OTTAWA – An Internet based initiative launched today called ‘Campaign for Competitive Broadband’ is hoping to overturn a CRTC decision that campaign organizers say will stifle competition in broadband Internet, Ethernet and other next generation communications services in Canada.
Spearheaded by MTS Allstream, the campaign’s goal is “to ensure that network facilities built with the benefit of a historic monopoly and guaranteed rate of return, are accessible to a wide range of competitors who want to offer choice in services to businesses and consumers,” the press release reads.
Bell and Telus, which control these networks in most parts of the…
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VANCOUVER – Telus has bought imaging and digital retailer Black’s in order to help push its products and services across Canada.
The 79-year old retailer will add Telus’ wireless devices to its 113 locations, bumping up the number of Telus-owned retail outlets to over 1,000. Black’s has a particular strength in the Ontario marketplace with 81 stores.
"Black’s premium locations provide an established network across Canada for the distribution of Telus’ wireless products, which nicely complements our extensive network of dealers and stores,” said Joe Natale, president of consumer solutions, in a statement. “In anticipation of our clients’ evolving needs and…
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VANCOUVER and CALGARY – Western cable giant Shaw Communications has shot back in the skirmish between it and tiny Novus Entertainment.
Shaw president Peter Bissonnette confirmed to Cartt.ca that his company has filed a defamation suit against the independent Vancouver-based distributor for “defaming us and for interfering with our relations with our customers”.
“As well, we’ve filed suit against their pseudo third party marketing group, which I think is called 3G and which I believe is really a group of their employees, who are essentially attending to a blog that provides misinterpreted information”, Bissonnette said. “It’s having a negative impact within…
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EVERY YEAR AT THIS TIME, both because it’s fun and because we want the weekend off… we re-publish the top 25 stories from the last 12 months.
The other reason why we do it now and not in January is that September, just after Labour Day, is the “new year” for broadcasters. The new fall shows are coming out and speaking from a regulatory perspective, too, the 2009 broadcast year ended August 31st and we are into a new year.
After spending hours pouring over our analytics to identify the top stories, I can say it has been a very busy…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Nascent wireless company Globalive is so worried about protecting the identity of its financial backers that this week it has asked the CRTC for what looks like CSIS-level security if and when those financiers do meet the Commission.
In a three-page letter to the Commission, Globalive doesn’t just want their competitive financial information kept confidential, but “requests that the Commission treat as confidential the name and other identifying characteristics of a Canadian financial institution (the Bank), or any other financial institution, which may provide witness to appear at the hearing to discuss Globalive’s financing plans,” reads the letter,…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Nascent wireless company Globalive is so worried about protecting the identity of its financial backers that this week it has asked the CRTC for what looks like CSIS-level security if and when those financiers do meet the Commission.
Others say the request is unprecedented and should be immediately dismissed.
In a three-page letter to the Commission, Globalive doesn’t just want their competitive financial information kept confidential, but “requests that the Commission treat as confidential the name and other identifying characteristics of a Canadian financial institution (the Bank), or any other financial institution, which may provide witness to appear at…
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FIVE OF Canada’s biggest cable companies have complained to the CRTC for extending a filing deadline – two days after the deadline had already passed.
Calling it “both unprecedented and unacceptable”, the heads of regulatory affairs from Bragg Communications, Cogeco Cable, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media on behalf of Videotron, (collectively, the Cable Carriers), sent a sternly worded letter to CRTC Secretary General Robert Morin on Thursday expressing their collective “deep frustration” with Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-261-4.
“…The Cable Carriers want the Commission to understand the deep frustration that the companies feel at having made…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Wireless Telecommunications (CWTA) members have created a new code of conduct to underscore their commitment to high standards of service and support to their customers.
The new code will “safeguard the rights of consumers”, and serve as a resource in the complaint resolution process by Canada’s Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS). Unlike other jurisdictions that have developed wireless carrier conduct guidelines, such as in the U.S. where the code is strictly voluntary, the Canadian code will be backstopped by the third-party and independent CCTS, the announcement detailed.
“This new Code will ensure that customers have the…
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OTTAWA – According to Telus, wireless newcomer Globalive should be declared ineligible to operate as a telecommunications common carrier in Canada, as it is controlled by persons who are not Canadians.
The BC-based telecom giant made that assertion again this week as it filed comments for the CRTC’s upcoming review into Globalive’s ownership structure.
Globalive is co-owned by Orascom, a global wireless player based in Egypt with over 79 million wireless subscribers. Orascom holds a 65% indirect equity ownership, but less than 50% of voting control in Globealive Holdings, the parent company of Globalive Wireless.
But Telus alleges that Orascom’s ownership…
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WHILE WE WAIT for the CRTC to decide whether or not Al Jazeera English can be distributed in Canada by cable, satellite and telco TV companies, I already have it in my office.
Actually, I have both the English and Arabic versions, right now, on my television. (No Canadian BDU offers the Arabic version because even though it’s on the eligible satellite list, the regs around it say that BDUs must employ Arabic language censors to monitor it 24/7, if they want to launch.)
And yet, here they both are, in standard definition, full-screen quality, on my 30-inch LCD television thanks…
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