TAGGED AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Bell Mobility Wi-Fi pilot project still offering free service

telecom | 07/09/2003 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada continues to treat free access to its BellZone Wi-Fi hotspots for consumers and business professionals as a market experiment and will continue to offer free access until the end of this year. In a wide-ranging interview with RoW, Bell Mobility president Michael Neuman admits that the service is still free and it’s being used for educational purposes. Launched late last year, the BellZone pilot project was to have run for three months offering users access to a number of hotspots located in various locations across the country free of charge (RoW, Dec. 20/02). Bell Canada transformed a number of its pay phones in high-traffic locations into Wi-Fi zones. The company planned to use the service to evaluate users’ appetite for the offering and usage patterns to...

BOLDstreet dares to be different in marketing and business strategy

telecom | 07/09/2003 4:00 am EDT

The head of one-year-old BOLDstreet Wireless Internet says using a direct sales force approach to build out a national Wi-Fi network makes bad business sense and could ultimately lead to the failure of some of the industry’s budding players. The Ottawa-based firm has opted for a channel sales model and has convinced some ISPs to do the grunt work of building a network. The channel sales model takes some of the risk out of the equation as it provides the Wi-Fi operator with a revenue stream while it builds out its network, as opposed to the direct sales model where the capital expenditures are made prior to revenue generation, explains Tom Camps, president and CEO of BOLDstreet. The...

NL Update

telecom | 07/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Review and vary filed over local calling areasWest Coast Teltech Ltd. and A&A Call Link Telesolutions Ltd. have filed a review and vary application over two CRTC decisions on expanding local calling areas. The commission established a new framework for amalgamated cities in Telecom Decision 2002-56 (NL, Sept. 23/02). It imposed a three-year term for foregone toll revenue in Telecom Decision 2003-27 (NL, May...

Telcos and consumers herald bill of rights but some say more changes are needed

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC's call for a consumer bill of rights (CBOR) is meeting with approval from all sides of the debate. But some still see the move as only the first step in an ongoing process.The commission released Telecom Public Notice 2003-6 in mid-June (NL, June 16/03). The proceeding, which evolved from last year's price...

Allstream promises business as usual following name change from AT&T Canada

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

One of the country's major CLECs is operating under a new name but does not plan any major changes to its basic business strategy. AT&T Canada has changed its moniker to Allstream Corp., effective immediately. Because of contractual problems with AT&T Corp. in the United States, the Canadian company had to come...

Heritage committee recommendations come under fire from telecom sector

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Reaction to the massive report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is mixed at best. People in and around the telecom sector are not in agreement with many of the study's key recommendations.While an earlier report from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and...

Canada still in top 10 for Digital Subscriber Line penetration in international survey

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canada remains in the top 10 nations when it comes to DSL penetration, recently released figures show. Although cable modems remain popular, the main competing technology is holding its own.Earlier this month, Tom Starr, president of the international DSL Forum, issued the results of a global study conducted by Point Topic, a British industry analysis company. The study notes that as of the end of the first quarter of 2003, DSL was the dominant high-speed Internet access technology worldwide, favoured by 56% of broadband subscribers, followed by cable at 38% and Gigabit Ethernet at 4.7%. Globally, DSL accounted for 23.3 million lines, with 15.8 million using cable. The situation in North...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

CRTC opens up MDU market to local telco competitionIn Telecom Decision 2003-45, the CRTC is providing access to multi-dwelling units (MDUs) to all local service providers. Among the provisions of the 31-page ruling is the prohibition of exclusive arrangements between telcos and building owners. Supreme Court rules against Bell Canada in pay equity fightThe Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed with costs an appeal...

NL People

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Terry Mosey has been appointed chair of the board of Northwestel. He was recently named president, customer operations at Bell Canada after serving as president of Bell Ontario (NL, May 20/03). Paul Flaherty, president of Northwestel, adds the title of CEO at the BCE Inc. property. Joe Natale has been named president of Telus client solutions and executive VP of Telus Corp. He is a veteran of BearingPoint Inc. (the...

Communications at a Crossroads: Foreign Ownership and Sovereignty

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

The battle over foreign ownership has begun. In April 2003, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology released its report Opening Canadian Communications to the World and recommended that existing foreign ownership restrictions be lifted for telecommunications carriers and broadcasting...

NL Editorial

telecom | 07/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. One of the advantages of having a commentary section in this newsletter is the ability to gain other insights into vital issues. Chris Taylor has done us all a favour with his Newsmakers column in this edition. In all the discussion of foreign ownership, little attention has been paid to...

