IN-DEPTH NEWS STORIES
Stakeholders give CRTC recommendations in enforcing Online News Act; Google still opposed to ‘unworkable’ bargaining process
Internet and Governance | 04/17/2024 6:52 pm EDT
Canadian broadcasters are encouraging the CRTC to make sure the bargaining framework between news businesses and online platforms, mandated by the Online News Act, prioritizes...
Budget finds money for CBC, public interest broadcasters
Media | 04/16/2024 11:05 pm EDT
A group of public interest broadcasters is getting more money from the federal treasury, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced in the 2024 budget on Tuesday.
CBC/Radio-Canada is receiving an extra $42 million above the more than one billion dollars it was...
Corus still waiting for regulatory relief from CRTC as revenues continue to fall in Q2
Media | 04/15/2024 6:40 pm EDT
As it reported further declines in revenue for the...
Bell failed to give feds advance notice of layoffs, defends cuts in committee testimony
Media | 04/12/2024 9:07 pm EDT
BCE Inc. did not give the federal government...
Strong internet growth in Q2, Cogeco reports
telecom | 04/12/2024 9:01 pm EDT
Cogeco Inc. reported strong internet subscriber growth for the second quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, it...
Industry Committee starts clause-by-clause study of C-27
telecom | 04/11/2024 7:36 pm EDT
The House of Commons industry committee continued its clause-by-clause...
Broadcasters oppose AMI’s proposed mandatory carriage rate increase
Media | 04/10/2024 6:49 pm EDT
Major broadcasters are opposed to Accessible Media Inc.’s (AMI) request to temporarily raise the mandatory carriage rates of its AMI-tv and AMI-télé channels, citing...
Cardozo calls on government to renew digital tax credit for media
Media | 04/10/2024 5:08 pm EDT
A member of the Progressive Senators Group is calling on the federal...
Billions of ad dollars leaving Canada through “tax loophole”: Friends of Canadian Media
Internet and Governance | 04/09/2024 8:11 pm EDT
Advertising on foreign digital media like Meta...
UPDATED: CRTC orders Cogeco to maintain TekSavvy’s access to facilities
telecom | 04/09/2024 1:15 pm EDT
The CRTC has ordered Cogeco Inc. to maintain TekSavvy Solutions Inc.’s...
Trudeau announces AI measures will be in budget
Internet and Governance | 04/08/2024 7:43 pm EDT
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Sunday that next week’s federal budget will include $2.4...
Big Three push for wireless and SMS service revenues to be excluded from CNAC funding
telecom | 04/05/2024 6:15 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. are...
Bell confirms appearance at heritage committee; responds to criticisms over job cuts
Media | 04/04/2024 6:16 pm EDT
In the wake of recent controversy surrounding BCE Inc.’s restructuring...
Housing organization calls Neighbourhood Connect’s claims in MDU access dispute “unreasonable”
telecom | 04/04/2024 6:01 pm EDT
Bethlehem Housing and Support Services denies...
Telesat receives loan from federal government, reports declines for Q4 and fiscal year results
Internet and Governance | 04/02/2024 5:31 pm EDT
The federal government is loaning $2.14 billion to...
Social media companies sued by school boards in Ontario
Internet and Governance | 03/28/2024 5:12 pm EDT
Four Ontario school boards have launched a lawsuit against three social media giants for disrupting learning and the education system. The action was announced Thursday morning.
The Toronto District School Board, the Peel District School Board, the Toronto Catholic...
Bell asks CRTC to lift regulations on satellite TV distributors
telecom | 03/27/2024 4:17 pm EDT
BCE Inc. asked the CRTC to lighten licensing requirements for ExpressVu,...
CRTC issues Indigenous broadcasting policy consult; asks about quotas
Media | 03/22/2024 6:16 pm EDT
The CRTC has issued a call for comments as part of Phase 2 of the...
CRTC releases new broadcasting fees regulations
Internet and Governance | 03/22/2024 5:52 pm EDT
After months of consultations, the CRTC has issued its Broadcasting Fees Regulations for all broadcasting...
Globe and Mail reporter digs into story of Rogers Communications
Media | 03/21/2024 10:06 am EDT
The recent history of Rogers Communications Inc. has had more drama than anything broadcast on its CityTV network. The company poached its CEO Joe Natale from Telus Corp. only to ultimately dismiss...
