ROW Short Takes

telecom | 05/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada pilots phone service in Montreal subwayBell Canada is extending its digital 1X network coverage underground to five subway stations in Montreal as part of a pilot project that will allow people to use their cell phones while they commute. Bell subscribers can use their cell phones in the indoor areas, including tunnels and platforms, of the following subway stations: Berri-UQAM, Saint-Laurent, Place-des-Arts,...

ROW People

telecom | 05/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Stratos Global Corp. has appointed Cesar Gaitan as VP of technology and engineering in its broadband division. Gaitan was previously with Lucent Technologies, most recently holding technical and profit-and-loss roles in the Caribbean and Latin American region. William Owens has replaced Frank Dunn as president/CEO of Nortel Networks Corp. Dunn has been terminated for cause. William Kerr and MaryAnne Pahapill have...

ROW International News Brief

telecom | 05/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Wi-Fi technology expanded further at Detroit airportWi-Fi wireless Internet service has been extended at the Detroit Metropolitan Way County Airport to include the L.C. Smith Terminal. In partnership with wireless communications provider Concourse Communications Group, the airport introduced wireless Internet service to its McNamara Terminal/Northwest...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 05/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Unique Broadband’s lawsuit against Microcell Telecommunications, two of its subsidiaries and Allstream Corp., appears to lay solid foundations for a case of breach of contract and conspiracy.  Some of the most damning evidence alleged by UBS in its suit comes in the form of an admission by John...

NL Update

telecom | 05/03/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Total Telcom to bring fibre to the home in Whitecourt ABEdmonton AB-based Total Telcom Inc. has inked an agreement with a national telecommunications service provider to bring local access fibre connections to Whitecourt AB, a small community of about 8,300 people north of Edmonton. Network design and engineering is underway with construction scheduled to begin in mid-May. This is the second such contract for the company in the month of April. Earlier in the month, Total Telcom announced that it had begun building a similar network in northwest Alberta. The first project is to net the company more than $2 million, while the most recent contract is expected to generate revenue in excess of $540,000 between May and August 2004. Call-Net expands reach of local telephone serviceCall-Net Enterprises Inc. has announced that its local phone service, offered through subsidiary Sprint Canada Inc., is now available in more communities in southern Ontario and the Greater Montreal Area. The company can offer the expanded telephony service...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Aliant managers fill striking workers’ positionsAliant Telecom Inc. says 1,800 of the company’s managers are filling in for workers who are currently on strike. While the company says in a news release that it hopes to maintain service levels, it concedes that there will be some delays in answering calls to its customer care centres for things such as repairs. Cutsomers are urged to use the web to conduct routine...

NL People

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Kristina Babulic has joined the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) as director of communications. Before joining the CCTA, she was a senior consultant with National Public Relations in Ottawa and Montreal. She has also worked for Nortel Networks Corp., Newbridge Networks, iStar internet and the Department of Canadian Heritage.  William Allen has joined TELUS Communications Corp. as senior communications...

NL Editorial

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The theft of intellectual property on the Internet is a massive threat to the intellectual and cultural development of our country, and must be dealt with. Whether it’s the theft of secrets by nefarious digital means, or the downloading of entertainment products, the supports upon which our system of...

Canadian privacy, criminal laws already protect Canadians from spam: Geist

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Canada has the legal tools necessary to combat spam, although the government has not used the law against spammers yet and has left the battle to the private sector,University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist told the New Developments in Communications Law and Policy conference held in Ottawa April 23-24....

CRTC extends deadline for comments and sets new date for VoIP consultation

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The CRTC has acquiesced to cries from the incumbent telcos and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) that its proposed Voice over IP proceeding (Telecom Public Notice 2004-2) didn’t provide sufficient time to study the matter. In an April 22 letter, the commission recognizes that there are several other...

Canadian ISPs and copyright holders present opposite views on ISP liability

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Representatives for Canadian artists, the music recording industry, and Internet service providers are still trying to find common ground on the sensitive issue of ISP liability. They presented their viewpoints before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on April 22 on the proposed Government Status Report on...

Aliant value package bundles ongoing source of debate at commission

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 EastLink Cable Systems charges that Aliant Inc. isn’t complying with a CRTC decision that ordered it to stop offering bundles that include tariffed services, but the telco is adamant that it is now obeying the rules. EastLink it is urging the CRTC to treat the matter as an issue of non-compliance rather than a new...

March Networks considers greater emphasis on additional IP applications

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The current rate of convergence among broadband networks is allowing March Networks to layer additional IP-based applications, such as telephony, onto its digital video security and surveillance products. That’s the message that outgoing March CEO Terry Matthews had during a conference call announcing the...

