GATINEAU – CRTC commissioners were given a lesson in basic cable architecture on Wednesday as Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco, Videotron and EastLink faced the panel considering CRTC 2009-261, the wholesale high-speed access services proceeding.
The overall message appeared to be a detailed reminder to the Regulator from cable that “we’re different. Cable is a shared network that can’t be unbundled.”
Some have asked, for example, that a single 6 MHz channel (the space in which one analog TV channel is transmitted but which can be crammed full of digital and IP data and is by MSOs) be set aside for wholesale access by…
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TORONTO – Nokia’s Ovi Store is open for business in Canada.
Touting itself as the easiest way to find content for Nokia’s devices, the Ovi Store allows Canadians to download and personalize their Nokia mobile device with a range of free and paid apps, games, themes and ringtones with content that supports more than 30 languages.
Thanks to integrated billing with Bell, Rogers and Telus, the cost of purchased apps will appear on a customers’ wireless provider bill.
“We are proud to be one of the first manufacturers and Nokia offices in the world to offer integrated billing with all major carriers,”…
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KELOWNA, B.C. – Every May a few hundred of telco and cable industry tech types gather at the Coast Capri Hotel in Kelowna for the CommTech Trade Show and Seminars.
A total of 77 exhibitors fill the show floor while 25 seminars educate the industry folks in attendance. The Tuesday golf tournament was a success as well.
Cartt.ca is here of course. Editor and publisher Greg O’Brien is taking snapshots (below) and moderating a DOCSIS 3.0 session Thursday afternoon.
Sun Country Cable’s Jay Bobrowich (above left) and Arcom Labs Basil Dillon Malone
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LOS ANGELES–In a continuing break with their long-time public stance, North America’s largest cable operators are now openly racing to embrace IP video technology for their expanding portfolios of video offerings.
In a panel discussion at the Cable Show here this week, the chief technology officers and senior engineering executives of five major MSOs said they’re all looking to switch their cable systems to IP video so they can offer more video fare, reach more display devices, and cut delivery costs. At least one of the large MSOs, Time Warner Cable, is reportedly gearing up for an IP video…
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WHY DO THE OLD TV sets in the living rooms, garages, kitchens or at the cottages of millions of Canadians deserve to go digital?
As the transition to digital over-the-air TV deadline grows closer and the industry is awakening to the need to act, the question has been asked in some quarters: Why bother?
We can keep fibbing if we want but as an industry we already know it’s now impossible to update our over-the-air television broadcasting system to digital by the August 31, 2011 deadline set years ago by the CRTC. Not “virtually impossible.” Not “challenging.” It is not…
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THE LEADERS OF SHAW Communications took a look at the media landscape around us and decided that if they’re going to be a player in the new always on, video on demand culture, one which is expanding by the second, they had better own some hit shows. Some good brands.
And Monday it announced a $2 billion deal to purchase the TV assets of Canwest Global outright – a move that will cement it as the leading media and distribution company in Canada. The prior deal Shaw announced earlier this year was to purchase just 20% of the company.
Rogers…
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FREDERICTON – Bell Aliant has won a court injunction preventing Rogers from claiming to have the ‘fastest and most reliable’ high speed Internet product.
Tuesday’s ruling in a New Brunswick court ordered Rogers to stop using phrases like the “fastest speed,” “most reliable speed,” or “fastest and most reliable speed” in its advertising. Bell Aliant president and CEO Karen Sheriff said that the company “very pleased with the judge’s ruling”.
“We undertook this action to ensure that our customers have access to clear and accurate information”, Sheriff said in a statement. “We understand that marketing and advertising in a competitive industry is…
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THE TRANSITION TO DIGITAL television in Canada is officially Heritage Minister James Moore’s to deal with, but Industry Minister Tony Clement doesn’t want to see the August 31, 2011 deadline moved.
That was the word we received directly from Industry Minister Tony Clement on Friday during an interview (which you’ll read below) in his Parliament Hill office.
Cartt.ca readers will know we’ve been prodding the industry and the federal government about their inaction on the transition to digital broadcast television. Using our bully pulpit here and directly with the ministers on Twitter (they are @TonyClement_MP and @mpjamesmoore).
In a…
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Perry Hoffman
OTTAWA – It’s not very often the country’s telecommunications and cable firms agree with anything the regulator has to say, but on foreign ownership rules, they at least partially support the CRTC’s proposal to a Parliamentary committee studying the matter.
One after the other last week, they addressed the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on the need to liberalize current foreign investment restrictions for both telecommunications and broadcasting companies. They echoed the CRTC’s position that regulations can protect Canadian content on television and radio.
“While we do not believe there is a problem today, given…
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OTTAWA – Chinese networking and telecommunications equipment supplier Huawei opened its first Canadian research and development centre just outside of Ottawa on Tuesday.
The Ottawa R&D Centre is working on multiple, strategic product initiatives in the wireline, wireless, optical, and IP networking areas, the company said. Located in Kanata, the facility has more than 70 company employees to date.
“The opening of this facility represents another major step in Huawei’s growth in North America,” said Carl Liu, president of Huawei Canada, in the announcement. “Our ability to innovate and develop solutions for customers depends on adding the right people, and Ottawa…
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