RoW Update

telecom | 06/30/2003 4:00 am EDT

$35-million digital service expansion on tap by AliantAliant Mobility will invest $35 million to expand digital wireless service across Atlantic Canada through the second half of 2003, the company announced. Dozens of centres across Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia are set to receive the upgrade. Calgary’s Wireless City initiative unveils Wi-Fi deploymentThe...

RoW People

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has made three key appointments. Michael Raymont has been appointed VP of technology and industry support. Peter Hackett, formerly VP research and technology development, is now in charge of the life sciences and information technology portfolio. Andrew Reddick, formerly of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, has joined the NRC’s Institute of Information Technology. He has...

Communications at a Crossroads: Foreign Ownership and Sovereignty

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

RoW Editorial

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Transport Canada’s consultation process to seek solutions to the growing problem of driver distraction from an increased use of a variety of telematics devices is one that should be both lauded and viewed with a certain level of skepticism, especially when the department tries to link cell phone use...

NL Update

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

Aliant to keep xwave subsidiaryAliant Inc. has reversed its earlier decision and will now retain its xwave division. The company announced last January that it wanted to sell the company but now says it has been unable to find a buyer who meets all the requirements. Some suppliers were worried about the effect of an xwave sale on them (NL, Feb. 10/03). Cybersurf demands access to Shaw systemsCalgary ISP Cybersurf Corp. has filed a Part VII application with the CRTC, demanding third-party access to Shaw Cablesystems’ Internet service. The company maintains Shaw said at the end of March that it would not be able to fulfill the obligations of a Third Party Access agreement signed late last year. Cybersurf is requesting expedited relief.TWU membership approves new strike vote mechanismMembers of the Telecommunications Workers Union have approved a change to the union’s constitution on strike votes. In the future a strike will be permitted if 50% plus one of the membership votes in favour. Under the old rules, a two-thirds vote was...

Microcell unlikely to survive to the end of 2005, according to research brief

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is unlikely to survive until the end of 2005, indicates a recently released RBC Capital Markets research brief, obtained by Report on Wireless. RBC restarted coverage of Microcell after the wireless operator emerged from Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act protection last month. The...

Transport Canada looks to regulate telematics devices; CWTA raises concerns

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

Cell phones aren’t telematics devices and shouldn’t be treated as such in Transport Canada’s new consultation process on driver distractions, says Canadian Wireless Telcommunications Association (CWTA) head Peter Barnes. Barnes, president and CEO of the wireless lobby, says he’s disappointed that Ottawa would try to...

Four-player wireless market viable, new report from Lemay Yates says

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

A four-player mobile wireless market in Canada is viable, will actually boost subscriber additions and minutes of use and potentially improve revenue for all carriers, says a new report from telecommunications consulting firm Lemay Yates commissioned by Microcell Telecommunications Inc. The case for four mobile operators in...

Infowave brings client-side capabilities in-house, increasing value proposition

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

The acquisition of HiddenMind Technology LLC will help Vancouver-based Infowave Software Inc. respond to market demand for customer-side application development and support as part of a broader wireless product offering, says one of the company’s senior executives. The wireless data application development firm announced...

Week two at ITU conference begins early

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

Discussions for week two of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) got off to an early start as delegates worked throughout the weekend. The agenda at WRC-03 includes an unprecedented 48 agenda items and 2,500 individual proposals. The following is a run down of progress made during week two of the international conference that may have a direct impact on Canadian spectrum policies in the future: Equitable access to satellite orbit and frequencies: the issue at WRC-03 will revolve around satellite regulation, originally put in place in the 1970s and 1980s, to strike a balance between orbit use when needed and guaranteed access to all countries for future use. New aeronautical services: the growing compatibility need between aeronautical and broadcasting services in a...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 06/23/2003 4:00 am EDT

Rogers Wireless debuts new "blue" BlackBerryRogers Wireless Inc. has announced commercial availability of the new BlackBerry 6210. The device mirrors other BlackBerry devices supporting email and organizer applications as well as voice. The only difference is that it’s blue in colour. The BlackBerry 6210 costs $449 when subscribers sign up for a two-year service agreement. In other Rogers Wireless news, the...

NL Special Update

telecom | 06/18/2003 4:00 am EDT

Allstream new moniker for AT&T Canada AT&T Canada Corp. will relaunch under the name Allstream Inc., the CLEC announced today. Under the terms of its disengagement from AT&T Corp. in the United States, the Canadian CLEC had until September 9 to change its name. Vice-chair/CEO John McLennan told analysts the company decided to be proactive and promote the new title earlier than necessary.Other...

