GATINEAU – The small telephone companies and their larger competitors are seeing eye-to-eye on some aspects of proposed changes to the regulatory framework for small incumbent local exchange carriers (SILECs). But on others, they remain at loggerheads.
When it comes to giving SILECs the same flexibility as the ILECs in market trials and promotions, and the use of rate ranges, there is broad consensus among interveners. The same goes for maintaining the basket of services structure. Telus is an outlier on this issue. It wants the creation of a fifth basket that would group all competitor services – interconnection and…
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CALGARY – Cue the robots. Shaw Communications’ workforce has catapulted in numbers. Zillions of delivery robots working within the national cable, satellite and broadcasting company’s network known as the “pipe’ now service the needs of its 3.4 million customers alongside customer care staff.
In a national campaign which launched November 5 that crosses all customer touch points, including television, print, online and out of home, Shaw (along with its agency, Vancouver’s Rethink) introduces us to its newly animated network and two of its cheeky delivery robots Bit and Bud (click here for one of the televised…
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OTTAWA – Bell is falling far behind schedule in rolling out broadband services to rural communities using public funds and will only have 12 Commission-approved communities completed by year’s end, not the 49 communities it forecast says the CRTC. The regulator is now demanding that Bell Canada and Bell Aliant submit quarterly reports on the status of their deferral account project to ensure it gets back on schedule in order to be completed as agreed by August, 2014.
In an August, 2010 decision regarding how Bell should dispose of the funds remaining in its deferral account the…
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OTTAWA – Facing intense international scrutiny of late, Huawei Canada president Sean Yang addressed the International Institute of Communications Canadian conference on Wednesday to insist the Chinese telco technology manufacturer would never do anything to damage the business it has built in Canada over the past number of years.
Earlier this month the head of the U.S. Intelligence Committee urged Canadian companies to stop doing business with Huawei, now the world’s second largest telco equipment manufacturer, due to security concerns. Huawei does little business in the States as the government there believes its gear could be used by the Chinese…
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MONTREAL – Astral Media reports profits rose sharply in the fourth quarter, with net earnings of $54.3-million, up 14% from $47-million the previous year. Revenue growth grew at a slower pace of 2% to $251.8-million from $247.6-million.
Astral noted that with the CRTC’s rejection of its takeover by BCE, and the outcome of BCE’s appeal officially unknown, “there can be no assurance that the transaction will occur, or that it will occur on the terms and conditions currently contemplated," read the release. Company co-founder and CEO Ian Greenberg wouldn't say much…
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TORONTO – Launching today with a three-month free preview, Videotron subscribers in Quebec will get unlimited access to FX Canada. Programming includes American Horror Story: Asylum, Sons of Anarchy, Louie and The League, as well as late-night shows Brand X with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. FX Canada is available to Videotron subscribers in SD on channel 210 and in HD on channel 810.
“There is a high demand for FX’s premium content across Canada, and Rogers is excited to bring this award-winning programming to the Quebec market, “ said Scott…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is ending the 5% limitation on the carry-over of Canadian programming over-expenditures and the obligation to use them in the subsequent broadcast year, but broadcasters currently subject to it will have to apply to have it removed.
The CRTC’s decision follows previous filings by both Rogers and Bell that argued the 5% cap limited their flexibility. Rogers submitted that the cap reduced its ability to operate its Citytv conventional television stations and that some of its Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) were already committed to large budget productions during the first broadcast year…
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TORONTO – Reports that VimpelCom is preparing to drop its telecom assets in African and Asia is the “strongest signal to date that VimpelCom may eventually exit Wind Canada,” writes Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
Fan in his October 29 Equity Research report refers to a Financial Times (FT) report that VimpelCom (VIP), Wind Mobile Canada’s parent, is expected to sell its sub-Saharan African units and its Zimbabwean business, Telecom Zimbabwe. VimpelCom is also preparing for a sale of its three businesses in Cambodia and Laos as part of the company’s strategy to focus on…
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OTTAWA – Canadians need an “enforceable, comprehensive wireless code” in light of the number and type of complaints highlighted in the Annual Report of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), according to telecommunications advocacy group Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The CCTS Annual Report, released Thursday, indicated that 60% of all complaints received were from wireless service customers. The CCTS also handles internet and wireless service problems for Canadians after being given the mandate by the CRTC.
"The CCTS can only do so much: the wireless industry needs to step…
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DENIED. We’re still surprised (and most anyone who tells you they feel otherwise is pretty much full of it).
I mean, many of us had suggested a full-on denial could happen – and the overall tone of the public hearing last month surely had some believing it was a possibility, but it was pretty difficult to find anyone who would actually say with any certainty before Thursday afternoon this deal would be nixed. The CRTC hasn’t really fully said “No” to a significant deal since Vidéotron tried to buy CFCF in the 1990s and Power Corporation wanted to buy Quebec…
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