TAGGED AS XPLORNET COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Globalive seeks to become national carrier by buying Manitoba spectrum
telecom | 01/23/2023 2:59 pm EST
Frustrated in its attempt to buy Freedom Mobile back from Shaw Communications Inc., Globalive Capital Corp. has announced it wants to acquire Manitoba spectrum licences from...
ISED rejects transfer of Xplore licence to Telus
telecom | 09/19/2022 7:22 am EDT
The department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) denied an application by Xplore Inc. for the transfer of five spectrum licences to Telus Corp. in Manitoba out of “substantial concerns” that it would harm competition in the province, which...
Champagne announces network sharing agreement following Rogers outage
telecom | 09/07/2022 4:35 pm EDT
Wednesday Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe...
CRTC puts out request for information on wholesale wireless
telecom | 08/24/2022 5:30 pm EDT
The CRTC has issued a request for information from the incumbent wireless...
Consults on antenna systems must be done in both official languages, ISED determines
telecom | 08/03/2022 5:34 pm EDT
Canadians will be able to participate in public consultations regarding the installation or modification of antenna systems in the official language of their choice, after the Department of...
Xplornet to shut down Xplore Mobile, blaming CRTC delays in MVNO regime
telecom | 07/16/2022 11:34 am EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc.'s Xplore Mobile will shut down at the end of...
CNOC back regional carriers’ call for roaming rates review
telecom | 06/24/2022 5:00 pm EDT
The Competitive Network Operators of Canada has filed an intervention in support of a Part 1 request for the CRTC to review the methodology by which the regulator sets roaming tariffs.
In a June 23 intervention, CNOC argued that the original application from a...
CRTC outlines framework to block botnets from internet traffic
telecom | 06/23/2022 5:48 pm EDT
In a Thursday decision, the CRTC announced it was implementing regulations...
ILECs and CLECs spar over telecom fees amendments
telecom | 06/10/2022 4:33 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. and Cogeco Inc. are among competitors protesting proposed changes to the...
ITPA wants national NG911 rate; incumbents tell CRTC not to use, or to limit, funding
telecom | 05/25/2022 6:27 pm EDT
The Independent Telecommunications Providers...
Regional wireless carriers seek review of incumbents’ roaming rates
telecom | 05/24/2022 5:43 pm EDT
A consortium of regional wireless competitors have filed an application...
Canadian LEOs challenge SpaceX’s offering, Gov. subsidy
telecom | 05/16/2022 7:04 pm EDT
Players in the low-earth orbit satellite (LEOs) space are casting doubt...
Comp. Bureau moves to block Rogers-Shaw merger; Quebecor “has apparently entered the process”: analyst
Media | 05/09/2022 4:32 pm EDT
The Competition Bureau has filed an application...
Xplornet buys internet business of Full Throttle Networks
telecom | 04/04/2022 3:14 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. purchased the high-speed internet business of...
Paper billing for vulnerable customers, not universally: CRTC
telecom | 02/10/2022 5:42 pm EST
The CRTC has determined that all communications service providers (CSPs),...
Intervenors take issue with ISED’s proposed Tier 5 service areas in rural spectrum consultation
telecom | 01/11/2022 5:00 pm EST
Tier 5 service areas are “too large” to meet demand for Access Licensing, Canada’s telecoms companies and stakeholders told Innovation, Science and Economic...
Canada avoids American confusion of 5G impact on airports
telecom | 01/05/2022 4:29 pm EST
Early consultations on regulations to 5G rollout affecting air traffic...
Bell says no evidence spectrum will go unused without deployment reqs, supports contiguous holding
telecom | 11/18/2021 5:38 pm EST
The telecoms companies that supported Innovation,...
Rural, Indigenous, connectivity won’t improve by 2030 if Gov. keeps current goals in place : Report
telecom | 10/29/2021 5:48 pm EDT
Canada’s targets of reaching connectivity speeds...
