NL Editorial

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. It is difficult to forge a government’s budget, as Finance minister John Manley can attest. Many different interests and options present themselves and must be addressed or dismissed. Some are economic, some are social, some are political. How much can spending be increased? How much can be used to...

RoW Update

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

Foreign ownership hearings continue as unions, university professor clashParliamentary hearings surrounding the review of Canada’s current rules governing foreign ownership limits in the telecom sector continued last week as a coalition of unions opposed to changes in the rules went head-to-head with a McGill University professor advocating a tiered approach to foreign investment. In what was at times a heated exchange,...

BCE proposes raising foreign ownership limits to 49% of holding companies

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 Communications giant BCE Inc. didn’t surprise anyone when its chief executive came out for limited liberalization of foreign investment limits in the telecom sector before the Parliamentary committee studying the contentious issue. The testimony of BCE president/CEO Michael Sabia before the House of Commons Standing...

Vidéotron seeks $25 million in damages from two Toronto property firms

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 Vidéotron Télécom ltée (VTL) is suing two Toronto property managers for charging fees to access their buildings and is seeking $25 million in damages. The Quebecor Media Inc. subsidiary filed the claim two weeks ago against Oxford Properties and Cadillac Fairview Corp.  The issue arises out of the purchase of...

Capital spending continues to decline with relief still distant: IDC report

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 The amount Canadian telecom companies spend on capital expenditures continues to fall, according to a report by two Toronto analysts, and all projections for the short term suggest things will not get better for a few years yet. The IDC Canada report, titled Telecom’s Continuing Chill: Canadian 2003 Capital Spending Outlook, is the third annual examination of capex outlay. While authors Lawrence Surtees and Warren Chaisatien warn about continued decreases in capital spending, their analysis is not as dire as their 2002 study. Last year’s study, titled Telecom’s Nuclear Winter, was a more ominous description than the chill illustrated in this year’s report (NL, Feb....

Global experience bodes well for open telecom market, committee told

telecom | 02/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 If the international experience is anything to go by, Canada should not fear opening up its telecommunications market to foreign ownership. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology heard testimony from European witnesses who said the easing of rules on the continent proved beneficial...

Mobile Satellite Ventures starts terrestrial build of satellite network after FCC decision

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Mobile Satellite Ventures LP (MSV) is already in the preliminary stages of building an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) to its satellite network following the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision last month to grant mobile satellite service (MSS) operators the right to do so...

Primus Canada primes for greater competition with WSPs on LD front

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Competition in the Canadian wireless long distance (LD) services market is heating up as Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. has unveiled a new offering that promises to provide business users savings of between 25% and 50% over their current wireless long distance (LD) charges. Introduced last week, the Wireless Access...

Hearings on foreign ownership continue as telcos, broadcasters state their cases

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Testimony to the Parliamentary committee studying the possibility of changing foreign investment restrictions in the telecom sector shifted gears in the last two weeks as ILECs and CLECs alike told the committee that removing foreign ownership restrictions isn’t a high priority. A noted telecom law professor, however,...

Independent consultant criticizes Industry Canada over tower site selection policies

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

A retired University of Victoria professor has rapped Industry Canada’s knuckles for not proactively promoting public consultations on antenna tower site selection procedures and regulations. The criticism stems from the construction of two controversial broadcast transmission towers on Triangle Mountain, near the City of...

Capital expenditures to continue steep decline this year, according to IDC Canada

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Canada’s telecommunications capital expenditures continues to be mired in a funk as carriers, both wireless and wireline, have slashed capex budgets for a third consecutive year. According to a new study from IDC Canada, the capital spending outlook for telecom operators will remain bleak throughout 2003, reaffirming its...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

BMI divided up, fund re-launched with financingBell Mobility Investments was split up earlier this year, with the company’s equity investment arm being rolled into BCE Venture Capital, while the R&D side has been relaunched as the Bell Mobility R&D Accelerator Fund. Late last year, Ted Maksimowski, head of BMI, decided to leave to pursue other interests (RoW, Jan. 30/03). The latest Bell investment fund is worth...

