Kevin Hamm has been appointed COO of DownEast Communications, a retailer recently acquired by Aliant Inc. He brings more than 20 years experienced to the position and will provide valuable leadership going forward.

CRTC grants CMA stay petition in telemarketing feud
As the CRTC’s recently enacted telemarketing regime continues to come under fire from a number of industry players, the commission has granted the Canadian Marketing Association’s petition to stay implementation of the rules (Telecom Decision 2004-35). On September 28, the CRTC approved the CMA’s applications, "pending the disposition of the CMA’s application to review and vary that Decision. The stay applies to all requirements set out in Decision 2004-35 except the requirement that telecommunications service providers track and report complaint statistics; this requirement becomes effective 1 January 2005." Earlier this month, several companies banded together on two separate occasions and filed an appeal of the telemarketing rules to the Governor-in-Council. First, it was the Canadian Bankers Association and the CMA to file petitions with the federal Cabinet and more recently, The Responsive Marketing Group, Univision Marketing Group and Xentel DM Inc. filed a joint application. The petitions to Cabinet can be found here.

MTS Allstream Inc. has fired back against an Aliant demand that the CRTC treat the Atlantic telco equitably over the issue of draw downs from its deferral account. In a dispute before the commission, Aliant is seeking permission to draw down against unused price increase room and argues that the commission set a precedent for doing so when it allowed MTS Allstream to make a similar move. MTS, however, warns that the precedent Aliant cites to warrant the move is not as relevant as it makes it out to be.

TELUS urges CRTC to treat VoIP as different service from traditional local telephony