Bell, SaskTel, not buying ISED proposal to reintroduce deployment requirements for cellular bands
telecom | 10/20/2021 12:04 pm EDT
BCE Inc. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications...
Proposed fees for earth stations would hinder remote connectivity: Telecom stakeholders
telecom | 10/14/2021 6:25 pm EDT
Rural broadband provider Xplornet Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. are opposing a proposal to implement licence fees for fixed earth stations, to which there are currently no...
Xplornet connects Haldimand County to fibre-to-the-home broadband
telecom | 10/07/2021 5:31 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc.’s newly acquired fibre-based service...
Xplornet announces new CTO
telecom | 10/06/2021 4:01 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. announced Dennis Steiger as its new chief technology officer in a Wednesday press release.
Steiger will lead the architecture, planning,...
Xplornet announces rural 5G standalone network
telecom | 09/22/2021 3:12 pm EDT
New Brunswick-based rural broadband provider Xplornet Communications Inc. announced Wednesday it’s...
Comp. Bureau asks court for info from Bell, Telus, Quebecor, Xplornet in its review of Rogers-Shaw deal
telecom | 07/26/2021 6:22 pm EDT
The Competition Bureau is asking the Federal Court...
CRTC seeks more info on how companies comply with Internet Code for people with disabilities
telecom | 07/22/2021 5:25 pm EDT
The CRTC is seeking further information from...
PIAC disappointed with CRTC SIM swap disclosure
telecom | 07/09/2021 4:59 pm EDT
Six months after it received a request to release the data it collects on a fraud process known as "SIM swapping," the CRTC yesterday sent a letter to parties involved in a proceeding on the matter saying that instances of the...
CRTC rejects Xplornet request to make non-payer disconnection easier under Internet Code
telecom | 05/19/2021 5:21 pm EDT
The CRTC has rejected a request from Xplornet Communications Inc. to repeal certain language from the regulator's Internet Code that raised the barrier for cutting off...
Xplornet expanding fibre network in Haldimand
telecom | 04/23/2021 8:35 pm EDT
Through its newly acquired fibre-based service provider Ocdotus Inc. — which operates as Metro Loop — Xplornet Communications Inc. is expanding its fibre network in Haldimand County, Ontario. New Brunswick-based Xplornet...
Quebecor would buy Freedom, but only with spectrum: PKP
telecom | 03/31/2021 6:21 pm EDT
Quebecor Inc. has indicated that, should the Competition Bureau force Rogers Communications Inc. to spin-off Shaw Communications Inc.'s wireless assets as part of its regulatory approval of the Rogers-Shaw merger, Quebecor would be open to purchasing it, provided it came...
Regulatory approval of Rogers-Shaw deal will hinge on wireless: Execs, analysts
Media | 03/15/2021 8:30 am EDT
From the perspective of Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Joe Natale,...
CRTC should release data on fraud calls: PIAC
telecom | 02/09/2021 5:58 pm EST
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has asked the CRTC to publicly disclose the information it...
Former industry minister joins Xplornet board
telecom | 01/04/2021 1:45 pm EST
James Moore, who served as industry minister in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, has joined the board of directors at Xplornet Communications Inc.
The company said in a late-December press release the appointment...
ISED proposal to displace spectrum for fixed wireless divides ISPs
telecom | 12/11/2020 11:37 am EST
A pair of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada proposals on changes to midband spectrum allocation that would affect fixed wireless service has drawn a mixed response from telecoms....
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 a press release. "Our agreement with Ericsson will provide Xplornet's robust national network with 5G equipment to revolutionize the rural broadband experience across our country,” president and CEO Allison Lenehan said in the release. Xplornet announced last year it would invest $500 million in rural broadband services over five years. Its choice of Ericsson for 5G comes as the federal government is still deciding whether to ban Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. equipment. In the meantime, companies have been opting for other suppliers, with BCE Inc. announcing deals with Ericsson and Nokia Corp., and Telus...