Group Telecom introduces new LD pricing

telecom | 04/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Traditional telecom per minute long distance (LD) charges could be a thing of the past in the not-so-distant future, says GT Group Telecom Services Corp.’s VP of marketing. On April 20, the company unveiled two aggressive enterprise telephony pricing plans, including flat rate LD pricing that could turn North America into a virtual local calling area (see box for details on the two pricing options).  Mike Stephens tells Network Letter that the move represents a new reality in the provision of long distance services for business customers. "We’re big believers that the days of separate per minute LD are eventually going to go the way of the dodo bird. We’re not quite there yet, but we basically feel pretty confident right now that we can go and package a very...

ROW Update

telecom | 04/26/2004 4:00 am EDT

 RIM appeal to be heard on June 7Research in Motion Ltd.’s (RIM) much-anticipated patent infringement appeal is set to be heard on June 7 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. RIM is appealing a U.S. district court ruling that its BlackBerry technology infringes on patents held by NTP Inc., particularly the use of radio waves to send email. While a loss in the higher court could cost RIM up to...

VCom scoops up Saskatchewan’s Image Wireless Communications

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 VCom Inc. is set to purchase Saskatchewan-based wireless cable TV and Internet provider Image Wireless Communications Inc. An Image Wireless employee told Report on Wireless April 15 that the company is currently "in transition - in the process of being taken over by another company," and further questions...

Globalstar Canada to play greater role in global operations, says new owner

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The new owners of Globalstar LP say they will rely more on the company’s Canadian operation and give it greater global responsibility. Jim Lynch, managing director of Thermo Capital Partners LLC, tells Report on Wireless that the Globalstar Canada team has done an exceptional job of growing the business in vertical...

Small companies see opportunity in Microsoft entering RFID market

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Microsoft Corp. is about to take on a major role in the development of radio frequency identification technology (RFID), and small companies and other industry stakeholders are bullish on the potential business opportunities.  The Redmond WA software developer, together with its partners Accenture, GlobeRanger...

Aliant cites increased wireless usage as reason to forebear local telephony

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Atlantic Canada’s incumbent telco cites increased substitution of local residential telephony by wireless and the growing trend to wireless-only homes as two reasons why the CRTC should forbear its local wireline services from regulation. Aliant Telecom Inc. filed a Part VII application with the commission on April 7 arguing that, due to substantial competition from cableco EastLink, increased usage of wireless, and the growing use of the Internet for making phone calls, its local residential wireline services shouldn’t be regulated.  Aliant writes in its application that the commission must broaden its scope of the relevant product market definition in order to fully...

Ottawa wireless technology sector shows signs of turnaround, hiring more staff

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Ottawa area wireless companies say access to capital and the need for greater staffing requirements are two of the most critical success factors for them going forward, according a survey of companies in the Ottawa Wireless Cluster. Conducted by Deloitte and released earlier this month, Ottawa Wireless Cluster 2003...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Octanewave and Path combine technology strengthsOctanewave Software Inc., a provider of enterprise mobility software, and Path Information Systems Inc., a logistics and operational management software solutions company, have formed a technology partnership that will combine Octanewave’s Enterprise Mobility Platform’s mobile capabilities with Path’s service logistics solution, E-Path. Using its new partner’s...

ROW People

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

William Allen has joined TELUS Communications Inc. as senior communications business partner. He will be based in Ottawa, providing communications support to the company’s government and regulatory affairs group. Allen was formerly with the Media Awareness Network. Diversinet Corp. has appointed Charles Walton as COO, responsible for the company’s global sales and marketing activities. He will also be in charge of the...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Bundling wireless services beneficial to carriersThere has been a dramatic increase in the number of U.S. consumers who purchase bundles of services, which can include local and long distance calling, Internet access, cable and satellite TV, and wireless, according to new research from In-Stat/MDR. The high-tech market research firm finds that 28.6% of...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 04/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  Does the increasing use of alternative technologies for the provision of local telephone service necessarily mean a competitive market? Aliant Telecom would have us believe so, and thus its request to the CRTC to forbear its local telephone service from regulation.   But the question for...

NL Update

telecom | 04/19/2004 4:00 am EDT

Hold your horses, incumbent telcos tell commission on VoIP proceedingIncumbent telcos are telling the CRTC that it should slow down with its Voice over IP proceeding and conduct a “complete” review of the emerging technology’s impact (NL, April 14/04). In an April 15 filing to the CRTC, Bell Canada, TELUS Communications, Aliant Telecom, Manitoba Telecom Services and SaskTel suggest that the timeline set out by the...

