Rogers and Ericsson combine for standalone 5G network

telecom | 03/28/2022 5:02 pm EDT

Monday Rogers Communications Inc. announced it was partnering with Ericsson AB on rolling out Canada’s first standalone 5G network. The Toronto-based telecom had earlier deployed the country’s first standalone 5G core and...

Samsung opens Regina office to work with SaskTel

telecom | 12/01/2021 3:11 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has opened a regional office in Regina to facilitate its work with...

SaskTel chooses Samsung for 5G supplier

telecom | 03/15/2021 2:26 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. will be using Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as its primary supplier as the company builds out its own 5G network, the company announced Monday.  Samsung will be SaskTel’s sole...

Xplornet picks Ericsson for 5G

telecom | 12/08/2020 5:22 pm EST

Xplornet Communications Inc. will use technology from Ericsson AB in its next-generation network, the company said Tuesday.  Xplornet will begin rolling out its 5G fixed-wireless network in rural areas this summer, it said in...

Tests show public alerts system differs markedly across devices

telecom | 10/15/2020 5:07 pm EDT

Testing of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) across mobile devices produced by five major manufacturers 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, the CRTC said in a report released Thursday. The testing of ten devices, planned by the CRTC and the Communications Research Centre and conducted at the Certification and Engineering Bureau (CEB) in late January, also demonstrated that one mobile phone -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd’s A70 -- did not receive alerts at all during...

Questions remain about Huawei gear as Bell, Telus pick Ericsson, Nokia 

telecom | 06/02/2020 6:03 pm EDT

On Tuesday, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. announced new partnerships with...

Videotron choses Samsung as partner for 5G

telecom | 12/13/2019 1:23 pm EST

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said Friday it has chosen Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as its equipment supplier for the deployment of LTE-A and 5G networks. “This partnership is the result of an extensive selection process to...

Freedom answers to ‘unlimited’, offers $0 phones on select plans

telecom | 07/25/2019 6:41 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom is responding to the wireless...

Telus to keep no-overage plans — and subsidies

telecom | 07/03/2019 6:57 pm EDT

Telus Corp. is making its once promotional “no overage” wireless data plan options a permanent...

Gov’t should encourage Canadian 5G equipment: Public Safety notes

telecom | 04/01/2019 3:49 pm EDT

Amid security reviews of Canada’s 5G infrastructure lays an...

Samsung readying 5G PR blitz in Canada: internal comms

telecom | 02/21/2019 5:23 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is embarking this year on a massive...

Huawei promises jobs, R&D investment in Canada

telecom | 02/21/2019 2:32 pm EST

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. held a rare press conference in Toronto Thursday to promote new...

Samsung to lobby on 5G ahead of Huawei decision

telecom | 02/19/2019 5:53 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has updated its lobby files to include discussions on 5G deployment...

Might be ‘late’ for regional wireless competitors: Cogeco

Media | 01/23/2019 5:05 pm EST

Cogeco Inc.  is raising caution about the negative impact the government's existing auction formats could have on regional wireless players after it backed out of a significant 600 MHz spectrum auction it said focused on locations too large for it to compete. That...

Cellular search-and-rescue system RCAF’s domestic priority

telecom | 12/07/2018 9:35 am EST

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is currently testing radio technology...

Verizon to offer Samsung 5G phones in U.S. next year

telecom | 12/03/2018 1:18 pm EST

U.S. telecom Verizon Communications Inc. plans to have device manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co.’s 5G-compatible smartphones in the U.S. market within the first half of next year, the two companies announced Monday. That...

Xplore Mobile to launch with data rollover plans

telecom | 11/05/2018 4:58 pm EST

Manitoba customers of Xplornet Communications Inc.’s upcoming mobile service will be allowed to...

Presidential banner caught emergency alert officials off-guard: emails

telecom | 09/06/2018 7:16 pm EDT

Public Safety officials working on Canada’s public alert systems were...

Facebook makes Watch video service available world-wide

Media | 08/30/2018 4:33 pm EDT

In a blog post on Wednesday, Facebook Inc. announced the global launch of its video curation service Facebook Watch. The feature collects videos from Facebook Pages people have chosen to follow, the blog post explained, and it creates a list of videos for easy viewing and...

Freedom expands WiFi calling availability

Media | 06/11/2018 3:34 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile said more phones with Apple Inc.’s iOS and Alphabet...

Bell to launch new on-demand services, content hub

Media | 06/07/2018 5:47 pm EDT

BCE Inc. will launch two new ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services, rebrand its entertainment...

Videotron launches free WiFi calling, texting for travellers

telecom | 02/26/2018 1:13 pm EST

Customers of Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron can now make free voice calls and ...

Worldwide smartphone sales dip in Q4: Gartner

telecom | 02/22/2018 2:13 pm EST

Global smartphones saw a year-over-year decline in sales for the first time in the fourth quarter due to...