Unifor demands Bell be held accountable for layoffs
Media | 03/19/2024 6:23 pm EDT
Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, called on BCE Inc. to answer for its recent layoff announcements after the telecom’s scheduled appearance in front of the heritage committee was postponed.
During a media conference on Tuesday, Unifor national president...
High spectrum costs are the villain in cellular prices, Big 3 tell INDU
telecom | 03/18/2024 3:52 pm EDT
The presidents of the Big Three telecoms told the House of Commons Industry...
CRTC looking to add a new radio station in Calgary, Alta.
Media | 03/15/2024 1:14 pm EDT
The CRTC is issuing a call for applications from interested parties wishing...
CRTC adopts interim basic 911 features for remote regions, pushes NG911 deadlines
telecom | 03/14/2024 5:42 pm EDT
The CRTC is delaying transition of next-generation 911 (NG911) services in...
CRTC kicks off Online News Act consultation
Internet and Governance | 03/13/2024 4:46 pm EDT
The CRTC launched its first public consultation on the Online News Act’s regulatory framework to gain...
CRTC rejects Bell’s challenge against wireless attachment jurisdiction
telecom | 03/12/2024 5:06 pm EDT
The CRTC has dismissed BCE Inc.’s application challenging the...
Ontario disability advocate seeks better service from Bell
Media | 03/08/2024 5:39 pm EST
BCE Inc. is the subject of a Part 1 application before the CRTC over access...
Class action suit granted over Rogers’ 2021 service outage
telecom | 03/06/2024 1:09 pm EST
A trio of Quebecers has been granted leave to launch a class action suit against Rogers Communications Inc. and two subsidiaries over a service disruption in April 2021. The filing was submitted last...
Court authorizes class action lawsuit for phone unlocking fees
telecom | 03/05/2024 6:40 pm EST
The Superior Court of Quebec has authorized a class action lawsuit against...
Accessible Media seeks to increase rates for mandatory carriage
Media | 03/05/2024 5:49 pm EST
Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) submitted an application to the CRTC for an interim rate increase for its AMI-tv and AMI-télé channels to address the financial challenges facing the organization, which predominantly serves Canadians with disabilities.
AMI's application...
The Wire Report is hiring an editor
Internet and Governance | 03/05/2024 10:36 am EST
The Wire Report, the leading news source covering telecom, digital communications and broadcast media in Canada, is searching for an editor to join our Ottawa office.
The Wire Report is part of The Hill Times Canada’s leading...
Court rejects station’s request for Rogers to disclose subscriber info
Media | 03/04/2024 3:32 pm EST
The Superior Court of Quebec has dismissed a request from RNC Media Inc. to...
Pornhub parent company broke privacy law by failing to obtain valid consent for content uploads: OPC
Internet and Governance | 03/01/2024 5:38 pm EST
The Montreal-based company behind Pornhub and...
Neighbourhood Connect escalates dispute with Bethlehem Housing over MDU access
Media | 02/29/2024 4:35 pm EST
Neighbourhood Connect (NHC), operating under 2621159 Ontario Inc. DBA...
INDU committee passes motion to call on Big 3 telecom CEOs to testify
telecom | 02/29/2024 4:26 pm EST
The House of Commons committee on Industry met Wednesday to discuss affordability and accessibility in wireless and internet service. BCE Inc. Rogers Communications Inc. and...
Updated: CRTC issues consult on mandatory call traceback process for TSPs
telecom | 02/28/2024 5:46 pm EST
This story has been updated to reflect changes to deadlines made by the CRTC on Monday.
The CRTC is issuing a consultation on its proposal to make its voluntary call traceback process mandatory for...
UPDATED: Quebecor files complaints to Comp. Bureau against Bell’s alleged abuse of dominance in internet market
telecom | 02/28/2024 4:22 pm EST
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron and its subsidiary VMedia have lodged two formal complaints with the Competition Bureau, urging an investigation into BCE Inc.'s alleged abuse of...
Building owner ordered to give Execulink access to western Ontario MDUs
telecom | 02/28/2024 4:16 pm EST
The CRTC has approved Execulink Telecom Inc.’s request for access to three multi-dwelling units (MDUs) owned by JLC Homes Ltd. in western Ontario.
The buildings, located in Tillsonburg, Ont. at...
