TORONTO –
Whether it’s true IPTV or a version of DSL doesn’t really matter and in a Canadian context anyway, that’s a significant number (right around the total number of people living in Windsor, Ont.). And they are building, experimenting and taking customers away from their primary competitors, cable.
This week in Toronto, a number of the traditional telecom companies which are now offering TV are meeting with the various programmers in Canada and from the States to talk about their expansion plans (more regions, more customers, more channels).
Most are adding channels and capabilities. Some are newer and serve a…
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TORONTO and OTTAWA – In what could be a first, Internet service providers, consumer groups and independent producers all agreed that Wednesday’s CRTC framework on Internet traffic management practices got it right.
“I didn’t think that we needed any rules, but, they are reasonable, certainly not draconian”, Rogers’ SVP of regulatory, Ken Engelhart, told Cartt.ca. “They’ve picked a middle ground that we can live with.”
Over at Telus, Michael Hennessy, SVP of regulatory and government affairs, largely concurred, calling the new rules “clear and well thought out”.
“I think it was a good decision”, he said in an interview with Cartt.ca. “The…
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TORONTO – Is Canada’s broadband infrastructure lagging or leading that of other countries?
According to a recent report by Canadian telecom consultant Mark Goldberg and Giganomics’ Suzanne Blackwell, that question can be difficult to answer. International comparative statistics have been conflicted on Canada’s broadband performance, in large part due to methodological errors in some of the research that in turn biased the resulting rankings.
The authors are particularly critical of the OECD rankings which they describes as “highly dependent on per country sampling data used”, while its penetration metrics are biased in favour of countries with smaller household sizes. Also, the OECD…
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TORONTO – Having another company selling the iPhone makes a great headline for Bell Canada, but according to Bell Mobility president Wade Oosterman, there are plenty more benefits to switching on the company’s new, shared, HSPA wireless network.
Bell announced earlier this week its next generation wireless network will be ready next month, earlier than planned and while most media have focused on the overhyped handheld, upgrading the net will bring more to Bell than the Apple mobile.
“There are four big benefits that accrue to us and our subscribers,” Oosterman told Cartt.ca. “The network is vastly larger than…
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TORONTO – A coalition of some of Canada’s biggest TV service providers have teamed up on a campaign to tell their side of the story on the contentious issue of fee for carriage.
Bell, Bell Aliant, Cogeco, EastLink, Rogers and Telus have joined forces on ‘Stop the TV Tax’ which they say is designed to ensure “that Canadians hear the whole story”.
"Cable and satellite subscribers have united to stop the broadcasters’ costly proposal because it amounts to a tax, pure and simple”, said Rogers vice chair Phil Lind, in a statement. “This tax will hit viewers for stations that have always…
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MONTREAL – Astral Media Radio is offering mobile downloads of ringtones, wallpaper, and exclusive content produced by its hosts through a dedicated Internet site.
Called 61215 The Mobile Superstore, or La boutique mobile 61215 in the Quebec markets where AMR operates, the downloads are compatible with Bell, Rogers and Telus devices.
The site will also offer unique opportunities for advertisers looking for a new local media, the company said in a press release.
www.61215.ca
www.astralmedia.com
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GATINEAU – The fact that Globalive Wireless has altered its governance structure to mitigate CRTC concerns is just distracting everyone from the fact that its purse strings are tightly held outside of Canada.
And that means it can’t be a Canadian telecom operator, the three Canadian wireless incumbents told the Commission this morning.
During the final day into a hearing that began last week over the proposed structure of Globalive Wireless (which intends to come to market before year-end under the Wind brand name), representatives from Bell Canada, Telus and Rogers each played different verses of the same tune: Globalive…
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OTTAWA – This morning at 9 a.m., new wireless carrier Globalive will present to the CRTC its new corporate structure, governance, shareholder rights and financing arrangements.
After a two-day hearing last week into the company’s ownership and control, which was spurred on by the incumbent operators’ complaints, Globalive (which does business on the wired side under the Yak brand) has heeded the Commission’s stated fears and believes the alterations will soothe those concerns, allowing its to launch its wireless services under the Wind brand name before Christmas.
“We are confident that these changes will satisfy the CRTC,” said…
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RICHMOND HILL, ON – WireIE Holdings International has named George Kaichis to its team as director of radio network services.
Kaichis will be focusing on managing RF design, network extensions, and network transformations in Canada and the Caribbean. He brings over 20 years of telecom experience at Canadian wireless operators, most recently at Telus as director of contract management.
www.wireie.com
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PRINCE RUPERT, BC – CityWest will shut down its analog cellular system in Prince Rupert on November 2nd due to low use and the high cost of maintenance.
According to CityWest, most cell phone users in the area already have a digital or dual-mode phone and will therefore not need to replace them. The company is offering a $100 trade-in credit for customers with analog-only phones to be put towards the cost of a new phone.
Bell and Telus shut down their analog systems in the area in 2008.
www.citywest.ca
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