ROW Special Update

telecom | 04/15/2004 4:00 am EDT

VCom scoops up Saskatchewan’s Image Wireless CommunicationsVCom Inc. is set to purchase Saskatchewan-based wireless cable TV and Internet provider Image Wireless Communications Inc., Report on Wireless has learned. An Image Wireless employee told RoW today that the company is currently "in transition - in the process of being taken over by another company," and further questions on the matter were directed to...

CCTA says CRTC should give VoIP telephony providers less stringent rules

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) warns that the CRTC’s status quo approach to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services won’t open the floodgates to competition in the local telephone business. The CRTC states in Telecom Public Notice 2004-2 its preliminary view that VoIP services...

Bell claims local traffic share just 80%

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Bell Canada has added a new wireline/wireless network usage study to its arsenal of weapons in the fight to convince the CRTC to adopt a freer regulatory model with respect to telephony. The study, Analysis of Local Residential Voice Network Usage, asserts that fully 20% of local voice traffic is now traveling on networks other than Bell’s wireline network in Ontario and Quebec. Bell, officials from which were not available to discuss the survey, doesn’t explicitly say that the numbers are an argument for a lighter touch from the commission, but the company’s findings fit into an emerging theme of calls to the regulator to open up the market for voice services. To study overall network usage, Bell put in back-end systems to measure local residential calling in its serving...

Aliant wants CRTC to lift restrictions on prices, terms, local residential services

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 More Part VII applications over bundling are bound to find their way onto the CRTC’s desk as cable companies begin to get into the telephony business. Already the CRTC ruled in April on two bundling-related applications filed by cable companies against telcos, and telco Aliant Telecom Inc. countered with a Part VII...

Spider and Expracom merge to form new VoIP provider with $20 million in revenue

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 A merger of two Montreal telecom/IT companies will be the precursor to a new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offering apparently concentrating on voice traffic between Canada and the West Indies and Northern Africa. Spider Télécom and Expracom Technologies announced their merger on April 6 to form a 45-person...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Blackout numbers revised by RenesysRenesys Corp. has restated the degree to which it estimates Allstream Corp. was affected by last summer’s massive North American blackout (NL, Dec. 22/03). An updated report now says that only 15% of Allstream’s data networks in the blackout area experienced outages of more than four hours, with an average outage of 18 hours. Figures were not restated for the other six Canadian...

NL People

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Atreus Systems Inc. has appointed Ron Blair as CFO. Blair, former CEO of DragonWave Inc., brings more than 20 years of telecom experience to his new role.  Simon Bitton has been hired by Hartco Corp. as its new VP of marketing. Bitton has more than 23 years of business experience.Michael Raymont has been appointed interim president of the National Research Council. Raymont is replacing Arthur J. Carty, who has...

NL Newsmakers

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC initiated last week its much anticipated proceeding on the implementation of rules surrounding Voice over IP (VoIP) communications. The following is the Canadian Cable Television Association’s position on VoIP, presented by acting president Michael Hennessy.   A recent Network Letter article on the upcoming CRTC proceeding on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) may have left some confusion with respect to the CCTA’s preliminary position on VoIP (NL, March 31/04). We appreciate this opportunity presented by Network Letter to explain what we see as the key issues in that proceeding. First, while IP has the potential to enhance a variety of communications services, we believe that if IP networks are interconnected to the PSTN to provide telephone service, then IP providers should be treated in a similar fashion as other service providers. The treatment should recognize that different regimes exist today for ILECs, CLECs, resellers and wireless service providers, which reflect the market position of the different...

NL Editorial

telecom | 04/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. When the CRTC launched its proceeding on Voice over IP last week, many applauded the commission’s decision to move on the matter. Others are asking, however, how long-delayed decisions on two critical telecom issues will further affect the competitive landscape.   ILECs and CLECs alike have...

ROW Update

telecom | 04/12/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Wireline substitution by wireless is happening, says Bell CanadaBell Canada continues to hammer home its message that wireline substitution by wireless is occurring in a real way. In an analysis of wireline network usage, the country’s largest telco says, “11.4% of all local residential voice traffic is carried over wireless networks of all service providers.”Released earlier this month, the report counters...

Pearson International goes live with new communications and IT infrastructure

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport’s new Terminal 1 was opened to the public this week and it can now expect to handle a 15% increase in travelers following the implementation of new communications and information technology infrastructure.  Not only will the new infrastructure allow for increased traveler...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

Government of Canada invests in wireless, modem technology The Government of Canada will make a $9.5-million strategic investment in a research and development initiative dedicated to advancing integrated wireless messaging and modem technology. The Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) investment is part of a multi-year $33.7-million project being undertaken by Sierra Wireless Inc. to develop technologies that provide...