Taxes and other charges reason American telephone prices higher than in Canada

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canadians pay less for wireline telecommunications than Americans do, a new study indicates, confirming the widely held belief that Canada has some of the lowest priced communications services in the world. But the report notes that while that is good news for consumers, it puts added pressure on the telcos in this...

Telecom good market for City of Ottawa as utel exceeds initial expectations

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

The demand for broadband has proven to be a goldmine for one utel. Less than two years after its launch, Telecom Ottawa has expanded its network and is acting as a carrier’s carrier for some major players. The telecommunications division of Hydro Ottawa currently has a grid of 400 km, up from its initial 170 km...

Primus Canada exploring local residential market in partnership with FCI Broadband

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

One of Canada’s long distance telephone resellers is dipping its toe in the waters to see if the move to local service is the logical next step. Primus Tele-communications Canada Inc. has begun sending out advertising pamphlets to people north of Toronto seeing if they are interested in receiving local...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

CRTC calls for comments on consumer bill of rightsFollowing up on a promise it made in Telecom Decision 2002-34, the CRTC is seeking comments on the establishment of a consumer bill of rights (CBOR). The CBOR will apply to regulated telecom services offered by ILECs. According to Telecom Public Notice 2003-6, all submissions should be sent by Jan. 21, 2004. Vidéotron wins access to Toronto buildingsVidéotron...

NL People

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

Harry Connors is retiring as VP public affairs at Aliant Inc. He tells Network Letter that after June 30 he will become "a man of leisure and golf, which I hope are synonymous." His replacement is Robyn Tingley, currently director of public affairs. Miriam Tuerk is the new president of ebusiness solutions at BCE Emergis. A five-year veteran of the company, she had been acting as president since December...

Americans follow new framework for broadband deployment: FCC’s Martin

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

The Federal Communications Commission has unveiled a new structure for the rollout of broadband. FCC commissioner Kevin Martin explained these new rules at a speech at the Supercomm convention in Atlanta GA on June 3. An edited version of his remarks appears here. His full remarks can be found here. I have long...

NL Editorial

telecom | 06/16/2003 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 other shoe has finally dropped. The Heritage committee’s report acted as expected on the subject of foreign investment. What was surprising was its recommendations on the CRTC and the department of communications. For several months now, many stakeholders have realized that changes should be made to the regulator. The Canadian Cable Television Association presented a paper that recommended cutting the number of commissioners (NL, Feb. 26/02). Rumours around the capital suggest CRTC chair Charles Dalfen is amenable to reducing the size of the commission. Comparisons are made with the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. It has responsibility for more aspects of communications than does the CRTC. Yet, it goes about its tasks with only five commissioners, as opposed to the baker’s dozen in Canada. Also intriguing is the committee recommendation about working in regulated sectors. This will...

RoW Update

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

Microcell not ruling out merger with another telecom firmReports surfaced last week that Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is in talks with Call-Net Enterprises Inc.’s Sprint Canada. According to a Toronto Star article, the two companies are in discussions over a potential resale agreement, which would allow Sprint to resell Fido-branded mobile wireless services. André Tremblay, president and CEO of Microcell,...

Heritage committee recommends leaner CRTC, a new DoC, no foreign ownership

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC could become a much smaller body reporting to a reconstituted Department of Communications if recommendations of a Parliamentary committee studying broadcasting are heeded. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage included these suggestions in its massive look at the broadcasting sector in...

AOL Canada preparing to roll out broadband in eastern Canada

telecom | 06/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

One of the world’s major Internet service providers is about to take the next step and broaden its provisioning of broadband in this country. AOL Canada Inc., which already provides commercial broadband in British Columbia and Alberta, will soon roll it out in the rest of the country. Company president/CEO...

NL Special Update

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

RoW Special Edition Update

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Heritage committee calls for creation of single department of communications The House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has made dozens of broad-ranging recommendations to strengthen Canada’s broadcasting system which, if implemented, would result in greater and more stable funding provided to the industry, as well as a massive overhaul of the responsible bureaucracy.The committee tabled a report in Parliament today following a two-year study of the Canadian broadcasting system. Among its 97 recommendations, Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting proposes the consolidation of the Telecommunications Act, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Act and the Broadcasting Act into a single piece of legislation under the oversight of a new department of communications. This is similar to a recommendation made by the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology when it recently studied foreign investment in the telecommunications sector.The committee has also made...

