Search Results for: telus

Cable / Telecom News

Telus TV serves up Microsoft Mediaroom

VANCOUVER – Telus TV customers in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton can now have Microsoft Mediaroom power their IPTV service. The telco launched the service Tuesday to the majority of its customers in British Columbia and Alberta, and said that the roll out will be “expanded over time”.  Existing TV customers can upgrade to the new software platform in the next few months. “With so many great shows and events airing at the same time, it can be a challenge to decide what to watch, what to record to watch later, and what to miss”, said CTO Ibrahim Gedeon, in the announcement. “TELUS TV‘s HD PVR… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

International models “turn on” Virgin Mobile Canada net; brand changing from pre-paid focus

TORONTO – It was a big fake switch connected to nothing, but with the help of five of the world’s most beautiful lingerie models (dressed by Canadian designers interpreting some smart phones in their designs) Virgin Mobile Canada symbolically activated its new network (the HSPA+ net built by its parent Bell Canada and Telus). Sir Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group visited by pre-recorded phone call (and was pictured in his space suit). "Since our launch, Virgin Mobile has consistently challenged itself to be the leader in delivering a brilliant customer experience and today is the start of a… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Bell, MTS Allstream launch E911 services; CRTC lauds improvements

MONTREAL; WINNIPEG and OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Both Bell and MTS Allstream debuted their enhanced wireless 911 services Monday, squeaking in just under the CRTC-imposed deadline. Wireless E911 is now available to Bell Mobility and Solo Mobile clients with compatible handsets wherever wireline 911 service exists in Canada, while MTS Allstream introduced the service across its CDMA cellular network in Manitoba. Telus launched its upgraded emergency service last week. The enhanced 911 (E911) phase II capability is the result of a year-long effort involving Canada’s wireless carriers, local telephone companies and 911 call centres across the country. The CRTC set February… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus implements enhanced, GPS-enabled, 911 service

VANCOUVER – Telus announced today it can better identify the location of wireless 911 calls with the launch of new Global Positioning System (GPS) and triangulation technologies. Telus has now implemented phase II enhanced wireless 911 (e911) services across its three wireless networks, which are based on HSPA, CDMA, and iDEN (Mike) technologies. Telus has been working with individual 911 operations centres across the country to test and bring phase II e911 technology online for many months, the company said today. “Through our partnership with 911 and emergency services operations centres across Canada, this new enhanced 911 service will make… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Local Avails: Whose time is it anyway?

OTTAWA – You can’t sell what isn’t yours. That, in a nutshell, is what some of the interveners into Mediadenovo’s application for a broadcast license have said about the company’s plans to sell the local availability advertising time on American specialty services to national Canadian advertisers. The concept will face the commissioners in a non-appearing hearing on February 22. Comments closed Wednesday. (A prior version of this story suggested this would be a traditional public hearing. At this time, that is not the plan.) In 2009 Mediadenovo, a re-branded Only Imagine (which had a similar submission shot down by the CRTC in… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Cable, radio, television and telecom industry still rallying for Haitian relief

TORONTO – The primary headline will be the $40 million raised by Canada’s broadcasters via a pair of telethons on Friday (one in Toronto and another in French in Montreal), but there are a lot of other stories out there of companies from our industry rallying their employees or their customers to the cause. Canada For Haiti, Friday’s one-hour, commercial-free special produced collaboratively between CBC Television, CTV and Global Television and also aired on Citytv, has raised more than $13.5 million to date for relief efforts in Haiti, it was confirmed today. (Citytv also aired its own “Help for Haiti”… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus wins global philanthropic award

ARLINGTON, Va. – Telus has been named the top philanthropic corporation for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Telus is the first Canadian company to ever receive this global honor, the group announced today. The AFP will honor Telus with the 2010 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation at its Awards for Philanthropy event in Baltimore, Md. on April 13. “A lot of companies talk the talk about philanthropy, but Telus really makes giving and volunteering a priority,” said Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE, president and CEO of AFP, in a press release. “Their approach to philanthropy and their demonstrated… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus to adopt ‘say on pay’

VANCOUVER – Telus says that it will allow shareholders to have a say on its executive’s pay. The board of directors unanimously approved the adoption of a non-binding advisory vote by shareholders on executive compensation. This vote, to be held at the annual general meetings in May of 2011, will allow shareholders to give direct feedback to the board on the company’s approach to executive compensation. The move complements Telus’ ‘pay for performance’ culture. On average, more than 70% of a Telus executive’s 2008 compensation was based on corporate and personal performance measured by a set of transparent, publicly-stated objectives, the company said. Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Top 5 mobility trends for 2010, as chosen by Telus

TORONTO – What would the start of a new year be without predictions? According to David Neale, chief futurist and SVP strategic content and services for Telus, here are the top five mobility trends for 2010. 1) Your contacts make the call, not your phone. Phones will no longer be organized around functions, but holistically around contacts. It’s not about tasks anymore, it’s about people. Instead of categorizing communications by function such as text, voice and email, smart phone interactions will be centred around contacts, offering the flexibility to communicate however you wish, seamlessly, and to view your interactions with them without switching applications…. Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

2009-411 final replies: More than one way to skin the numbers, depending on your point of view

WHEN IT COMES to the billions of dollars Canadians pay for television every year, the main numbers which are poured into everyone’s spreadsheets for regulatory analysis are basically the same. Thanks to the public documents available through the CRTC or via the companies which are publicly traded, the folks in the TV biz have a pretty good sense of how much money consumers willingly fork over (or which is pried from our bank accounts, depending on your point of view) for television, our primary form of video entertainment, and how it is divided. But once dumped into those spread sheets, those… Continue Reading