CRTC seeks further information on telecoms’ paper billing practices
Media | 12/03/2020 3:15 pm EST
A CRTC consultation on paper billing practices in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors is continuing, with the commission requesting that all major companies respond to a series of...
UBF should focus on both backbone, last mile, ISPs told ISED
telecom | 07/28/2020 2:22 pm EDT
At a discussion about Ottawa’s now-delayed Universal Broadband Fund with...
Telecoms end overage fees suspension
telecom | 07/02/2020 4:52 pm EDT
Major Canadian telecoms have ended one of their major relief measures for Canadians who suddenly shifted...
Xplornet says Stonepeak sale will lead to accelerated broadband investment
telecom | 06/11/2020 2:37 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc.’s sale to U.S. based Stonepeak...
SaskTel to resume charging overage fees on June 9
telecom | 05/29/2020 2:13 pm EDT
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. will become the second Canadian telecom to resume charging overage fees to home internet customers who go over their data caps, with the company announcing it will end the COVID-19...
2025 offered as connectivity target as pressure to fast track rises
telecom | 05/19/2020 2:01 pm EDT
Universal connectivity at the CRTC’s universal service objective speeds...
Wholesale debate moves to transport in CRTC rural broadband consult
telecom | 05/15/2020 2:33 pm EDT
The familiar argument over wholesale access has made its way to a CRTC consultation on how to remove barriers to rural broadband rollouts, with smaller providers arguing the regulator should mandate...
Spectrum funds could achieve broadband targets before 2030: telecoms
telecom | 05/14/2020 9:35 pm EDT
An NDP plan for the federal government to add money raised from past and...
Provinces also looking at speeding up rural broadband rollouts
telecom | 05/01/2020 1:10 pm EDT
As the federal government and individual companies work on accelerating funding for and deployments of rural broadband in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of provinces are trying to do the same with their own programs.
“I don’t think there is a province or...
Cogeco to bring back overage fees as of May 1
telecom | 04/30/2020 2:10 pm EDT
Cogeco Inc. will again start charging overage fees to its home internet customers who exceed their data limits as of Friday, with the company instead focusing on other measures it considers to “be more essential” to its...
Federal government to accelerate rural broadband funds: Monsef
telecom | 04/29/2020 3:49 pm EDT
The federal government will speed up its rural broadband funding in...
Telecoms close stores, offer free channels in response to COVID-19
Media | 03/16/2020 5:56 pm EDT
Telecommunication providers are closing retail stores, offering complimentary TV channels and continuing to waive overage fees on home internet plans as they respond to COVID-19. Xplornet...
Xplornet confirms sale to U.S infrastructure firm
telecom | 02/27/2020 2:20 pm EST
Xplornet Communications Inc. has confirmed it has signed an agreement for it to be purchased by U.S. based Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners. In a statement, Xplornet said Stonepeak would acquire a controlling stake in the...
Xplornet to be sold to U.S. company for $2B: report
telecom | 02/25/2020 6:41 pm EST
Xplornet Communications Inc. will be bought for some $2 billion USD by a U.S.-based investment firm, according to a report from Bloomberg News. Asked if the government was aware of the reports of the transaction, a spokesperson for Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wrote in an emailed statement: “our government is committed to ensuring Canadians pay fair prices for mobile and wireless services, regardless of their postal code. We monitor transactions in Canada from a competition and regulatory perspective and conduct reviews as appropriate.” There are indications the government...
MVNO decision arrives at a ‘tipping point’: Bell CEO
telecom | 02/19/2020 6:48 pm EST
GATINEAU, Que. — How threatening the prospect of mandated MVNO access is...
Broad MVNO access too risky, Competition Bureau tells CRTC
telecom | 02/18/2020 5:54 pm EST
GATINEAU, Que. — The CRTC’s two-week wireless policy review kicked off...