Wireless content development faces many challenges, wireless conference told

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Wireless data services and content are expected to help wireless operators improve sagging average revenue per user (ARPU) numbers, but before that becomes a reality there are several relationship issues that need to be resolved. Offering wireless content, therefore, faces an uphill battle as providers fight against mobile...

Wirelessly enabling enterprises difficult, but possible, panelists say at conference

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

The adoption of mobile wireless technologies within the enterprise is generally proceeding at a snail’s pace, but panelists at a conference late last month in Calgary said that despite implementation and deployment difficulties it is possible. Representatives from Colligo Networks, Sonic Mobility and Infowave Software...

Wireless network proliferation brings security issues to the forefront

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

The need to provide secure access to corporate networks for mobile workers is increasingly becoming a key issue for enterprise IT departments as access to internal networks proliferates through the use of various wireless technologies. This was one of the key messages from panelists of the Wireless Insecurities: Myths and...

Bell Canada and partners criticize Telus Communications appeal to Cabinet

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada, Aliant Telecom Inc. and MTS Communications Inc. are criticizing parts of a Telus Communications Inc. appeal to the Governor in Council over proposed rate adjustments that could dramatically increase the amount of money carriers have to pay into the national contribution pool. The criticism echoes comments made...

CRTC rules that Bell and affiliates have no right to share customer information

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada is surprised that it will not be allowed to share subscriber information among its various Bell-branded affiliate companies such as Bell Mobility, Sympatico and Bell ExpressVu LP. On May 30, the CRTC issued Telecom Decision 2003-33, ruling that implicit consent is not sufficient to open up customer information...

Wavesat Wireless leading charge for deployment of 802.16a equipment

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Montreal-based fabless semiconductor company Wavesat Wireless Inc. believes that its next chip, based on the recently ratified 802.16a standard and slated for release later this year, can help the diffusion of broadband wireless access into the market. Michel Guay, president and CEO of Wavesat, told a crowd at Skypoint...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

CRTC releases telecommunications fees for 2003/2004The CRTC has announced that it will collect $22.83 million in telecommunications fees for the 2003-2004 fiscal year from Canadian carriers based on an aggregate of telecommunications revenue of $20.886 billion. The fees for this period also include an adjustment of $1.05 million for 2002/2003. This level pales in comparison to the level wireless operators have to pay in...

RoW People

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Wi-LAN Inc. has promoted Greg Masuda from director of operations to VP of operations, and Shawn Taylor from chief scientist to VP of technology. Barb Richardson, principal and director of SpringBank TechVentures, has resigned from the board of directors of Infowave Software Inc. George Reznik, Infowave’s CFO, has been appointed to the board. Cygnal Technologies Corp. has appointed David Horsley senior VP and...

Creating the right regulatory environment for the wireless market

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

Federal Communications Commission commissioner Kathleen Abernathy addressed a board meeting of the 3G Americas on June 3. She talked about the strides the FCC is making to implement spectrum policies that are more market driven. Below is an excerpt of her address. The full speech can be found here. I would like to take some time to share with you my thoughts on the FCC’s role in creating a flexible and market-based regulatory environment that provides you the opportunity to be responsive to consumer needs through the development and deployment of innovative services and technologies. I happen to agree with the voice in the movie, Field of Dreams that said, "if you build it,...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 06/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Rumours surrounding the death of 3G have been greatly exaggerated, according to one of the world’s foremost experts on 3G services. Tomi Ahonen, author and 3G strategy consultant, told delegates at the Wireless Connections 2003 conference in Calgary on May 29 that 3G deployments in many parts of...

NL Update

telecom | 06/09/2003 4:00 am EDT

FCI uses Alcatel FTTU equipmentFCI Broadband, a division of CLEC Futureway Communications Inc., will deploy Alcatel’s fibre-to-the-user (FTTU) product on its network. The equipment will permit FCI to provide customers with voice, data and TV service. This is the first FTTU contract Alcatel has signed in Canada.Group Telecom signs deals with Newfoundland schoolsGroup Telecom has inked deals with Memorial University of...

RoW Update

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

CRTC rules on confidentiality provisionsThe CRTC has ruled that implied consent is not an appropriate type of consent for the disclosure of confidential customer information, but found that Canadian telecommunications carriers can use other forms of consent beyond the current written consent requirement. In Telecom Decision 2003-33, released late last week, the commission found that oral consent confirmed by a third party...

