TAGGED AS PHILLIP HUANG
Ultimate impact of new ‘unlimited’ plans unclear: industry-watchers
telecom | 06/13/2019 6:29 pm EDT
As BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. reacted to Rogers Communications Inc.’s offer of a new wireless data plan with no data overage charges, analysts and experts had difficulty predicting how the new plans could affect the industry. Rogers announced on Wednesday that it would start offering wireless data plans starting at $75 for 10 GB with no overage charges, instead throttling speeds once customers reach their data limit. Telus responded the same day with a 15 GB for $75 promo, while Bell began...
Bell-branded wireless hits sub-1% churn, continuing industry trend
Media | 05/02/2019 5:46 pm EDT
The expected focus by the country’s largest wireless service providers this year to keep the spoils of last year's record postpaid wireless subscribers has so-far propelled...
Analysts surprised by Bell’s lack of 600 MHz, incumbent spend
telecom | 04/11/2019 5:57 pm EDT
BCE Inc. walking away from the 600 MHz spectrum auction with no licences,...
Corus’ turnaround partly propelled by ads returning to linear
Media | 04/05/2019 6:36 pm EDT
Corus Entertainment Inc. said it will see TV ad growth in the third quarter...
Expect industry pushback on new CRTC directive, MVNOs: experts
telecom | 03/26/2019 1:27 pm EDT
The Liberal government should expect some amount of industry opposition...
Ever larger wireless data buckets belying consumption, Rogers says
Media | 01/24/2019 2:07 pm EST
Rogers Communications Inc. is pointing to higher data availability...
Quebecor CFO Pruneau to head Videotron
telecom | 01/07/2019 5:35 pm EST
Jean-François Pruneau, Quebecor Inc.’s chief financial officer, has been appointed the new CEO of its Videotron subsidiary, in a move analysts said Monday was positive for the company.
Barclays analyst Phillip Huang said in a note that Pruneau is “very well-known to...
Wireless subs ‘on-track’ after Black Friday, but no winner: Barclays
telecom | 12/03/2018 2:19 pm EST
There doesn't appear to be a clear winner among Canadian telecoms after the intense sales period around Black Friday, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. “Deals for this year's...
Videotron losing its CEO as Brouillette announces departure
telecom | 10/16/2018 12:42 pm EDT
Manon Brouillette, who has been at the helm of Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron for the past five years, is leaving the company in what National Bank...
Barclays predicts ‘smooth sailing’ at Telus after VP exit
telecom | 10/02/2018 6:03 pm EDT
The upcoming departure of Telus Corp.’s president of consumer and small...
Bell targeting more rural markets with fixed wireless expansion
telecom | 08/02/2018 4:58 pm EDT
BCE Inc. will grow its presence in the fixed wireless space to 30...
Historia, Series+ sale blocked in surprise move
Media | 05/28/2018 5:51 pm EDT
The Competition Bureau has blocked the $200 million sale of the Historia and Series+ channels from Corus...
Rogers bounces back on wireless with 95,000 postpaid ads
Media | 04/20/2018 4:33 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. reported increases in wireless revenue and subscribers in the three months ending March 31, which it said drove its overall revenue up eight per cent over the year to $3.63...
Freedom on new, ‘sustainable’ trajectory after record sub adds: Shaw
telecom | 04/12/2018 4:46 pm EDT
On the heels of record wireless subscriber growth in its second quarter,...
Low-cost data plans ‘superior alternative’ to WiFi-first MVNOs: Scott
telecom | 03/22/2018 4:23 pm EDT
Having facilities-based carriers offer low-cost data-only plans is a better way to fulfill the government’s goals of more affordable wireless options for consumers than mandating roaming access by...
Bell offering steep discounts for Toronto condo dwellers: analyst
telecom | 02/26/2018 3:40 pm EST
BCE Inc. is advertising unusually low-priced promotional offers in downtown Toronto apartment buildings and condos in a bid to gain market share, according to a research note...
25% of Shaw workforce takes voluntary buyout, CFO leaving
telecom | 02/15/2018 2:13 pm EST
Shaw Communications Inc. has revealed that 3,300 employees, or a quarter of...
Shaw’s wireless ambitions will hit big three unevenly: Barclays
telecom | 02/09/2018 2:23 pm EST
Shaw Communications Inc.’s moves to take a larger share of Canada’s...