NDP calls on Apple to justify software slowdown to MPs

telecom | 01/12/2018 5:39 pm EST

The NDP says silicon valley giant Apple Inc. should speak to a...

Samsung to unlock FM chip in new smartphones

Media | 01/12/2018 3:47 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will unlock FM chips in its newer smartphones, according to a press release...

Broadcom puts up $130B US offer for chip maker Qualcomm

telecom | 11/06/2017 5:04 pm EST

Networking giant Broadcom Ltd. announced a proposal to purchase all outstanding shares of mobile chip maker Qualcomm Inc. on Monday morning. It could be one of the largest tech deals ever,...

Telus outpaces Bell in PCMag speed ranking

telecom | 09/11/2017 3:16 pm EDT

Telus Corp. has the fastest national wireless network in Canada, according to PCMag.com’s annual...

Recent LTE advances could affect demand for 5G: experts

telecom | 09/08/2017 5:16 pm EDT

Even with an accelerated arrival date for the next generation of wireless technology, companies haven’t stopped working on wringing out more from the current 4G standard, and the unexpected advances they’ve made could lessen the appeal of 5G, according to some experts....

Bell introducing ‘advanced’ text messaging

telecom | 08/30/2017 3:37 pm EDT

BCE Inc. is launching an integrated advanced messaging function that...

VR data consumption to skyrocket: Juniper

Media | 08/25/2017 3:23 pm EDT

Global wireless data consumption through virtual reality (VR) content will grow ten-fold over the next...

Samsung, MLB team up for VR content

Media | 07/13/2017 1:19 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will offer up virtual reality (VR) videos as part of an ongoing partnership...

Bell quad-band LTE-A network live in nearly 40 cities

telecom | 07/12/2017 1:46 pm EDT

BCE Inc.’s new quad band LTE-advanced (LTE-A) service is now live in nearly 40 cities in eight provinces, the company announced Wednesday. In an email, spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis said the technology is now available...

TMN Go to offer downloads

Media | 06/29/2017 3:58 pm EDT

TMN Go, the TV-everywhere service from BCE Inc.’s media division, will begin allowing viewers to download content for offline viewing. The service will be available to customers of Bell, Rogers Communications Inc., Cogeco Inc., and Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink, Bell Media said in a press release Thursday. It said the service was “[ideal] for the cottage, road trips, work commutes, airplanes, camping trips and mountain tops.” Customers will be able to download movies and series from TMN, TMN...

LTE still has ‘untapped potential’: Desjardins

telecom | 06/26/2017 2:08 pm EDT

While 5G is expected to arrive in a couple of years, the LTE standard still has some room for growth, according to Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Maher Yaghi. Sprint Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced in a...

Freedom debuts LTE in Calgary and Edmonton

telecom | 05/18/2017 3:18 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile has expanded its LTE network into Calgary and Edmonton, the company announced Wednesday. “The launch of our powerful new LTE network furthers our commitment to providing Freedom...

Smartphone penetration at 80% among anglophones: MTM

Media | 05/09/2017 5:42 pm EDT

The number of anglophone Canadians who have smartphones climbed up to 80 per cent in the fall of 2016 from 77 per cent a year earlier, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM). At the same time, the...

Bell claims first launch of quad band LTE-A in North America

telecom | 04/20/2017 4:39 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said it is now the first carrier on the continent to have the capability of delivering quad band LTE-advanced service.  “Also known as 4-carrier aggregation, Quad Band...

Freedom to at least quadruple handset offering by mid-2017: Shaw

telecom | 01/12/2017 10:49 pm EST

As Shaw Communications Inc. released its first quarterly earnings report since rebranding its wireless segment to Freedom Mobile, CEO Brad Shaw said the company is looking to have a...

December to see ‘hyper competitive’ wireless market: Barclays

telecom | 12/05/2016 6:35 pm EST

Heavy handset promotions during Black Friday and Cyber Monday last month hint at a December that is shaping up to be “hyper competitive” for the wireless market,...

Canadian Note 7 class action suit filed

telecom | 11/08/2016 7:14 pm EST

A class-action lawsuit regarding Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone has been filed in Canada. Samsung stopped production of the phone last month after reports the batteries were...

Smart appliance shipments to grow tenfold by 2021: Juniper

telecom | 11/01/2016 8:37 pm EDT

In five years, the worldwide number of connected home appliance shipments will reach 202 million, compared to 17 million this year, according to Juniper Research Ltd. The study found that...

Samsung stops sales, production of Note 7

telecom | 10/11/2016 6:59 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has stopped sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. The company said in a statement Tuesday it is “working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7. Because consumers’ safety remains our top priority, Samsung will ask all carrier and retail partners globally to stop sales and exchanges of the Galaxy Note7 while the investigation is taking place.” The company issued a recall of the phone in September after reports in multiple markets the batteries were...

