VANCOUVER – In an effort to bring a stronger fourth leg to its connectivity bundle (wireline phone, Internet, wireless and digital TV), Telus today announced it will add satellite television this year.
The company has signed a partnership agreement with Bell Canada – and the two have already been working together on the project since the beginning of 2009, Telus CEO Darren Entwistle told a press conference after the company’s annual general meeting today in Ottawa.
On the wireline digital TV side, the western-based telco said today it surpassed 100,000 subscribers in April, which are spread across its territories…
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OTTAWA – After similar announcements made in B.C. and Alberta, Telus has announced plans to invest more than $300 million on its advanced wireless and wireline broadband infrastructure in Ontario. The company said that work is underway to build out its next generation wireless network using high speed packet access technology, and it expects to launch the new network in the province and nationally by early 2010.
Its broadband wireline investment is geared to supporting new business contracts in Ontario, enabling more organizations to access leading edge connectivity, and collaboration and network services that can improve the efficiency…
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OTTAWA – MTS Allstream is asking the federal government to reject proposals from Bell Canada and Telus that it says would “stifle broadband internet competition”.
The company issued a statement Monday in response to petitions by Bell Canada and Telus, claiming its telecom brethren are asking “for latitude to raise prices, reduce competition, and control the content that users are able to access”.
“Adopting the ideas tabled by Bell and Telus would entrench them as the gatekeepers for customer choice in telecom services,” said MTS Allstream CCO Chris Peirce, in the statement. “Bringing choice and competition to the market for…
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GATINEAU – Telus senior vice-president regulatory and government affairs Michael Hennessy asked a question that was a little uncomfortable for the commissioners – and probably the employees at broadcast stations – to hear:
To paraphrase, Hennessy asked: What if viewers in the communities of the smaller nets which are in the most dire financial circumstances (E! and A Channels) have simply decided those stations are just not good enough to watch any more?
“What we’re looking at is nothing else than a very normal response of the market as designed by audience preference,” said Hennessy. “Perhaps these channels are…
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TORONTO – Residential high speed Internet customers of Primus Canada will no longer have their customer service or technical support calls handled by off-shore representatives.
The company announced plans to transition most of its customer service operations, some of which had been outsourced to India, back to Canada “as soon as practical”, which will create 113 new Canadian jobs in the process.
All of Primus Canada’s technical support team has been transitioned back to Canada, the press release detailed. DSL, wireless and VoIP home phone service customers will be able to speak to local representatives if their calls are placed…
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LAS VEGAS – Being the primary video source for customers is a far different thing than being there for them as a wireline, wireless or data provider.
Cable companies know this inherently thanks to decades of experience and many, many mistakes over the years. Cable’s first alert that there might be a network problem used to be when a customer called in to report they had no TV service and it might have taken a few calls (and please be there sometime between 8 and 8…) before the problem was fixed.
Nowadays, large cable companies have sophisticated network operations…
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EDMONTON and CALGARY – Telus has pledged to spend upwards of $700 million on their advanced wireless and wireline broadband infrastructure in Alberta.
Work is currently underway on its next generation wireless network which the company expects to launch in Alberta and nationally by early 2010.
Using the latest version of the high speed packet access (HSPA) technology, Telus said in a press release that the investment is expected to “ensure an optimal future transition to long term evolution (LTE) technology”, the emerging worldwide standard for fourth generation (4G) networks.
Its broadband wireline network is also scheduled to launch…
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EDMONTON and VANCOUVER – The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) has launched a public awareness campaign encouraging Canadians to ask the government to “stop the outrage” of Canadian companies outsourcing jobs to other countries.
TWU president George Doubt spoke to the media in Edmonton on Thursday to address Telus’ recent announcement to expand its newly opened facility in the Philippines from 900 workers to 3000 workers. TWU represents Telus employees.
“We’re concerned about jobs and resources that are being outsourced,” he said in a telephone interview with Cartt.ca. “Companies that earn their revenue in Canadian communities have a duty to…
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VANCOUVER – Wireless subscriber net additions at Telus dropped a surprising 46% in the first quarter of 2009, which in turn, dragged down its average revenue per wireless user (ARPU) by 5.6%
The company released some preliminary wireless subscriber data Thursday, a month ahead of its full financial results release for the quarter ended March 31, which will come on May 7.
Canada’s second largest phone company explained that the weakness in its wireless net subscriber additions were primarily attributable to the combination of “a lack of customary growth in gross additions combined with an increase in deactivations.”
The…
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TORONTO – Channel Zero’s Silver Screen Classics is available on free preview for the month of April for Bell, Cogeco and Rogers customers.
Specializing in classic movies from the 1930s to the 1950s, the network has scheduled a western-themed weekend on April 25 and 26 called ‘Saddle Up’. Back to back western classics, uncut and commercial free, will be available to customers of Access Communications, Bell Aliant, Bell TV, Cogeco, Mountain Cablevision, MTS Allstream, Rogers, Sasktel, Seaside Communications, Source Cable, and Telus, the press release said.
The theme weekend will also feature a consumer contest for a ‘Wild West Extravaganza…
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