Bell, Telus report wireless sub gains from December promos
Media | 02/08/2018 6:27 pm EST
BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. both reported quarterly results for the three...
Analysts expect Freedom subscriber boost in Q1
telecom | 01/08/2018 5:54 pm EST
After a rollicking December, analysts say Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile has potential to...
Bell’s low-cost Lucky Mobile a hit with government
telecom | 12/01/2017 5:26 pm EST
BCE Inc’s move to open a low-cost, prepaid carrier is “well-timed” and positioned to support the government’s direction for consumer-friendly mobile options, according to analysts.
“With the government’s ongoing focus on affordable wireless services and...
Don’t count on Freedom’s $0 iPhone X offer for long: analyst
telecom | 11/22/2017 4:29 pm EST
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile announced in a press release...
Over 300 Mbps speed adoption ‘accelerating’ in Toronto: Barclays
telecom | 11/21/2017 6:08 pm EST
More customers in Toronto are adopting internet speeds over 300 Mbps, and the trend looks to be picking up pace as competition heats up in that market, according to Barclays Capital. With...
Telus revenue, profit up 4 per cent each
telecom | 11/09/2017 7:52 pm EST
Telus Corp. reported revenue of $3.36 billion, up four per cent from the same quarter last year, in its third-quarter results released Thursday, while net income also increased 4.2 per cent to $370 million over that time....
Bell’s $166M AlarmForce acquisition small but strategic buy: analysts
telecom | 11/07/2017 11:42 am EST
BCE Inc. is making a bigger play for the home-security arena with the $166...
Bell needs to do more with ad tech, CEO says
Media | 11/02/2017 3:43 pm EDT
BCE Inc. CEO George Cope said the company needs to do a better job of finding opportunities in emerging advertising technology, as the company seeks additional revenue growth...
Freedom set to support older iPhones with spectrum rejig, deployment
telecom | 10/26/2017 5:37 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. announced Thursday that it would move to redeploy...
iPhone X, component shortages lowering phone demand: report
telecom | 10/17/2017 8:39 pm EDT
A new report from Gartner Inc. is predicting the Nov. 2017 release of Apple Inc.’s iPhone X combined with component shortages will cause a dip in ability to meet smartphone demand in 2017 and push...
Bell ARPU to drop after winning gov’t cellphone contract: Barclays
telecom | 10/06/2017 11:38 am EDT
BCE Inc. could see its average revenue per user (ARPU) fall after winning a...
Quebecor, Shaw to benefit from 600 MHz set-asides: analysts
telecom | 08/08/2017 3:27 pm EDT
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile will be the big winners if Innovation Canada goes ahead with its plans to set aside spectrum for smaller players in the upcoming 600 MHz auction, financial analysts said. Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a Tuesday note that the proposed rules to set aside 43 per cent of the spectrum for smaller companies will primarily benefit those two telecoms. He added that the auction is unlikely to attract new competitors, noting that out of the seven new entrants emerging from the 2008 AWS auction, only...
Bell subs feel impact of ‘aggressive’ cable competition in Q2
telecom | 08/03/2017 2:22 pm EDT
BCE Inc. is hoping the second half of the year results in a boost for its...
Rogers aims to improve churn, ‘reset’ enterprise division
Media | 07/20/2017 5:16 pm EDT
Joe Natale, president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., reiterated...
Cogeco’s U.S. cable prospects more promising: Barclays
telecom | 07/17/2017 2:40 pm EDT
Cogeco Inc. can look to cable in the United States to see sustained growth compared to a harsher cable market in Canada, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. “Relative to...
Cogeco expands U.S. biz with MetroCast buy
telecom | 07/10/2017 1:08 pm EDT
Cogeco Inc. is again expanding its U.S. footprint, with the announcement Monday that it would purchase...
Spectrum buy to improve Shaw network, but benefits will take time: analysts
telecom | 06/13/2017 5:40 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that it has purchased 700MHz and 2500MHz spectrum from Quebecor Inc. for $430 million, in what Shaw described as “a significant milestone towards improving network coverage and quality across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.” The deal gives the company’s Freedom Mobile access to the low-band spectrum it has lacked until now. Iain Grant, an analyst at the Seaboard Group, said in an email that the deal will make Shaw’s challenge...