RoW People

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Carol Stephenson has resigned as president of Lucent Technologies Canada. She had held the position since July 1999. Stephenson will be replaced by Alex Giosa. Two years ago, the Canadian arm of Lucent Technologies Inc. emerged unscathed from the parent company’s significant restructuring south of the border. In January 2001, Stephenson told Report on Wireless that the company was ready to capitalize on a strong 2000...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Sierra Wireless unveils rugged wireless modemRichmond BC-based Sierra Wireless Inc. has introduced a new rugged wireless modem card for the Asian, European and North American marketplaces. Capitalizing on the success of the MP200 in North America, the MP750 lets the company enter the global marketplace with a proven technology, the company notes in a news release. The product is currently on display at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France. Commercial availability of the MP750 is expected by May 2003. The product, tri-band GPRS-enabled, is designed for demanding environments and is well suited for the police, fire and rescue and other field service situations. The MP750 also comes with GPS ports. Digit Wireless joins OMAPDigit Wireless has joined the OMAP Developer Networks, a group leading the change to create exciting applications for mobile devices based on Texas Instruments’ OMAP processor. Digit will help in the development of mobile multimedia devices by providing an enhanced user interface through its Fastap keyboard...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 02/18/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. A retired University of Victoria professor of public policy has called on Industry Canada to take a more proactive approach in promoting public consultations regarding the construction of new and replacement antenna towers in and near suburban communities. Rodney Dobell leveled some harsh criticism at...

NL Update

telecom | 02/17/2003 5:00 am EST

 Johnston calls for removal of foreign ownership limits in telecom sectorDavid Johnston, chair of the former National Broadband Task Force, told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology last week that he favours removal of the foreign investment restrictions for telcos. "While I suggest it should be done early and completely, it may well be this should happen through...

NL Editorial

telecom | 02/10/2003 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 proceedings looking into foreign investment restrictions reveal the sharp learning curve needed to understand all the complexities of this issue. Observers were worried on the opening day when members of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology seemed baffled by the...

RoW Update

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

Focus of foreign ownership hearings shifts Testimony to the Parliamentary committee studying the potential easing of foreign investment restrictions in the telecom sector has shifted from hard talk on access to capital to a discussion on removing red tape. Testimony last week also marked the first time that the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology has heard that broadcast distribution...

Foreign capital just one of several issues facing telecom sector, committee told

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 The lifting of foreign ownership restrictions in the telecommunications sector may prove to be more of a placebo than a panacea, several witnesses have told a Parliamentary committee.  The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology opened hearings into the topic at the end of January and received presentations again last week. "If we were to list the three most urgent areas of attention, for us, as a competitive telco, foreign ownership might – might – come in a distant fourth," Bill Linton, president/CEO of Call-Net Enterprises Inc., told the MPs.  Linton stressed, in person on February 3 and in written submissions, that his...

NATI dreads impact of xwave sale on economy of Newfoundland and Labrador

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 The possible sale of Aliant Inc. subsidiary xwave is raising concerns in Newfoundland that jobs and investment in the area could be lost. The Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technical Industries (NATI) is lobbying the provincial government to ensure the company lives up to obligations it has made over the...

Telus files Cabinet appeal over CRTC contribution and rebanding rulings

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Telus Corp. has proved true to its word and has initiated a Cabinet appeal over separate CRTC decisions on contribution and rebanding. By doing so, it extends a process that began in November 2000 and has continued since. The western-based telco originally filed a review and vary application with the commission...

New Democrats happy with results of online voting experiment

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s first major experiment with Internet voting is being heralded as a success by the political party that organized it and by the company that conducted the election. On January 25, nearly 45,000 voters selected Jack Layton as the new leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Those electors had a...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

360networks completes Group Telecom takeover360networks Corp. has finalized its acquisition of Group Telecom. Under the deal, secured creditors of GT will receive about $250 million in cash.   BCE boosts stake in Sympatico, cuts share of GlobemediaBCE Inc. has regained full control of Sympatico.ca and is transferring it from Bell Globemedia to Bell Canada. It is also reducing its stake in Globemedia from 70% to...

