TORONTO – Canadian companies and government entities experienced a 29% increase in security breaches from 2009 to 2010, according to an annual study.
The 2010 Telus/Rotman joint study on Canadian IT security practices found that government agencies are experiencing twice the number of breaches than companies in the private sector, with an almost 74% increase in one year. The increase can be explained by a significant investment in detection and response capabilities, which enable greater visibility into breaches and lower associated costs, the study said. It also noted a growing trend toward sophisticated attacks focused on customer and citizen data that…
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REGINA – SaskTel is voicing its firm objection to a proposed 50% increase in local telephone rates in rural Canada, at least without an opportunity for residents in those areas to weigh in.
The Regina-based telco said in a statement that rate proposals made last week by Shaw, Rogers, Telus and Bell during the CRTC’s local telephone service hearing failed to address “the sharp inequalities in employment and incomes across the country”. SaskTel also suggested that the majority of “rural and northern residents do not understand the magnitude of the impact this public hearing could have on them”.
“We believe that these…
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TORONTO – Mobilicity introduced both U.S. and global roaming to over 60 countries for its customers travelling beyond Canadian borders.
Monday’s announcement detailed that Mobilicity customers in the U.S. will pay a flat-rated $0.25 per minute on calls to Canada. In comparison, the announcement continued, Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and Telus Mobility charge consumers an approximate average of $1.30 per minute.
Global roaming is now available in many European countries, India, the U.K and Mexico, among others. Calls, texts, and data sessions are charged on a pay-per-use basis and customers will require funds in My Wallet, the company’s dedicated personal depository,…
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BRACEBRIDGE, Ont. – It’s taken a while to dole out the millions of dollars the federal government set aside to fund broadband expansion to rural areas in Canada.
That has led some telecom industry insiders to tell Cartt.ca Industry Canada, which is in charge of the Broadband Canada fund, is having difficulty finding enough places which remain unserved by Canadian broadband providers upon which to spend the money.
However, after Saturday’s announcement of the third wave of funding, $152 million of the $225 million available has been spoken for and Minister Tony Clement told Cartt.ca in an interview Saturday the…
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TORONTO – If Canada is going to deliver broadband nationwide – connecting a growing plethora of products – we need to move forward immediately on the next wireless spectrum auction, Rogers Communications CEO Nadir Mohamed said on Wednesday.
In a speech at the Economic Club of Toronto and later speaking to reporters, Mohamed implored the federal government to move the auction of the 700 MHz block of spectrum especially with greater alacrity. He also asked Industry Canada to make sure the auction is without the set-aside rules favouring newcomers which was used in the last spectrum sell-off in 2008 that…
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OTTAWA – The country’s largest cable companies want the CRTC to treat them the same as Bell and Telus. At least, as far as the Commission’s rules on speed matching go.
In a petition submitted to Cabinet last week, Cogeco, Quebecor on behalf of Videotron, Rogers and Shaw asked that the Governor in Council vary, rescind, or refer back to the Commission its decision on Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-632 issued on August 30, 2010.
That decision, as Cartt.ca reported, was based on a public proceeding launched in May 2009 to consider whether incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and cable…
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GATINEAU – Perhaps not a full U-turn, but the CRTC did alter the way it allows Bell Canada to implement usage-based billing on certain wholesale gateway access service (GAS) customers. And small ISPs believe the Commission made the wrong decision.
Speaking with Cartt.ca on the floor of the CRTC’s obligation to serve hearing in Gatineau, Michael Garbe, president of Accelerated Connections Inc. (ACI), says the decision (an approval of Bell Canada’s request to review and vary the original decision) will still create serious trouble for the small and medium business Internet provider.
“It absolutely creates a significant negative impact on…
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GATINEAU – Expanding the basic service objective to include broadband would have substantial negative financial impacts on their businesses, a group of small independent ISPs told the CRTC on Monday during the fourth day of hearings into the obligation to serve and other telecom matters.
This is the second week of the hearing, which moved back to Gatineau after three days in Timmins, Ont.
David Buffet, president of Radiant Communications Corp., said that creating a new subsidy regime to fund broadband expansion would turn a slight profit the company generated in 2009 to a net loss. Revenue…
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NEW LISKEARD, Ont. – As the provision of rural broadband has been the focus of an ongoing CRTC hearing, one of the companies which faced the CRTC last week today announced the launch of its new wireless network for Northern Ontario.
By early December, mobile customers along the Highway 11, 101, 65 and 66 corridors in Northern Ontario will be able to get on a brand new HSPA+ 3G network thanks to NorthernTel, a division of Bell Aliant. The company will switch on the High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) network that is being built out across Canada by Bell…
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OTTAWA – Wireless services and their providers topped the list of approximately 3,700 complaints received by Canada’s Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) last year.
In its annual report, which covers the period from August 2009 through July 2010, the organization noted that the majority of complaints pertained to cellphone contracts and billing. Of the 3,747 complaints that it accepted last year, Bell (including Virgin and Solo) had 1,661; Rogers (including Fido) had 782; and Telus (plus Koodo) had 716.
“The wireless business has the highest rate of growth, the greatest pace of change, and the greatest degree of complexity – at least…
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