Galaxy Note 7 fires prompt international recall by Samsung

telecom | 09/02/2016 4:24 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is recalling its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in multiple markets, including Canada, after reports that batteries were catching fire. In a statement posted to its...

Asian makers carry Q2 phone sales: Gartner

telecom | 08/18/2016 4:50 pm EDT

Asian mobile phone manufacturers helped drive global smartphone sales to a 4.3 per cent year-over-year increase in the second quarter of 2016, despite slowing overall sales, according to data released by Gartner...

‘Aggressive’ handset subsidies helped boost wireless subscriptions: analysts

telecom | 08/12/2016 6:11 pm EDT

The significant number of new postpaid wireless customers reported by service providers in the second quarter of 2016 can partly be explained by the aggressive push toward handset subsidies as new phones enter the market and drive demand, according to analysts.   Wireless providers reported...

Smartphone penetration 77% among anglophones: MTM

Media | 05/17/2016 7:42 pm EDT

The number of anglophone Canadians with smartphones reached 77 per cent in the fall of 2015, up from 73 per cent in the spring of that year, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor, a project...

What inroads will virtual reality make in TV, communications?

Media | 03/29/2016 9:37 pm EDT

This week is a long-awaited one for virtual reality enthusiasts, as Facebook Inc. starts to ship its Oculus Rift headset to people who pre-ordered their $599 US devices as far in advance as early January. While in the short term, VR technology is likely to make its biggest inroads among gamers, television and video conferencing could start taking place in virtual reality, too. The Oculus Rift joins an increasingly crowded VR marketplace, which already includes Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s $139.99 Gear VR, also made by Facebook’s Oculus, and lower-budget options like Google...

Shaw to keep Wind’s current strategy in place: exec

telecom | 02/09/2016 9:51 pm EST

As it takes ownership of Wind Mobile, Shaw Communications Inc. will continue positioning Wind as a cheaper option compared to the big three national wireless carriers, according to the company’s chief operating officer....

Samsung to pay Apple damages for iPhone infringement: report

Media | 12/07/2015 9:10 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has agreed to pay Apple Inc. more than $548 million US as determined in a court decision earlier this year related to an earlier ruling that Samsung infringed certain...

Wearable shipments up almost 200% in Q3: IDC

Media | 12/03/2015 4:08 pm EST

Worldwide wearable shipments rose 197.6 per cent with 21 million units shipped in the third quarter this year, up from 7.1 million units in the same period a year earlier, according to a new report released Thursday...

Global smartphone sales up 15.5% in Q3: Gartner

Media | 11/18/2015 3:25 pm EST

Demand for affordable devices helped global sales of smartphones hit 353 million units in the third quarter of 2015, up 15.5 per cent from the same period a year earlier, Gartner Inc. said Wednesday.  The research company said in a press release that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. “refreshed its flagship devices,” in order to address...

Apple drives 500% increase in smartwatch shipments: report

Media | 10/30/2015 4:07 pm EDT

Global smartwatch shipments were up 510 per cent in this year's third quarter from a year earlier, with 6.1 million units shipped compared to one million during the same period the previous year,...

Galaxy View available through Bell, but ‘not a tablet’

Media | 10/29/2015 7:07 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has released a new touch-screen device, powered by Android software and suitable for web browsing and video streaming, but it is "not a tablet," according to a company spokesman. Samsung and BCE Inc. said in a joint press release Thursday that the new Galaxy View, with its 18.4-inch...

Smartphone shipments up 8.4% in Q3: Juniper

Media | 10/29/2015 5:51 pm EDT

Juniper Research Ltd. said Thursday that global smartphone shipments in this year's third quarter totalled 342.5 million, representing growth of 8.4 per cent. It said in the press release that Apple Inc.’s iPhones...

Smartphone shipments rise 6.8% in Q3: IDC

Media | 10/28/2015 3:53 pm EDT

Worldwide smartphone shipments grew 6.8 per cent from a year earlier in the third quarter to 355.2 million units, up from 332.6 million units in the same period the previous year, according to a new report from International...

Telus’ fibre-optic technology powers smart-home demo

Media | 10/01/2015 7:20 pm EDT

Telus Corp. announced Thursday it will be providing its fibre-optic network to connect and power a simulated smart home in Edmonton. It said in the press release that it has partnered with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Ericsson AB and Alcatel-Lucent to provide the technology for the 560-square-foot home, which resembles a small condo, in order to demonstrate the potential of what its technology can power. Some of the features that the demonstration will have are unlocking the home using facial recognition; a smart cooktop that will guide residents through a new recipe; a connected home office that includes an interactive touch table; and connected thermostats and lighting that can be controlled from your smartphone or tablet. “The Future Home imagines what will be possible when...