NL People

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

One of the top executives of Telus Corp. is exchanging the mountain air of British Columbia for the hot air of Ottawa. Jim Peters, EVP corporate affairs & general counsel, tells Network Letter he will be moving this spring from the telco’s headquarters in Burnaby to its office in the nation’s capital.  Ian Dale is now VP communications and stakeholder relations for the CPP Investment Board. He previously...

Foreign ownership only one of the major issues facing telecom: Call-Net’s Linton

telecom | 02/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Bill Linton, president/CEO of Call-Net Enterprises Inc., spoke to the House of Commons committee on industry, science and technology on February 3. An edited version of his remarks on changes to the foreign investment rules in the telecom sector appears here.  I predict that our presentation will have a...

Roller coaster January for struggling satcom provider Globalstar

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Globalstar LP and its Canadian counterpart Globalstar Canada endured a turbulent January as the struggling mobile satellite communications provider received a proposed investment that would have kept the company afloat and then had the proposal pulled off the table at the last minute. The roller coaster ride continued last...

Real success stories replace hype of fixed wireless at international conference

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

International fixed wireless operators have banded together to form an Operator’s Working Group within the Wireless Communications Association (WCA). The action was taken at the WCA’s Ninth Annual Technical Symposium in San Jose last month, and it’s hoped the initiative will play a key role in reversing the fortunes...

TeraGo Networks lands another round of financing, continues solid growth

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Wireless data communications provider TeraGo Networks Inc. has scored another injection of cash from its key investors, allowing the company to continue its network build in the Toronto region. This latest round provides the company with another $14 million, bringing total investment in the firm over the last 20 months to $36 million. Some of the company’s key investors include Dolphin Equity Partners, Dynamic Ventures Opportunities Fund, Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and CIT Group. With backing from Dolphin, TeraGo won 70 licences in the 24/38 GHz spectrum auction (RoW, Nov. 29/99). Bryan Boyd, president and CEO of TeraGo, says the latest funding is a real vote of...

SR Telecom adds former COM DEV wireless product line to extensive portfolio

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

SR Telecom Inc. believes it has a better chance of successfully selling and marketing the former M/ERGY product line, originally developed by COM DEV International Ltd., than its previous owner due to the expansive geographic presence of the company. Last month, the Montreal-based wireless equipment manufacturer rounded out...

Craig Wireless acquires Teleglobe interest in Look Communications

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Wireless cable and Internet company Craig Wireless International Inc. appears to have national ambitions as it significantly increased its ownership stake in Look Communications Inc. last month with the purchase of nearly 7.2 million Look shares (RoW, Jan. 20/03). Report on Wireless has learned that Craig bought those...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

724 Solutions shows off MMS interoperabilityToronto-based 724 Solutions and Nokia have demonstrated product interoperability for multimedia messaging service (MMS). The two companies worked on showing the interoperability of 724 Solutions’ X-treme Pull Gateway and X-treme Push Proxy Gateway with Nokia’s MMS solution. 724 Solutions’ gateway products are a flexible infrastructure for advanced messaging, and when...

