The United Telecom Council of Canada (UTC Canada) and the United Power Line Council (UPLC) have thrown their support behind the proposal Industry Canada put forward regarding the regulation of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology (SMSE-005-05).

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Blouin appointed new CEO of MTS Allstream
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. pulled off a major coup this week when it announced that Pierre Blouin was joining the company as its chief executive. He will serve as CEO of both Manitoba Telecom and MTS Allstream Inc.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Shaw Communications pulls out of cable association
Citing difficulty on coming to "industry-wide consensus on various issues," Shaw Communications has withdrawn its membership to the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association (CCTA), effective December 6. The company noted in a news release that "it is becoming increasingly clear that the member companies of the CCTA have divergent interests and differing strategic objectives." Shaw said that it believes it will be "better served by pursuing its own strategies and developing its own objectives without the added burden of seeking industry consensus." In response, the CCTA noted that it is business as usual. "We regret Shaw’s resignation, but as an industry we still intend to work to promote our broadband agenda, including facilities-based competition in telephony and increased choice for consumers," CCTA chair of the board Dean MacDonald said in a news release.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Systems integrators are going to play an increasingly significant role in the business telecommunications competitive landscape because they can offer an integrated package of IT and communications services.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

MTS Allstream is realigning its businesses to better position the telecommunications company for future growth. Dubbed Transition Phase II and announced on November 29, the plan entails cutting between 750 and 800 employees, a move expected to save the telecom provider $100 million a year in operating costs. But MTS Allstream is going to have spend approximately $100 million over the next two years in restructuring charges to be able to achieve those savings.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

The spokesperson for the Coalition of Quebec ISPs says there is a lack of a coherent and effective wholesale network access regime and the struggle by independent Quebec-based ISPs to get affordable access to Bell Canada’s network illustrates that.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Voice over IP continues to gain momentum in many geographic markets, prompting many analysts, industry observers and thought leaders to speculate as to what the future IP world might look like. Jeff Pulver, IP communications pioneer and founder of pulver.com, revisits some of his 2005 predictions for the VoIP industry.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Convergence is being cited as one of the primary reasons for Telus Corp.’s decision to merge its wireline and wireless units. The corporate reorganization will see the incumbent telco offer products and services based on two customer segments: business and consumer. The company has, however, decided to keep its Quebec operations separate from the rest of the organization.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.