NL Update

Bell begins negotiations with unionBell Canada has opened bargaining on its new collective agreement with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. The current contract expires at the end of next month. The CEP represents 7,000 workers in Quebec and Ontario.Northwestel offers deal on additional phone linesNorthern ILEC Northwestel Inc. is reviving a promotion in which subscribers receive free installation when they add a new phone line to an existing wireline phone. The telco is waiving the installation charge – $81 for residences and $137.35 for businesses – when an additional line is ordered. After three months, the customers also earn 1,000 Aeroplan points.Cogeco expects cost of pole access to increaseIn issuing its results for FY2003, Cogeco Cable Inc. says the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision on pole access will increase its costs. “The corporation expects that its average cost per pole will likely rise in the next few years,” it notes in the “Risk Factors and Uncertainties” section, “but cannot determine the extent of the increase at this time.” Cogeco also reaffirms that it is not rolling out telephony to compete against Bell Canada.Axia NetMedia receives $10-million investmentAn unnamed Canadian equity investor has agreed to put up to $10 million into Axia NetMedia Corp. The investor will receive a 12% three-year redeemable debenture, a warrant to purchase 10 million common shares, and will negotiate to provide up to $70 million in additional financing. The deal is subject to regulatory and other conditions.Zarlink reduces telecom spendingZarlink Semiconductor Inc. is reducing spending in its network communications section, as it reports its second-quarter results. The Ottawa company expects to save US$3 million per quarter by slashing its telecom R&D. The firm will cut about 5% of its workforce as a result of the cutbacks.T-Net releases B.C. Top 100 rosterT-Net has issued its 2003 directory of the top 100 high-tech firms in British Columbia. Among the companies making the list are PMC-Sierra (#4), SaskTel subsidiary Navigata Communications (#17), Argus Technologies (#24), Infosat Telecommunications (#31), Norsat International Inc. (#51), Radiant Communications (#59), Netnation Communications Inc. (#63), and Uniserve (#72). All but Uniserve have appeared on the list in previous years.Vidéotron and McAfee become partners for Internet securityQuebec cable operator Vidéotron ltée has signed a partnership agreement with McAfee for computer security for the cableco’s high-speed Internet subscribers. The companies are offering a virus scanning service and a firewall product at reduced prices. People who sign up through Vidéotron’s web site are eligible for further discounts.Csii wins extension of CCAA protectionCable Satisfaction International Inc. has had its protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act extended until January 23, 2004. The Longueuil QC firm’s bankers have not extended the waivers on the maturity date of credit facilities for its Portuguese subsidiary. Csii ended its agreement with Capital Communications CDPQ Inc. in favour of a new deal with Catalyst Fund Ltd. Partnership I.New Brunswick Liberals demand 911 reviewShawn Graham, leader of the opposition in New Brunswick, wants the provincial government to fix its 911 emergency system after two recent failures. The Liberal Party leader says in both instances it took more than 15 minutes for 911 operators to respond to emergency calls. In the City of Saint John, municipal authorities are recommending the city take over the provision of 911 service.Northwestel seeks input on directory coversYou can vote for the Canadian Idol, you make the Terminator the governor of California, why not cast a ballot on the next telephone book? Northwestel is asking its subscribers to vote on the works of art that will be featured on next year’s telephone directories. Northerners have until October 22 to choose the three winners.INTERNATIONAL NEWSJudge issues reasons for VoIP rulingMinnesota U.S. District judge Michael J. Davis has released an explanation of his ruling that VoIP carriers are not subject to the same regulations as telcos (NL, Oct. 15/03). The judge maintained that the carriers provide an information service rather than telecom service. The State of Minnesota is expected to appeal the decision. As a result of the Davis ruling, Atacomm Corp. says it will launch IP Centrex service in the state.VeriSign selling Network Solutions for US$100 millionInternet registry VeriSign Inc. will sell 85% of its interest in registrar Network Solutions to Pivotal Private Equity for US$100 million. VeriSign will continue to administer .com and .net addresses for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The company is reviving its redirect service, which it suspended earlier this month (NL, Oct. 15/03).Two-thirds of Internet users junk spam without reading itA survey by DoubleClick finds that 65% of consumers delete spam from their inboxes without reading it, an increase from 60% in 2002. The 2003 Consumer Email Study also found that only 4% bother to read the mail before deletion. The company interviewed 1,000 people who use email at least once a week.Support grows for Do Not Spam list in United StatesSenator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has released the results of a poll on the establishment of a Do Not Spam list. More than two-thirds of the 1,500 surveyed said they would sign up for such a registry. Schumer currently has a bill before Congress proposing a Do Not Spam list. CERN and CalTech set new Internet speed recordThe European Organisation for Nuclear Research, known by its French acronym CERN, has joined with the California Institute of Technology to set a new record for delivering data across the Internet. CERN sent 1.1 Terabytes of data at 5.44 Gbps on October 1. The transmission, the equivalent of sending a full-length DVD film in seven seconds, took nearly half an hour and moved over 7,000 km of network between Geneva, Switzerland and Pasadena CA.

NL Update

News | October 20, 2003

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