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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LONDON, ON – The Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre is the first hospital in southwestern Ontario to launch an innovative social networking tool that helps its young hospital inpatients stay connected to their families, friends and school.
The Children’s Hospital, together with Kids’ Health Links Foundation, Children’s Health Foundation and Telus Health, today announced the launch of Upopolis, a secure social network designed for children receiving care in hospitals.
Upopolis provides familiar features of social networking, such as personal profiles, micro-blogging, instant chat, group chats, multiple photo uploading and…
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TORONTO – With outgoing Wind Canada CEO Tony Lacavera having told Cartt.ca that he loves auction rules set by Industry Canada because it shows the federal government is committed to seeing a fourth national wireless player emerge strongly, Bay Street is now wondering if Lacavera’s former backer, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, will risk diving deeper into the Canadian wireless market.
Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan wrote in a research note to clients last week that there are numerous reasons not to invest in the Canadian wireless market, yet…
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GATINEAU – Wireless industry stakeholders are still at loggerheads over a number of issues pertaining to a wireless code of conduct. They include three-year contracts, the co-existence of the code with provincial consumer protection legislation and notifications of data and fee caps, among others.
On these matters, the Big Three – Bell Canada, Rogers Communications and Telus – remain united. They all agree that banning three-year contracts as has been suggested by some consumer advocates and the new entrants isn’t necessary given the clear language on earlier termination fees (ETF).
The ETF formula, in conjunction with the unlocking and cancelation policies,…
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TORONTO – Canadian Women in Communications (CWC) has announced two new appointments to the organization; Joanne Stanley as executive director, and Janice McDonald as new board chair.
Stanley brings more than a decade of experience leading not for profit organizations, most recently as co-founder and executive director of Canadian Women in Technology. Prior to that, Stanley held senior positions at the Ontario Centres of Excellence and Bell. For the past six months, she has been working with the CWC as special advisor, strategy and technology sectors, as the organization expands its focus in the technology and digital arena.
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