Search Results for: telus

Cable / Telecom News

Telus acquires custom streamer Fastvibe

TORONTO – Telus today announced that it has acquired privately held Fastvibe Corporation, a provider of innovative Web streaming solutions for business. The purchase price was not disclosed. Billed as a “green purchase” by Telus, the company will use Fastvibe’s web streaming technology to help Canadian businesses reduce travel and improve communications The Fastvibe team brings unique technical, event and production Web streaming management expertise to Telus, says the press release. The acquisition strengthens Telus’ technology solutions portfolio by offering Canadian businesses an environmentally responsible and cost effective way to deliver information like training, employee communications and investor information… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Fee for carriage: 50-cents per signal, per month, at least

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of new dollars could pour into the Canadian television system under a new fee-for-carriage plan proposed by Canada’s two main private broadcast networks. Rivals CTVglobemedia and Canwest made a little history Friday by filing a joint submission to the CRTC’s review of its policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings (cable and satellite companies) and specialty services. Those hearings are set to begin April 7th. Saying conventional television – thanks to the ever-increasing rate of audience fragmentation driven by specialty services and new media outlets – is in “crisis”, the broadcasters want the Commission to add a subscriber… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Fee for carriage battle renewed

TORONTO – Comments due today on the expanded scope of the CRTC’s hearings into policy governing broadcast distribution undertakings and specialty services show the fee-for-carriage debate will be the dominant issue, come April. While most companies are not filing their comments until 5 p.m. today, CTVglobemedia issued a press release just before noon touting what it believes are the necessary features of new BDU policy. While the policy review has been set for some time (the hearing begins April 7), the Commission only announced in November that it had expanded the scope of the proceeding and invited comments from… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Former CCTA employee Thomson joins CAB

Jay Thomson has joined the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) as vice-president of regulatory and policy. He will be responsible for regulatory matters dealing with programming content and social policy issues as they pertain to private broadcasters, including policy development, industry analysis, strategic planning and advocacy with government and industry stakeholders. Thomas was vice-president of legal and regulatory affairs at the now-defunct Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA), where he worked heavily on Internet retransmission issues. After the CCTA folded, he moved to Telus Communications, where he was assistant vice-president of broadband policy. He has also worked as legal counsel… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Deferral account initiatives get go-ahead

OTTAWA and GATINEAU – It’s been nearly two years, a court appeal and many complaints since the original decision, but the CRTC today revealed how the $650 million or so in the so-called deferral accounts will be spent. The Commission approved several initiatives that will benefit Canadians with disabilities and expand broadband services to rural and remote communities. The major local telephone companies were also directed by the Commission to finalize proposals for the dispersal of the funds in their deferral accounts. "Today’s decision will not only make telecommunications services more accessible to all Canadians, but also… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Emergis shareholders okay Telus offer

VANCOUVER and MONTREAL – Telus and Emergis will soon be one. The companies today announced that a total of approximately 84,876,494 common shares of Emergis representing approximately 94% of the outstanding common shares (on a fully-diluted basis) were validly deposited to the $763 million offer to buy made by Telus, which expired at 5 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on January 16, 2008. "We are very pleased with the strong acceptance of our offer," said Joe Natale, president of Telus Business Solutions, in a press release, "and we welcome the Emergis team and its CEO François Côté to the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Digital Summit will show off organization’s new name

MISSISSAUGA – The Canadian Satellite Users Association (CSUA) will be changing its name to the Canadian Broadcast Distribution Association, effective next week. The new name, and acronym – CBDA – better reflects the work mandate of the association over the recent years. “The mandate has shifted from a focus solely on the satellite distribution networks to all the distribution platforms available to broadcasters to deliver their signals,” said Chris Bell, chairman of CSUA. “The expanding mandate has attracted interest from non-satellite distributors with both Rogers and Telus members of the association, “ added Gordon Lee, vice-chair. “The annual conference… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus to go GSM?

TORONTO – While Telus declined to make any response, a weekend report that said the company may spend as much as $500 million to swap its wireless technology to the GSM standard, set markets buzzing Monday. Right now, Both Telus and Bell Canada operate CDMA wireless networks, which to many, are more limited technologically than GSM, due in no small part to the fact that most of the rest of the world is GSM-dominated. Network and handset gear manufacturers build to the GSM standard first, such as the Apple iPhone, which is a GSM product. Rogers is the lone… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Competition Bureau okays Emergis buy

VANCOUVER – Telus said this week that the statutory waiting period under the pre-merger notification provisions of the Competition Act (Canada) expired on December 17, 2007 in connection with its offer to buy all of the common shares of Emergis Inc. for $8.25 in cash. As well, announced Telus, the Commissioner of Competition has also advised that she does not intend to challenge the $763 million transaction announced late November, under the merger provisions of the Competition Act. “This fulfills the condition of the Offer relating to the Competition Act (Canada), but the Offer continues to be subject to… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Telus buys more Emergis shares

VANCOUVER – Telus has purchased 41,200 more common shares of Emergis through the Toronto Stock Exchange. As of the close of business of the TSX today, Telus owned directly or indirectly 1,017,000 common shares. The company this month bid $763 million to buy Emergis outright. “The highest price paid by Telus for Common Shares purchased today was C$8.19 per share and the average price paid per share was C$8.19. This is Telus’ third purchase of Common Shares through the facilities of the TSX since Telus’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary 6886116 Canada Ltd. mailed its offer (the "Telus Offer") to… Continue Reading