ROW People

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

Doug Wilson has been named president and COO of Sony of Canada Ltd. He is replacing Hiro Sakai, who is returning to Sony Corp. in Tokyo after eight years in Canada.  Leonard Brody and Tryon (Tarrnie) Williams have been appointed to Infowave Software’s board of directors. Brody is on the board of several technology companies, and Williams is an independent consultant. Jacques Laurent has been appointed to...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

New software allows voice calls using handheld computersSkype Technologies S.A. has launched its beta version of PocketSkype, free software that enables consumers to make voice calls using their Wi-Fi-enabled Microsoft PocketPC-based handheld computer. The global P2P telephony company has developed PocketSkype, a thin version of Skype, specifically for...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Virgin Mobile’s entry into the Canadian market could be the needed spark to spur the emergence of similar branded offerings, but analysts don’t believe this to be true, and for good reason (read article here). There are structural differences between the wireless markets in the United Kingdom and...

Will Virgin’s entry into Canada with Bell spark private label mobile wireless?

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The Virgin Group’s decision to partner with Bell Mobility for a private label wireless service won’t be the spark some had anticipated would bring more mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to the Canadian market.  Two telecommunications industry analysts tell Report on Wireless that the creation of Virgin...

Ad hoc Wi-Fi usage to become easier with new BOLDstreet service platform

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

 BOLDstreet Wireless Internet will introduce a new component to its Global Roaming Service Platform (GRSP) this month in the hope of making ad hoc Wi-Fi usage easier for consumers and business users alike. Later in April, the Ottawa-based hotspot operator will allow users to authenticate themselves via SMS at BOLDstreet-branded hotspots, eliminating the need for a credit card.  "We’re working with a bunch of partners that are allowing us to connect back to the cellco’s subscriber management system so that we can allow them to authenticate back to their accounts. We think that one of the biggest barriers to use of (Wi-Fi) right now is that it is a whole new billing...

VoIP to affect mobile wireless, increase pressure on pricing: Merrill Lynch

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The introduction of Voice over IP (VoIP) systems into the wireless sector could increase competition among operators and put increasing downward pressure on voice prices, a new report predicts, as the Internet protocol (IP) revolution affects the wireless marketplace and boundaries are blurred between wireless and...

Industry Canada wants beefed up walkie-talkies available in Canada later this year

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada wants to allow the sale and distribution of walkie-talkies "on steroids" by September 2004, but will first have to make sure current land-mobile users in portions of the 400 MHz band are moved to other frequencies. Earlier this month, the department issued DGTP-001-04 outlining the process by...

EasyPark and Mint introduce park-and-pay by phone service in Vancouver

telecom | 04/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Paying for a parking spot in Vancouver just got a lot easier thanks to a new micro-payment system introduced by Mint Inc. The Vancouver technology company has teamed with EasyPark, a parking lot operator with about 80% of the non-barriered lots in the city, to create PayMint, a park-and-pay by phone service. The...

NL Update

telecom | 04/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Business VoIP ready for prime time: SeaBoardA new report from telecom consultancy the SeaBoard Group says that Voice over IP for the enterprise sector is ready for widespread deployment. VoIP across the Enterprise: Proceeding Cautiously – The CompUSA story is a case study on how an enterprise can effectively and successfully deploy VoIP and realize substantial benefits. Detailing how CompUSA Inc., a computer...

Greater competition to emerge in the future from MTS acquisition of Allstream

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 The heads of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) and Allstream Inc. say that their business combination will provide greater telecommunications competition to Canadian consumers and enterprise customers, but neither provided the details on how this might occur during a March 18 conference call discussing the transaction. One telecom analyst agrees that the two companies were light on the specifics of how the $1.7-billion transaction will accomplish that, but says the combined MTS/Allstream will live up to its promise once it begins to take advantage of the partnership’s benefits.  The two companies indicated during the call that the single entity would be a financially stronger...

Federal Court of Appeal refuses FCM’s request to hear its case against CRTC

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 The decision by the Federal Court of Appeal not to hear an appeal of Telecom Decision 2003-82 likely isn’t an end to the contentious access to rights-of-way issue (NL, Feb. 3/04). On March 5, the appeals court turned down a request by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to hear its case that the CRTC...

Bell says dissents on Quebec contracts based on misunderstanding of issue

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada has responded to two strongly worded dissents in Telecom Decision 2004-20 by saying it’s willing to live with the commission’s decisions in several optical fibre service arrangements, but commissioners Barbara Cram and Stuart Langford have taken the telco to task on the basis of a...

Call-Net could be next telco to enter consolidation game with power companies

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 The aftershocks of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s (MTS) surprise bid for Allstream Inc. continue to rumble throughout Canada’s telecom sector, and one industry analyst suggests that a further telecommunications shakeout is on the way. The $1.7-billion deal has changed the communications industry in this country...

