NL Short Takes

AT&T may appeal price cap ruling, McLennan tells AGMAt the annual general meeting of AT&T Canada Corp., vice-chair/CEO John McLennan said the company was considering its options in regards to the recent price cap ruling of the CRTC. He said there is "the strong possibility of an appeal." The telco predicts its 2002 EBITDA will be higher than its 2001 level of $121 million. Persona buys up Gateway fibre assets in Northern OntarioNewfoundland’s Persona Communications Inc. has bought 250 route km (15,840 strand km) of the fibre network of bankrupt Ontario carrier Gateway Telephone Ltd. Persona, formerly known as Regional Cablesystems Inc., paid $550,000 for the grid between the Northern Ontario cities of Sudbury and North Bay. Nortel target downgraded yet again, still considered a buyCredit Suisse First Boston has cut its 12- to 18-month share target on Nortel Networks Corp. The new target has been reduced to US$5 as a result of a recent dilution of shares, although the equipment manufacturer’s stock is still rated a buy. Aliant to offer bilingual operator service in areaAliant Telecom is extending its bilingual operator service to Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador. Subscribers will have access to bilingual operators and directory assistance in English and French. Manitoba Tel uses Nortel equipment for IP serviceMTS Communications Inc. has purchased a next-gen SONET platform from Nortel Networks Corp. The company will use the platform to extend the IP grid it is laying throughout the province for the Manitoba government. CRTC approves Guèvremont 1999 and 2000 CAT and NATIn Telecom Order 2002-238, the CRTC approved the 1999 and 2000 Carrier Access Tariffs and Network Access Tariffs for Téléphone Guèvremont inc. The telco has been ordered to file its 2001 CAT and NAT by the end of July. Dryden retail Internet service forborne from regulationIn Telecom Decision 2002-36, the CRTC agreed to forbear retail Internet regulation for Dryden Municipal Telephone System. The Ontario telco is under provisions of commission rulings from 1999 concerning independent ILECs and forbearance. Telus Québec rolls out high-speed Internet in seven marketsTelus Québec is launching its high-speed Internet service in seven communities in the province. It is rolling out in St-Lambert, St-Prosper de Beauce and Cap Chat this month, St-Pamphile and St-Thècle next month, and St-Côme and Causpscal in August. Manitoba Tel introduces Smart Community project in WinklerMTS Advanced Inc. is launching its first Smart Community project in the city of Winkler in south central Manitoba. The myWinkler.com portal will offer data on local business, community groups, churches and schools and a localized online Yellow Pages directory. Sympatico now offering video email from TalkwayBell Canada’s Sympatico division is rolling out VMailTalk, a streaming audio/video email product from Talkway Communications of Fremont CA. Subscribers can send streaming messages through dial-up or high-speed connections. Bell Nordiq declares dividend of 35 cents for Canada DayBell Nordiq Group has declared a dividend of $0.359375 per share. The dividend is payable on July 1 to shareholders of record on June 10. British Columbia seeking broadband grid in VancouverThe Province of British Columbia has issued an RFP to run a broadband link from its regional network centre in Vancouver to the Harbour Centre in the same city. The province is willing to consider three options involving buying dark fibre, leasing it or having an IRU, or the installation of gigabit Ethernet service. Zero-Knowledge sells security devices to D-Link SystemsD-Link Systems Inc. of Irvine CA is installing new security and privacy products from Montreal’s Zero-Knowledge Systems. The tools include Ad Blocker, Cookie Manager and Secure Password Manager. Hot Tomali designs new web site for Telus payphonesHot Tomali Communications Inc. of Vancouver has designed a web site for Telus to encourage advertising on the ILEC’s payphones. The telusike.com site tells would-be advertisers about the payphone terminals located in airports, malls and hotels in Alberta and B.C. XO Communications files for bankruptcy protectionAmerican carrier XO Communications has become the latest telecom to file for bankruptcy protection. The Reston VA-based firm has over US$5 billion in debts related to the rollout of its network. Founder Winnick may rescue foundering Global CrossingGlobal Crossing founder Gary Winnick is reportedly trying to raise US$500 million to recapitalize the foundering telecom. It has also been revealed that before the company filed for Chapter 11 last January it had been negotiating with actor James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) to serve as its advertising spokesman. Interstate utility poles ruled outside FCC controlThe Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in the U.S has ruled that interstate utility poles are outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. The court also held the FCC ignored the meaning of the pole attachment statute when it required utilities to expand capacity to handle access requests. Alcatel continues to lead in global DSL deploymentFor the third successive quarter, Alcatel leads the world market in DSL equipment. The Dell’Oro Group reports that by Q1 2002 the manufacturer had 38% of all DSL ports shipped globally. European Commission urges Internet twinning of schoolsThe European Commission has endorsed a proposal that will see schools in member countries twin via the Internet with schools in other nations. The plan, which should be in place by 2006, will cover 150,000 secondary schools in Europe, which could twin with other EC countries or with non-EC nations. Irish expand broadband rollout by easing licence regulationsThe Irish telecom regulator Etain Doyle has approved new licensing regimes for fixed wireless access broadband. Local and regional licences will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. Swedish telco ignores court decision on interconnect ratesSwedish ILEC Telia has told CLEC Tele2 it will not pay interconnect tariff rates for traffic on Tele2’s network. Both the Stockholm County Administrative Court and the Administrative Court of Appeal have upheld Tele2’s right to collect the fees. BT barred from using customer information for Internet salesOftel, the British telecom regulator, has barred British Telecom from using customer information to market its Internet service. Oftel, which decreed the practice is uncompetitive, will re-examine the issue in six months. Imtech Telecom to provide fibre glass network in NetherlandsHolland’s Imtech Telecom is exploring the possibility of laying a fibre glass network in the town of Helmond. The grid will permit broadband Internet service, telephony and TV reception. Montrealer pleads guilty to telemarketing fraudMarvin Redler of Dollard des Ormeaux QC has pled guilty to nine charges arising out of his telemarketing business practices. The Competition Bureau received 3,100 complaints about Redler’s four companies, with estimated losses of $1,040,000.

NL Short Takes

News | June 18, 2002

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