Witnesses at Heritage committee support media forum, disagree on who should pay for it
Media | 02/28/2024 4:15 pm EST
Witnesses before the House of Commons committee on Canadian Heritage all agreed Tuesday that a forum on the future of the media is required. Whether government has a role was...
Bell challenges CRTC’s jurisdictional authority in wireless deployment consultation
telecom | 02/27/2024 5:30 pm EST
BCE Inc. is disputing the CRTC’s preliminary...
Telecommunications sector sees strong revenue growth in 2022: CRTC report
telecom | 02/27/2024 4:51 pm EST
Revenues were robust in the telecommunications sector, a new CRTC study has...
Canada’s Bill C-63 takes aim at online hate crimes and child exploitation
Internet and Governance | 02/26/2024 9:32 pm EST
The government of Canada has unveiled its long-awaited Online Harms Act...
INDU wants to force Big 3 CEOs to appear before committee
telecom | 02/26/2024 5:19 pm EST
With the heads of Canada’s big three telecoms threatening to boycott a...
Beyond tractors: Farmers navigating the digital transition, and broadband barriers
telecom | 02/23/2024 2:35 pm EST
By Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca
Technology is changing the family farm. Data silos are popping up along grain silos as farmers embrace new technologies to radically...
Quebecor reports revenue increase in Q4
Media | 02/22/2024 5:52 pm EST
Quebecor Inc. reported a successful fourth-quarter as it closed out the 2023 fiscal year, which it said...
Stingray, Corus, Pattison oppose Durham Radio’s expansion; Rogers wants CRTC to reconsider its plans
Media | 02/21/2024 4:20 pm EST
Corus Entertainment Inc., Stingray Radio Inc., and...
Aggregated access to FTTP needed for independent ISPs, CRTC told
telecom | 02/20/2024 10:24 am EST
The crisis in competition when it comes to internet connectivity is...
Rogers, Cogeco, Quebecor challenge ILECs at CRTC hearings
telecom | 02/16/2024 3:02 pm EST
Representatives from Cogeco Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. told the...
Reseller market is healthy, incumbents tell CRTC internet hearing
telecom | 02/15/2024 1:39 pm EST
Two large incumbent telecoms told the CRTC that broadband resellers are not in a threatened position. BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. appeared at the commission’s proceedings into...
Providers debate wholesale fibre access in rural areas at CRTC hearing
telecom | 02/14/2024 4:24 pm EST
To bring affordable internet and consumer choice to rural communities, the...
Cogeco defends infrastructure upgrade amid TekSavvy dispute
telecom | 02/13/2024 4:58 pm EST
Cogeco Inc. is adamantly defending its right to upgrade infrastructure for...
Fibre needed for viable third-party access framework, CRTC hears
telecom | 02/13/2024 2:42 pm EST
If Canada is to have a viable wholesale market, high speed access needs to...
Creative orgs call for copyright protections to be added to AI bill
Internet and Governance | 02/13/2024 11:13 am EST
Organizations representing Canada’s creative industries are calling on...
Court denies stay in Bell vs CRTC case
telecom | 02/12/2024 4:40 pm EST
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed BCE Inc.’s motion for a stay against the CRTC’s decision to...
Proposed AI law risks “chilling” innovation, out of step with global standards, Big Tech tells MPs
telecom | 02/09/2024 6:37 pm EST
Representatives from major tech companies warned...
Trudeau says Bell decision to cut jobs is “garbage”; CNOC not surprised
telecom | 02/09/2024 5:07 pm EST
Reaction has been swift and condemnatory to the announcement Thursday by...
CRTC uses forensic tools sparingly, ETHI committee told
Internet and Governance | 02/08/2024 5:37 pm EST
The CRTC has forensic investigative tools but deploys them rarely, the...
CRTC, St-Onge highlight Bell’s profitability in response to 4.8K job cut, CTV and radio closures
Media | 02/08/2024 3:57 pm EST
BCE Inc. announced Thursday that it will be restructuring by eliminating 4,800 positions, divesting more than 40 per cent of its radio stations, cutting CTV newscasts, and...
CRTC accepts Quebecor application for arbitration over MVNO with Telus
telecom | 02/07/2024 2:14 pm EST
Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron and Freedom Mobile divisions have been granted a...
