NL Short Takes

Teleglobe sells voice and data business to American interestsTeleglobe Inc. has sold its voice and data business to a company controlled by Cerberus Capital Management LP of New York and TenX Capital Partners LLC of Philadelphia. The two American firms will pay US$155.3 million for the company. Telus raises $337 million to buy back debtTelus Corp. has closed a public offering of 34.25 million non-voting shares. It has raised $337 million, which will be put toward a $400-million debt buyback. Group Telecom protection extended yet againGT Group Telecom Inc. has had its protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act extended until September 25. The CLEC expects it will apply for a further extension when this one ends. BC lights research network to connect with CANARIEBCNet has completed its high-speed Internet network, the Optical Regional Advanced Network. The grid connects Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George to CANARIE’s CA*net 4 backbone. S&P lowers ratings on Nortel and QuebecorStandard & Poor’s Ratings Services has reduced the rating of Nortel Networks Corp. from double B minus to single B, with a negative outlook. The agency has also put Quebecor Media Inc. and its subsidiaries Vidéotron ltée. and Sun Media Corp. on credit watch with negative implications, lowering the firm’s ratings from double B to single B plus. Court permits pay equity ratification voteThe Quebec Superior Court has overturned an injunction preventing the ratification vote of the pay equity settlement between Bell Canada and the Canadian Telecommunications Employees Association (NL, Sept. 10/02). The vote, which will conclude the night of Sept. 25, was delayed when a group of workers, backed by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, complained it needed more information about the deal. Aliant voice mobility trial still not good enough for CRTCThe CRTC has once again rejected a market trial of Voice Mobility International Inc.’s unified messaging system by Aliant Telecom Inc., saying it is too broad. Telecom Order 2002-383 follows on the heels of an earlier dismissal by the commission of a more ambitious trial (NL, Aug. 13/02). Support grows for Amtelecom in rebate fightThe Canadian Alliance of Publicly-Owned Telecommunications Systems (CAPTS) has filed an intervention with the CRTC backing Amtelecommunications Inc. in its review and vary application (NL, Sept. 10/02). Amtelecom is disputing customer rebates it has been ordered to give by the commission. Bell Canada ordered to stop LD rebate until tariff filedBell Canada has been ordered by the CRTC to halt a promotion that offered business customers an LD rebate if the client bought local service. Telecom Decision 2002-58 came in response to a complaint by GT Group Telecom Services Corp., which claimed the promotion is a bundled service that requires tariff approval. Telus Québec and Télébec co-locations tariffs approvedThe CRTC set out co-location tariffs for Telus Québec and Télébec in Telecom Order 2002-382. An objection by Telus Québec over allowing CLECs unescorted access to COs was disallowed by the commission. Symphony purchase of Crazy Toyz hits sour noteSymphony Telecom Corp. has scuttled a deal to buy all of Crazy Toyz Inc., a Toronto specialty realtor. The two companies could not agree on final terms of the merger and walked away from the agreement, first announced at the end of July. Internet Cable buys Clearview CommunicationsInternet Cable Corp. of Markham ON has bought Clearview Communications Ltd. for cash and shares. Clearview offers services such as project management, headend data and fibre wiring and full turnkey construction projects. Prepaid card firm Canquest halts service to TelemaxCanquest Communications (Canada) Inc., a marketer of prepaid phone cards, has halted service to Telemax Communications Inc. for non-payment. Telemax responded to the $7.5-million suit launched by Canquest by filing a countersuit alleging billing errors. Phonetime upgrades network as sales skyrocketPhonetime Inc. of Mississauga ON has begun a $500,000-upgrade to its switching infrastructure due to an increase in sales. The company brought in nearly $6 million in July and August, leading to hopes the firm will exceed its 2002 target of $26 million in sales. Telus introduces online security systems in western CanadaTelus Corp. is using the Freedom Internet Security services of Zero-Knowledge Systems to provide online Internet security. Customers in British Columbia and Alberta can now receive firewall, virus protection and parental control services. Online purchases jump in 2001, Statistics Canada findsCanadians spent close to $2 billion shopping online in 2001, Statistics Canada reports. The agency terms this "substantially" more than a year earlier, but cannot make an accurate assessment because previous numbers only looked at purchases at home. NetSweeper, McAfee partner on virus protection for ISPsNetSweeper Inc. of Guelph ON is using the McAfee anti-virus gateway protection for its products. The Internet management provider expects ISPs will have added virus protection thanks to the technology from McAfee, a division of Network Associates Inc. American broadband bill stalled in SenateThe Breaux-Nickles broadband bill is unlikely to be passed this year by the U.S. Senate. Bill S 2430 would have equalized the playing field between cable modems and DSL. WorldCom eliminates 2,000 jobs on other side of AtlanticWorldCom EMEA, the European, Middle East and African division of the bankrupt American carrier, is slashing 25% of its work force. About 2,000 jobs will be lost in the move. Primus acquires C&W American voice operationsPrimus Telecommunications Group Inc. of MacLean VA has bought the retail switched voice services customer base of Cable & Wireless USA Inc. The deal will see Primus make deferred payments of $32 million to the British company over the next two years. KPN in talks to sell directories to one of three buyersKPN has narrowed down the list of possible purchasers of its directory division. Reports out of Germany say the telco is talking with three buyers, from an original roster of 37. The move is in line with similar initiatives by BCE Inc. (NL Update, Sept. 16/02) and Qwest Communications International (NL, Aug. 27/02) Greek phone numbers change for a second timeFor the second time this year, wireline subscribers in Greece are seeing their numbers change, as the country’s phone capacity increases. Domestic area codes are switching the first digit from "0" to "2" and the city of Athens sees a local prefix altered from "010" to "210". Kingston police nab kids abusing 911 systemKingston ON police apprehended five boys, ranging in age from six to 12, who were repeatedly making prank calls to 911. The boys were turned over to their parents for punishment. Telemarketers hang up on 9-11 in respect for victimsTelemarketers in the United States opted not to make calls on Sept. 11 this year, as the country remembered the terrorist attacks of a year earlier. Perry Young of Call Solutions Inc. said the anniversary was a time for people to be with their families.

NL Short Takes

News | September 23, 2002

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