Telecoms find silver lining in unprecedented number of CCTS complaints
telecom | 11/28/2019 6:00 am EST
Despite improvements in customer service that have lowered customer...
Internet code will make it too hard to cut off non-payers: Xplornet
telecom | 11/12/2019 11:36 am EST
The forthcoming Internet code from the CRTC would make it far too hard for Xplornet Communications Inc. to disconnect customers that haven’t paid, the company argues in a filing to the regulator...
Telecoms must hand over more detailed info to Comp Bureau
telecom | 08/06/2019 7:23 pm EDT
The CRTC has directed telecom companies to disclose an additional set of...
Telecoms say speed throttling doesn’t violate net neutrality
telecom | 08/06/2019 2:37 pm EDT
The big three telecoms are telling the CRTC that their practice of slowing...
Internet code will indirectly tackle poor sales practices, CRTC chairman says
telecom | 07/31/2019 11:01 am EDT
CRTC chairman Ian Scott said the new internet code will address many of the...
CTI project funding rolling out again
telecom | 07/26/2019 5:35 pm EDT
The last two months have seen a glut of project funding announced under the Connect to Innovate (CTI) program, with $29 million being funneled to 13 projects: three in New Brunswick; two each in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, and...
CRTC asks wireless providers to justify post-data cap throttling
telecom | 07/04/2019 4:52 pm EDT
The CRTC has asked several telecoms to explain how their throttling of wireless speeds once customers exceed their data allotments doesn’t violate the commission’s regulatory policy on internet traffic management practices (ITMPs). In a June 28 letter posted to its website this week, the regulator issued requests for information to eight telecoms related to their use of ITMPs. That includes questions to Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile, Rogers Communications Inc. regarding its Chatr flanker brand, and BCE Inc.’s Bell MTS and Lucky Mobile about throttling mobile speeds after...
Industry committee dissents from ISED spectrum clawback plans
telecom | 06/18/2019 8:09 pm EDT
The House of Commons industry committee has endorsed Xplornet Communications Inc.'s call that the ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) should not claw back any of the 3.5...
Effect of 3.5 GHz clawback on rural broadband to vary across Canada
telecom | 06/14/2019 5:03 pm EDT
In recent weeks, telecom issues haven’t escaped the increased rhetoric...
Clawback of 3.5 GHz strikes ‘reasonable’ balance, analyst says
telecom | 06/06/2019 6:43 pm EDT
The decision by Innovation Canada to carve-out mobile use licences from the...
3.5 GHz auction will mean a level playing field for 5G: ISED
Media | 06/05/2019 7:56 pm EDT
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Innovation Canada will give existing holders of 3.5...
CRTC accepts Comp Bureau’s narrowed request for wireless data
telecom | 05/24/2019 5:49 pm EDT
After the CRTC in April denied the Competition Bureau’s request for more specific telecom data for its wireless review, the commission Friday changed course and said it will go ahead and ask wireless service providers to provide more granular information. “The Commission considers that this information would benefit the record of this proceeding and assist the Commission in its decision-making,” the CRTC said in a letter Friday, adding the bureau’s request “builds on” the CRTC’s...
Shaw says patience, not regulation, required to see organic MVNO market
telecom | 05/17/2019 4:55 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom, the country’s major fourth wireless player, says it is most susceptible to harm if the CRTC decides to mandate MVNO access to incumbent facilities, and that...
$10 fees on customer service tasks don’t violate Wireless Code: Bell, Telus
telecom | 05/03/2019 5:27 pm EDT
BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., and Shaw Communications Inc. have responded to the CRTC’s questions about $10 fees they charge for some customer service tasks. Telecom...
Bell opts out of 600 MHz, Rogers nabs 52 licenses for $1.7B
telecom | 04/10/2019 5:30 pm EDT
BCE Inc. was among three prospective applicants who didn’t grab licenses for the coveted 600 MHz spectrum, widely considered to be the last chance to get valuable low-band frequencies. The...
