Large cuts hark back to time Telus threatened 5,000 cuts during wireless review
By Ahmad Hathout
Telus announced Friday it is cutting 6,000 jobs across its telecom and information technology business, which president and CEO Darren Entwistle partly attributed to getting ahead of regulatory changes.
The job losses are split across Telus and its IT business Telus International, with losses of 4,000 at the former and 2,000 at the latter.
“It is with heavy heart that we are seeking to reduce 6,000 staff positions across our global footprint,” Telus said in its second-quarter results release, adding it is also “offering early retirement and…
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CALGARY – Telus Communications announced Wednesday the launch of HomePro, a new à la carte and subscription service that provides customers with access to in-person and 24/7 online tech experts to support almost every connected device in their home, according to a press release.
Telus says it has partnered with tech care company Asurion “to provide customers with device protection coverage and online support for everything from device setup, installation, troubleshooting and more.”
HomePro offers two monthly subscription plans: the HomePro Starter plan for $15 per month, which provides customers with 24/7 virtual (chat or phone) access…
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Commission may launch public consultation on matter
OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking the country’s largest internet service providers via letter for comment on whether it should mandate participation in a data project in collaboration with Innovation Canada to track fixed wireless internet performance.
Participation is currently voluntary and requires that the fixed wireless service providers contacting all of its subscribers on the federal objective speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps and higher and providing them material asking them if they are willing to participate in the study.
But the commission said that, while there have been a number of…
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VANCOUVER – Telus on Monday announced it is now the official Canadian breach response provider for consumer cybersecurity brand Norton, delivering support to employees and customers of businesses affected by data breaches.
As part of the announcement, Telus is launching Telus Online Security powered by Norton, available in two premium plans for businesses — Guardian and Guardian Plus — which provide identity theft protection, credit monitoring and dark web monitoring.
“As cybercrime rates rise and the demand for solutions increases, Telus Online Security goes beyond standalone identity monitoring services in the market…
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VANCOUVER – Telus said Tuesday it is accelerating deployment of its Smart Building technologies across Canada in an effort to support net-zero carbon emissions for businesses, including companies such as Arlington Street Investments and clothing company H&M.
Residential, commercial and public buildings account for 13 per cent of Canada’s direct greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2022 discussion paper from Natural Resources Canada (NRC), cited in a Telus press release. The same NRC paper says 78 per cent of operational building emissions come from space and water heating equipment that burns fossil fuels, Telus notes.
“The…
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VANCOUVER and BERLIN – The Telus Pollinator Fund for Good is investing in Dryad Networks, a German startup “that provides ultra-early wildfire detection through large-scale IoT networks and sensors that can detect fires as early as their smoldering phase,” according to a Telus press release last week.
The amount of the Telus Pollinator Fund’s investment was not announced.
“Telus recognizes that there is an urgent need to scale innovative wildfire detection technologies and that’s why the Pollinator Fund is investing in Dryad,” Blair Miller, managing partner, Telus Pollinator Fund, said in the release. “More than…
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VANCOUVER – Telus announced last week it is doubling its commitment to its Indigenous Communities Fund, saying it will provide $2 million to the fund over the next five years.
When the Telus Indigenous Communities Fund was launched in November 2021, the telecom committed $1 million to the fund, which provides grants up to $50,000 to support Indigenous-led social, health and community programs.
Some of the Indigenous organizations supported to date include Workforce Warriors (a 2021 grant recipient), IndigeSTEAM (2022 recipient), Big Horn Health Services and NꞌQuatqua First Nation…
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Large telecoms emphasize need for mobile wireless projects
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Service providers are providing mixed responses to the CRTC’s proposal to use the Broadband Fund to subsidize the ongoing cost of operating networks it helps build, with responses ranging from not expanding its use beyond its current boundaries and allowing for its use for that purpose.
The CRTC launched a proceeding in March to broaden the scope of the $750-million fund supported by telecom revenues, from which three rounds of funding had been opened.
The commission – surveying the influx of other federal broadband programs since the emergence of…
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OTTAWA – Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has directed his department Monday to launch a consultation to help expedite service in Toronto’s subway system.
The consultation seeks answers to questions addressing how quickly service should be deployed in the underground system, which has long suffered from a lack of service, and making those rules a condition of carriers’ spectrum licences.
ISED is asking for comments on the extent and the time to deploy the network upon reaching commercial terms for access, including providing voice, text and data services.
The department is proposing that 100 per cent of Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) stations be…
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EDMONTON – Pay TV network Super Channel announced Tuesday an internal restructuring that sees its current revenue, marketing and creative services departments combined and the appointment of Tanuka Roy as chief operating officer, overseeing the newly formed department.
Roy joined Super Channel in January 2023 as the media company’s new chief revenue officer. In that role, she was responsible for leading Super Channel’s move into new platforms and revenue streams, including FAST channels, and developing the company’s relationships with BDU affiliates through cooperative marketing campaigns.
In her new role as COO, she now…
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