat today from over-the-top television is alarming,” said Paul Robertson, group VP of broadcasting and president of Shaw Media. “It stems from major structural shifts in technology and rights exploitation that are permanently reshaping the global broadcast landscape.”
Emerging OTT services have maintained that they aren’t competitive with existing broadcasters, but Shaw says nothing could be further from the truth….
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CALGARY – Telus announced this week it will hire 250 new employees in Calgary over the next three months to support the growth of its Optik TV and wireless services.
By this summer, the new recruits will join the 3,000 Telus employees who already call Calgary and surrounding area home.
To help the hiring, the company will host a job fair on Saturday, April 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Telus House Calgary (411 – 1st St. SE).
“Optik TV is a game-changer – the customer response has been terrific and, as a result, we’re hiring in Calgary,” said…
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KELOWNA and RED DEER – Telus has revived the long-dormant Clearnet brand in two western Canadian cities, Red Deer, Alta. and Kelowna, B.C.
However, the company is mum on what it plans to do long term, if anything, with the brand and the concept being tested. “It’s a limited market trial,” is all a Telus spokesperson would tell Cartt.ca.
Readers will recall that Telus purchased Clearnet in 2000, a move which dramatically changed the fortunes of a telco which had been relegated to just its home B.C. and Alberta markets. That $6.6 billion acquisition (Clearnet was launched and run by current…
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RIMOUSKI, QC – Telus customers in Quebec can now browse Facebook from their televisions without missing a minute of their favourite TVshows.
The company’s new Facebook application, available free to Optik TV customers, allows subscribers to share what they are watching on their Facebook wall, view status updates, write messages, and display photo albums from Facebook on their TVs in full-screen slide show mode.
"We have pulled out all the stops with Optik TV, which reflects the company’s commitment to innovation, inspiration and change. The result is amazing. Seeing is believing," said Clément Audet, VP of consumer marketing, in the announcement….
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CALGARY and EDMONTON – CBC broadcasts on its Calgary and Edmonton affiliates shift to high definition starting Friday, the ‘pubcaster said.
Viewers in the two Alberta centres will be able to watch HD CBC programs on Shaw Cable channel 209 starting April 1st, while Telus TV subscribers will have access on May 27 through channel 600 in Calgary and channel 621 in Edmonton.
“With Calgary and Edmonton as Canada’s third and fourth largest English TV markets respectively, we’re really pleased to be adding these important members to Canada’s CBC HD family,” said Alan Dark, CBC’s executive director of media sales and…
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VANCOUVER – Telus is teaming up with producer Blink Media Works on a weekly series featuring a variety of applications (apps) designed to help users go green, find the best deals, manage their money, keep mentally sharp and physically healthy and even stay groovy.
Hosted by Mike Agerbo and Maryam Mehrtash, AppTV will launch April 2 on The Cave, followed by airings on CHEK TV, and Sun TV. Each 30 minute episode promises to include a countdown of the top apps in a different category each week, the inside scoop on the most popular apps and how to use them, plus quick…
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VANCOUVER – Telus is extending its support of relief efforts in Japan by offering customers free long distance calls to the country on their wireless devices and home phones through April 30.
The company said Wednesday that its customers have already made nearly 40,000 free calls to Japan since it introduced free calling on March 11. It also encouraged customers to continue to be a part of the relief efforts by continuing to text QUAKE to 45678 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army in Canada, or by texting ASIA to 30333 to donate $5 to The Canadian Red Cross Society, through the end of…
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OTTAWA – As Bell Canada stole the show with its usage-based billing (UBB) backdown earlier this week, the fact that the cable companies also suggested that billing on an aggregate use basis might be a more palatable approach was overlooked.
Under this type of model, the independent ISP which leases network capacity from a facilities-based carrier would be charged for a pre-determined amount of bandwidth that it could then offer to all of its customers. If the small ISP exceeds this amount, it would be charged additional fees. The current UBB approach contemplates charging independent ISPs on per-customer basis….
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MONTREAL – Videotron is appealing a CRTC decision forcing it to share video-on-demand content with competitors.
Cartt.ca has learned that Videotron has filed a motion with the Federal Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the Commission’s January decision which ruled that Videotron must offer content from the TVA network that is currently available on its illico on-demand platform to Bell and Telus for use on their on-demand platforms in Quebec.
Citing “errors of law and jurisdiction”, Videotron is challenging the CRTC’s finding of undue preference, alleges that the Commission “misapplied” the TV and BDU regulations, and questions whether TVA can be…
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