‘Wireless’ concept extends to charging

Media | 08/28/2015 6:49 pm EDT

Wireless charging creates advantages beyond not having to use cords when refuelling mobile devices with electricity, according one British researcher, though a Canadian technology expert says widespread adoption of such technology is far from certain. James Moar, a research analyst with Juniper Research Ltd. in the United Kingdom, said in a phone...

Bell to launch ‘fastest mobile technology’ in North America

telecom | 08/13/2015 8:13 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said Thursday that it's set to launch what it calls Tri-band LTE Advanced technology in some Canadian cities, which it says will be "the fastest mobile technology available" in North America. Bell said in a press release that this grade of network will be available in Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville,...

Samsung fitness bands rank highest in U.S. survey

Media | 06/30/2015 3:17 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. ranks first among fitness-band makers for customer-satisfaction among U.S. residents, while Fitbit Inc. is second, according to a survey by J.D. Power and Associates. It said in a press release...

Chinese smartphone market shrank: IDC

telecom | 05/11/2015 6:10 pm EDT

The Chinese smartphone market shrank in this year's first quarter, technology research company International Data Corp. said Monday. IDC said in a press release that smartphone shipments in China were down four per cent from...

Tablet market continues shipment decline: IDC

telecom | 04/30/2015 2:41 pm EDT

The global tablet market saw its second straight year-over-year decline in shipments in the first quarter of 2015, International Data Corp. said Thursday. The technology research company said in a press release that companies shipped 47.1 million tablets in the first quarter, down 5.9 per cent from a year earlier. Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC's research director for the tablet market, said that certain types of tablets are seeing growth, such as those equipped to run on cellular networks. "In addition to driving higher usage than WiFi-only tablets, cellular-enabled tablets also help...

BlackBerry division releases high-security tablet

telecom | 03/16/2015 3:36 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. on Saturday announced that its Secusmart division had released a new tablet meant for operations in which special security standards are required. The device is called the SecuTablet, BlackBerry said in a press...

Ericsson report finds one-third of consumers polled have or want wearables

Media | 03/11/2015 9:18 pm EDT

A new report from Ericsson AG suggests Apple Inc.’s upcoming Apple Watch could address a market that's far larger than what current wearable sales would indicate. In a worldwide study of...

Global smartphones sales exceeded one billion in 2014: Gartner

telecom | 03/03/2015 3:41 pm EST

Technology research company Gartner Inc. said Tuesday that annual smartphone sales surpassed one billion for the first time in 2014. The company said in a press release that mobile-phone...

Canadian tech company to help carriers implement VoLTE

telecom | 02/11/2015 9:44 pm EST

Sandvine Inc., a Canadian company that provides software to telecommunications service providers around the world, said Wednesday that it has added capabilities enabling it to help carriers offer...

Tablet’s social impact remains despite sales slowdown: expert

Media | 02/02/2015 9:04 pm EST

New data shows that tablet shipments declined year-over-year in last year's fourth quarter — for the first time in the category’s short market history — though a Canadian trends observer says the cultural impact of tablets isn't going away any time soon. International Data Corp. said in a press...

Rogers says it’s aggregating more spectrum

Media | 01/27/2015 7:58 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc. said it has become the first wireless carrier in Canada to become "Category 6 enabled," meaning it has found a way to aggregate signals on both the 2100 and 2600 MHz spectrum bands. Rogers spokeswoman Patricia Trott said in an email to The Wire Report on Monday that this will allow faster downloads and a higher...

Documents show Samsung interested in BlackBerry: report

Media | 01/22/2015 2:51 pm EST

Documents indicate Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is still interested in buying device maker BlackBerry Ltd. despite denials from both companies that a deal was in the works, the Financial Post...

BlackBerry denies acquisition talks with Samsung

telecom | 01/14/2015 9:13 pm EST

BlackBerry Ltd. has denied a report it has held talks with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. about an acquisition. “BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase...

Samsung buying Ontario mobile printing company

telecom | 09/03/2014 2:53 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced Wednesday it is acquiring PrinterOn Inc., a Kitchener, Ont.-based mobile printing company that specializes in business-to-business. The consumer products giant said in a news release that the purchase would “reinforce” its mobile ecosystem, improving its mobile printing for consumers and enterprise clients. Samsung said PrinterOn technology allows users to “print from any mobile device to any printer they choose” from many file formats and with all of the functions of modern printers. "This acquisition will allow PrinterOn...

Tech giants pick sides as battle for IoT protocol unfolds

Media | 08/18/2014 9:16 pm EDT

Some of the largest software and hardware makers in the world, including Microsoft Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Intel Corp., are choosing sides in a battle over...

Samsung to purchase IoT company

Media | 08/18/2014 5:08 pm EDT

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement to purchase SmartThings, a maker of a mobile platform that supports Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications and devices. Samsung said in a...