CRTC dismisses OMNI cuts complaint

telecom | 12/05/2013 7:27 pm EST

The CRTC said Thursday that it dismissed a complaint related to staff and ethnic programming reductions at Rogers Communications Inc.’s OMNI television stations, though it requested the company submit licence-renewal...

Future viewer habits to determine length of CBC hockey partnership: Rogers

Media | 11/27/2013 11:55 pm EST

Technological developments that impact the way consumers watch broadcast content will help determine whether CBC/Radio-Canada will continue to air NHL hockey games five years from now, said Scott...

Incumbents perform well in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver: report

telecom | 11/06/2013 10:14 pm EST

The wireless networks of BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. showed “strong and similar performances” in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, U.S.-based mobile analytics firm RootMetrics said. The company said in a release Tuesday it tested “47,495 data, call and text tests designed to...

CRTC denies Rogers reorganization of Mountain subsidiary

Media | 11/01/2013 5:43 pm EDT

The CRTC denied aspects of a Rogers Communications Inc.’s corporate reorganization as part of a $400-million deal to purchase Shaw Communications Inc.’s cable subsidiary Mountain...

Telcos fight for share of growing condo market

telecom | 10/28/2013 9:37 pm EDT

As condo developers erect new high-rise buildings to house the expanding populations of Canada’s largest cities, telecom providers are competing to be the ones to line those buildings with fibre-optic cables, sometimes with exclusive deals.  “Every provider nowadays is looking for how best to capture customers as early and as completely as possible,” Stephen Meyer, director of technology at Nordicity, said in an interview Monday. “By offering one infrastructure to those in condos, they’re hoping to form a long relationship.”  Some of...

Rogers profits down on slower sub growth

Media | 10/24/2013 8:56 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reported slightly lower profits in the third quarter of 2013 as its wireless revenues and postpaid subscriber additions slowed, the company said. In a quarterly financial report released Thursday,...

CRTC dives into TV review, says public complaining about channel packaging

Media | 10/24/2013 7:10 pm EDT

The CRTC officially launched its public consultation on television services, asking the public for input into questions related to the Conservative government’s promise to unbundle television...

Rogers outage caused by signalling traffic surge

telecom | 10/10/2013 8:26 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will provide financial compensation to its wireless customers after an “unprecedented surge” in signalling traffic caused widespread outages Wednesday evening, the company said. In a series...

With new roaming plans, customers still vulnerable to extra charges: PIAC

telecom | 10/07/2013 9:28 pm EDT

Some of the incumbents' new and cheaper roaming plans offer small data packages that smartphone users will quickly exceed, incurring extra charges, said John Lawford, executive director of the...

Telus faces wireless battle in West as millions in East still unserviced

telecom | 10/04/2013 3:26 pm EDT

It shouldn't be surprising that Canada's incumbent wireless carriers are targeting Alberta. It has the fastest-growing population in the country, and more than 80 per cent of its residents...

Rogers investing $700m in Alberta

telecom | 10/01/2013 10:00 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said it will invest $700 million in branding, mobile services, and retail stores in Alberta over the next four years as it steps up competition with Telus Corp. Rogers said in a release Tuesday that, as part of the spending, it reached a multi-year sponsorship partnership with the Edmonton Oilers and its arena,...

Rogers to offer in-car Internet services

telecom | 09/26/2013 9:08 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reached a deal with U.S. wireless provider Sprint to bring Internet-connected cars to Canada, the company said. In a release Thursday, Rogers said the deal will allow car manufacturers to deploy the Sprint Velocity in-car Internet service in Canada using Rogers’ wireless network. It said the service would allow users to...

Hurdles to clear before older network technologies can be phased out

telecom | 09/19/2013 9:31 pm EDT

Telus Corp., BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. have several hurdles to clear before they can benefit from shutting down their older IDEN, CDMA and GSM wireless networks, a move that's likely...

Rogers’ new CEO coming from U.K. market to familiar auction territory

telecom | 09/12/2013 8:28 pm EDT

Guy Laurence, the head of Vodafone Group plc's U.K. division, will be in familiar territory in December when he becomes the new CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., a role that will involve dealing with a Canadian federal government unwavering in its pursuit of more wireless competition. Laurence, 51, will become chief executive of Rogers on Dec. 2, replacing outgoing CEO Nadir Mohamed and bringing in 30 years of international experience in telecom, media, and pay TV, Rogers said in a release...

Chatr ‘fewer dropped calls’ ads not misleading, Ontario court says

telecom | 08/20/2013 9:16 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s advertising campaign that claimed its Chatr wireless brand had “fewer dropped calls” than its new entrant competitors was not misleading, said the...

Rogers to keep asking for changes to auction rules

telecom | 08/12/2013 9:03 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said Monday it will continue to call on the federal government to change its rules for an upcoming auction of wireless airwaves, three days after Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the rules will not be...

