ROW Short Takes

Wireless carriers to test enhanced 911 next yearThe head of Canada’s wireless industry lobby says the country’s mobile wireless operators will begin testing enhanced 911 services next year. Peter Barnes, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, made the comments at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum in Ottawa on October 28. He was responding to a question from Report on Wireless on the status of the rollout of E911 by the wireless operators. He says tests are slated for the Greater Toronto Area and possibly in Western Canada. "Part of the issue is a technology decision as to whether you go with a GPS chip in the phone that provides the ability or some other approach like triangulation. So those kinds of decisions have yet to be taken," he says. Adds Barnes: "As you know in the States, it was deferred, and they’re now just starting to roll it out and that may well drive the economies of scale down to a point where it becomes a lot easier to introduce, and learn from what they’ve done in the U.S." Enhanced 911 services were mandated by the CRTC in Telecom Decision 2004-53 in which it ruled all wireless carriers had to make the service available (RoW, Aug. 26/03). The decision, however, stopped short of imposing any fixed deadlines. Louis Lepage, manager of technology in the CRTC’s telecom branch, said at the time of the decision: "We informed the industry that our expectations would be that in a period of six months to a year all communities would either be served by the new service or there would be committed service dates for the communities. So we didn’t set explicit deadlines, but we tried to convey expectations to the industry." Under previous rules, only competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) were required to offer the service and to date Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is the only wireless operator to attain CLEC status. Microcell is currently registered as a CLEC in all regions it serves with the exception of Saskatchewan. The wireless carrier claims that SaskTel, the incumbent telco, is refusing to make certain information available so that it can become a CLEC in the Prairie province and begin offering 911. In an interview with RoW earlier this year, company executives explained that there is something wrong with the regulatory rules when an ILEC can determine whether an alternative provider can become a registered CLEC. TELUS ordered to offer two-way trunking to WSPsThe CRTC has ordered TELUS Communications Inc. (TCI) to offer two-way trunking as an option to wireless service providers (WSPs) wishing to interconnect with its network for local and long distance traffic (Telecom Decision 2004-68). The ruling comes nearly a year after the commission refused to order TELUS to offer the same two-way trunking option to Rogers Wireless Inc. (Telecom Decision 2003-76; RoW Update, Nov. 10/03). The commission launched a follow-up proceeding to 2003-76 to determine why TELUS shouldn’t file a tariff for the two-trunking option. In arguments to the proceeding, TELUS suggested that there were no substantive reasons why it should be forced to offer two-way trunking. As well since Rogers Wireless wasn’t a CLEC it didn’t have the right to optional two-way trunking termination. Rogers Wireless urged the commission to disregard TELUS’ arguments stating that WSPS were equally entitled as CLECs to two-way trunking. Besides, it added, other incumbent telcos offered the service. In coming to its decision, the CRTC determined that wireless operators using two-way trunking to terminate both local and long distance traffic is an efficient method and should be encourage. The commission notes that the primary rationale for the provision of the two-way local/toll option to WSPs was that they should have the option to choose the most cost-effective interconnection solution available and that increasing the range of interconnection options available to WSPs would be in the public interest. "Accordingly, the Commission directs TCI to offer a new optional two-way trunk service that would allow WSPs to combine toll terminating traffic with local traffic on local trunks between the WSPs POI (point of interconnection) and TCI’s local switches," reads the decision. Competition Bureau clears Rogers acquisition of MicrocellThe Competition Bureau of Canada has given Rogers Wireless Inc. the green light to acquire the outstanding securities of Microcell Telecommunications Inc., meaning all regulatory hurdles to the acquisition have been cleared. The Rogers Wireless offer expires at 5 p.m. on November 5. When the acquisition is complete, Rogers Wireless will become the country’s largest operator with more than 5 million subscribers. Rogers Wireless won the bidding war for the country’s smallest national operator, outbidding TELUS Corp. The western telco bid $29 per share this year, only to have Rogers Wireless place a $35 per share bid in October. Agilent Technologies introduces new products for UWBAgilent Technologies Inc. has introduced two new products that help address the needs of ultra wideband (UWB) product designers. This month the company announced the availability of its UWB Design Exploration Library and introduced new testing software, both of which help speed time to market of UWB-based equipment. Daido Steel Co. Ltd. has selected the UWB library to help speed the development of its bandpass filters used for UWB transceivers. Mindready inks agreements in automotive sectorMontreal-based Mindready Solutions Inc. has inked an additional contract with one of the world’s largest automotive components and modules suppliers calling for the supply of the company’s test architecture supporting both designers and manufacturers of automotive electronics. Two production test systems are to be delivered to one client’s plant in Mexico for production testing of a Bluetooth interface module linking mobile data, audio, and voice communications. The system would be installed in vehicles of a Japanese car maker. Earlier this year, Mindready delivered six multimedia design verification and exerciser testers to this same customer. Mitec Telecom greenlit to commercialize new technologyMitec Telecom Inc. has reached an agreement with one of its leading customers giving the Montreal-based company the green light to commercial what it is considering a unique and disruptive radio frequency technology, dubbed LMR architecture. "This unique offering sets us apart from the competition. It dramatically reduces the cost of the product to the customer compared to current-generation products used in the same application. As well, there are numerous other non-monetary benefits associated with the design, such as reduced weight and improved manufacturability," Mitec, president and CEO Rajiv Pancholy said in a news release. Telus Mobility debuts new Kyocera handsetKyocera Wireless Corp. and Telus Mobility have introduced the Kyocera K494 Energi, a handset targeted at the youth market. The cell phone is characterized by unique styling and personalization features, including interchangeable face plates and simple ringtone and image downloading functionality. The handset comes equipped with a colour display, built-in flashlight, offers polyphonic ringtone and voice-activated dialing capability, and productivity tools such as contact directory, calculator, clock and stopwatch. WINBC calls for entries to 2005 innovation contestThe Wireless Innovation Network of British Columbia (WINBC), along with sponsors Telus Mobility and Nokia and partner the Network for Emerging Wireless Technologies (NEWT), has announced that it is accepting applications for the second annual Wireless Innovation Contest 2005. The contest is open to Canadian and American wireless developers and solutions providers. "We’re presenting companies, organizations and innovators with an opportunity to showcase how leading-edge wireless solutions are, and will be, helping to improve efficiencies, enhance processes and connect people," contest chair Mikko Moilanen said in a news release. The wireless innovation contest awards will be handed out on March 16, 2005 in New Orleans during the CTIA wireless show. Descriptions of the winning projects, their objectives and their accomplishments will be published in a case study booklet.

ROW Short Takes

News | November 4, 2004

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