Canadian telecom provider challenges CRTC’s decision in face of dominant carriers’ access to last mile fibre
telecom | 02/07/2024 2:01 pm EST
CIK Telecom is arguing to the CRTC that the...
Bell asks cabinet to overturn CRTC decision on fibre network access
telecom | 02/06/2024 5:48 pm EST
BCE Inc., filed a petition to cabinet Friday urging it to reverse a ruling...
ETHI committee hears departments don’t use tools to spy on Canadians
Internet and Governance | 02/06/2024 5:14 pm EST
Federal departments have forensic diagnostic tools that can be used for...
“Godfather” of AI says Canada must start regulating now
Internet and Governance | 02/06/2024 3:53 pm EST
The government must regulate artificial intelligence (AI) quickly to protect Canadians from serious societal risks, said Yoshua Bengio, known as one of the ‘godfathers of AI.’
On Monday, the University of Montreal professor and scientific director of the Mila AI...
CRTC releases consult over its jurisdiction on small cell pole attachments
telecom | 02/05/2024 5:54 pm EST
The CRTC has issued a call for comments on the attachment of wireless...
Don’t fear the advent of artificial intelligence: Prime Time panelists
Media | 02/05/2024 4:40 pm EST
OTTAWA–While artificial intelligence (AI) may seem daunting to people in...
Foreign streamers a problem for all Canadian broadcasters, CMPA hears
Media | 02/05/2024 4:39 pm EST
OTTAWA–Foreign streamers will be a prickly problem for mainstream...
CRTC implements thousand-block pooling to address telephone number exhaustion
telecom | 02/05/2024 12:32 pm EST
The CRTC is implementing thousand-block pooling (TBP) as a proactive...
Bloc continues fight to counteract CBC job cuts
Media | 02/02/2024 4:25 pm EST
The Bloc Québécois is continuing to protest the job cuts at CBC/Radio-Canada announced last year. For...
Demographic data provides solid evidence for diversity and inclusion, conference told
Internet and Governance | 02/01/2024 8:12 pm EST
OTTAWA–Demographic reporting is essential if we...
Rogers announces Q4 results and completion of network slicing trial
telecom | 02/01/2024 3:49 pm EST
Rogers Communications Inc., in partnership with Ericsson AB, announced it...
Canadians won’t get consulted on new CBC mandate, St-Onge tells Prime Time conference
Media | 02/01/2024 2:50 pm EST
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said...
Attacks on CBC are concerning, says CMPA president at Prime Time conference
Media | 02/01/2024 12:35 pm EST
OTTAWA, Ont. – No public institution, including Canada’s public broadcaster, should be immune from criticism, but recent attacks calling for it to be defunded are...
Bell and Rogers accuse Quebecor of abusing procedure in disaggregated FTTP rates application
telecom | 01/31/2024 4:38 pm EST
Quebecor Inc.’s request for the CRTC to set new...
Tait won’t rule out bonus pay for CBC’s top brass despite job cuts
Media | 01/30/2024 6:42 pm EST
CBC-Radio Canada CEO Catherine Tait won’t say if she, or the public...
CRTC initiates special process for official language minorities input for English content on French radio
Internet and Governance | 01/25/2024 4:38 pm EST
The CRTC has initiated a special consultation...
CRTC receives final replies on service to Far North
telecom | 01/25/2024 3:26 pm EST
Stakeholders have sent their final replies on telecom service in the Far North to the CRTC. The incumbent telecoms are at odds with most other applicants when it comes to the remedy for competition in the region.
BCE Inc....
Bell tells CRTC to dismiss Quebecor complaint due to lack of legal grounds and unjustified demands
telecom | 01/23/2024 5:32 pm EST
Quebecor Inc.'s Part 1 application to the CRTC for retroactive roaming rates on BCE Inc.’s network has been met with staunch opposition from Bell, as the telecommunications...
CRTC to investigate lack of French 911 service
telecom | 01/23/2024 5:30 pm EST
The CRTC has sent letters on Jan. 22 to interested parties to try to get to the bottom of two incidents...
Advocacy groups call on CRTC to share schedule for upcoming Online Streaming Act proceedings
Media | 01/23/2024 5:08 pm EST
A coalition of nine advocacy groups and community...
Rogers sisters leave board of directors in private settlement
telecom | 01/17/2024 3:07 pm EST
Melinda Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers are retiring from the telecom...