RoW People

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Contec Innovations has appointed Don Lay VP corporate development. Lay, currently a member of the board of directors, is a principal at One Degree Capital, which has been retained by Contec to provide corporate finance and investor relation services. The agreement between Contec and One Degree Capital is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Lay has held a variety of management, sales and technical positions in the...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Cell phone #1 cause of accidents, according to studyA new study by the California Highway Patrol says that talking on a cell phone while driving is the number one cause of driver-distracted accidents. The study focused exclusively on the connection between cell phone use and accidents in the state. The study revealed that 18% of 9,000 accidents in 2001 were the result of inattention. Cell phone was cited in 891 crashes or approximately 10%. If the results of the study are found to be accurate, it would seem to debunk other studies that have reported cell phone related accidents to be below the 5% range. U.S. operators plan to share network buildSprint PCS and AT&T Wireless have decided to team up to build and share cell phone towers, a move some analysts believe will likely to be replicated by other U.S. wireless operators. Announced late last month, the scope of the agreement goes well beyond anything considered before and will see the two companies share information about where current and future towers exist. This should be a...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Removing foreign ownership limits in the telecommunications industry is unlikely to have a significant direct impact on the rollout of broadband services to rural and remote Canadian communities, the chief executive of one of Canada’s wireless operators told a Parliamentary committee studying the...

Too high cost of capital result of current foreign ownership rules, committee hears

telecom | 02/04/2003 5:00 am EST

Canada’s two new entrant wireless players told members of a Parliamentary committee studying the foreign investment restrictions in the telecom sector that unless they recommend to the minister of Industry that the limits be eliminated, the long-term viability of competitive telecom providers is at risk. The House of...

NL Update

telecom | 02/03/2003 5:00 am EST

 Bell rejecting too many LSRs, Call-Net complainsCall-Net Enterprises Inc. has filed a complaint with the CRTC alleging that Bell Canada is rejecting too many of the CLEC’s local service requests (LSR). The competitor claims the incumbent is refusing LSRs on technicalities, such as a misspelled name or address. The overall effect is to dampen competition, Call-Net maintains. Labour board rules in favour of CEP...

Cable telephony expensive proposition for companies, Yankee Group discovers

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Cable telephony may be feasible, but it may not necessarily be profitable, according to a new study. The most recent report by the Yankee Group examined the efficacy of cablecos providing wireline service and raises several red flags. The analysts compared industry expectations with consumer demand. They found a...

Industry committee begins hearing witnesses

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology has started its hearings into foreign investment limits in the telecom sector (NL, Dec. 16/02). The list of witnesses is gradually being released by the committee clerk. More information may be found here.  Network Letter and other Decima Publishing newsletters will...

Bell Canada to cut 1,700 positions, but union vows to fight for technicians

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada is still uncertain who will be leaving as it begins a round of voluntary layoffs, but the union representing technicians is preparing to battle the telco over potential cuts in other areas. Last month, Bell Canada president/COO John Sheridan told analysts the company would be "streamlining...

Canada catching up with Americans in technology use, new study reports

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Canada is coming into its own as a power in IT, but senior managers may not be able to keep up with the changes. These are two of the major findings in a recently released survey on technology and Canadian business. The third annual Canadian IT Issues Study, conducted by Athabasca University and CIO Canada...

Calgary questions Phase II methodology and demands more data from incumbents

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 The continuing debate over AT&T Canada Corp.’s appeal of the CRTC’s price cap decision is now focusing on Phase II costing and disclosure of information by ILECs. The most recent submission to Cabinet on the appeal is from the City of Calgary, which cautions the politicians not to touch the rate freeze imposed...

American regulators discuss issues familiar to Canadian telecom industry

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 The five members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made their debut in front of a U.S. Senate committee earlier this month and raised several issues that Canadian regulators have been dealing with for years. The commissioners dealt with internal topics like regulation, external matters such as consumer protection and policy items like rollout of services. FCC chair Michael Powell told the committee on commerce, science and transportation of the problems attempting to promote local wireline competition. Soon after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC established an unbundled network element platform (UNE-P). Similar to unbundling rules implemented by...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

Aliant considers putting xwave on the block, replaces presidentIn releasing its FY 2002 results, Aliant Inc. said it was going to focus on the telecom sector and was reviewing whether it will continue to support its xwave subsidiary. The BCE Inc. property also announced senior VP David Rathburn is now in charge of xwave, replacing president/COO Rod Wark, who has left the company.   Broadband funding announced in...