AWS-1 sale unlikely to set precedent for 700MHz: Canaccord
telecom | 06/12/2017 1:53 pm EDT
The sale last week of Videotron’s AWS-1 spectrum by Quebecor Inc. to Rogers Communications Inc. isn’t likely to have implications for the company’s 700MHz spectrum, according to Canaccord...
Quebecor spectrum sale has ‘broad implications’: Barclays
telecom | 06/09/2017 11:56 am EDT
Quebecor Inc. has sold Videotron's AWS-1 spectrum in the Greater Toronto...
Shaw looking to sell ViaWest: report
telecom | 05/01/2017 7:31 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. wants to sell its ViaWest data centre division, according to a Reuters report, a move analysts had been predicting would help it focus on its wireless business. Shaw bought the...
5G wireless substitution ‘not in the cards,’ says Cogeco’s Audet
Media | 04/07/2017 8:14 pm EDT
Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet said Friday that he’s not concerned about customers substituting wireline Internet service with wireless with the advent of 5G, and that the company...
Flanker brands ramped up promos in March: Barclays
Media | 03/27/2017 8:04 pm EDT
Following a quiet first quarter, wireless companies’ flanker brands stepped up the competition in March, ramping up promotional activity through data increases and handset discounts, according to Barclays Capital. Just...
Bell’s scale advantage widening after MTS deal: Barclays
Media | 03/21/2017 4:18 pm EDT
The acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. expands the scale at which BCE Inc. operates, which is “becoming one of its most important competitive advantages,”...
Rogers moves to ‘rapid price deflation’ of 1GB Internet: Barclays
Media | 03/06/2017 5:18 pm EST
Rogers Communications Inc. is offering a cable and Internet package that includes speeds of 1 Gbps at a heavily discounted price in what Barclays Capital says is a surprising move. At $100 per...
Rogers killing of in-house IPTV good move in long term, analysts say
Media | 12/16/2016 8:33 pm EST
Rogers Communications Inc. has abandoned the development of its own IPTV platform and will instead launch an IPTV service using a platform from Comcast Corp., a plan analysts...
Limited handsets a concern as Wind rebrands: analyst
Media | 11/21/2016 9:41 pm EST
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Wind Mobile will be rebranded as Freedom Mobile and its LTE roll-out will come sooner than expected in two cities, the company’s CEO said Monday. The move comes despite some analyst concern about the availability of handsets compatible with its spectrum. Alek Krstajic made the announcement at a press conference in Toronto. He said the rebranding was a fresh start, part of an effort to eliminate “baggage” associated with the Wind name and to make the company, which was previously held by foreign owners, more Canadian. He also...
Telus Q3 continues industry-wide trend of strong wireless
Media | 11/04/2016 7:27 pm EDT
Telus Corp. reported strong wireless revenues and subscriber additions Friday, as data helped propel overall revenues up to $3.23 billion. For the three months ended September...
Wind’s reduced Ont. focus message to government: Huang
telecom | 10/24/2016 5:24 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. is putting less emphasis on growing subscribers for Wind in Ontario in favour of boosting its wireless network in Western Canada, according to Barclays analyst...
Some concern about delay in Natale start date: analysts
Media | 10/18/2016 9:38 pm EDT
It could be mid-2017 before former Telus Corp. head Joe Natale takes over as CEO at Rogers Communications Inc., according to financial analysts, some of whom said Tuesday that...
Shaw best-positioned carrier, regardless of Liberal policy: Barclays
telecom | 09/26/2016 6:47 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. is “the one player in the industry who is very well positioned” regardless of the direction the Liberal government takes on wireless policy,...
New iPhone driving discounts for older models: Barclays
telecom | 09/19/2016 7:56 pm EDT
Carriers are capitalizing on demand for Apple Inc.’s new iPhone with heavy discounts on older models, according to Barclays Capital. Despite a $400 price tag for the 32GB iPhone on a two-year contract and still higher prices for the larger storage models — due largely to the weaker Canadian dollar —the pre-order supplies across Canada “have now largely sold out,” according to the Monday’s note by analyst Phillip Huang. “Foot traffic into the carriers’ stores have notably increased following the iPhone 7 launch, and despite limited supply of the...