Call-Net asks CRTC for major overhaul of local competition regulations

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

The only major CLEC that provides residential telephone service is asking the CRTC to shake up the system in order to provide more competition. Call-Net Enterprises Inc. cites several government sources to bolster its claims that more needs to be done to open up the market. Its May 29 Part VII application begins...

Bell and affiliates have no right to share customer information, CRTC rules

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada has lost a battle to share information about its subscribers among its communications divisions. The CRTC brought the lengthy debate to an end when it issued Telecom Decision 2003-33 late last week. “We’re pretty disappointed that after more than two and half years of deliberation the commission has decided to turn down what we thought was a fairly circumscribed application,” Sheridan Scott, Bell’s chief regulatory officer, tells Network Letter. “Our application was based on synergies we have with customers who could be better served if we were able to make use of the information we have about those customers from 100% Bell-branded affiliates.” The...

All sectors must work together on broadband deployment, governments say

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Public sector involvement in the deployment of broadband is necessary, but only as a complement to the work being done by the private sector. Two civil servants, representing different levels of government, stressed that point at the Smart City Summit in Ottawa at the end of April. Ross MacLeod, director general...

City of Toronto wants to set up 311 code to complement current 211 system

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Even as one dialing code makes its slow rollout across the nation, Canada’s largest city is exploring the possibility of offering an abbreviated code that would handle municipal services exclusively. Even if CRTC approval could be obtained quickly, the full service would not be up and running for a year or...

Telus contribution proposal would be too costly, Bell Canada tells Cabinet

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s two largest ILECs are at odds when it comes to paying for revenue shortfalls through the national subsidy fund. Resolving that dispute will be an issue facing Cabinet ministers as they sift through an appeal of a CRTC ruling. Last January, Telus Communications Inc. filed a Cabinet appeal over Telecom...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Telus director denies insider-trading chargesAllegations of insider trading are being denied by Vancouver businessman Iain Harris. Harris, who sits on the board of Telus Corp., has been accused by the Alberta Securities Commission of using inside information in the purchase of shares of Newton Petroleum Corp. Speed bumps still exist in telecom road, Nortel saysNortel Networks Corp.’s CEO Frank Dunn says the...

NL People

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

Roch Dubé is the new president/CEO of Bell Nordiq Group Inc. He has been senior VP at Bell Canada, president at Aliant Telecom, and president/CEO of Connexim. He succeeds Isabelle Courville, who is now president of the enterprise division of Bell (NL, May 20/03). Brian Thompson, director of business development for Aliant Telecom, has joined the advisory board of the Atlantic Innovation Fund. Joining him on...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 06/02/2003 4:00 am EDT

FCC travel underwritten by regulated industriesOfficials from the Federal Communications Commission have taken 2,500 business trips paid for by the telecom and media companies the American agency regulates. A new study by the Center for Public Integrity found groups like the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association and the Telecommunications Industry Association...

NL Editorial

telecom | 06/02/2003 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 CRTC is going to be one busy little agency in the months to come. Not only has Call-Net Enterprises Inc. filed its “killer application” to shake up the competition rules, but now Rogers Communications Inc. is threatening to ask the commission to strip the ILECs of their power to bundle...

Carriers struggle to find ways to increase ARPU despite jump in minutes of use

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canada's wireless carriers are struggling to find ways to translate a significant jump in the average monthly minutes of use (MOU) into improved average revenue per user (ARPU). That is one of the key findings of a May 20 Yankee Group audio conference that compared Canadian operators to their counterparts south of...

TrueContext aims to make enterprise content more accessible to mobile workers

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Ottawa-based start-up TrueContext Inc. sees an enormous opportunity in easing the use and management of enterprise applications and content by mobile workers, and the company recently won a major boost when it received an injection of cash from CANARIE Inc. Earlier this month, the company, funded in part by Skypoint Capital, received $1.5 million from the not-for-profit corporation. TrueContext CEO Alvaro Pombo tells Report on Wireless that the funding from CANARIE will be used to develop a new iteration of the company's mExperience software collaboration platform for the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market. The money will be divided between R&D and...

Telecom Ottawa deploying high-capacity wireless technology to expand network

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Telecom Ottawa Ltd. is aggressively expanding the reach of its broadband communications network to rural and remote communities throughout eastern Ontario with the use of high-capacity wireless technology. Since inking an agreement with DragonWave Inc. last year ( RoW Update, Dec. 16/02), the city's broadband utility...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Ontario man arrested with illegal satellite equipmentThe RCMP, with assistance from Industry Canada, has arrested Terry Belanger of James St. in Mattawa ON and charged him with several counts under the Radiocommunication Act and the Criminal Code of Canada. The RCMP seized several pieces of equipment traditionally used to reprogram access cards used to illegally obtain U.S. satellite signals. Airborne launches more...

