NL Short Takes

InfoInterActive sold to America OnlineAmerica Online Inc has purchased all the outstanding shares of InfoInterActive Inc of Halifax, the manufacturer of Internet Call Manager. The deal will cost the giant ISP $43.3 million and is expected to close in July. The current management team will likely remain in place. Telus awarded multimillion data contract from fedsWestern telco Telus Corp has won a contract to provide a managed data network for the government of Canada. The $200-million deal runs for four years, with a four-year option. Bell introduces convergent products in central CanadaBell Canada has unveiled its One Contact service in Quebec and Ontario. The system permits clients to buy products from Bell, Bell Mobility, Bell ExpressVu and Sympatico from one web site or phone. Manitoba Telecom granted some rate increases by CRTCThe CRTC has given MTS Communications Inc most of the price increases it had applied for, with the exception of the hike in the line component of the service charges. A majority of the commissioners voted in favour of Order 2001-379. The CRTC has also decided, under Decision 2001-269, to place Telus DS-1 facilities under the general tariff. CRTC delays return of monitor surveys until end of JuneUnder the original terms of Public Notice 2000-175, the CRTC expected to mail out survey forms on monitoring of the telecom industry by mid-month. The commission now hopes to send them out by May 30 and would like them back by June 29. MTS unifies portals into one central domainManitoba Telecom Services Inc has established a system so customers of its Sympatico site can automatically default to other pages. Internet users going to the Sympatico page can be led to myWinnipeg.com or myManitoba.com. The company has also rolled out toll-free Internet access to the communities of Steep Rock and Gypsumville. SaskTel enters into streaming video market by buying US firmProvincial telco SaskTel is buying 49% of TappedInto.com of Nashville TN. As part of the $5.25-million deal, the streaming video provider will open an office in Saskatchewan, creating 25 new jobs. Northwestel offers high-speed service in WhitehorseBCE Inc affiliates Northwestel and Bell ExpressVu have joined forces to offer high-speed Internet and digital satellite service in Whitehorse YT. Customers who sign up for Sympatico Internet service before July 23 get the option of receiving ExpressVu service for an extra $99. Shaw hits 50% high-speed penetration in northern AlbertaShaw Communications has hit the 50% penetration rate in Fort McMurray AB for its high-speed Internet service. The firm attributes the success to its referral program, whereby anyone who signs a friend up to the Shaw@Home connection receives one month’s service free. Nortel affiliate wins $275 million equipment contract in ChinaNortel Networks Corp subsidiary Guangdong Nortel Telecommunications Equipment Ltd will supply China Unicom with code division multiple access equipment. The deal is worth US$275 million. Cuban telephony contract given to Canadian firmFinline Technologies Ltd of Waterloo ON has won the contract to carry the international telephone traffic for Cuba. The work will be carried out by FinTel Networks International, co-owned by Finline and Grupo de las Electronica of Havana and will carry traffic from the Caribbean island to the United States. Nortel adds more IP telephony productsEven as it scurries away from the DSL market, Nortel Networks Corp is getting more heavily involved in the IP telephony sector. The company recently launched a series of new devices at a trade show in Las Vegas. New listing for Atlantic phone directory publisherTele-Direct Atlantic, the publisher of telephone directories in Atlantic Canada, has changed its name to Aliant ActiMedia. The company publishes white pages, yellow pages and maintains the www.YellowPages.ca site. 360networks rebrands Canadian division 360fiberThe Canadian sector of 360networks Inc is changing its name to 360fiber. This follows the pattern the company has used for its various fibre grids around the world. Sympatico-Lycos unveils latest portal in OttawaSympatico-Lycos has introduced its seventh city portal, Ottawaplus.ca. The company also runs portals in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta. Total Telcom, Bell Nexxia ink contract for western gridTotal Telcom Fiber Inc, a subsidiary of Edmonton’s Total Telcom Inc, has signed a three-year lease agreement with Bell Nexxia Inc. The BCE company will lease bandwidth on the fibre network from Edmonton to Fort St. John BC. King deploys web payphones in EuropeKing Products Inc of Mississauga ON is providing web payphones to Stone Telecom of Ireland and Britain. The company will install the phones throughout Europe. Yorkton Securities gets fibre connection from WiznetToronto’s Wiznet Inc will be providing fibre optic services to Yorkton Securities Inc. Wiznet is deploying megabyte connections to replace Yorkton’s former T-1 hook up. Don’t iterate B2B strategies to bleeding edge eyeballsA recent poll finds that explaining technical information in clear terms is the greatest challenge facing IT executives. The RHI Consulting survey states that 44% of CIOs report difficulty in getting their message through in clear, concise terms. Telus supports young people and the arts in OttawaBC-based telco Telus Corp is contributing $125,000 to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The money will go to the National Youth and Education Trust to develop young performers. North American telephony group web site hacked againHackers have once again compromised the web site of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions. The group is undertaking to replace documents that were deleted. Former Newbridge honchos form venture capital company Conrad Lewis and Ken Wigglesworth, formerly with Newbridge Networks Corp, have formed Eagle One Ventures Corp. The company has $500 million to invest and is looking at the technology market, primarily in the Ottawa area.

NL Short Takes

News | 05/22/2001 4:00 am EDT

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