CRTC initiates public consultation on use of price cap deferral accounts

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 The CRTC has initiated a public consultation on the use of about $100 million set aside by the incumbent telcos in their deferral accounts as part of the 2002 price cap decision (Telecom Decision 2002-34). The deferral accounts total approximately $200 million, but half of that amount is allocated for other uses. The...

CRTC to launch own public process on Voice over Internet Protocol

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

 It’s unlikely that Canada will take the same approach as the United States in regulating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), according to the Canadian Cable Television Association’s senior VP of industry affairs and office of small systems. "U.S. precedents don’t carry a lot of weight in Canada," says...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

Aliant can’t offer value packages, commission rulesThe CRTC has ordered Aliant Telecom Inc. to stop offering value packages that combine forborne and regulated services, saying the Atlantic Canadian incumbent telco must first seek tariff approval before it can offer the bundles (Telecom Decision 2004-21). EastLink brought the matter to the commission’s attention when it filed a Part VII on June 26, 2003. At the time,...

NL People

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

John Neunan joins Dulles VA-based Encore Networks as VP of North American sales. Prior to his appointment at Encore, Neunan was VP of sales for the Antera Group, and also served in the same capacity at Tachion Networks and Accelerated Networks. He has held senior sales management positions at both Ascend/Lucent and Cisco. IP Applications Corp., Vancouver, announces the departure of James Estill from the board of...

NL Editorial

telecom | 03/31/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Early next month, a new Touchstone film - The Alamo - will likely do fantastic box office numbers as it chronicles the last hours of a group of doomed Texan soldiers fighting to the last man for their state’s independence. Audiences will love the battle, the heroism, the cause. Today, we remember the...

ROW Update

telecom | 03/29/2004 5:00 am EST

 Industry Canada opens door to beefed up FRSIndustry Canada has assigned additional frequencies in the 462-467 MHz range to accommodate the introduction to the Canadian market of general mobile radio service (GMRS) devices. GMRS radios are similar to family radio service (FRS) devices that were introduced in Canada in 2000 (RoW, April 17/00), but offer greater coverage. The department reports in DGTP-001-04 that opening spectrum for FRS has resulted in the sale of more than two million devices and that it expects the same type of success for GMRS. Offering additional channels in this range for GMRS aligns spectrum utilization policies in Canada with those set out by the Federal Communications Commission. “The reality is that Canadians will demand these new wireless radios and in the absence of a policy which permits GMRS distribution and sale, a gray market of illegal GMRS radios would emerge,” the department writes.RIM and Good come to terms on agreementResearch in Motion Ltd. and Good Technology have settled their patent and...

Ottawa could be wired with MCS in about 24 months, says OCRI representative

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

 The City of Ottawa could be blanketed by broadband wireless within two years of receiving funding from an Ontario government initiative, an Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) representative says. A joint venture between Inukshuk Internet Inc., Allstream Inc. and NR Communications has applied for funding...

MTS Mobility’s future in the BWA up in the air

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

 With the ink barely dry on Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s (MTS) proposed acquisition of Allstream Corp., questions are now surfacing about MTS Mobility’s future role in the Bell Wireless Alliance (BWA). While representatives for MTS maintain the status quo will rule the day for at least the time being, analysts say that could change -...

Battle over spectrum cap and digital cellular roaming in rural regions heats up

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

 Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is battling its national brethren on two key spectrum policy fronts. The Montreal-based wireless operator wants Industry Canada to mandate digital roaming for all carriers, an issue the carrier has raised before and one that still doesn’t sit well with its competitors, and it is...

TELUS Mobility not in contempt of court over use of customer activation software

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

 The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that TELUS Mobility and its executive VP of employee services, David Wells, were not in contempt of court over the continued use of its Apollo.02 customer activation system, reaffirming a Dec. 2, 2002 Federal Court of Canada decision on the matter (RoW, Dec. 20/02). The wireless...

CRTC needs to address loophole in winback provisions: Microcell Telecommunications

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

 Microcell Telecommunications Inc. says allowing TELUS Mobility to target its subscribers in Vancouver amounts to a hole in the CRTC’s winback provisions that needs to be filled. Dean Proctor, VP of regulatory affairs at Microcell, tells Report on Wireless that the commission should step up to the plate and plug the hole.  "I would say to the extent that they can use Mobility as a Trojan Horse for in fact what is their incumbent wireline offering (needs to be addressed and) that the CRTC has to start recognizing that there aren’t separate silos here. This isn’t a wireline versus a wireless world. This is an access world and the technology should be irrelevant,"...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

Never lose your family at the amusement park againSAMSys Technologies Inc. has successfully integrated its radio frequency identification (RFID) readers into the SafeTzone Technologies System, which includes a host of guest services. This includes location services, amenity location, cashless spending module and a reservation system. A family using the SafeTzone System while at an amusement park registers their group...

