TORONTO – By the end of 2006 Canadian cable companies will have 12% (1.57 million) of residential telephone subscribers in Canada and 27% by year-end 2009 (3.35 million), says a new report released today.
This is up from 6% at the end of ’05 (835,000), says the latest installment of The Convergence Consulting Group’s "Battle for the North American Couch Potato: Bundling, Internet, TV, Telephone."
While the inroads traditional cable companies are making in voice are strong, the report doesn’t have a similar forecast when it comes to the traditional ILEC’s push into video. Telcos will have 2% (220,000)…
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VANCOUVER – Aimed squarely at B.C. and Alberta small business owners, Telus today launched Business One
Part of the company’s "Future Friendly Office," Telus Business One is a package of communication tools that "realize the full potential of Internet Protocol technology to make work easier, more productive and cost efficient for small business customers," says the release.
The package includes telecommunications and high speed Internet together with other tools like customized e-mail, desktop backup, web site hosting, virus protection and conference on demand at no extra cost.
www.telus.com/businessone
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By Greg O’Brien
I REMEMBER WHEN THEN-CRTC broadcasting vice-chair Andrée Wylie told the 1999 CCTA convention in Vancouver that the Commission had no intention of trying to regulate the Internet.
Because of it’s very nature, it’s impossible to regulate the Internet itself (unless you’re China or some other repressive government that deploys some painful cyber-clamps and doesn’t mind tossing people in jail for reading the New York Times or somesuch online), which the CRTC recognized early on. Plus, 1999 was pre tech-bubble and the opportunities of the ‘net seemed endless. Why toss up regulations in front of such potential?
That Commission…
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TORONTO – If Canadians want their MTV, they’ll be getting it in spades starting this evening.
CTV is bringing the long-entrenched American brand back to the Great White North on six platforms, delivering MTV content “with a distinctly Canadian attitude.”
Calling it “the single-biggest multi-platform launch in the history of Canadian television,” CTV will flip on the MTV switch at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday in six ways.
First, it will change the talktv analog specialty service into MTV, featuring lifestyle, talk, and documentary programming, along with “distinct and interactive Canadian series.” It’s subscribed to by some 6 million Canadian…
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VANCOUVER – Saying it’s detected an increase in voice-mail hacking recently, Telus is urging customers to protect themselves from attempts to use this scam to make long distance calls at customers’ expense.
While businesses are usually the prime target for this type of fraud, residential customers should also take precautions, said the company.
"In a nutshell, fraudsters attempt to hijack the system by exploiting people’s tendency to use simple passwords and leave the default manufacturers’ passwords in place on their voice mailboxes," said Gene McLean, Telus chief security officer. "They try to make overseas calls using voice mail systems’…
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VANCOUVER – "Telus is pleased to introduce this leading edge security technology, a second layer of spam and virus control that will screen out the most obvious problem e-mails before they make their way to customer in-boxes," said Fred Di Blasio, Telus vice-president of consumer product marketing, in a release on Tuesday.
"The net result is that our internet customers will be better protected from annoying spam messages and malicious computer viruses."
Telus has seen a five-fold increase in the number of e-mails on its network since it first introduced spam control to customers three years ago, putting a…
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VANCOUVER – Telus Mobile Music launched today.
The new service offers clients access "to Canada’s largest mobile music catalogue and the only one offering selections from all the world’s biggest record labels – EMI Music, SonyBMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group," says the press release.
Telus also announced the exclusive availability of the LG 8100, a mobile entertainment and communications device packing an MP3 player, stereo speakers, Bluetooth functionality and much more.
"The newest addition to SPARK, Telus’ set of consumer-oriented mobile entertainment, information and messaging services, Telus Mobile Music makes downloading music fast and easy," said…
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TORONTO – As previously reported, Toronto Hydro Telecom today announced plans to provide Wi-Fi coverage in the downtown core.
"We are proud to be the first company in Canada to deliver a ubiquitous Wi-Fi zone, which will provide Internet access as well as next generation applications," said David Dobbin, president, Toronto Hydro Telecom, in a press release.
"Wi Fi technology is the new benchmark for urban living. It’s standard equipment in many electronic devices, from laptops to portable entertainment units. We think it’s time to enable that technology to be used in what will be the largest Wi Fi…
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QUEBEC – Both Telus and Bell Canada announced Thursday the launch of their new high speed wireless networks in the provincial capital today.
With typical download speeds of 400 to 700 kilobits per second, and maximum speeds of more than 2 megabits per second, Telus and Bell’s separate EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) networks make it easier for wireless customers there to communicate whatever data they wish (e-mails, video, text, etc).
www.bell.ca www.telus.com
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I HOPE I HAVEN’T BEEN helping put Dave Armstrong out of business.
Dave is the owner-operator of Markdale Cable, a 1,200-customer operation serving the folks in and around Markdale, Ont. – a ski-country/farming community (and home of Chapman’s Ice Cream) about 40 kms southeast of Owen Sound, Ont.
I’ve been a skier since I could walk and my family and I are part-time customers of Markdale Cable (weekends and holidays during the winter). I needed high speed Internet at the place we rented for the season and Markdale Cable delivered. Dave even showed up on New Year’s Day to…
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