Extra data promos to drive upgrades: Barclays
telecom | 09/07/2016 4:48 pm EDT
Promotions offering customers extra data as part of back-to-school promotions by Canada’s largest three wireless carriers will help drive upgrades by customers, according to a research note by Barclays Capital analyst...
Public would review suitable SaskTel offer: report
telecom | 08/25/2016 6:27 pm EDT
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall took the conversation about a possible sale of the provincially owned telecommunications provider another step forward by suggesting that the province would put an offer, if received, to the public,...
Telus could face broadband ‘price war’: Barclays
telecom | 08/08/2016 8:48 pm EDT
Telus Corp. could face increasing broadband pricing competition in western Canada as competitors undercut their prices, according to Barclay’s Capital. "We are beginning to see signs of the broadband price war spreading from Ontario to Telus' footprint in western Canada," analyst Phillip Huang said...
Wind hits 1M subscribers in first quarterly report since 2014
telecom | 07/15/2016 10:46 pm EDT
On Friday, Shaw Communications Inc. released Wind Mobile’s first quarterly results since it acquired the wireless company earlier this year, which showed revenues of $132 million for the...
Telecom, media ‘safe haven’ after Brexit: Barclays
Media | 06/28/2016 9:46 pm EDT
Minimal exposure to the United Kingdom and Europe will leave the Canadian telecom and media industries relatively unscathed following the U.K.’s vote to exit the European Union last week,...
Rogers shows off IPTV service to investors
Media | 06/17/2016 8:14 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. unveiled its new IPTV service to investors Thursday, according to analysts’ notes, though company spokesman Aaron Lazarus declined to comment Friday. Canaccord Genuity analyst...
Doug French replaces John Gossling as Telus CFO
telecom | 05/16/2016 4:51 pm EDT
Telus Corp. said Monday it has appointed Doug French as executive vice-president and chief financial officer, while former CFO John Gossling is leaving the company to “seek other opportunities.” Though the move...
Telecoms to feel economic headwinds: analyst
Media | 01/18/2016 7:33 pm EST
Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday that providers of telecommunications services in Canada will feel the effects of the struggling economy. He said in a research note that most of repercussions from things such as...
Shaw-Wind deal means no Rogers merger on horizon: analysts
Media | 12/17/2015 11:00 pm EST
Financial analysts said Thursday that the surprising move by Shaw Communications Inc. to buy Wind Mobile means any potential merger between Shaw and Rogers Communications Inc. won’t happen any time soon, though some maintained it’s possible in the longer term if the government is on board. Shaw announced Wednesday that it plans to enter the wireless market by buying Wind for $1.6 billion, with executives arguing that strategy was a better bet than if it had bought and deployed spectrum by itself at an earlier date. Canaccord Genuity analyst Aravinda Galappatthige said in a note...
Shaw says timing, current market dynamics made Wind deal attractive
Media | 12/17/2015 3:43 pm EST
The economics of entering Canada’s wireless market through the acquisition of Wind Mobile today are better than past opportunities Shaw Communications Inc. has had to enter the mobile sector,...
How do Shaw’s decisions on Canwest, mobile look today?
Media | 12/07/2015 8:30 pm EST
Yesterday's actions can have a profound influence on tomorrow. Such a notion might apply to a couple of decisions Shaw Communications Inc. has made in the last half-decade. The first of those was its 2010 move to spend $2 billion to purchase the broadcasting assets of Canwest Global Communications Corp., which included...
Are stars aligning for Shaw sale to Rogers?
Media | 11/02/2015 9:35 pm EST
The idea of a merger between Canada's two biggest cable providers — Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. — is on the radar again, with at least two market analysts saying the conditions are right...
Federal election unlikely to change telecom policy: Huang
telecom | 10/05/2015 2:42 pm EDT
Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday that, despite the uncertain outcome of this month's federal election, a significant change in policy with regard to...
Canada will lag U.S. on mobile video: Huang
Media | 09/21/2015 1:53 pm EDT
Canada will trail the United States in the rollout of mobile-oriented video services for a variety of reasons, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday. The comments follow news from earlier this month that Verizon Communication Inc. is planning to launch a free ad-supported mobile-video service in the U.S., which would be open to customers of any mobile service provider. Huang said the most mobile-TV apps in Canada are linked to having a specific TV-service subscription. He said Verizon's move toward mobile video "has sparked significant interest in...
