TORONTO – Rogers Wireless customers can now find their wireless handsets work in 200 countries.
The company reached this 200-country milestone on July 24th, with a newly-signed roaming agreement between Rogers Wireless and the mobile operator, Comium Liberia Inc. in the African nation of Liberia. Rogers has over 500 roaming partners worldwide.
As Canada’s only GSM carrier, Rogers is leading the way among Canadian wireless carriers when it comes to offering the most international voice and data roaming destinations with a selection of 52 world phones. (With the notable exception of Apple’s iPhone, where rumour-mongers are predicting Rogers will…
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TORONTO – Maria Hale has joined Telus as vice-president, content, consumer group.
Most in the industry will remember her for her eight years at CHUM Ltd. in various broadcasting and new media roles. Her final job there was as vice-president, content business development.
She left that company just last month as the CTVglobemedia purchase of CHUM was finalized. At CHUM, she was the driving force behind the company’s brands’ push into integrated multiplatform content.
As vice-president, content, Hale will focus on acquiring and managing content featured across Telus TV, broadband and mobile service platforms,…
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IF THERE HAS BEEN a Canadian television channel that has struggled more with its programming, carriage, ownership and identity than OUTtv, which began its life in September 2001 as Pridevision, we don’t know of it.
The original category one digital specialty service license went to a surprising place to begin with. The CRTC, preoccupied at the time with trying to uplift smaller broadcasters, gave the must-carry digital license to what then was Headline Media, the owners of what has become The Score, a straight-male all-sports station where no one had experience in the gay community.
Granted, Headline did partner…
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VANCOUVER – A new Angus Reid survey shows Canadians are pretty split when it comes to their opinions on their telecom service and the effects of recently announced deregulation of many local markets.
The survey, done between August 10 and 13th says 52% of Canadians think deregulation will drive cost of phone services up and 46% think deregulation will not mean improved local phone services.
Canadians are split over whether deregulation will ultimately benefit consumers in the end (41% agree it will, 42% disagree), says the company’s press release. Instead, half of respondents (50%) agree that it is best…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Ten-digit dialing will come to the 418 area code on in 13 months, the CRTC announced today.
The transition to 10-digit dialing will be gradually implemented beginning on June 21, 2008, and become mandatory by September 12, 2008.
Also, effective September 19, 2008, a new area code will be introduced in the region currently served by area code 418. Customers seeking new numbers in this area code could be given a number starting with area code 581.
"These measures are being taken to prevent the exhaustion of telephone numbers in the area code 418 region. The Canadian…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canada’s major phone markets will soon be free from most local residential phone service controls as the CRTC has opened the floodgates to more deregulation.
The commission has approved applications from the ILECs to forbear Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Quebec City, London, Rimouski, and many other cities.
They join Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton, and Fort McMurray, announced recently, as markets where the incumbent telcos will no longer need to get the commission’s approval to set local phone rates or introduce new services and packages because the regulator has deemed there is enough…
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VANCOUVER – Telus Corporation president and CEO Darren Entwistle has put to rest rumours the company is still considering throwing its hat in the ring to buy BCE.
“After a thorough assessment of the opportunity and based on multiple factors, we are confirming today that Telus does not intend to submit a competing offer to acquire BCE. We believe that TELUS on a stand-alone basis with its strong growth oriented asset mix and investment grade financial strength will continue to create significant future value for investors,” Entwistle said in a news release announcing company losses in the most recent…
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TORONTO – BCE Inc. posted modest growth in the second quarter of 2007, posting revenues of $4.438 million, up 1.5% compared with the same period last year.
BCE’s operating income was up just 0.4% to $898 million, as higher EBITDA offset higher amortization and restructuring expenses.
The parent company experienced higher revenues at Bell Canada, Bell Aliant, and Telesat. However, Bell’s operating income declined 1.0% from Q2 of 2006, to $681 million.
There’s better news on the earnings per share front, as BCE’s net EPS was $0.83 for the second quarter, compared with $0.53 for the same period last…
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OTTAWA – A coalition of consumer advocacy groups is petitioning the federal cabinet to overturn the CRTC’s approval to raise payphone rates from 25 to 50 cents per local call.
The groups cite a public opinion poll of more than 1,000 Canadians conducted for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) in July showing that 75% of respondents agreed that 50 cents was too much to pay for a local payphone call.
The petition calls for the cabinet to overturn the rate hike, announced as part of the CRTC’s new price cap regime, and send the matter back to…
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TORONTO – Telus Corp. has reportedly shut down its Amp’d Mobile service after just five months in Canada because the U.S. parent filed for bankruptcy.
According to the Globe and Mail, Amp’d Mobile Canada subscribers can still make and receive calls for the moment, but Telus has stopped selling the products and services, which it did under the hip, youthful brand of entertainment services like 3D games.
As reported by Cartt, Amp’d Mobile launched its downtown Toronto retail store to great fanfare in March.
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