ROW People

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

David Mahony has been appointed VP of sales for Datex. His responsibilities include developing and exploiting opportunities for Internet service providers and extending the company’s reach for competitive local exchange carriers across North America.  Unity Wireless Corporation has announced the promotions of Mark Finlay to director of engineering and Shimon Yaffe to director of global supply and quality assurance....

ROW People

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

David Mahony has been appointed VP of sales for Datex. His responsibilities include developing and exploiting opportunities for Internet service providers and extending the company’s reach for competitive local exchange carriers across North America. Unity Wireless Corporation has announced the promotions of Mark Finlay to director of engineering and Shimon Yaffe to director of global supply and quality assurance....

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

Joint venture provides wireless messaging serviceAlcatel and MetroPCS have formed an agreement to provide the Alcatel Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) product suite, which will enable MetroPCS customers to access multimedia messaging via wireless devices. This will bring additional message capacity to service providers by integrating with existing...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 03/23/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Canada’s competitive telecommunications landscape changed dramatically last week, setting the stage for what will likely be further changes in the coming months. The establishment of a new national competitor through the acquisition of Allstream Corp. by Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. should provide...

NL Update

telecom | 03/22/2004 5:00 am EST

 Englander receives costsThe Federal Court of Canada has ruled that Roger Englander is entitled to $11,906.41 in costs for his unsuccessful suit against TELUS Communications Inc. Englander had argued that he should not have to pay to be excluded from TELUS’ white pages directory, but lost his case earlier this month (NL, March 3/04). The man had presented his costs as being $17,944.64, but some charges were made by...

Smaller telecom firms need to embrace Voice over IP as larger players have

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 Smaller telecom firms must be ready to adopt Voice over IP (VoIP) just as the major players are doing. This was the message that several equipment manufacturers underscored at an industry conference last month.  Two sessions on VoIP were among the best attended at the Telecommunications Showcase and Seminars of...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

CEP sounds alarm over Scott’s comments on foreign ownershipPeter Murdoch, media VP of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), says he is alarmed by comments made by the federal Competition commissioner. Sheridan Scott, the head of the Competition Bureau of Canada and a former senior executive with Bell Canada, told the media that foreigners should be allowed to buy Canadian telephone...

NL People

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

William Kerr has been appointed CFO at Nortel Networks Corp. on an interim basis in the wake of Douglas Beatty being put on paid leave of absence pending completion of an independent review of the company’s financial statements. Also on leave is Michael Gollogly, controller, who has been replaced on a temporary basis by MaryAnne Pahapill.  David Mahony has been named VP sales at Datex. He will be responsible for developing and exploiting opportunities for ISPs and extending Datex’s reach for CLECs across North America. He joins the company from Hostopia Corp. Previously, he was VP of sales for PSINet. Stephen Bayliffe has been named president of TELUS Sourcing Solutions (TSS). He will lead the team at TSS in delivering end-to-end HR solutions to healthcare and other organizations across Canada. He joins TELUS from London, England, where he was most recently Europe, Middle East and Africa HR Solutions leader at IBM UK Ltd.   John MacDonald has resigned as a member of the board of directors of Leitch Technology Corp....

Substitution of local wireline networks by alternative technologies: is it real? You be the judge.

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 Michael Sabia, president and CEO of BCE Inc., spoke at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on February 25.  Technology is putting the power of choice where it belongs: in the hands of the consumer. Policy must reflect that fundamental shift. It’s essential to cut through the noise . . . to...

NL Editorial

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. BCE Inc. chief executive Michael Sabia’s call for similar regulation of telephone and cable TV providers is being looked at with skepticism by many. Admittedly, it is hard to believe that the country’s largest telecommunications provider needs a better regulatory environment in which to operate....

TELUS to provide IP backbone, management services, products

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 TELUS Corp. has entered into a new partnership agreement with Ontario government-owned O.N. Telcom that it says brings all the benefits of acquisition without having to buy the company. On March 4, TELUS announced that it would provide O.N. Tel with management services, access to its national IP backbone, as well as...

Telcos, cablecos laud CRTC for turning down OSWCA Part VII complaint

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 Telcos and cablecos are praising the CRTC for taking a hands-off approach in denying the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA)’s request for mandatory standards for specifying the location of underground telephone and cable lines in the immediate area of proposed excavations (Telecom Decision...

CIRB decision on TELUS appeal of previous rulings expected any time

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) is expected to rule in the coming days on an appeal TELUS Corp. filed last month seeking to overturn a previous CIRB ruling ordering the telco into binding arbitration with the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU). The two parties have been in contract talks for more than three years and this is the latest volley by the company to get terms that are more favourable to it.  Bruce Bell, a VP with the TWU, tells Network Letter that until TELUS filed the appeal, discussions appeared to be heading toward a solution. He adds that both sides seemed satisfied that discussions were at least moving forward. "We were looking forward to...