Oil decline could affect Shaw, Telus: analyst
Media | 08/24/2015 1:35 pm EDT
The plunge in oil prices could end up hurting telecommunications service providers like Shaw Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., which have a high proportion of their business operations in Alberta, according to a Bay Street...
Is government easing off on spectrum-transfer policy?
telecom | 06/22/2015 8:59 pm EDT
Speculation that the federal government is poised to approve the acquisition of Mobilicity and its spectrum by Telus Corp. or Rogers Communications Inc. has some observers disagreeing whether this would represent a major departure...
Quebecor adds spectrum, still non-committal on national expansion
telecom | 05/12/2015 2:43 pm EDT
Quebecor Inc. is still publicly sitting on the fence when it comes to expanding its wireless service throughout Canada despite bidding $187 million on 2500 MHz spectrum, including for licences outside...
CRTC, spectrum auctions among major wireless issues for 2015: analysts
telecom | 12/18/2014 6:01 pm EST
As the new year approaches, Canadian wireless carriers of all sizes await a CRTC decision on domestic roaming that could, in the words of one analyst, “disrupt” the industry with...
Bell to buy Glentel retail chain
telecom | 11/28/2014 3:47 pm EST
BCE Inc. said Friday it has reached a deal to buy mobile products retail chain Glentel Inc. for $670 million. The companies said in a press release that the price would be paid in cash and stock, and also includes the assumption...
Telus offer could start holiday pricing battle: analyst
telecom | 11/24/2014 6:18 pm EST
Telus Corp. has made the first moves in what could be a competitive fourth quarter as wireless carriers fight for holiday sales, an analyst said Monday. Phillip Huang, a telecom analyst with Barclays...
Apple’s soft-SIM could hurt carriers: Huang
telecom | 10/20/2014 8:24 pm EDT
A feature of Apple Inc.'s new iPads could become a thorn in the side for wireless carriers, Barclays Capital telecom analyst Phillip Huang said Monday. The iPad Air 2, released last week, has a software-based SIM card, or soft-SIM, that allows users to switch between multiple carriers directly through the device as well as use different...
Big 3 to benefit from ‘upgrade cycle’: Barclays
telecom | 09/29/2014 4:13 pm EDT
Apple Inc.'s recent release of the iPhone 6 has sparked an "upgrade cycle" among Canadian consumers that is likely to pad the bottom lines of Canada's major wireless providers, according to analysts at Barclays Capital. Phillip Huang and Ali Pervez said in a research note Monday that demand for cheaper...
Experts disagree on stringency of AWS-3 build-out rules
telecom | 08/14/2014 10:56 pm EDT
While some observers are saying the deployment requirements for the upcoming AWS-3 spectrum auction are the strictest the industry’s ever seen, others say they’re pretty much in line with those of previous auctions. The government released proposed rules surrounding next year’s auction late last month. The deployment requirements state companies must deploy spectrum reaching between 20 and 50 per cent of the population in Tier 2 service areas within five years, and between 10 and 50 per cent of the population in additional areas within 10 years. Canaccord Genuity telecom...
Rogers getting reluctant on rollbacks: Barclays
telecom | 06/23/2014 8:19 pm EDT
After pronouncements from Rogers Communications Inc. about improving the customer experience and simplifying the options available to customers, analysts from Barclays said the company appears to be "shifting away from...
Wind aiming to poach Mobilicity, Public Mobile customers
telecom | 05/05/2014 9:10 pm EDT
Analysts say a new advertising campaign by Wind Mobile that aims to pick up customers from Mobilicity and Public Mobile may be successful as the new-entrant carrier tries to capitalize on the woes of...
Rogers offers deep mobile discount in Quebec
telecom | 04/07/2014 7:02 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. slashed its prices by more than 40 per cent on one of its wireless plans in Quebec after the recent announcement that Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron would begin offering the Apple Inc.’s...
Péladeau’s politics will have little impact on Quebecor: Barclays
Media | 03/14/2014 3:48 pm EDT
Analysts from Barclays Capital said there is little risk to Quebecor Inc.’s businesses from former CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau’s candidacy for the sovereigntist Parti...