NL People

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

Serge LaPalme is now president of the insurance business services division of CGI. He had been president/CEO of Underwriters Adjustment Bureau, which was recently purchased by CGI (NL, Jan. 13/03).  BCE Inc. has elected three new members to its board of directors. André Bérard is chair of the National Bank of Canada; ex-federal Cabinet minister Ed Lumley is vice-chair of BMO Nesbitt Burns; and Thomas O’Neill is...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

New Yorkers to adopt 11-digit dialing next monthNumber exhaust has hit such a state in New York City that it will begin using 11-digit dialing on February 1. Callers will need to dial 1 plus the area code and the seven-digit number to call anywhere in the area. The move is seen as a precursor to the eventual switch to 12-digit dialing (NL, Feb. 26/01)....

NL Editorial

telecom | 01/28/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.There are certain expressions that seem antiquated these days: antimacassar, wireless telegraphy, dot com millionaire. One wonders if the term "winback" may soon be added to the list.   The CRTC has now suspended winback promotions pending a review of the whole topic. The issue arose...

RoW Update

telecom | 01/27/2003 5:00 am EST

Hearings on foreign ownership in telecommunications firms begin this weekThis week the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology begins hearing arguments on potentially changing the country’s rules governing foreign ownership in telecommunications service providers. On Tuesday, January 28, the following Industry Canada officials are scheduled to appear: Peter Harder, deputy minister; Michael Binder, assistant deputy minister; Larry Shaw, deputy director general; Allan MacGillivray, director; and Pierre-Yves Boivin, economist. On Wednesday, January 29, the following wireless industry representatives are slated to appear: Rogers Wireless Inc. – Francis Fox, president strategic relations; Dawn Hunt, VP government and inter-carrier relations; Microcell Telecommunications Inc. – André Tremblay, president and CEO; and Ericsson Canada Inc. – Lionel Hurtubise, chair. CWTA following Copyright Board hearing on blank media tariffThe Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) is keeping a close...

RoW People

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

Dawn Hunt, VP government and inter-carrier relations at Rogers Wireless Inc., has been elected as chair of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) effective immediately, replacing Ted Maksimowski, former president of Bell Mobility Investments (BMI). She was previously a vice-chair of the CWTA. Hunt’s career spans 25 years in the Canadian telecommunications industry having served with Rogers since...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

Companies team for wireless interoperability workMotorola Inc., Proxim and Avaya have joined forces to develop technology that will enable greater interoperability between varying wireless networks. This could mean that a data download beginning over a wireless network in Starbucks won’t be interrupted when the consumer moves within range of the...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. New research from Decima Research illustrates Canadians’ continued reluctance to support increased foreign ownership in Canadian communications companies. While some believe this public sentiment may present a challenge to proponents of greater foreign involvement in this country’s communications...

NL Update

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

 CRTC to review winback promotionsIn Telecom Public Notice 2003-1, the CRTC has instituted a review of winback promotions by ILECs. Until a final decision is rendered, the commission will not consider any new winback applications. The rules applied to Bell Canada’s DSL service are being extended to the other major incumbents in Telecom Decision 2003-1. AT&T Canada to be rechristenedAT&T Canada Corp....

CWTA to use spectrum licence review to relay message of high fee level

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

The chief lobbyist for Canada’s wireless telecommunications industry plans to use a new consultation on the current spectrum licensing and fee regime to bolster his message that the sector pays too much money in spectrum licence fees. Peter Barnes, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association...

Ban on using handheld cell phones while driving likely limited to Newfoundland

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) doesn’t plan to alter its safe driving education campaign following Newfoundland and Labrador’s passing of a bill banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Passed on December 19, the law will give the province’s police officers the right to levy...

New Microcell strategy focuses on easy customer acquisitions, high growth areas

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has discontinued its wholesale business, scaled back corporate market activities and is now focused almost entirely on the consumer retail market as it fights to survive in the highly competitive wireless telecommunications sector. Earlier this month, the struggling wireless operator...