Allstream launches new wireless service in Ontario, evaluates SMB market potential

telecom | 03/18/2004 5:00 am EST

 Allstream Inc. unveiled on March 12 its new high-speed fixed wireless Internet access offering in Cumberland ON, a community located about 30 minutes east of downtown Ottawa. This marks the second region to which Allstream is providing service. The company introduced the product in Richmond BC on March 4 with its...

ROW Update

telecom | 03/15/2004 5:00 am EST

 Controversy over spectrum cap and expanding digital cellular to rural CanadaCanada’s national wireless operators are divided over two key issues raised in Industry Canada’s consultation on advanced wireless services. Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has once again found itself opposing its national brethren on the continued use of the spectrum cap to promote competition in the wireless sector and on mandated...

Wi-Fi roaming could extend on a North American basis next year: Bell Mobility

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 An agreement by the wireless carriers on the basic plumbing of inter-carrier Wi-Fi roaming and interoperability could become a North American-wide service early next year. Almis Ledas, VP of corporate development at Bell Mobility, told Report on Wireless in an interview during the Wi-Fi Power 2004 conference in...

Discussions to expand Bell-Sprint inter-carrier picture service at early stages

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Technical interoperability issues are a key hurdle to North American-wide inter-carrier picture messaging, and a recent Bell Mobility/Sprint PCS collaboration agreement is likely the exception that proves the rule for future deals. On February 24, the two cellcos announced an interoperability deal, the first on the...

MDS operator Craig Wireless must file appeal of CRTC ruling by mid-April

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Craig Wireless International Inc. has 60 days from February 18 to ask the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn an Oct. 17, 2003 CRTC decision that allowed Unique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) to up its interest in Look Communications Inc. to 51.06% (see box for more information).  On February 18, the Federal Court...

Push-to-talk to become mass-market service, says Motorola Canada executive

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Walkie-talkie services, technically referred to as push-to-talk (PTT), will likely become a mainstream, mass-market product, according to a Motorola Canada Inc. executive. Mike Hortie, VP and GM of Motorola Canada’s personal communications sector, tells Report on Wireless in an exclusive one-on-one interview that he...

Interview with Mike Hortie, VP and GM of Motorola Canada’s personal communications sector

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Report on Wireless: Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility are planning push-to-talk rollouts in Canada this year, competing against what Telus Mobility is offering with its Mike network. How do you see this playing out in Canada in terms of this new push-to-talk service competing against Mike?Mike...

Interview with Mike Hortie, VP and GM of Motorola Canada’s personal communications sector

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Report on Wireless: Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility are planning push-to-talk rollouts in Canada this year, competing against what Telus Mobility is offering with its Mike network. How do you see this playing out in Canada in terms of this new push-to-talk service competing against Mike?Mike...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

Inukshuk, Allstream and NR launch new wholesale businessInukshuk Internet Inc., Allstream Inc. and NR Communications have launched their recently formed joint venture’s first wholesale service in Richmond BC, and the first two customers are Microcell Solutions Inc. and Allstream. The multipoint communications system service (MCS) is based on the Expedience system developed by NextNet Wireless. Microcell has launched a new MCS wireless Internet service iFido, which is priced at a special introductory price of $20/month for the first six months (the regular monthly rate in $40). The modem is priced at $125 or $25/month when signing a two-year service contract. The monthly rate includes data transfer volumes of up to 20 GB (download) and 5 GB (upload). It will cost subscribers $10 per additional GB.  NorthernTel wants sub B-band in Northern OntarioNorthernTel Mobility has filed a letter of intent with Industry Canada requesting access to the entire sub-band B (835-845 MHz and 846.5-849 MHz paired with 880-890 and 891.5-894 MHz) along...

ROW People

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

Unity Wireless Corp. has made two promotions in its sales team. Jeff Joseph has assumed the newly created position of director of sales, Eastern Americas and Europe. Rick Byrd has taken over the newly created position of director of sales, Western Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Joseph has previously served as senior systems sales manager and Byrd was VP business development.  Nokia Corp. has appointed Peter...

Substitution of local wireline networks by alternative technologies: is it real? You be the judge.

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

 Michael Sabia, president and CEO of BCE Inc., spoke at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on February 25. Technology is putting the power of choice where it belongs: in the hands of the consumer. Policy must reflect that fundamental shift. It’s essential to cut through the noise . . . to get...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

Yankee Group reports on 3G and ringback servicesThird-generation wireless difficulties in Western Europe will end soon, according to recent research from the Yankee Group. But the market research firm says to expect the shakeout to continue for a little while longer as witnessed by recent plans to abandon 3G altogether in certain markets. Eight of 70 3G...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 03/10/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The agreement inked by the four national wireless operators regarding a common method of integrating their hotspots and cellular networks together is a step in the right direction to ubiquitous Wi-Fi. There are still technical issues to straighten out before the fall launch of commercial services, as...

