GATINEAU – The small incumbent local telephone companies (SILECs) are urging the CRTC to reject proposals calling for changes to the local subsidy regime for lost telephony customers (lost NAS). They also say a regime that will force them to raise local rates to make up for a shortfall in toll interconnection revenue won’t work.
The large incumbents, as well as Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, want the Commission to only allow the 50% subsidy rule to apply to lost customers who port their number to a competing carrier. The SILECs counter that this is not what the CRTC had…
Continue Reading
“EVERYBODY’S STARTING TO realize that this market isn’t what we thought it was going to be,” said Alek Krstajic, president and CEO of upstart Canadian wireless company Public Mobile.
The wireless business is a very tough game. It’s extremely costly to build out, quite difficult to convince customers to switch service providers, incumbent carriers have been ruthless and access to spectrum, especially the good stuff, looks to be a problem. Those reasons and a few others make it appear like a round of consolidation among the three new independent wireless providers is close at hand, likely before the 700 MHz…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC is threatening to withhold subsidies to four Quebec small ILECs for delays in opening up their networks to local telephone competition. Cogeco Cable claims the delays have prevented it from offering competing triple-play bundles (telephone, Internet, television) to those regions.
The regulator denied Cogeco the settlement it sought, but instead issued a Notice of Consultation regarding the potential withholding of subsidy payments to CoopTel, Téléphone Guèvremont Inc., Téléphone Milot Inc., and Sogetel Inc.
The decision stems from the failure of the ILECs to complete an interconnection arrangement based on leased…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