RoW People

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Former Wavesat Wireless Inc. chief executive Mark Holleran has been appointed VP of sales at Xplore Technologies Corp. Holleran will lead the sales initiatives of the company's iX104 family of rugged mobile computing systems, which was recently commercially released. Holleran has more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience having spent more than 16 years at Digital Equipment Corp. The New Media...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Verizon Wireless announces end of CDPD wireless networkVerizon Wireless has quietly announced the end of its CDPD wireless data network. The U.S.-based wireless operator will officially shut the network down at the end of 2005, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Verizon customers will be migrated to the...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. There continues to be signs that Canada's mobile wireless operators are offering deep discounts for airtime packages including handsets, a trend that should raise red flags that price is still the primary marketing tool in the market. Just last week, a Rogers AT&T Wireless representative was on The Shopping Channel peddling a handset, car kit, hands-free device and airtime for about $135. Not to single Rogers out, Telus Mobility was offering half-price airtime packages at a retail outlet in downtown Ottawa last week. Analysts are saying that Microcell has returned to its roots and is once again offering large minute bundles for a low price, a practice it used to substantially grow its subscriber base in the early days, but also a model that ultimately forced it to restructure. It's unclear why the operators are employing these marketing tactics while they're telling analysts and...

Canadian mobile service prices nearly identical to those in the U.S., study finds

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canadian wireless operators can no longer claim lower prices than those of their American counterparts, says a new report on telephone service pricing, and the low cost of wireline service here may even be slowing wireless-only adoption rates. According to Communications Pricing for Consumers: A Cross-National Survey,...

Microcell wins right to opt out of new subsidy regime for expanded LCAs

telecom | 05/27/2003 4:00 am EDT

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is cheering a CRTC decision allowing it to opt out of the controversial plan to compensate long distance service providers for lost revenue from expanded local calling areas (LCAs). In Telecom Decision 2003-28, the CRTC ruled that it had made incorrect assumptions about the ability of a...

NL Update

telecom | 05/26/2003 4:00 am EDT

Aliant invests $30 million in broadband networkAliant Inc. has announced plans to spend $30 million to upgrade its broadband network in Atlantic Canada. The company wants to expand its coverage in all four Atlantic provinces. It hopes to have thousands of additional subscribers to its DSL service once deployment is completed.Telus and TWU agree on surplus workers in B.C.Telus Corp. and the Telecommunications Workers Union...

Bell Canada restructuring seen as first move in long-term evolution, possible end of BCE

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

A reorganization of the corporate structure at Bell Canada is being downplayed as a simple housecleaning, but signs indicate that greater changes will be forthcoming. BCE Inc. announced earlier this month that it was streamlining its executive branch, effective June 1 (NL Update, May 12/03). The...

Bell Canada restructuring seen as first move in long-term evolution, possible end of BCE

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

Utilities big winners as Supreme Court dismisses CCTA appeal on pole access

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

Cable companies intend to seek a change to the Telecommunications Act after losing an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada over access to utility company poles. By a 6-1 vote, the justices decided to let a Federal Court of Appeal decision stand (NL Update, May 16/03).In 2001, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that the CRTC...

Internet must be harnessed to improve political process, MPs tell conference

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

The Internet could well change the way politics is practised in this country. But political will needs to be exercised with caution to ensure that unelected officials do not usurp power, a conference in Ottawa earlier this month was told.The Crossing Boundaries conference was a follow-up to a report released by the Centre...

CRTC sets three-year term for foregone toll revenue compensation regime

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC has finally set up a time frame for compensating telcos for foregone toll revenues resulting from an expanded local calling area. After proceedings that began last fall, the commission has determined that the regime will be equal to three years' worth of foregone revenues.The matter arose when the regulator...

