NL Updates

Provincial governments request national 311 serviceAlberta Health and Wellness, with support from the other provincial governments, has filed a Part VII with the CRTC requesting that it establish 311 as a nationwide standard number for “non-urgent telephone health triage services.” This application follows one submitted by five major Canadian municipalities last year (NL, Nov. 10/03). “Implementing telephone health triage services is an important component of primary health care reform and restructuring in all jurisdictions…Telephone health triage allows callers and providers to make better choice in their access to health services and the use of evidence in health service provision. Preliminary evidence in Alberta indicates that telephone health triage services are popular, have a significant increase in use after their introduction and have a measurable impact on resource use within the health care system,” reads the August 24 application. Télébec forborne from regulation of WAN services The CRTC has forborne from regulating Société en commandite Télébec wide area networking (WAN) services (Telecom Decision 2004-58). The Quebec-based telco has 45 days to file tariffs for the underlying access and transport components required to provide Ethernet WAN services. In its March 2004 Part VII application, Télébec argued that competition for WAN services was well established in Canada and in its territory. It noted that there were no significant barriers to entry in the WAN services market and cited the number of active market participants as evidence to this fact. The commission agreed with the company’s arguments and forbore from regulation Télébec’s WAN services on August 31. CRTC forbears from regulating WAN services offered by NorthernTel and O.N. TelecomNorthernTel LP and O.N. Telecom (now Ontera) have been forborne from regulation of their wide area networking (WAN) services (Telecom Decision 2004-57). Both telcos are now required to file tariffs within 45 days for the underlying access and transport components needed to offer Ethernet-based WAN services. NorthernTel’s April 2004 application sparked some outcry from O.N. Telecom. The Ontario government telco said the commission should forbear from regulation both companies’ WAN services because it had previously done so in Telecom Order 2000-631 with respect to IXPL services. The commission agreed with O.N. Telecom’s argument and granted it forbearance on an equal footing with NorthernTel. CRTC to hear disputesThe CRTC will hear two cases later this month that pit emerging competitors against larger communications service providers. On September 24, the commission will hear arguments in Interbaun Communications versus Shaw Cablesystems. It will also preside over a dispute between Infolink Communications and Bell Canada. Decline in wireline offset by increases in wireless: StatsCanOperating revenue in the telecommunications services industry increased 1.1% to $8.3 billion in the first quarter of 2004, stopping three consecutive quarterly declines. But the primary message from the Statistics Canada figures, released on September 1, was that revenue on the wireline side continues to decline, but is being offset by increases in wireless services revenue. Operating revenue in the wireless industry jumped 18.5% to $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2004 compared with the same quarter last year. At the same time, revenue in the wireline industry dropped more than 4% to $5.8 billion, continuing a downward trend that began two years ago. IP Applications acquires key technology and customersVancouver-based IP Applications has reached an agreement to acquire certain assets of Voyus Canada Inc. and Voyus Remote Services, a remote IT, help desk and online support provider. The company will acquire customer contracts, the Voyager proprietary software and operating assets of Voyus’ customer support centre, including key personnel. “The integration of Voyager software and technical help desk capabilities into its Internet services delivery platform will enable IP Applications to create a fully integrated services delivery, management, billing and support proposition for ISPs, carriers, CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) across North America,” reads a September 1 news release. Mark Sampson, IP Applications’ president and CEO, said: “This acquisition significantly increases our competitive advantage by enabling us to deliver on our objective of becoming a single point of contact for all our customers.” Vidéotron ups download speeds for broadband InternetQuebec’s largest Internet provider Vidéotron ltée has announced that over the coming months the company will increase its Internet download and data transfer speeds. The speed increase will be noticeable to those customers who subscribe to Vidéotron’s high-speed and extreme high-speed services. High-speed data rates will jump to 5.1 Mbps from 4.1 Mbps, while extreme speed will increase to 6.5 Mbps from 4.5 Mbps. Canada Payphone sale to be completed by September 30The purchase of Canada Payphone Corp. by Globalive Communications Inc. is expected to be completed by the end of this month, the company announced in a September 1 news release. Under terms of the agreement, Globalive will acquire Canada Payphone for $1 million, half of which will go to creditors. Canada Payphone shareholders and Quebec Superior Court approved the proposal on August 27. While it appears as though this is a done deal, interested parties have until the end of September 7 to file another offer that is more financially attractive to Canada Payphone’s shareholders.

NL Updates

News | 09/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

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