MONTREAL – Bell Canada announced Wednesday that Robert Odendaal, president of Bell Mobility and BDI (Bell Canada’s sales and distribution business), has decided to leave the company after three years to pursue other interests.
Odendaal was shifted over to Mobility from Bell Video/ExpressVu only in September of 2005 to help lead the wireless unit out from under a lingering storm of bad publicity and operational difficulties which stemmed from a billing system overhaul gone bad in 2004.
After not even a year in the role though, his departure could be seen as a bit of a surprise, but it…
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TORONTO – The little talent show that could is showing that it definitely can. Canadian Idol has signed on five sponsors for season four, the most so far.
Kraft is returning for a third year, while the show welcomes newcomers General Mills Whole Grain Cereals, Procter and Gamble, TD Canada Trust, and TELUS. All will have product integration with the series.
Canadian Idol enters its three-week “Top 22” stage next Monday, June 26 with back-to-back special live 90-minute performance episodes at 8 p.m. ET on June 26 and 27 on CTV.
TELUS has been named the official wireless sponsor….
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OTTAWA – As CRTC chair Charles Dalfen mentioned in his speech to the Canadian Telecom Summit on Wednesday, the Commission has put out a call for comments to figure out whether or not wireless service should be factored into the local phone deregulation calculation.
When the CRTC set out its rules surrounding the deregulation of local telephone service, it did not include the so-called "wireless substitution" phenomena in the framework. Wireless substitution happens when a telephony customer abandons a wired line altogether in favour of wireless only, something Industry Minister Maxime Bernier says he has done already.
Telus CEO…
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IF RHETORIC AND HYPERBOLE were gasoline, a single spark would have razed the entire Toronto Congress Centre this week.
The speeches from Bell Canada Enterprises CEO Michael Sabia and Telus CEO Darren Entwistle at this week’s excellent Canadian Telecom Summit – as well as comments from a few others who work under them – suggest that not only are the communications of all Canadians utterly crippled by wacky regulation, but that our CRTC stands in the way of all Canuck creativity, innovation and productivity.
It’s an absurd notion, really. But it’s one much of the nation’s consumer media has…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Telecom Summit’s "regulatory blockbuster" session is a must-view event every year.
This year was no different as regulatory chiefs from Bell Canada (Mirko Bibic), Rogers Communications (Ken Englehart), Telus (Janet Yale), Shaw Communications (Jean Brazeau), and MTS Allstream (Chris Peirce) traded barbs for over an hour about the competitive state of the industry, and just whom is benefiting most from the current state of regulation. It was funny and terse and interesting. ("Ken Englehart’s has such a learned and scholarly style, you automoatically think what he’s saying must be true, even though it isn’t," said…
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OTTAWA – As long as mobile TV services maintain their current unicast model, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters say they don’t need to be regulated, according to a submission made Friday to the CRTC.
But, that exemption should remain only if the mobile TV services currently offered by Rogers Wireless, Telus and Bell Mobility keep their one-to-one technological model, where a wireless subscriber has content streamed to them individually via their cell phone or other mobile device, says the broadcasters’ lobby group.
The submission was made in response to the CRTC’s call for comments on its decision to…
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BANFF and TORONTO – Watch for coverage of the Banff World Television Festival 2006 in Banff, Alberta and The Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto next week as Cartt.ca provides in-person coverage from both important events.
In Banff, Cartt.ca will plug into the television industry for a look at global content developments. We will attend the lauded after-sessions, follow key announcements and trends; and interview “the personalities” within the industry.
This year’s Banff World Television Festival, June 11-14, 2006 is being held at the Fairmount Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta. It opens with a day-long session led by Kit Readman…
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TORONTO – Name display is a neat technology that has been available to wireline telephony customers for years and as of today, is now available to Rogers Wireless customers.
A first in North America, says the company, the new wireless service will allow customers of both Rogers Wireless and Fido to see the name of the person calling, even if the person is not in their mobile address book. "Name display is one of the most popular services available on landline phones and Rogers Wireless is proud to be the first wireless company to offer it in North America,"…
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OTTAWA – With re-comments re-due today on the CRTC’s reconsideration of its 2005 decision on voice over IP telephony regulation, three of the four largest Canadian MSOs came down on the side of the Commission in a joint submission filed this afternoon.
Last month, the Federal Cabinet told the CRTC it had to re-think the decision it made on VOIP telephony and have a decision – again – within 120 days of the May 7th announcement. The cabinet edict was in response to appeals filed by all but one of Canada’s incumbent telephone companies.
Cogeco Cable, Quebecor Media’s…
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TORONTO – The most influential leaders of the Canadian and international communications industry will gather in Toronto from June 12-14 at The 2006 Canadian Telecom Summit.
The event will present a complete picture of current and expected trends and developments in the market with keynoters such as BCE CEO Michael Sabia, Telus CEO Darren Entwistle, Videotron CEO Robert Depatie, Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and CRTC chair Charles Dalfen, not to mention a large slate of U.S. and international speakers.
The depth and breadth of topics covered and issues debated will appeal to any and all who work in the…
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