WINNIPEG IS ONE OF THE HOTTER bundling battlegrounds in Canada.
While Shaw is the incumbent video provider and a nascent voice company in the Manitoba capital, MTS Allstream, the provincial telco (which is also a national wholesale and enterprise player) has claimed about 55,000 video customers with MTS TV in Winnipeg – the only city in the province in which it has a cable license.
Customers like the simple bill, the fact they can re-jig their channel lineups on screen or even see e-mails and caller ID on their TVs. Finally, last month, MTS TV added a key piece…
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VANCOUVER – Telus announced today that it will become Canada’s largest income trust next year, assuming shareholders approve.
After its major announcement last week that the company will spend $600 million upgrading its network, the western telco’s board of directors unanimously approved the proposal from Telus management to reorganize the publicly trade company into an income trust fund. It will be the largest income trust (for now, unless BCE decides to go the same route sometime in the future, as has been speculated).
Initial distributions are anticipated to be in the range of $3.90 to $4.10 per unit on annualized…
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VANCOUVER – Telus is spending $600 million over three years to enhance its broadband network in British Columbia, Alberta, and eastern Quebec, the company announced.
By installing advanced Internet equipment in more than 7,000 sites across its network, Telus will bring the fibre closer to homes, resulting in download speeds of 15 to 30 megabits per second and faster, the company says.
The $600 million will be invested from 2007 to 2009, in addition to the approximately $190 million that Telus is expected to spend in 2006 on upgrades that have already began. The enhancements will be concentrated in…
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OTTAWA – Seven out of 10 Canadians don’t want the incumbent telephone companies to set their own prices for local phone service, according to a new survey conducted by a consumer watchdog group opposing telephone deregulation.
The survey asked 1,200 Canadians if they agreed with the statement, “My local telephone company should be able to charge what it wants for monthly local telephone rates without having them approved as reasonable by the CRTC.” Four percent strongly agreed, and 16% agreed. But 36% disagreed and another 36% strongly disagreed. (Seven percent had no opinion, and 2% either didn’t know or…
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TORONTO – Broadcasting veteran Kevin Shea has been named chair of the Ontario Media Development Corporation, a provincial agency that promotes investment and employment in six cultural industries.
Shea was most recently the president and CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, but recently started a consulting firm, SheaChez Inc., with clients including the CBC, Standard Broadcasting, and Telus Communications. He’s also been president and CEO of YTV Canada, president and COO of the Global Television Network, and executive VP at Bell Globemedia.
“I am thrilled to become the OMDC’s new chair at such an exciting and pivotal time in its…
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OTTAWA – If the CRTC allowed BDUs such as Telus to carry the Canadian satellite radio services, it could “fundamentally” change the sat rad business plans, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters says in a submission.
In commenting on Telus’ proposal to air either or both of XM and Sirius Canada on its digital cable services in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, the CAB noted that the commission had originally licensed the satellite radio services to be carried via satellite directly to consumers. “BDU distribution was not contemplated in the applications and the Commission, in licensing these services, imposed obligations on…
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RIMOUSKI, Que. – Members of the SQET union working at Telus in Quebec have ratified the tentative agreement reached with the company on July 6.
The Syndicat québécois des employé-e-s de Telus (SQET), Local 5044 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE-FTQ), representing approximately 1,000 of the company’s 3,800 team members in Quebec, accepted the deal that gives them improved pay and benefits.
Among items in the three-year deal is a new variable pay scheme tied to the company’s success, which will provide up to 3% of basic salary in 2007, 4% in 2008, and 5% in 2009….
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OTTAWA – The VOIP decision will stand, with a "but".
Today the CRTC re-affirmed its May 2005 decision on voice over Internet protocol. Federal cabinet told the Commission in May of this year to reconsider that decision after all but one of Canada’s ILEC’s filed an appeal.
However, because of the sheer speed in which Canada’s incumbent local exchange carriers are losing customers, the Commission did signal it’s prepared to alter course when it deems necessary and will already re-examine its March 2006 decision on local forbearance.
Specifically, it "declared that competition in local telephone service is…
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OTTAWA – While three Commissioners dissented with the majority in today’s renewed VOIP decision, not all balked for the same reasons.
While commissioners Stuart Langford and Barbara Cram agreed with the confirmation of the 2005 VOIP ruling but not the announced review of the local forbearance decision, Andrée Noel simply reaffirmed her opposition to the first VOIP decision.
"I agree with the majority that the regulatory regime for local voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services decision is correct and should be reaffirmed," wrote Langford. "I disagree absolutely, however, with the majority’s determination… to reconsider the suitability of one of…
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OTTAWA – The VOIP decision will stand, with a "but".
Today the CRTC re-affirmed its May 2005 decision on voice over Internet protocol. Federal cabinet told the Commission in May of this year to reconsider that decision after all but one of Canada’s ILEC’s filed an appeal.
However, the Commission did signal it’s prepared to alter course when it deems necessary. Specifically, it "declared that competition in local telephone service is taking hold more firmly than anticipated," said this morning’s press release. "As a result, the CRTC is taking steps to reassess certain aspects of its…
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