NL Update

CRTC orders Rogers to file compliance reports over Internet announcementsThe CRTC has found that Rogers Cable Inc. breached conditions of licence and broadcast distribution rules by advertising its high-speed Internet service on its community channels, promotional channels, and local inserts on U.S. specialty channels – Broadcasting Public Notice 2002-44. The commission is requiring Canada’s largest cableco to file quarterly compliance reports for the next three years, beginning September 1. The Independent Members of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers had filed a complaint with the commission last January arguing that Rogers’ actions breached CRTC rules and were anti-competitive (NL, Feb. 11/02 and Jan. 14/02). For more details, see the Aug. 15/02 issue of Network Letter affiliate publication Canadian Communications Reports. Aliant must file tariff before offering services, CRTC rulesThe CRTC has prohibited Aliant Telecom Inc. from providing a suite of services to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College without prior tariff approval – Telecom Decision 2002-48. The ruling is in response to a Part VII application dated August 2 from EastLink Limited alleging that the Atlantic telco was in non-compliance with the commission’s rules for the bundling of services. Regulator puts AT&T-Calgary dispute on holdAT&T Canada Corp.’s Part VII application seeking to apply the terms of the Ledcor decision to its existing access agreement with the City of Calgary has been put on hold – Telecom Decision 2002-46 (NL, July 15/02). The CRTC has suspended the proceeding until such time as it has reached a decision on terms and conditions of existing agreements for access to municipal property (Public Notice 2001-99). CRTC upholds Internet winback rules for cablecosThe CRTC has denied Quebec cable operator Vidéotron ltée’s application to review and vary the portion of Order 2001-92 that prohibits major cablecos from attempting to win back high-speed Internet customers who have switched to another ISP using the cablecos’ facilities – Telecom Decision 2002-47. Vidéotron had asked in the March 2001 filing that the rules be dropped, or in the alternative, that they apply to all facilities-based retail high-speed ISPs in its operating territory (NL, March 12/01). Broadband part of new infrastructure programThe federal government has confirmed that broadband is one of five key categories that will receive funding under the $2-billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, announced in the 2001 federal Budget. Investments may be made in large-scale projects that expand broadband networks to rural and remote areas in Canada. The government's plan for rural broadband deployment is expected to be unveiled in a few weeks. More details. Primus Canada buys Toronto ISP passport onlinePrimus Telecommunications Canada Inc. has acquired Toronto area Internet service provider Passport Online Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Passport Online’s client base consists primarily of small- and medium-sized businesses using both dial-up and high-speed DSL services, as well as Web hosting and other data centre services. The ISP also supports residential dial-up Internet subscribers. Primus Canada expects to complete the migration of Passport Online customers to its network and operating systems during the third quarter of 2002. More details. Bell West seeks contractor for Alberta fibre buildBell West Inc. is seeking request for proposals for a general contractor to undertake the design, documentation, construction and implementation of a fibre-optic network in selected areas of Alberta. Bell is building a high-speed network across the province and this RFP is a subset of a broader project. An RFP overview document is expected to be posted on Bell West’s web site on August 20. More details. Netricom to manage telecom network of O&Y Halifax propertyToronto-based Netricom has entered into an agreement with O&Y Enterprise, a division of O&Y Properties Inc., to manage the data and telecommunications network infrastructure at Purdy’s Wharf, a 700,000-square foot office complex in downtown Halifax. Netricom, the network infrastructure division of Axia NetMedia Corp., specializes in designing, installing and maintaining voice and data infrastructure across Canada. Cygnal to sell Aastra voice products in CanadaCygnal Technologies Corp.’s Communications Services Group has entered into an agreement with Aastra Technologies Limited to distribute its voice products in Canada. Under the terms of the agreement, Oshawa ON-based Cygnal will market Concord ON-based Aastra’s residential and business telephones and accessories through its network of resellers across Canada. More details. Governments should remove hurdles to broadband deployment: BushAll levels of government should remove hurdles that slow the pace of deployment of broadband, U.S. president George W. Bush told an economic forum in his home state of Texas last week. The president praised the Federal Communications Commission for its plan to deregulate the market for high-speed Internet services in what some analysts called one of the clearest indications of the White House’s stance on broadband policy to date. More details.

NL Update

News | 08/19/2002 4:00 am EDT

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