Regional communications provider Bell Aliant has announced a $12 million investment in Greater Moncton NB to enhance capacity of the existing broadband network and deliver more service options including Aliant TV. Aliant's IP-based television services delivers more than 150 TV channels, 40 digital music channels and more than 50 radio stations from Atlantic Canada. "But that's just the Beginning," said Claudine Langan, Aliant's director of consumer marketing. "This multi-million dollar investment will also help accelerate the development and deployment of more leading-edge IP applications such as video-on-demand, educational tools and other innovative applications for the benefit of all New Brunswickers."

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Astral Media Inc. has released its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended August 31, 2007, which reveal an 11^th straight year of profitable growth for the media company. Financial highlights include: an 11% increase in net earnings from continuing operations for the year; an 8% increase in revenues for the year; and a 5% increase in cash flow from continuing operations for the year. "When we will look back on Fiscal 2007, we will remember the year for two major developments: the Standard Radio acquisition, which we are closing at the end of this month, and the 20-year street furniture agreement with the City of Toronto," said Ian Greenberg, president and CEO of Astral, in a news release. "Indeed these two developments will have a long-lasting impact on our Company. They give us the national footprint that we sought as part of our new business ambition, and provide us with added exposure to the fastest growing markets in the country, namely Southern Ontario, Alberta and B.C."

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It may have taken a little longer than expected, but Research in Motion Ltd. can now sell its BlackBerry in the untapped Chinese market. The Waterloo ON-based company inked an agreement with Alcatel-Lucent that allows for the distribution of the popular email, mobile phone and productivity enhancer in China. The 8700 will be the first BlackBerry to be distributed in the country. Distribution was only made possible when Alcatel-Lucent achieved certification of the 8700 through partnership with TCL Communications, a mobile device manufacturer in China that holds the Alcatel brand for mobile handsets. RIM and TCL Communications are showcasing BlackBerry devices at the PT Expo Comm China 2007 event in Beijing this week.

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Montreal-based SR Telecom Inc. is expanding its relationship with Microelectronics Technology Inc. (MTI), a Taiwan-based electronics, designer, manufacturer and distributor. MTI also serves as SR Telecom's manufacturer for the WiMAX product line, symmetry, and now the Taiwan firm will also distribute symmetry radios.  SR Telecom and MTI are leveraging their existing business partnership that developed as part of an earlier design agreement the two companies signed last year for the development of WiMAX radios. MTI helped SR Telecom develop symmetryMX base station and customer premise equipment for specific frequency bands, and began mass production of this equipment earlier this month.  

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