NL Update

telecom | 03/08/2004 5:00 am EST

 Telus forms alliance with O.N. TelTelus Corp. and O.N. Telcom have formed a strategic alliance to deliver services in northern Ontario. The deal gives the provincially-owned telco access to Telus’ national IP backbone. The western ILEC expands its footprint in central Canada.Telus loses appeal on Shaw conduitIn Telecom Decision 2004-16, the CRTC turned down a Part VII application by Telus Communications Inc. that sought to delay any reconciliation of accounts as a result of Telecom Decision 2003-54. The original ruling varied the rates that Shaw Communications Inc. paid for Type B, C and D conduit. Telus is currently appealing 2003-54 before the Federal Court of Appeal.Change to contribution deductions deniedThe CRTC ruled in Telecom Decision 2004-15 that Millennium Global Telecom Inc. is not entitled to a change in its contribution deductions for unused portions of calling cards. The firm had wanted that money declared non-telecom revenues. Another request to increase Millennium’s inter-carrier payments was also turned...

Price overwhelming impetus for consumers to switch local carriers: Decima Research

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

Canadians are generally open to considering alternative local telephone service providers, so long as they don’t have to pay too much, according to a new survey by Decima Research Inc. Price is by far the most important factor among those who have already switched and among those who would consider switching, however very...

Safeguarding business data from disaster critical effort for companies, confab told

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

Telcos have to consider their vulnerabilities when it comes to network security. While the exercise may be costly, it is considerably cheaper than trying to rebuild after a disaster, a conference was told. George Henny, president of FiberCloud Inc., told delegates to the Telecommunications Showcase and Seminars of the...

Wireline decline could affect other players in marketplace, TFI survey predicts

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

 Wireline’s decline in North America is proceeding apace, a new study has discovered. While that has obvious ramifications for traditional telcos, new players face challenges, even as they are seeking to enter the market. Technology Futures Inc. (TFI) has released Forecasts of Access Line Competition in the...

High-speed market competitive enough to warrant regulatory forbearance, Bell says

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada’s application seeking forbearance for high-speed intra-exchange digital services is being touted by the company as a measured response to a changing market. The telco asserts that the new landscape requires the CRTC to relax its regulations. "Forbearance for the company’s high-speed DS...

Duelling consultants argue over true state of competition in Canadian telecom

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

 True competition in the telecom sector revolves around technology, not the number of entrants, a new paper says. But a leading analyst worries that proposals contained in the paper could lead to increased prices for consumers. Last month the C.D. Howe Institute released Dynamic Competition in Telecommunications:...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

CRTC moves three cases to expedited proceedingsFollowing its recently announced fast track procedure (NL, Feb. 17/04), the CRTC has decided to move three applications to a panel of three commissioners who will conduct an oral hearing on March 26. The cases are Shaw Cablesystems’ Part VII application against Telus Communications Inc. over Internet promotions and bundles; Rogers Communications Inc. and Call-Net...

NL People

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

Alain Gourd has retired as executive VP corporate for Bell Globemedia, after several years with various BCE Inc. properties. His duties will be assumed by senior VP corporate and public affairs Paul Sparkes, a former aide to ex-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.  Kirsten Embree has left Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP to become a partner in the Ottawa office of Fraser Milner Casgrain. She will work in the law firm’s...

Policy should be dictated by consumers, Bell’s Sabia asserts in Ottawa speech

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

 Michael Sabia, president/CEO of BCE Inc., spoke to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Ottawa on February 25. Afterwards, he spoke with the reporters covering the event. A transcript of that session appears here. He began by discussing the effects of the Internet. I think it is an entirely new world. This is a...

NL Editorial

telecom | 03/03/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The current turmoil in Ottawa over the sponsorship of events is taking its toll on several politicians and senior bureaucrats. It may also severely harm the attempts to liberalize the foreign investment regime for telecom companies.   Industry minister Lucienne Robillard has indicated to opposition MPs that she is working on some sort of legislation but gives no hint as to when, or if, it will be tabled. In doing so, she would be following the recommendations of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (NL, May 6/03). It is notable that the Liberal and Official Opposition members were united in their call for the lifting of foreign ownership restrictions. One Opposition MP reminds Network Letter that most of the Liberal MPs were Paul Martin supporters. Several of those MPs have made it to Cabinet or been named as parliamentary secretaries. It is inconceivable that the...