Quebec ISPs say Bell approach to pole access still ‘anti-competitive’

A trio of Quebec internet service providers released a statement Wednesday claiming that BCE Inc. continues to impede their access to its poles. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Federal gov’t looking to expand emergency alerts to online platforms, devices

As Canadian emergency management authorities hold their regular test of the public emergency alerting system Wednesday, the federal government is exploring how to extend those alerts to online platforms and digital devices. 

The Department of National Defence is interested in expanding the emergency alerting system to computers, digital personal assistants, gaming platforms and IoT devices, a spokesperson confirmed to The Wire Report.

The department issued a tender earlier this month for research and a demonstration of emergency alerting technology. It closes on Wednesday, the same day the National Public Alerting System is scheduled to hold its regular test of the Alert Ready system, which sends out emergency alerts through TV and radio broadcasts and wireless devices. 

The project, according to a National Defence spokesperson, “is seeking more efficient and timely ways of reaching Canadians to take advantage of the increased use of Internet-connected devices.”

That includes looking into issuing alerts so they can be received “directly on computers and gaming platforms in real-time,” over digital assistants like Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home devices, as well as “leveraging other new Internet of Things devices to convey alerts.”  

The initiative, called the emergency alerting technology research and demonstration project, is part of Defence Research and Development Canada’s Canadian Safety and Security Program. 

The department declined to provide additional information, such as whether the government tender was for a research paper or demo software. “Sharing additional information could influence the competitive process, so we cannot disclose any further details at this time,” the spokesperson said. 

The current alerting system, which is run by Pelmorex Corp., was extended to wireless devices in 2018. It experienced various glitches and errors in early wireless tests and alerts, while it emerged that those in charge of the wireless alert system had overestimated how many Canadians had alert-compatible phones. 

Those problems led the CRTC to launch a smartphone testing program. It released the results of that testing in October, which it said showed devices play alerts at variable volumes, while putting a phone in “do not disturb” mode did not always prevent an audible alert from sounding.

Pelmorex spokesperson Karen Kheder said in an email the company wasn’t involved in the National Defence tender process. 

CRTC staff have been consulted for their views of the National Defence research, though it is outside the regulator’s scope, CRTC spokesperson Anne Brodeur said.

“The primary objectives of this research, to enable alerts to be distributed to systems such as Alexa and [Apple Inc.’s] Siri, are outside the jurisdiction of the CRTC,” she said in an email.

“However, research findings will be helpful to CRTC staff to understand the potential evolution of alerting platforms.”

— Reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

Going public gives ‘more optionality’ for funding LEOS, Telesat CEO says

A corporate restructuring that will see Telesat Holdings Inc. go public and have its shares listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market will give Telesat access to much more funding from investors and lenders in the American stock market for bigger capital projects like its low-earth orbit satellite constellation, according to the company’s CEO. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Rogers cuts jobs in TV, radio

Rogers Communications Inc. has cut an unspecified number of jobs from its sports and media divisions, citing the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Service providers often improperly object in complaints process: CCTS

Between Nov. 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2019, participating telecom service providers “improperly” objected to 542 customer complaints, and failed to provide complete responses to 931 cases marked as “unresolved,” despite a requirement to do so. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

OPC expresses concern over privacy rights in government’s PIPEDA update

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has responded to the Liberal government’s proposed new privacy legislation for the private sector — while the office “welcomes” Bill C-11, it questioned the government’s decision to not use a “rights-based approach” for the new privacy rules. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

CanCon relief will help commercial radio compete with Spotify: Bell Media 

Canadian content programming relief from the CRTC would allow BCE Inc.‘s radio stations to more effectively compete with streaming giants like Spotify AB, according to Bell Media’s senior vice-president of radio and local TV, Nikki Moffat. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

UBF won’t have fixed affordability requirements 

Government officials have indicated that the newly-launched Universal Broadband Fund will seek to allow for affordable internet pricing across Canada, although it will not impose many firm or fixed affordability requirements on companies that receive funding via the UBF, or on companies that provide internet service through UBF-funded infrastructure. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

ISED opening up 6 GHz band for WiFi

The federal government has launched a consultation on a proposal to open up the 6 GHz spectrum band for WiFi use, a move it says would triple the amount of licence-exempt spectrum available for WiFi. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Regulatory delays a slow-moving incumbent tantrum: CNOC

On the heels of the incumbent appeal of a Federal Court of Appeal decision upholding the CRTC’s setting of third-party access rates for wholesale internet to the Supreme Court of Canada, Competitive Network Operators of Canada’s director of legal and regulatory affairs Geoff White said that the incumbents are throwing “the slowest moving temper tantrum in Canadian telecom history.” 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required