MONTREAL – Advanced wireless spectrum auction rules that favour new entrants would certainly drop cellular prices in the short term – but such rules may also damage Canadian consumers in the long run, says a new paper published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy in Montreal.
The rules for the 2008 auction are expected to be released by Industry Canada before Christmas, with the auction to happen early in the new year.
The paper’s authors, University of Toronto economics professor Frank Mathewson, and associate principal at CRA International, Andrew Tepperman, say that any company wanting to…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The final day of nextMEDIA – Monetizing Digital Media should be a very interesting one.
The two-day gathering will wrap up with a town hall meeting examining a broad range of issues related to the changing face of the Canadian and global media industry and with the group planned, some verbal fireworks are almost assured.
New media consultant Mark Kuznicki of Remarkk! Consulting moderates the session, which includes a discussion between industry panelists and conference delegates. The town hall contributes to Phase Two of the CRTC’s New Media Project Initiative, a study that will help the CRTC…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Wireless service providers and phone manufacturers in Canada take note. Your customers are not happy.
The J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Canadian Wireless Customer Satisfaction Study released Wednesday indicates customer satisfaction has decreased considerably since 2006.
Now in its third year, the study examines perceptions of wireless customers with their service, the phone itself and their retail experience.
Overall customer satisfaction with contract service this year declined by 18 points, from an average of 675 on a 1,000-point scale in 2006 to 657 in 2007.
In the prepaid service segment, overall customer satisfaction averaged 652, down from…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – A weekend of free Movie Central programming is coming up in western Canada.
The free preview goes from 6 p.m. MT (5 p.m. PT) on Friday, Nov. 9 to Sunday, Nov. 11 at midnight. It will be available through Shaw Communications, as Bell ExpressVu, MTS, SaskTel, TELUS, Access Communications, and Westman Communications.
During the free preview, viewers can see first-run Hollywood hits and the newest HBO and Showtime series, including episodes of Dexter, Flight of the Conchords, Entourage and Californication, and feature presentations such as The Last King of Scotland, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, School for Scoundrels and…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – With Industry Canada preparing to auction off new wireless frequencies in the new year (and nearing the announcement of the rules surrounding that auction), Videotron is keeping up the pressure so it can too can get a piece of the action, more cheaply than in a wide open auction.
In a speech to the Metropolitan Montreal Board of Trade Thursday, Videotron president and CEO Robert Dépatie relaunched his company’s attack against the three existing wireless carriers, saying they’re afraid to see “real competitors who’ll offer better prices and will force them to reduce their own rates.”
At…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Score Media (owners of sports channel The Score) announced the launch of ScoreMobile 2.0 today.
As the two-dot-oh would suggest, this is the next stage of the company’s mobile app and is currently available across Canada on Telus, with other carriers coming “in the near future,” says the press release.
"With nearly 20,000 registrants to date, ScoreMobile 1.0 has been the most successful mobile application of its kind in Canada," said Benjamin Levy, senior vice-president, Score Media Ventures, in a press release. "Now with ScoreMobile 2.0, we are going to give those hardcore sports fans more of what…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The newest technical trial from Rogers Wireless will certainly put a dent in the debate on whether or not the cutting edge in telecom can be found in Canada.
Following the successful expansion of its high-speed HSPA network to 25 Canadian markets earlier this month, Rogers today announced it has begun field trials of its 7.2 Mbps wireless data service.
The Brampton and Montreal trials utilize 3.5 generation wireless HSPA/UMTS technology (High Speed Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), enabling a peak download speed of 7.2 Mbps, by far the fastest in the country, or anywhere.
Rogers, which…
Continue Reading
SOME FILED REAMS of digital paper with the Commission (Rogers Communications’ submission was 132 pdf pages and a few appendices), while others were more concise (Shaw’s was just nine pages, plus a couple of research reports)
Anyway, we’ve read more than a few thousand words and identified what appear to be the primary issues facing the CRTC with its review of the policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings (all licensed video providers) and specialty services. The hearing is set for February 4 in Gatineau.
Below is a bit of a synopsis of what the BDUs are asking for and what…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Just as new rival Super Channel is launching EastLink, Bell ExpressVu, Cogeco, and Rogers digital customers will be able to see a free preview of The Movie Network November 9 to 11, the broadcaster announced today.
And out west, Bell, MTS, SaskTel and Telus will be offering Movie Central for free.
The free preview weekend will include Hollywood movies such as The Last King of Scotland, Invincible, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Clerks II and School for Scoundrels; acclaimed HBO series including Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love and Flight of the Conchords; and hit Showtime programming including Dexter,…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – As was expected, Bell Canada’s incoming owners have selected George Cope as the new chief executive officer of the company.
Less than a month ago, current CEO Michael Sabia told investors he intended to step down once the sale of the company was complete. According to a memo sent to employees this afternoon, completion of the transaction is expected “toward the end of the first quarter of 2008.”
The new investors group led by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Providence Equity Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners have selected existing president and COO George Cope to be CEO.
“I…
Continue Reading