Rogers, Swisscom ink LTE roaming agreement

telecom | 08/09/2013 7:26 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reached a deal with Swiss telecom Swisscom AG that allows their wireless customers to roam on each other’s next-generation LTE networks, Rogers said. Rogers customers with LTE devices operating on...

Government likely to block a Rogers-Birch Hill deal for Wind: analysts

telecom | 08/02/2013 7:56 pm EDT

Industry Canada would most likely block a deal to acquire Wind Mobile it it involved significant funding from Rogers Communications Inc. or another wireless incumbent, industry analysts said. In a...

Rogers first to offer new Moto X

telecom | 08/02/2013 6:50 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. customers will be the first to have access to Google Inc.'s new Motorola smartphone, the Moto X, for $190 on a two-year plan, Motorola said. A release Thursday said Rogers customers can reserve the new phone, released this week. The phone “has a unique curved back” and technology that “learns your voice” for improved voice commands, the release said. “Without touching it at all, you can get directions, set an alarm or do just about anything—just by talking. Say 'OK Google Now' to get started. Ask it if you need an umbrella and it gives you up-to-the-minute weather for your location. Tell it you're going home, and your Moto X will get you there. Because it knows your voice, Moto X can do things other phones can't,” Motorola said in the release. The phone...

Cope rallies BCE staff as incumbents press on with campaign

telecom | 08/01/2013 9:07 pm EDT

BCE Inc. chief executive George Cope is calling on all 60,000 company employees to write letters to the prime minister as the incumbents' lobbying campaign to change the government's wireless...

BCE, Rogers, Telus launch more ads against wireless policy

telecom | 07/31/2013 7:53 pm EDT

Incumbents BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. released new ads this week as part of their campaign against the Conservative government's wireless policy. A new message, bearing...

Moore meets with telcos, stands by 700 MHz auction timeline

telecom | 07/29/2013 8:53 pm EDT

Industry Minister James Moore's office said the government is moving ahead with its planned spectrum auction in January as the minister held meetings with telecommunications companies on Monday....

Telus, Rogers seek clarification on ‘tab’ billing

telecom | 07/26/2013 8:05 pm EDT

Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. have each filed applications asking the CRTC to clarify whether “tab” billing will be permitted under the commission’s new rules for the wireless industry. In a “tab” model, a fixed percentage of a customer’s monthly bill is applied toward...

Tories courted Verizon to enter Canada: Rogers

telecom | 07/26/2013 7:51 pm EDT

The Conservative government courted Verizon Communications Inc. as a possible new entrant into Canada's mobile wireless market, Rogers Communications Inc. executives told The Toronto Star. “Everything that they could...

Bell-Rogers mobile TV deal raises ‘horse trading’ concerns, consumer group says

Media | 07/25/2013 7:29 pm EDT

Mobile providers Telus Corp. and Bragg Communications Inc. could pay higher prices to access TV content on wireless devices following a mobile TV rights deal announced last week between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., said Janet Lo, legal counsel at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre...

Telus focusing on ‘economic impacts’ of Verizon entry, lobbying to change auction rules

telecom | 07/24/2013 8:32 pm EDT

Telus Corp.’s summer lobbying efforts will focus on the “potential economic impacts” of allowing a large foreign provider like Verizon Communications Inc. to enter Canada’s wireless market, said John Gossling, the company’s chief financial officer. “We’re...

Rogers launches wireless home phone

telecom | 07/23/2013 8:21 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. launched wireless home phone and business phone services in areas of the country where its landline services aren’t available, the company said. In a release Tuesday, Rogers said the new service...

Charges for paper bills justified, providers say

Media | 07/23/2013 2:54 pm EDT

Canadian consumers need incentives to make the switch to environmentally friendly electronic bills, SaskTel said in response to CRTC questions about telcos' charges for paper billing.  SaskTel, a provincial Crown corporation that offers wireless, landline and IPTV services, said in regulatory documents filed with the commission last week that it has not adopted the industry trend of charging consumers to receive paper copies of their monthly bills. The result, the company said, is that many customers aren’t getting rid of paper invoices, despite the ease and availability of...

Bell, Rogers swap mobile TV content rights

Media | 07/19/2013 7:36 pm EDT

BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. have reached a deal to license rights to each other’s sports and over-the-air television content for distribution on their mobile platforms, the companies said. In a release Friday,...

Incumbents pushing for changes to 700 MHz auction cap rule

telecom | 07/18/2013 7:31 pm EDT

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. are lobbying for changes to the 700 MHz auction cap rule that permit foreign player Verizon Communications Inc. to purchase more spectrum than each...