Growing demand for bandwidth, DSL subscriptions lead to equipment upgrade

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

One of the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturers has upgraded its DSL equipment due to an explosion in demand for high-speed Internet access services. On May 19, Alcatel released the 7301 advanced services access manager (ASAM).Jay Fausch, senior director of marketing for the company's fixed networking division, explains the new platform can process 30 times as much bandwidth as the previous model. In addition, it can handle up to 10,000 users, five times the previous capacity. The soaring demand for bandwidth is one of the primary reasons telcos need the improved equipment. Fausch is amazed at how subscriber numbers have grown since 1999. "Going...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

Aliant Inc. reports better numbers in FY 2002Aliant Inc. reported a 1.1% increase in revenues in its 2002 annual report. Revenues were $2.63 billion, up from $2.6 billion in 2001. Common share dividends were $1.00, up a dime from 2001's $0.90. Earnings per common share was $1.21, up from $1.18 a year earlier. Nortel delivers voice, multimedia servicesNortel Networks Corp. has introduced several improvements to...

NL People

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

As part of the reorganization of BCE and Bell Canada, Pierre Blouin has been named group president-consumer markets at Bell. His position as CEO of BCE Emergis has been taken over by Tony Gaffney, former president/CEO of Bell Nexxia. The former president of Bell Canada, John Sheridan, is now group president for business markets. His job at Bell has been eliminated. Reporting to him will be Karen Sheriff, the ex-chief...

It’s time to make quality of service a priority, Telecom Workers Union says

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

In early April, the CRTC announced that it was going to respond to Canadian phone companies' failure to comply with regulatory decisions and the Telecommunications Act. Observing that this failure had occurred repeatedly, the CRTC commented that in overseeing telephone companies' competitive behaviour it was...

NL Editorial

telecom | 05/20/2003 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 long march to electronic democracy is becoming easier, but it is not without its potholes. The recent Crossing Boundaries conference showed how adoption of the Internet into governance could radically change our Parliamentary system. Several of the speakers cautioned that public servants...

RoW Update

telecom | 05/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

UBS acquires right to use Inukshuk spectrumUnique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) has obtained the exclusive right to use 36 MHz of spectrum in the 2500 MHz frequency range held by Inukshuk Inc. Subject to regulatory approval, UBS will gain the rights to spectrum in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. UBS Wireless Services Inc., a subsidiary of the Concord ON-based company, will initially provide high-speed wireless Internet access in those four provinces. “With our technology and the exclusive right to this use this spectrum, we can provide an affordable alternative where services are currently offered by other providers and fill any voids in the underserved markets with a cost-effective service offering,” UBS chair and CEO Gerald McGoey said in a news release. UBS appears to be expanding rapidly into the service provision business following its purchase of a 20% stake in struggling wireless Internet and cable provider Look Communications Inc. earlier this year (RoW, Jan. 20/03). Jamdat acquires Hexacto GamesJamdat Mobile...

NL Special Update

telecom | 05/16/2003 4:00 am EDT

Supreme Court dismisses CCTA appeal on pole access The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) has lost its Supreme Court bid to overturn a lower court ruling that set aside a CRTC decision giving cable companies access to utility poles at a rate far less than that demanded by electric and other utility companies. In a ruling in the Barrie Public Utilities v. Canadian Cable Television Assn. case announced today, a...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Microcell Telecommunications Inc. isn't bowing to pressure from the country's other national mobile wireless providers to squeeze more out of new subscribers on post-paid airtime packages, despite losing approximately 40,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2003. Faced with slowing...

Messaging ranks as most used wireless Internet application: Decima survey

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Email is the most popular wireless Internet application used by Canadians via cell phones or other handheld devices. That is one of the key findings of a soon-to-be-released report prepared by Decima Publishing Inc. and Decima Research Inc. on the attitudes and usage habits of adult handheld wireless device users....

Telcos, mobile wireless operators divided on timeline for foreign ownership changes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Pressure is mounting from some quarters in the telecommunications industry to implement a Parliamentary committee's recommendations to dismantle Canada's foreign ownership rules for telcos and cablecos, but other players are advocating a go-slow approach. On April 28, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science...

Investment opportunity for VCs is good, but valuations much lower

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

The next two years should see a prime investment environment for emerging wireless companies seeking an infusion of venture capital, but they shouldn't expect to get the enormous valuations of the past. Nor should they expect the money to flow in as easily. That is the consensus of two of Canada's smaller venture...

Future of Wi-Fi seems bright, but technical problems lie ahead, conference told

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Whotspot trademark application filed Terry Fagen of 103 rue Silverbirch in Dollard-des-ormeaux QC has applied for a trademark covering "WHOTSPOT:: CONNECT.ANYTIME.ANYWHERE." The application was made by a federally incorporated company, 3940748 Canada Inc. Fagen would not provide further information regarding his plans for the use of the trademark when contacted by Report on Wireless. "Unfortunately, I...

