WATERLOO – Visa has approved Research In Motion’s secure mobile payments solution using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. RIM's Secure Element Manager (SEM) is the backend solution for carriers that can securely manage credentials on SIM (subscriber identity module) cards installed in all types of NFC-capable mobile devices. Visa's approval builds on the joint initiative by Telus, Rogers and Bell for their deployment of mobile payments in Canada through EnStream.
"The approval from Visa of RIM's SEM solution is an important step in that it will enable carriers to support Visa issuing banks and financial…
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TORONTO – Cogeco, despite losing 2,076 net Canadian basic cable subscribers, and adding only 6,311 telephony subscribers, well below the 16,000 forecast in its first quarter, remains a “buy” recommendation. In part because of its strong Free Cash Flow (FCF) guidance that increased to $170 million from $105 million due to its purchase of Atlantic Broadband (ABB) and reduced Canadian capex. This according to analysts Dvai Ghose and Sanford Lee in Canaccord Genuity’s Daily Letter for January 15 who now forecast a target price of $44.00 for Cogeco’s stock.
“Due to weaker than expected subscriber results,…
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TORONTO and CALGARY – Rogers Communications said late Monday afternoon it plans to pay Shaw Communications $700 million to acquire Hamilton Ontario-based Mountain Cablevision and to secure Shaw’s AWS spectrum holdings in 2014.
The deal will also see Shaw purchase Rogers' one-third interest in TVtropolis for $59 million, giving it 100% of the specialty channel, and Shaw will enter into negotiations with Rogers for the provision of certain services in Western Canada. The press release did not specify what those services will be although Shaw CEO Brad Shaw hinted where some co-operation is being worked on.
The decision to option the…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite’s four HD commercial-free movie channels are now available to Cogeco Cable digital customers throughout Ontario. Featuring over 400 HD movies per month, uncut and unedited, Hollywood Suite is: WarnerFilms (channel 875), MGM Channel (channel 874), Sony Movie Channel (channel 873), AXN Movies (channel 872). Cogeco Cable HD TV customers can now enjoy a free preview of all 4 Hollywood Suite movie channels until March 31st, 2013.
“Kicking off the New Year with a bang, Hollywood Suite offers Cogeco Cable customers an incredible variety of blockbuster titles on four stunning HD channels” said Ron…
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CALGARY – While subscriber losses worried some on Bay Street (the company dropped 28,000 video subscribers in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, ended November 30, 2012) Shaw Communications posted overall positive operating results for the three months ended November 30, 2012.
Consolidated revenue for the three month period of $1.32 billion was up 3% compared to the same period last year and total operating income before amortization of $601 million improved 6% over the comparable period. Free cash flow for the quarter was $244 million compared to $119 million for the same period last year. Increased operating income before…
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A NEW REPORT FROM BMO Capital Markets, which dives deep into what will affect investment in the telecom and media space in Canada in 2013, takes a good look at the possibilities and assumptions heading into the auction of the 700 MHz spectrum everyone assumes will take place mid-year.
The report, by analyst Tim Casey, says what most believe – that the big winners in the auction, which will be expensive. will be the big three of Rogers, Telus and Bell, but that the latter two have an advantage over Rogers since Bell and Telus share the operation of their…
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AS CANADIANS CHOOSE to carry their worlds in their pockets – loaded onto their much loved and much used Androids, iPhones, BlackBerrys and so on, they are demanding service that’s always excellent and bills that are always affordable.
When things go wrong with the little device in our hands, when we get dinged for charges we didn’t expect, when it doesn’t work as fast as advertised, when it breaks, it’s a mini-disaster. It’s not like tearing a hole in your pants or getting a flat tire. Those things can be dealt with and are relatively easy to fix. When it…
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OTTAWA – On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada will release its ruling on whether or not the CRTC has the jurisdiction to let conventional, over-the-air local broadcasters pursue a fee for the carriage of their signals by subscription television providers. The appeal was heard back in April, as Cartt.ca reported.
The ability for local broadcasters to charge a cable, satellite or telco TV provider a wholesale fee (and by extension of course, Canadian subscribers) has been something TV station owners have pursued off and on for decades. The CBC asked for the ability to pursue…
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GATINEAU – While most agree that Canada definitely needs a national, mandatory code of conduct for wireless providers to adhere to when dealing with their customers, agreement on what this code will actually say is another matter entirely.
Submissions were due into the CRTC last week on the Commission’s proceeding to establish a mandatory code for mobile wireless services. A public hearing will start February 11th – after the Regulator itself releases a draft code for discussion next month and conducts three more days of public, online consultations.
Bell Canada says it’s been listening to what the CRTC Continue Reading
TORONTO – The past year has been a strong one for Canada’s big three telcos (see Figure 1 below), but new wireless pricing plans will cut into Average revenue per user (ARPU). In particular, a new Rogers Wireless price plan (see Figure 2) launched on November 7 and matched immediately by Telus and Bell, along with a maturing smartphone market and looming threat from Wi-Fi could combine to slow future growth. This according to research from analysts Dvai Ghose and Sanford Lee in Canaccord Genuity’s latest Daily Letter to investors.
“On the surface, one could conclude…
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