VANCOUVER – Telus announced the launch of BBC Kids video on demand (VOD) on its Optik TV service.
“TELUS has been a great partner helping to make BBC Kids available to a growing number of Optik TV customers,” said Rudy Buttignol, president of BBC Kids, in a release. “BBC Kids offers shows you won’t find anywhere else – programs that are fun for kids and trusted by parents.”
BBC Kids, a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Knowledge Network, features kids programming from preschool favourites to comedy and adventure for teens. Programs include Charlie and…
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WHEN ASKED ABOUT how the reports that Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile are all looking for a way out of the wireless business in Canada, Industry Minister Christian Paradis told reporters in a conference call on Monday: “I still remain confident we can achieve our goal,” of having four wireless players in each region of Canada.
Mr. Minister, you are the only one with that confidence.
As we have noted before, the Canadian wireless market right now, has as many players as it will ever have and in all…
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OTTAWA – With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22, why not mark the occasion by recycling your old cell phone – and get a little spring cleaning done at the same time?
According to the 2012 National Cell Phone Recycling Study, released today, 41% of old cell phones are stashed away in junk drawers as opposed to being recycled. That’s just one reason why Recycle My Cell, Canada’s free cell phone recycling program, is encouraging all Canadians to participate in this year’s Earth Day by recycling…
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DURING A SHORT, Monday morning interview with reporters during a visit to Asia to extoll the virtues of the Canadian ICT sector (and others), Industry Minister Christian Paradis noted he wasn’t exactly pleased with Rogers Communications pending purchase of Shaw Communications’ AWS spectrum.
Shaw bought the spectrum in 2008 during that auction but decided not to build a traditional wireless network after all. As spectrum which was set aside for new wireless entrants, the auction rules said it is not allowed to be purchased by one of the incumbent providers until next year. However, Shaw has already Continue Reading
TORONTO – It’s very hard to argue an organization does not represent you and your wishes when you are a paying member of that association. So after much behind-the-scenes bitterness wireless upstarts Wind Mobile, Public Mobile and Mobilicity this week quit the group, saying the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association has become co-opted by the big three wireless companies and does not represent the wishes of all of its membership.
Simon Lockie, chief regulatory officer at Globalive, Wind’s owner, said the trio of companies’ frustration with the CWTA, its public statements and private lobbying, has been simmering for months and reached…
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TORONTO – In a move that is sure to make the politicos in Ottawa take notice, Wind Mobile, Public Mobile and Mobilicity today jointly announced their withdrawal from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), saying the association is biased in favour of its rivals and does not represent their interests.
The group claims the CWTA has become the “voice of big three telcos” – referring to Rogers, Bell and Telus – at the “expense of consumers and new entrant mobile service providers” and does not represent the Canadian mobile wireless sector.
“When we were first…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Cable companies reported a modest growth in revenues and subscribers in 2012, while satellite companies recorded a decline in these categories, according to the CRTC’s statistical and financial results for the industry released today.
Combined revenues for both cable and satellite companies increased by 4.2% from $13.5 billion in 2011 to $14.1 billion in 2012. Similarly, the total number of subscribers (which includes customers subscribed to IPTV services such as Bell’s Fibe TV or Telus’ Optik TV), rose by 1% from 11.4 million to 11.5 million. (We checked with the CRTC and the only…
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WHILE THE CANADIAN launch date of Blackberry’s new Q10 smartphone is rumoured to be April 30, that hasn’t stopped several wireless carriers from announcing they are already taking pre-orders.
Rogers’ announcement was the first in Cartt.ca’s inbox this morning, in which the company says it is the first Canadian carrier to offer the new Q10 smartphone. The Q10 follows the release of Blackberry’s Z10 model on Feb. 5 and is their second smartphone to run on the company’s Blackberry 10 operating system.
While both the Z10 and Q10 smartphones run on the Blackberry 10…
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GATINEAU – There's no Say No To Bell campaign this time around, but most of Bell's major competitors have again told the CRTC they are strongly against the takeover of Astral Media by BCE, even with the new promises to divest English-language TV assets.
Quebecor, Rogers and Telus all said they were against the deal in submissions sent to the Commission on Friday, the deadline for interventions in the new application for change of ownership.
Quebecor Media, which owns the Vidéotron cable provider and broadcaster TVA, "asks the Commission to categorically refuse the approval of the revised application," saying it would…
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TORONTO – Canadian telcos will gain more TV market share this year, while the number of cable and satellite subscribers will continue to decline, according to a new report from Convergence Consulting.
The report, part of the company’s “Battle for the North American Couch Potato” series, estimates that Canadian TV market share for telcos will increase to 14.6% by year-end 2013, up from 11.3% the previous year, with Telus and Bell leading the pack. Cable’s market share is expected to decrease from 66% in 2012 to 63.7%, and satellite share is forecast to decrease to…
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