By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC on Tuesday approved an increase in funding for two broadband projects in response to what the applicants have said are unanticipated costs that have emerged since their applications.
Telus was approved Tuesday for an additional $505,978 on top of its already allotted $1.6 million from the $750-million Broadband Fund to drive mobile wireless services to two communities in British Columbia. Meanwhile, Sogetel Mobilite was approved for an additional $285,801 on top of its already allotted $364,465 from the fund to build and/or upgrade mobile wireless infrastructure near two communities in Quebec.
Both applicants from the…
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VANCOUVER – Telus announced Monday it has made a commitment of $5 million in cash donations and in-kind contributions to local B.C. charities and organizations supporting wildfire relief efforts across British Columbia.
Telus’s donation — made in partnership with Telus Friendly Future Foundation, Telus Indigenous Communities Fund, Telus Agriculture and Consumer Goods, and Telus Health — will support several organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross, Salvation Army British Columbia Division, BC SPCA, Mamas for Mamas, BC Cattlemen’s Association, and local food banks, a press release says.
“Our Telus team is devastated by the widespread wildfires that…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Rogers is asking Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice to force Telus to continue fulfilling its obligations under existing wireless roaming terms with the cable company while the two competitors wrangle over terms of a proposed agreement.
Rogers is alleging in the August 14 filing that Telus is threatening to cease providing certain wireless services to it as a result of a dispute “over a particular term” in a proposed bilateral wireless agreement that is before arbitration. The particulars of the commercial dispute are not outlined in the complaint.
“TELUS has threatened to terminate Rogers’ access to certain…
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By Connie Thiessen
Former Rogers Communications CEO Joe Natale is suing for wrongful dismissal and breach of contract over his ouster during the 2021 family power struggle for control of the company led by Edward Rogers.
Natale’s statement of claim, filed in Ontario Superior Court last week, seeks $24 million in damages, including $4 million related to an unpaid bonus due upon closure of Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw Communications, under terms of his employment contract.
A former Telus CEO, Natale served as Rogers’ CEO from 2017 to Nov. 2021, when current President & CEO Tony Staffieri was appointed to the role.
The suit…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Rogers is urging the Supreme Court of Canada to review a decision by the CRTC declining to regulate wireless attachments on municipal structures, arguing that carriers would otherwise have “no recourse” with the regulator on that critical access required for the next generation 5G rollout.
Rogers filed a two-page argument on Monday backing Telus’s application for leave at the high court after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in April that a lower court got it right when it said Parliament intended a reference to “transmission line” in the Telecommunications Act to literally…
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By Ahmad Hathout
MONTREAL — Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau declared Thursday that the Canadian market is in a “different world” following the company’s acquisition of Freedom, as it saw good reception to its new wireless offers that are expected to heat up the promotional period later this year.
“The market suddenly became more competitive in Ontario,” Peladeau said during a second-quarter earnings conference call with analysts Thursday. “We should not be surprised.”
“We can’t completely anticipate what will take place in the future, but this is certainly where we are today — a different world,…
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Large cuts hark back to time Telus threatened 5,000 cuts during wireless review
By Ahmad Hathout
Telus announced Friday it is cutting 6,000 jobs across its telecom and information technology business, which president and CEO Darren Entwistle partly attributed to getting ahead of regulatory changes.
The job losses are split across Telus and its IT business Telus International, with losses of 4,000 at the former and 2,000 at the latter.
“It is with heavy heart that we are seeking to reduce 6,000 staff positions across our global footprint,” Telus said in its second-quarter results release, adding it is also “offering early retirement and…
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CALGARY – Telus Communications announced Wednesday the launch of HomePro, a new à la carte and subscription service that provides customers with access to in-person and 24/7 online tech experts to support almost every connected device in their home, according to a press release.
Telus says it has partnered with tech care company Asurion “to provide customers with device protection coverage and online support for everything from device setup, installation, troubleshooting and more.”
HomePro offers two monthly subscription plans: the HomePro Starter plan for $15 per month, which provides customers with 24/7 virtual (chat or phone) access…
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Commission may launch public consultation on matter
OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking the country’s largest internet service providers via letter for comment on whether it should mandate participation in a data project in collaboration with Innovation Canada to track fixed wireless internet performance.
Participation is currently voluntary and requires that the fixed wireless service providers contacting all of its subscribers on the federal objective speeds of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps and higher and providing them material asking them if they are willing to participate in the study.
But the commission said that, while there have been a number of…
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VANCOUVER – Telus on Monday announced it is now the official Canadian breach response provider for consumer cybersecurity brand Norton, delivering support to employees and customers of businesses affected by data breaches.
As part of the announcement, Telus is launching Telus Online Security powered by Norton, available in two premium plans for businesses — Guardian and Guardian Plus — which provide identity theft protection, credit monitoring and dark web monitoring.
“As cybercrime rates rise and the demand for solutions increases, Telus Online Security goes beyond standalone identity monitoring services in the market…
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