CCTS: Rogers received the most complaints about telecom services last year
telecom | 01/17/2024 11:13 am EST
Rogers Communications Inc. has become Canada’s most complained-about service provider, according to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services’ (CCTS) annual report released on...
CCTS says complaints on Bell prison call rates fall outside its scope; Telus advocates for CRTC jurisdiction in dispute
telecom | 01/16/2024 7:00 am EST
The Commission for Complaints for...
INDU debates study of mobile plan price hikes
telecom | 01/15/2024 5:46 pm EST
After almost two hours of deliberation last Thursday, the House industry and technology committee failed...
Bell seeks CRTC clarity amid class action alleging unreasonable prison call rates
telecom | 01/15/2024 4:56 pm EST
BCE Inc. filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC seeking clarity on three...
Numbers down as Corus Entertainment release Q1 figures
telecom | 01/12/2024 4:52 pm EST
The lingering effects of the pandemic and the labour disputes in Hollywood...
Kitchener MDU pushes for upgrades to Bell’s legacy facilities in access dispute
telecom | 01/12/2024 1:17 pm EST
The owner of a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) in Kitchener, Ontario denies BCE Inc.’s claims that it is blocking the telco from accessing its facilities, arguing instead that it...
Revenue and profit down for Cogeco Q1 as guidance continues
telecom | 01/11/2024 4:42 pm EST
Revenue and profits declined at Cogeco Inc. as the Quebec firm released...
TekSavvy challenges Cogeco’s network changes
telecom | 01/10/2024 4:57 pm EST
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. lodged a formal Part 1 complaint with the CRTC against Cogeco Inc., to address...
Nuisance calls still plaguing 911 system, fining abusers proposed
telecom | 01/10/2024 4:46 pm EST
Misuse of 911 continues to be a problem for emergency service providers...
Consortium seeks contingency for NG911 rollout in B.C. amid tight timelines
telecom | 01/09/2024 5:46 pm EST
A consortium working toward the successful implementation of...
UPDATED: Quebecor alleges Bell breaching agreement on MVNO wholesale access
telecom | 12/21/2023 2:20 pm EST
This story has been updated with comment from BCE Inc.
Quebecor Inc., representing Videotron and Freedom Mobile, has lodged a formal complaint with the CRTC against BCE Inc., alleging anti-competitive manoeuvres by Bell in relation to access to its wireless network
The dispute centres around the agreed-upon launch date of Oct. 11 for the use of Bell's wholesale...
Eastlink says competitors’ claims of reputational and economic harm caused by service outage response are unfounded
telecom | 12/21/2023 2:18 pm EST
Bragg Communications Inc.'s Eastlink is...
CRTC announces funds for Nunavut and rejects Bell’s bid to amend Broadband Fund contributions
telecom | 12/20/2023 4:47 pm EST
The CRTC has denied a BCE Inc. application to...
Northwestel Successfully Transitions Services in Atlin, BC, Unveils Plans for Enhanced Connectivity
telecom | 12/19/2023 5:10 pm EST
BCE Inc.’s Northwestel announced to the CRTC...
PIAC says administrative monetary penalties appropriate in City Wide dispute over Eastlink service outage response
telecom | 12/18/2023 3:11 pm EST
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the...
Election overhaul must include AI advertising, politicos say
Internet and Governance | 12/18/2023 2:45 pm EST
Canada must revise its election rules and the use of artificial...
Government unveils final provisions of Online News Act
Internet and Governance | 12/15/2023 5:30 pm EST
The federal government released the details of the implementation of the...
Rogers completes Canada’s first satellite-to-mobile call
telecom | 12/14/2023 7:00 am EST
Rogers Communications Inc. and satellite-to-phone telecom provider Lynk...
Tait attacked for taking trip to Australia as CBC cutbacks loom
Media | 12/13/2023 5:30 pm EST
CBC/Radio-Canada continued to come under fire in Parliament Tuesday with...
Quebecor asks CRTC to impose new interim disaggregated FTTP rates for Bell equivalent to aggregated rates
telecom | 12/11/2023 3:43 pm EST
Quebecor Inc. submitted an application to the CRTC on behalf of Videotron and VMedia challenging the interim disaggregated access rates for high-speed access (HSA) services...