Wireless industry lobby group urges second lawful access consultation

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) believes the federal government’s current consultation process on lawful access to information and communications is flawed because the consultation document lacks critical information needed to have any meaningful discussion. The flaw, as the CWTA sees it, is...

Canadians continue to oppose foreign control of telcos: Decima survey

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

The percentage of Canadians opposed to foreign control of domestic communications companies including telcos increased over the past 18 months, according to a new survey conducted by Decima Research Inc. for Decima Publishing Inc. The latest research could become a focus of debate when the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology begins its review on foreign ownership restrictions in the telecom sector on January 27. Industry minister Allan Rock announced the review last November (RoW, Nov. 25/02). A telephone survey conducted last month repeated questions from a Decima survey completed in June 2001. The latest research showed that 72% of Canadians are now...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 01/20/2003 5:00 am EST

UBS and Craig take stakes in Look CommunicationsUnique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) and Craig Wireless International have purchased significant ownership stakes in Look Communications Inc. UBS bought a 20% stake in Look for approximately $2.4 million, while Craig purchased about 30% of Look for nearly $2.9 million. UBS and Look had previously tried to complete a deal last year (RoW, Aug. 19/02). Under that deal, UBS was...

Canadians continue to oppose foreign control of telcos, cablecos: Decima survey

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

 The percentage of Canadians opposed to foreign control of domestic communications companies including telcos has increased slightly over the past 18 months, according to a new survey by Decima Research Inc. The latest research indicates that there has been a hardening of attitudes among those opposed. The results take...

Competition Bureau wants staff designated peace officers to help close “boiler rooms”

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

 The Competition Bureau is quietly pushing to have some of its staff designated peace officers, and possibly carry firearms, as part of the current lawful access consultation process, Network Letter has learned. The proposal was unearthed by Bruce Graham, the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA)...

Incumbents still dominate telecom sector, CRTC competition survey discovers

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

 All segments of the telephony industry, with the exception of LD, grew in 2001 and it’s not surprising that the ILECs were the major beneficiaries, according to a new report from the CRTC. The commission released its second Status of Competition in Canadian Telecommunications Markets survey in December. The 120-page...

Incumbents reject notion of commission review of telephone competition policy

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s major ILECs are glad the Competition Bureau doesn’t want Cabinet to uphold AT&T Canada Corp.’s appeal of the CRTC price cap ruling, but they reject the Competition Commissioner’s call for a review of the state of competition in the telephony sector. The incumbents have submitted further comments on the AT&T Canada Cabinet appeal after the Competition Bureau last month advocated a CRTC review of the policy of encouraging facilities-based competition (NL, Dec. 16/02). On December 17, Bell Canada, Aliant Telecom Inc., MTS Communications Inc. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications filed a joint submission; Telus Corp. offered its comments one week...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

360networks suing Nortel for US$101M after restructuringThe American subsidiary of 360networks Inc. and a group of unsecured creditors of the fibre company are suing Nortel Networks Corp. to recover US$101.1 million. The funds were transferred to the equipment maker after 360networks filed in June 2001 for creditor protection, a move which resulted in the fibre firm re-establishing itself as 360networks Corp. If recovery...

NL People

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

Nortel Networks Corp. has made several changes in its Asian operations. Masood Tariq leaves his position as president Asia to return to North America as president of global alliances. Robert Mao, currently advising Nortel president/CEO Frank Dunn, is now president/CEO Nortel China. Acting president Yuan-Hao Lin becomes COO of the Chinese company. John Giamatteo, who had been responsible for sales in Japan and Korea, will...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

Americans establish Do Not Call registry over Congressional worryThe Federal Trade Commission in Washington has set up a series of changes to its telemarketing rules, including the establishment of a national Do Not Call registry. Most of the changes take effect immediately, but the registry will not be operating until this summer at the earliest. At...

NL Editorial

telecom | 01/13/2003 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 results of two of our major stories in this issue are cause for discussion. Our feature article produces the results of an exclusive Decima Publishing poll on foreign ownership. Our centrespread story shows how domestic ownership is faring.   Canadians are vehement in their demands that...