Xplornet launching new unlimited data plans
telecom | 04/02/2019 5:41 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. is now offering unlimited internet service plans across the country for...
Stick to hexagons for broadband fund, PIAC and telecoms tell CRTC
telecom | 02/13/2019 3:07 pm EST
An application to relax eligibility requirements for the CRTC’s...
CRTC sets 5 ms threshold for ‘jitter’ in basic service standard
telecom | 02/12/2019 5:41 pm EST
The CRTC has finally set a threshold for a metric it said will improve the quality of service (QoS) for applications reliant on the rapid transmission of data. The regulator said Tuesday that it...
‘Many’ ISPs could shut down due to wholesale regime: CNOC
telecom | 01/17/2019 4:34 pm EST
Small, wholesale-based internet service providers could be forced out of...
Top telecom and media stories to watch for in 2019
Media | 12/21/2018 5:46 pm EST
As the new year begins, the months ahead promise a new spectrum auction, new CRTC announcements on...
MPs onside with alcohol ad standards
telecom | 12/13/2018 11:57 am EST
An industry group has created a code of conduct governing the content and application of beer advertising, which will affect how beer is advertised on TV, radio and online.
Beer Canada created the “Responsible Advertising and Marketing Code,” updated in late...
Lower CRTC latency standards, say large telecoms, northern gov’ts
telecom | 12/12/2018 2:27 pm EST
An application by BCE Inc.’s Northwestel arguing the CRTC’s basic...
Cogeco won’t be among bidders for 600 MHz spectrum
telecom | 12/06/2018 6:29 pm EST
Cogeco Inc. isn’t among the list of participants in the 600 MHz auction, released by Innovation Canada...
ISED said it will do its ‘darndest’ for rural in face of 3.5 GHz clawback
telecom | 11/20/2018 2:49 pm EST
OTTAWA — Innovation Canada deputy minister John Knubley said his...
Lack of scale, device lineup challenges for Xplore Mobile
telecom | 11/16/2018 6:34 pm EST
New Brunswick-based internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. started...
Indigenous ISP lobbies to get piece of allocated fed funds
telecom | 11/14/2018 6:19 pm EST
An indigenous telecom vying for federal support to provide Northern Manitoba communities with fibre internet is trying to claim a share of Innovation Canada money announced in January, following a breakup with another group that was the recipient of the government’s funds. Clear Sky Connections is trying to connect nearly 100,000 people in 63 communities in that part of the province, and registered last month to lobby the government seeking “funding from the Connect to Innovate program for Northern Manitoba First Nation communities, to expand telecommunications services for improved...
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...
TekSavvy tells CRTC about incumbents trying to ‘poach’ customers
telecom | 10/24/2018 6:17 pm EDT
GATINEAU — TekSavvy Solutions Inc. told the CRTC Wednesday that a sales...
CRTC reviewing ISPs’ differential pricing practices
telecom | 10/03/2018 1:39 pm EDT
The CRTC is reviewing Canadian ISPs’ traffic management and differential pricing practices for compliance with its net neutrality framework, according to a letter sent out by the commission requesting specific information from...
Cultural sector reaches out to Rodriguez
Media | 09/19/2018 6:12 pm EDT
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has met with creative groups in his first registered lobby...
Broadcasters’ association, Corus, add new lobby registrations
Media | 08/24/2018 11:33 am EDT
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters registered to lobby the federal government on its review of the Copyright Act in July, which was otherwise a sleepy month in telecom and media government...
Xplornet announces more ‘5G ready’ network expansion
telecom | 08/07/2018 5:26 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. plans to introduce “5G-ready Internet...
Xplornet to brand wireless service Xplore Mobile
telecom | 08/01/2018 11:13 am EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. will call its wireless service Xplore Mobile when it launches this fall, it...
Xplornet plans 100 Mbps, “5G-ready” fixed wireless network
telecom | 07/25/2018 3:02 pm EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. plans to build up fibre facilities in Eastern...
