NL Short Takes

Telus goes for poison pill just in case of takeoversBCT.Telus Communications Inc of Burnaby BC has adopted a poison pill for shareholders, even though the company admits it is not expecting a takeover bid. The board has already approved the plan. The proposal must still get regulatory approval and be voted on by shareholders at the May 3 annual meeting. 360networks becomes popular in the marketplaceVancouver-based 360networks Inc, formerly Worldwide Fiber, has been attracting investors from across the country. Shaw Communications Inc is investing US$100 million in the company in return for the provision of US$170 million in high-speed bandwidth services and dark fibre. (As part of its recently-announced asset swap, Rogers Communications Inc has the rights to purchase 25 percent of the Shaw investment.) Similarly, GT Group Telecom Inc is buying C$352 million of bandwidth and is making a $50-million equity investment. Meanwhile, Canadian National Railway Co is swapping its minority interests in two joint-venture companies controlled by 360networks for approximately 9.4 million shares of the fibre firm that is about to launch its IPO. The Caisse says ‘Non' to Vidéotron merger with RogersThe Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Capital Communications, having stressed they did not give prior approval to the merger of Le Group Vidéotron ltée and Rogers Communications Inc, have entered into an agreement with Quebecor Inc that will see the publishing giant buy the cable company and place it under its Quebecor Media umbrella. The newly-formed Media unit will contain the firm's substantial newspaper assets, including Le Journal de Montréal and the Toronto Sun, its magazine division and the Canoe and Netgraphe Internet portals. The Caisse also obtained a court injunction preventing the Rogers merger from being voted on at the Vidéotron special general meeting at the end of March. Telus launches online job sectionJob seekers surfing on the Internet can now use the MyBC.com and Alberta.com portals to access the country's largest employment database. The two portals are part of Telus Advanced Communications. Norigen heads west as part of national rolloutNorigen Communications Inc of Toronto has initiated operations in Vancouver. The CLEC is currently providing service in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal and expects to expand into Edmonton, Hamilton and Ottawa in the next few weeks.QuébecTel offers services to Quebec City realty ownerQuébecTel of Rimouski QC has signed an agreement with Quebec City real estate owner Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust. Under the pact, Cominar corporate tenants and their employees can receive special deals on telecom services, including business lines, LD and Internet access.New fiber network for Total TelecomEdmonton-based Total Telecom Inc will build and operate a 675 km fibre optic corridor from Fort St. John BC to Edmonton. The non-dominant carrier expects to begin construction this spring. The new network will provide over 20,000 fibre miles. Two firms purchased by NetgrapheMontreal Internet company Netgraphe Inc is buying all of APG Solutions and Technologies Inc for $120 million in cash and stock. It is also purchasing 100 per cent of Editions Ma Carrière for $2.16 million in shares and cash. Bell invests in Brazilian Internet ventureBell Canada International Inc has bought a 45 per cent interest in a new Brazilian firm, BV Interativa Ltda, in partnership with VeloCom Inc and QUALCOMM Inc of the United States. Two days later, the Brazilian company purchased an ISP in Belo Horizonte called BRHS S.A. for US$14 million. Saudis order $9 million in services from SR TelecomSR Telecom Inc of St-Laurent QC has won $9 million in orders from the Saudi Arabian division of Lucent Technologies International Inc. The contract is for the provision of wireless access systems and engineering services to provide high quality service to the Saudi Telecom Co. Haligonians get a new telephone directoryEast Link Cable of Halifax, which has been easing into the telephony market, has joined with Phone Directories Company to produce a new telephone directory for the Nova Scotia capital. The partnership will permit the bundling of directory, Internet and broadcast advertising for business clients. CBC and CPC unite on Internet kiosksCanada Payphone Corp and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp have signed an agreement to provide CBC content at Canada Payphone's public Internet kiosks across the nation. The material can currently be found on the public broadcaster's web site. Calls to 911 not affected by shut down of pay phonesBell Canada is shutting down about 50 pay phones in the Toronto area at night to discourage their use by drug dealers and prostitutes. But a spokeswoman for the telco says services such as 911, 411, 611 and the operator will still be in operation. Maybe he'll make contribution disappearVancouver-based CLEC Cannect Communications Inc is using corporate magicians to promote itself. A conjurer will do card tricks and other feats as other workers distribute flyers and souvenirs touting Cannect's services. Nuvo introduces product for web network managementNuvo Network Management Inc of Ottawa has introduced its webCenter device for Internet-based network management. The new package permits customers to obtain comprehensive performance reports; check information on network failures and outages; and schedule and verify all network changes.New privacy tool presented by Bell CanadaBell Canada is now marketing Call Privacy, a service that permits consumers to screen unidentified callers. The service, made by Telcordia Technologies Inc of Morristown NJ, is currently available in the London, Toronto and Ottawa areas and will be introduced into Quebec on April 3. Cescom gets capital infusion from workers' fundThe Solidarity Fund of the Fédération des Travailleurs du Québec has invested $3 million in IP telephony wholesaler Cescom Inc of Montreal. The investment was part of a $6.38 million financing package that also involves Innovatech du Grand Montreal, which ponied up $2.3 million, Positron Investment, which invested $620,000 and T2C2/Info, which contributed $430,000. Manitoba, feds meet at the corner of Portal and MainIndustry Canada and the Manitoba department of Intergovernmental Affairs have signed a Memorandum of Agreement that will quadruple the number of public Internet access sites in the province. The goal is to establish 200 new sites in Winnipeg and 240 in the rest of Manitoba bringing the total to 586.CRTC permits withdrawal of telecom services in N. Ontario In Order 2000-217, the CRTC has allowed Northern Telephone Ltd to withdraw services in the Cochrane exchange in northern Ontario. In other commission rulings, Bell Canada has been given approval for a tariff on ADSL-related equipment (2000-211), interim approval has been given to AT&T Canada Corp's billing and collection services (2000-209), NBTel has had its contribution charges approved (2000-201) and the Ontario Telephone Association has had rates increased and exemptions revised for OA and DA services (2000-206).

NL Short Takes

News | March 27, 2000

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