CRTC should look into OMNI cuts: CEP

Media | 07/15/2013 8:59 pm EDT

The CRTC should hold a public hearing related to staff and ethnic programming reductions at Rogers Communications Inc.’s OMNI television stations, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) said. In an application filed with the CRTC on June 26, the union said Rogers’ broadcasting subsidiary, Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.,...

Rogers, York Region settle dispute over burying cables

Media | 07/12/2013 9:05 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. has settled a two-year dispute with the Regional Municipality of York over how to divide the costs of burying overhead cables, and established a new agreement with the...

Competition Bureau looking into Shaw-Rogers spectrum deal

telecom | 07/11/2013 2:27 pm EDT

The federal Competition Bureau received a Federal Court order compelling Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Globalive Wireless Management Corp. to turn over information as part of an inquiry into Rogers' option deal to purchase Shaw's spectrum licences, court records show. According to motions and affidavits filed with the Federal Court on June 6 and obtained by The Wire Report this week, the Competition Bureau received an order that the companies turn over documents related to the deal, which the bureau said may “prevent or lessen competition...

Rogers-Videotron deal expected to be first test of new spectrum transfer rules

telecom | 07/09/2013 6:20 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s proposed deal for Videotron Ltd.’s unused Toronto-area spectrum is expected to give incumbent mobile providers the first indication of whether they can obtain...

CRTC approves Shaw’s TVtropolis acquisition

Media | 06/12/2013 8:47 pm EDT

The CRTC approved Shaw Communications Inc.’s acquisition of the remaining shares of TVtropolis, the commission said Tuesday. In a decision, the CRTC said it allowed Shaw to acquire Rogers Communications Inc.’s 33 per cent share of TVtropolis, giving Shaw complete ownership of the Category A specialty service. The change in ownership,...

First signs of cord cutting are here, Boon Dog says

Media | 06/06/2013 7:09 pm EDT

Canada’s publicly traded broadcast distribution companies reported “concrete signs” of cord cutting over the past two quarters as their combined subscriber base fell for the first time since cable TV first become a feature in most homes, said Mario Mota, partner at Boon Dog Professional Services Inc. In a release Thursday, Boon Dog...

The Score to become ‘Sportsnet 360’

Media | 06/06/2013 4:06 am EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s specialty sports channel The Score will be rebranded as “Sportsnet 360,” the company said Tuesday. In a release, Rogers said“Sportsnet 360” will launch on July 1 and will have a different logo than The Score, which Rogers purchased earlier this year. The company said that further detail on the...

Wind Mobile says ‘extreme rents’ higher than the cost of building a tower

telecom | 06/05/2013 2:17 pm EDT

TORONTO—Wind Mobile said it is paying “extreme rents” for wireless tower sharing and called for mandated tower access at regulated rates as the Conservative government is said to be considering stronger roaming and tower sharing rules favouring the new entrants. On a panel Tuesday...

Paradis delays auction, says no set aside spectrum transfers to incumbents

telecom | 06/04/2013 1:29 pm EDT

OTTAWA, TORONTO—Industry Canada will block Telus Corp.'s proposed deal for Dave Wireless Inc.’s mobile spectrum, as well as any other proposal from an incumbent to acquire wireless...

Wireless code could replace four-carrier policy: analyst

telecom | 06/03/2013 7:48 pm EDT

The federal government should let the CRTC’s wireless code of conduct regulate the mobile wireless sector and back away from its policy objective of ensuring four competing carriers in each region of the country, Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan said. In a research note Monday, Fan said the CRTC’s...

CRTC says consumers can cancel wireless contracts after two years, no fees

telecom | 06/03/2013 2:08 pm EDT

Canadian wireless consumers can cancel long-term wireless contracts with mobile phone providers after two years without any cancellation fees, the CRTC said in new wireless code of conduct...

Rogers launches Toronto affordable Internet program

telecom | 06/03/2013 1:38 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will lead a new pilot project this year to provide affordable broadband, computers and software for people living in Toronto community housing, the company said Monday. The program, called Connected for Success, will help more Toronto youth get online, Rogers said in a release. "We must invest and develop our youth to ensure they have the digital savvy they need to be part of and prosper in Canada's digital future. And it starts with a broadband connection," Rob Bruce, president of communications at Rogers, said in a statement. "It's...

Rogers to launch Fido in Atlantic Canada

telecom | 05/31/2013 6:25 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will offer its discount wireless brand Fido in Halifax and Fredericton this spring, as well as in Moncton and Saint John, N.B., the company said. In a release Friday, Rogers said it will launch the Fido brand in five kiosk locations in the four cities, and through “over 50 third-party retailers,” including some in...

Rogers deal a win for Quebecor: analyst

telecom | 05/31/2013 5:21 pm EDT

A network sharing agreement between Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Media Inc.'s telecom subsidiary is a “material win” for Videotron and positive for Rogers, RBC telecom analyst Drew McReynolds said. In a...