RoW People

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Rogers Wireless Inc. and Motorola Canada crowned Canada's first wireless gaming champions two weeks ago. Andrea Zurawics of Edmonton took home the honours and a $6,000 prize for answering 77 entertainment trivia questions via SMS. The other regional winners are Jackson Lee of Vancouver; Jeffrey Walker of Regina; Nevena Djordjevic of Mississauga ON; Mike Fallone of Oakville ON; Ilan Saul of Montreal; and Alexandria...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

CTIA threatens FCC over wireless LNPThe Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) has given the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approximately three months to resolve a myriad of issues surrounding wireless local number portability (LNP). The FCC has mandated full wireless LNP by Nov. 24, 2003. If the contentious issue isn't resolved around September 1, the CTIA plans to file a stay of LNP implementation. There's a laundry list of issues that need to be resolved by the FCC or it will face market chaos, CTIA president and CEO Thomas Wheeler said. If these issues aren't taken care of, consumers will have no idea what to expect or how the system works. In the meantime, the CTIA is waiting for a decision from an appeals court on whether the FCC has the statutory basis to apply the rules to wireless operators. A ruling is expected in June. DreamQuest releases Cribbage for handheld devicesDreamQuest Software has introduced Championship Cribbage Pro, a cross-platform game, which users can play on a...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Messaging ranks as most used wireless Internet application: Decima survey

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Telcos, mobile wireless operators divided on timeline for foreign ownership changes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Investment opportunity for VCs is good, but valuations much lower

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

Future of Wi-Fi seems bright, but technical problems lie ahead, conference told

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

The ability of Wi-Fi operators to succeed in the long term has been the subject of considerable debate over the past several months, but one wireless industry executive believes they can be successful. Ken Davison, VP marketing at DragonWave Inc., told delegates at the Ottawa Wireless Cluster breakout session at the Smart City Summit in Ottawa on April 30 that advances in technology and the emergence of a new vertical market will go a long way toward ensuring success of these fledgling service providers. The deployment and use of public wireless local area networks (LANs) or hotspots is now well entrenched in certain isolated areas like airports, hotels, conference centres and train...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

RoW People

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 05/13/2003 4:00 am EDT

NL Update

telecom | 05/12/2003 4:00 am EDT

BCE reorganizes Bell CanadaBCE Inc. has shuffled top executives, eliminated some positions and created three main divisions for Bell Canada. Under the reorganization, Bell Ontario and Bell Quebec disappear as separate units. There will be a consumer markets division, a business markets division, and a systems and technology division. The company also announced that a $1-billion lawsuit filed by Bell Canada International...

Telcos hail foreign ownership recommendations from House of Commons committee

telecom | 05/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

Reaction to the recommendations of a Parliamentary committee advocating liberalizing telecom investment rules has been overwhelmingly positive. Incumbents and competitors alike are heralding the removal of foreign ownership restrictions. On April 28, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science...

Telcos and other carriers report improved results in first quarter of 2003

telecom | 05/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

Last week, three ILECs, a CLEC and two other carriers reported their first-quarter financial numbers. Results were generally upbeat. Telus Corp. Telus reported stronger than expected earnings for Q1 2003. Revenues were $1.7 billion, up 2.5% from 2002’s $1.6 billion. EBITDA shot up 13.8% to $670.8 million,...

Government must show leadership on foreign investment changes, all sides agree

telecom | 05/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

All sides in the debate on foreign ownership limits in the telecom sector hope the government has the political will to follow through on the recommendations of a Parliamentary committee. The wide-ranging suggestions could result in a massive overhaul of the current investment and regulatory regimes in...

Equipment manufacturer looks to make switching as easy as home computing

telecom | 05/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

The demand for new voice services has spurred a tiny equipment company from Gatineau QC to devise a softswitch that helps service providers upgrade their networks with relative ease. While concentrating on application service providers right now, Versatel Networks Inc. expects to move into conferencing and PBXs...

SaskTel wants telcos without competition exempted from promotions ban

telecom | 05/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

The smallest of the major ILECs thinks the CRTC should give it a pass from considerations of winbacks and other promotions. It’s hard to argue that such campaigns limit competition when there is no competition in its operating territory to begin with, SaskTel asserts. The provincial telco filed a review and vary application with the commission on April 14 seeking changes to Telecom Public Notice 2003-1-1, which began the CRTC review process (NL Update, Mar. 17/03). SaskTel wants a waiver for itself and other firms that do not face local competition. “ILEC promotions in areas where there is no facilities-based local competitor or where facilities-based competitive entry is...