NL Update

Bell offers free accelerated dial-up Internet serviceBell Canada is using software from Slipstream Data Inc. to speed up its customers’ dial-up Internet access, the company announced April 14. Customers can immediately download the Dial-Up Accelerator software from Bell’s site and see an improvement in download speeds of up to five times faster. The Accelerator is being offered for free, and joins several other value-added services available from Bell including parental controls, anti-pop-up services, anti-virus software and 2 GB of email storage. The Accelerator is available at www.bell.ca/downloadaccelerator.MetroPhotonics announces successful testOttawa-based MetroPhotonics Inc. says its SurePath Monitor product has successfully completed qualification by Telcordia. The product offers high speed monitoring of DWDM channels enabling advanced control and protection within networks, and is offered as a discrete component or module. “This qualification allows us to rapidly give our customers a technology and circuit read-across on the reliability of our SurePath Triplexer and other products,” notes Adrian O’Donnell, Metrophonics’ COO and CTO, in a media release.Peer 1 closes priv-ate placementPeer 1 Network Enterprises Inc. has closed a non-brokered private placement that was initially announced in mid-March. 4.75 million common shares priced at $0.28 per common share were issued for gross proceeds of $1.33 million. Werner Paulus, a Peer 1 director, acquired the issued shares. The proceeds of the placement will be used for general working capital requirements. In other Peer 1 news, the company has agreed to add $500,000 in transaction fees on a bridge loan it disclosed in early January to the principle of the same loan, the company announced April 8.United American negotiating for sale of TeliphoneUnited American Corp. has notified shareholders that it is currently in talks with a publicly-traded company to sell its subsidiary Teliphone Inc. in a reverse takeover. If completed, United notes that Teliphone “will be listed sooner on a North American exchange than earlier anticipated. United American Corp. has decided that it is in the best interest of its shareholders to pursue this opportunity which would greatly facilitate the growth of an independent Teliphone Inc. when compared to the original spin-off strategy announced on March 9, 2005.” Shares from the newly-formed entity would be distributed to United’s shareholders as a dividend.VoIPshield wins $2 million in seed fundingOttawa ON-based VoIPshield Systems Inc. has won $2 million in seed financing from Toronto-based Brightspark Ventures. The cash will help the company complete development of its technology, and support the launch of that product later this year. VoIPsheild is developing a range of software products to secure communications on converged networks. It has as its primary focus to remove barriers that slow down VoIP deployments, according to a media release.Commission approves co-location link changesThe CRTC has approved changes to the Unbundled Loops Installation, Testing and Maintenance Guidelines to reflect procedures set out in a CISC Business Process Working Group (BWPG) report that has now been approved (Telecom Decision 2005-24). The BWPG reached a consensus on procedures for completing Co-location Link Changes that parties to the working group have developed including conditions when changes are necessary, situations when cooperative testing should be performed, the appropriate test procedures and the number of personnel required to complete a test, as well as billing guidelines. The report was filed pursuant to a commission directive in Call-Net Enterprises Inc. v. Bell Canada – Request for tariffs and tariff modifications with respect to work provided by Bell Canada (Decision 2004-83).TELUS forewarns TWU of lockoutTELUS Corp. has advised the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) that it intends to implement certain lockout measures on April 25 to encourage the settlement of a collective agreement, though the lockout wouldn’t involve closing TELUS offices and wouldn’t affect general operations. To put the pressure on the union to settle the matter before then, the telco is warning the TWU that on April 25, it is contemplating: Suspending all grievance and arbitration activities under the applicable collective agreements except those that are currently in the midst of arbitration proceedings or where hearing dates have been scheduled; suspending the operation of several joint union/management committees; suspending the scheduling of Accumulated Time Off and Personal Days Off under the applicable collective agreements; suspending payment for the first day of absence for sickness; deferring all wage progression increases; and, freezing vacation entitlements under the applicable collective agreements at their current levels. TELUS and the TWU have been negotiating the collective agreement since Nov. 1, 2000.

NL Update

News | April 19, 2005

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