Rogers drops CityNews Channel

Media | 05/31/2013 2:46 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s media division cancelled its CityNews Channel as well as the English-language South-Asian newscast on its Omni Television service, the company said. Scott Moore, president of broadcasting at...

Rogers, Videotron reach network deal for capex savings, more competition in Quebec

telecom | 05/30/2013 7:09 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will be better positioned to compete against rival incumbent wireless carriers BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. in the Quebec market under a new network-sharing agreement with...

Allstream’s fibre network supports Accelero’s plans for Wind: analysts

telecom | 05/27/2013 8:15 pm EDT

Accelero Capital Holding's deal to purchase Allstream from Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. will give the company a cross-country fibre network that would provide backhaul support for mobile wireless services and bundled Internet, voice and mobile wireless contracts in the business market. That is, of course, if Accelero, based in Paris and co-founded by Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, succeeds in its offer to purchase Wind Mobile from VimpelCom Ltd. “In Canada you can give an advantage to yourself, radically, if you own your own infrastructure,” Brownlee Thomas, a telecom analyst with Forrester, said in a phone interview. “Anywhere you need fibre, it's going...

Shaw, City of Edmonton, expand WiFi network

telecom | 05/23/2013 9:42 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. and the City of Edmonton reached an agreement to expand the company’s Shaw Go WiFi network to public areas in Edmonton. In a release Thursday, the parties said the expansion would take place over...

Delays in 700 MHz auction process increasingly likely, analysts say

telecom | 05/23/2013 7:52 pm EDT

Delays in Industry Canada's spectrum auction process are looking more likely by the day, analysts said. They said new wireless entrants will need more time to look at consolidation options after...

Cogeco expands on-demand service

Media | 05/22/2013 8:34 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc. expanded its video on demand library available in Ontario, the company said Wednesday. In a release, Cogeco said most of its digital television subscribers in Ontario now have access to nearly 7,000 titles, up from 3,000 in April. Rogers Communications Inc. is also expanding its video-on-demand service with new titles.  David...

BCE says its non-sports rights fees rose less than inflation, or fell

Media | 05/22/2013 7:36 pm EDT

BCE Inc. division Bell Media said broadcast distributors' wholesale fees for access to the company's non-sports programming fell or rose less than the rate of inflation when multi-year...

Don’t expect ruling on option deal until 2014: Engelhart

telecom | 04/23/2013 7:12 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. does not expect Industry Canada to rule on its option agreement to acquire “new entrant” spectrum from Shaw Communications Inc. until the summer of 2014, Ken Engelhart, Rogers’ senior vice-president of regulatory affairs, said on a call with analysts. Rogers, Canada’s...

Rogers Internet goes down in southern Ontario

telecom | 01/11/2013 3:03 pm EST

Internet service was restored Wednesday night to Rogers Communications Inc. southern Ontario customers who experienced disruptions to their high-speed Internet services, Jennifer Kett, a spokeswoman for the company, said Thursday. In an emailed statement, Kett said the service disruption lasted about four hours with Internet service restored by 11 p.m....

Value-for-signal decision to be issued Thursday

Media | 12/10/2012 8:02 pm EST

The Supreme Court of Canada will issue a decision Thursday on whether the CRTC has the jurisdiction to implement a proposed value for signal regime to compensate local TV stations for the carriage of their signals. The court said in a notice Monday that the decision will be issued at 9:45 a.m. on Dec. 13. The commission’s proposed...

Goldsmith appointed president of The Shopping Channel

Media | 12/06/2012 9:24 pm EST

Former Sears Canada Inc. executive Steven Goldsmith will head The Shopping Channel, Rogers Communications Inc. said Thursday. In a release, Rogers said Goldsmith will be responsible for The Shopping Channel’s...

Mobile phone market slowing to 1.4% growth

telecom | 12/05/2012 7:17 pm EST

Growth of the global mobile phone market will slow to 1.4 per cent for 2012, the lowest annual growth rate in three years, research firm IDC said Tuesday. IDC said in a release it projects a record number of smartphone shipments, as a segment of mobile phones, during the 2012 holiday season. Vendors will ship more than 1.7 billion mobile phones in 2012 compared to 2.2 billion in 2016, IDC forecast. The firm said smartphone market growth is being driven partly by carriers' “steep device subsidies,” particularly in economic markets where mobile providers resell smartphones, as well as a larger selections of smartphones in emerging markets selling for less than $250 US each. "Sluggish economic conditions worldwide have cast a pall over the mobile phone market this...

Rogers says judge can ‘light a match’ to Competition Bureau case

telecom | 08/09/2012 10:40 pm EDT

TORONTO—Rogers Communications Inc. conducted industry standard tests to support its “fewer dropped calls” advertisements in 2010 that proved the ads to be true and now provide a...