OTTAWA — Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada today announced more than $5.4 million in federal funding through the Universal Broadband Fund, along with an additional investment of approximately $3.7 million from Telus, will bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of Alberta.
These projects are being funded through the $1.75 billion UBF rapid response stream, says ISED’s press release.
The rural broadband projects being announced today will provide high-speed Internet access to 5,080 underserved households in northern, central and southern Alberta, says the release.
“Bridging digital divides is central to everything we do, so we are proud to be connecting 47…
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VANCOUVER and PLANO, Texas — Mobile transport and broadband access solutions provider DZS, based in Plano, Texas, announced Tuesday morning Telus has selected DZS Cloud for network service orchestration, slice management and software automation to accelerate Telus’ 5G and digital transformation.
DZS Cloud end-to-end orchestration and automation (E2EO), which is based on the RIFT.ware solution recently acquired by DZS, is a carrier-grade, cloud-native software platform that simplifies and automates the deployment of any slice or service on any cloud (public, private, hybrid or edge), including brownfield discovery of existing virtual applications, says the company’s press release.
The DZS Cloud platform…
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And what still stands in their way
By Greg O’Brien
THE PURCHASE OF SHAW by Rogers has been a steady recurrent rumour which would crop up from time to time over the past 23-plus years this reporter has been tracking the industry, meaning Monday’s $26 billion purchase deal by Rogers was a long, long time coming.
In fact, when I first spoke with former Shaw president Peter Bissonnette in late 1997 (so long ago I don’t think he had yet been appointed president), I asked him then about the rumour I heard Rogers would buy Shaw. Too soon. Much too soon,…
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REGINA — SaskTel announced today it has selected Samsung Electronics as the single vendor who will supply SaskTel with its 4G/5G radio access network (RAN) and core network.
Under the companies’ agreement, Samsung will supply all hardware, software and associated expertise to ensure the successful deployment of an end-to-end 5G solution, says the press release.
“We are pleased to select Samsung as the sole vendor for our 5G network deployment and we are confident that Samsung’s state-of-the-art 5G technology will deliver robust network capability and exceptional connectivity inherent in their 5G solutions,” said Doug Burnett, president and CEO of SaskTel, in…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – Quebecor has asked the CRTC and the Competition Bureau to conduct an inquiry into whether the three largest wireless providers, Bell, Telus and Rogers, are violating the Wireless Code by how they price devices as well as the charges incurred when consumers want to terminate their contract.
Through its own investigation, Vidéotron says in a letter to the CRTC it has collected the prices of various wireless devices on the websites of the Big Three and the conditions attached to them. The conclusion is clear, says the Quebec company. Compared to the prices offered by manufacturers,…
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Lobbying, new energy board, sees province take action
By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – The Ontario government has made good on a pledge to tackle broadband roadblocks in the province by proposing in new legislation to reduce hydro pole attachment costs, a move that is receiving praise across the board and that has been many months in the making.
The legislation, called Building Broadband Faster Act, proposes timely access by telecommunications companies to infrastructure owned by utilities and municipalities, including underground facilities, and requires utilities to better prepare their poles for new wire attachments, which require weighting assessments – the cost of which…
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TORONTO — The federal government “must dramatically reduce the regulatory burden on the telecommunications industry to accelerate 5G deployment,” says the newest report from the C.D. Howe Institute’s telecommunications policy working group – which includes top regulatory experts and executives from Canada’s biggest telecom companies, including Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Cogeco and Eastlink.
“Telecommunications providers face obstacles in gaining access rights to infrastructure for installing telecommunications facilities. These barriers, alongside difficulty navigating government incentive programs for expanded connectivity, could stall the federal government’s aim of extending high-speed internet coverage to 98 percent of households by 2026,” reads a press…
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GATINEAU – On January 19, 2021, WildBrain Television, which owns kids and family-focused specialty services aimed at children filed an application with the CRTC against Cogeco Cable, claiming the BDU did not follow the principles of the TV Wholesale Code and the standstill obligations which forbids the discontinuation of service carriage during negotiations.
However, an intervention filed in support of Wildbrain’s complaint explores a deeper issue: The code is broken because large distributors like Cogeco hold too much power over smaller broadcasters like Wildbrain, which owns Family Channel, Family CHRGD, Family Junior and Telemagino.
Wildbrain’s complaint is a central…
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GATINEAU – With the latest and greatest smartphones now costing more than $2,000, Rogers Communications launched new device financing plans in July 2019, which would let customers spread the cost of a new handset over 36 months, paying $0 up front, if they wanted.
Rogers (and Telus and Ice Wireless, which followed their competitor’s lead) was convinced the device financing plans were on side with the CRTC’s Wireless Code of Conduct because the no-interest financed phones were not tied to a wireless service plan. If customers wanted to leave for another provider, all they had to do was…
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VANCOUVER – Optik TV customers who are also animal lovers and birdwatchers can now watch live streamer Jessica Duquette, also known as the Canadian Bird Nerd on Telus Optik TV.
Birdwatching and other nature-focused live streams have become a source of comfort for people to watch during the pandemic and viewers have come to enjoy watching “the drama in Jessica’s backyard unfold, the lead characters being the birds along with special guest appearances from other critters,” says a release from Telus.
“Jessica battles a number of challenges in her life, including chronic illness and living in isolation. Through her passion for…
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