Xplornet lobby blitz fights 3.5 GHz clawback proposal
telecom | 07/23/2018 10:16 am EDT
Xplornet Communications Inc. will not be able to service thousands of its rural customers with fixed-wireless service if the government follows through on a consultation proposal that recommends taking back the majority of its 3.5 GHz spectrum for its future auction, a...
CRTC to hold sales practices hearing in October
telecom | 07/16/2018 1:57 pm EDT
The CRTC will question telecoms about their sales practices at an October hearing in Gatineau, Que., the regulator said Monday as it launched a consultation. The proceeding is in response to an order by the federal government...
Bell MTS increasing wireless rates, axing unlimited data for new customers
telecom | 07/12/2018 5:08 pm EDT
BCE Inc.’s Bell MTS in Manitoba is dropping its province-wide wireless unlimited data plan option and increasing prices for upgrading or new customers, it announced Tuesday. New customers will...
Cogeco hires lobbyist with wireless spectrum expertise
telecom | 07/03/2018 11:54 am EDT
Amir Bigloo, who has a history of successful spectrum purchases as CEO of...
Balsillie-led Centre for Digital Rights registers to lobby
Media | 05/25/2018 12:33 pm EDT
A new organization called the Centre for Digital Rights (CDR) that is...
Cogeco picks up 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz spectrum
telecom | 05/22/2018 6:18 pm EDT
Innovation Canada (ISED) released the results of its 2018 residual spectrum auction Friday, with Cogeco Inc. ending up as the big spender. The Montreal-based telecom picked up seven paired and 16 unpaired licenses in the 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz bands in its operating areas of eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. The company shelled out $24.3 million, according to ISED’s website, covering a population area of 5.41 million. It previously won 12 bids worth $25,000 in the 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz residual auction beginning in 2004, the ISED website said. In a Friday press release, Cogeco said...
Rogers, Bell add junk food bill concerns to lobby efforts
Media | 04/25/2018 2:54 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. have registered to lobby the...
It’s not ‘notice-and-Norwich,’ SCC to hear in disclosure costs case
Media | 04/20/2018 11:33 am EDT
The notice-and-notice regime requires internet service providers (ISPs) to...
Manitoba town launches no-fee internet service
telecom | 04/09/2018 5:36 pm EDT
Last week, the city of Morden, Manitoba announced a May start date for a utility-like fixed wireless internet service that will be provided to residents at no monthly cost, according to its website. Called Morenet, the service...
Internet Society establishes lobby footing in Canada
Media | 03/27/2018 6:32 pm EDT
A decades-old organization that is pushing for a multilateral approach to decision-making on the future...
New promise for fixed wireless, as telecoms incorporate LTE, 5G
telecom | 03/15/2018 2:12 pm EDT
Advances in fixed wireless technology could make it a more viable option...
Telecoms point to growing WiFi, IoT spectrum demand in ISED consultation
telecom | 02/26/2018 7:46 pm EST
Canada’s telecoms are taking sides on how Innovation Canada should approach the release of more licence-exempt spectrum, including whether more should be allocated for WiFi use, as it prepares for...
SWIFT takes fibre goals to the Hill
Media | 02/21/2018 5:57 pm EST
Over six years after it was established, a government-funded non-profit initiative seeking to deliver...
ISED expands AWS-1 coverage requirements, licence terms
telecom | 02/16/2018 4:49 pm EST
Innovation Canada is extending both licence terms and coverage requirements following a consultation on AWS-1 spectrum renewals, it said in a decision Friday. In 2008, ISED — then Industry...
BPF registers to lobby amidst consumer group funding concerns
Media | 12/14/2017 2:25 pm EST
A few months after the emergence of a proposal asking the CRTC to shift funding away from the Broadcast Participation Fund (BPF), the organization that helps bring consumer interests in front of the commission has filed its first registrations to lobby the regulator and the...