RoW Update

telecom | 01/13/2003 5:00 am EST

Canada’s wireless industry set to unveil inter-carrier SMS with United StatesThe Canadian wireless industry is preparing to announce an inter-carrier SMS agreement with national wireless operators in the United States in the coming weeks, Report on Wireless has learned. Details of the agreement are still unclear at this point, but the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association tells RoW that carriers on both sides...

Rogers Wireless likely winner if Microcell fails to restructure and survive

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Wireless Inc. will likely emerge as the big winner in the competitive Canadian wireless communications market if struggling operator Microcell Telecommunications Inc. fails to restructure, re-capitalize and ultimately survive, according to one telecommunications analyst. The Montreal-based wireless carrier is nearly...

Telus Mobility wins battle over contempt of order application at Federal Court

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Telus Mobility has won a contempt of order hearing at the Federal Court of Canada against the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) over the way the wireless operator activates new subscribers in the province of British Columbia. The TWU sought a decision against the company and executive VP employees services David Wells...

Competition Bureau decries CRTC reliance on facilities-based competition

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s competition watchdog wants the CRTC to move away from promoting facilities-based competition as the only means of promoting telecommunications competition in the country. In comments to AT&T Canada Corp.’s appeal to Cabinet of the price cap decision (Telecom Decision 2002-34), the Competition Bureau notes...

Heritage committee concerned over review of foreign ownership in telecom

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Liberalizing foreign ownership rules for telecommunications firms will ultimately lead to similar changes in the broadcasting industry, most members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage believe. The Heritage committee, which has been looking at media consolidation and foreign ownership as part of its broad review of the Canadian broadcasting system, has been warned by key players in the broadcasting sector that such an outcome would threaten Canadian content. Industry minister Allan Rock’s announcement last month that the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology would conduct a review of foreign ownership rules in telecom has caused a stir in...

Look Communications opposes Vidéotron’s leave to appeal request at Federal Court

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s largest wireless cable provider is opposing Quebec cable operator Vidéotron ltée’s request for leave to appeal a CRTC decision concerning inside wiring in Quebec apartment buildings, saying affordable access to the wires in multiple-unit dwellings (MUDs) is key to its business plan and key to its financial...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Bell Canada launches Wi-Fi hotspot trialBell Canada has unveiled its BellZone Wi-Fi hotspot pilot project that will cover dense urban cores and high-travel locations in a few cities across the county. Under the three-month pilot program, Bell will convert a number of high-traffic payphones and other locations in Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and Calgary into wireless Internet access points. Other locations will be turned on...

RoW People

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

National Selection Committee of Broadband Pilot ProgramOn December 17, Industry minister Allan Rock released the names of the members of the National Selection Committee for the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development pilot program. The following is a complete list of the members: David Johnston, Victor Allen, Elisabeth Angus, Robert Annis, Mary Katherine Baldwin, Glen Barnden, Andrew Bjerring, Pierre Bouchard, Rick...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Restructuring in mobile industry likely: new reportThere is a major restructuring in the mobile phone industry brewing, according to new research released by Reed Electronics Research in conjunction with In-Stat/MDR. General weakness in the market combined with increased competition, pressures on markets, high costs of development and the uncertain...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 12/20/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. A failure by Microcell Telecommunications to emerge from its current precarious financial position, and the resulting three-player wireless market in Canada, would undoubtedly have some significant benefits to the remaining players. But it would also present some draw-backs for Canadian consumers. Carriers would be afforded a greater sense of stability since the average revenue per user would likely rise and they would be able to reduce their reliance on handset subsidies to attract new subscribers. While the carriers are now posting EBITDA-positive cash flow, the industry in general has yet to post a profit. The emergence of a three-player market would be a big step towards achieving profitability. Carriers have longed to be able to increase airtime rates and reduce their reliance on handset subsidies, but have been unable to do so with Microcell in the market. The Montreal-based wireless operator was very...

NL Special Update

telecom | 12/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Federal Court of Appeal dismisses appeals of CRTC Ledcor decision  The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed appeals disputing the CRTC’s decision in the Ledcor case. By a 2-1 vote, the court found that the commission did not exceed its jurisdiction when it issued Telecom Decision 2001-23 in January of last year (NL Jan. 29/01)."The appellants’ main attack was directed at the CRTC’s findings on costs and...

RBUA president resigns but group will continue as a forum for discussion

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 The outgoing head of a broadband consumers’ group expects the organization to continue as a forum for discussion of broadband issues and other hot topics but says the lobbying activities are being placed on the backburner. But that does not mean a complete forfeiting of the activist role for the Residential...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

Decima Reader Online Poll, October/November 2002Twenty-nine per cent of Decima Publishing readers responding to an informal online poll indicated that they felt any skills shortage in the communications sector had been mitigated by heavy layoffs. A key theme from the Speech from the Throne, delivered on September 30, was on the need to attract skilled workers. Decima Publishing subscribers were asked in October/November...

NL People

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

Randy Benson has resigned as senior VP/CFO of Call-Net Enterprises Inc. effective December 31. He had been with the CLEC since 1999.  Bruce Calder has been appointed VP/GM of Telus Enterprise Solutions. The 30-year telecom veteran began his career with BC Tel and served most recently as senior VP sales B.C. and Alberta for Telus Client Solutions. BCE Capital has named John Piercy as managing director. The...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

Government aid to France Télécom under attackEuropean regulators want an investigation into the legality of the French government’s bailout of France Télécom. The Chirac government pledged EUR 8.79 billion (nearly $14 billion) to the telco, which is also weighing a EUR 2-billion (about $3.1 billion) bond issue.The French government holds a majority stake in the incumbent. Europeans warn Germans about telecom...

NL Editorial

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Dear editor—I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no telecom recovery. Papa says, "If you see it in Network Letter, it’s so." Please tell me the truth, is there a telecom recovery?—Virginia O’Hanlon  Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been...

RoW Update

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

Foreign ownership hearings to begin January 27The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology announced last week that hearings on potential changes to current restrictions on foreign investment in Canadian telecommunications firms will begin on January 27. The committee still has to clear other items off its plate before the study can begin (RoW, Dec. 9/02 and Nov. 25/02)."Our review of...

Canadian Association of Internet Providers and CATA Alliance join in strategic alliance

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 The major lobby group for Internet service providers in this country has linked up with the high-tech industry’s alliance to further the aims of both organizations. The agreement between the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) and the CATA Alliance was announced today in...

CRTC takes Bell Canada to task for violations of bundling regulations

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 For the second time this month, the CRTC has slapped Canada’s largest ILEC on the wrists for contravening commission guidelines. In a December 12 decision, the regulator ruled that Bell Canada violated bundling rules by transferring work to an affiliated company. Telecom Decision 2002-76 is the result of a Part VII application filed at the beginning of the year by GT Group Telecom Services Corp. Group Telecom alleged that Bell should not have transferred work to Bell Nexxia without having it fall under tariff requirements. In 1992, as part of the opening up of the LD market, the CRTC ordered incumbents to set up carrier services groups (CSGs) to protect against...

Industry committee prepares for intense study of telecom ownership regulations

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 The Parliamentary committee examining the foreign investment rules in the telecom sector will not be able to report by the deadline originally proposed by Industry minister Allan Rock, according to the committee’s chair. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology will give careful...

Competition Bureau wants Cabinet to order CRTC review of price cap decision

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 The continuing saga of AT&T Canada Corp.’s appeal of the CRTC price cap decision took another turn as the Competition Bureau filed its remarks to Cabinet. The agency doesn’t support the basis of the CLEC’s appeal but wants the CRTC to take another look at the state of competition. AT&T Canada wants...

Commons committee recommends changes to R&D funding regime

telecom | 12/16/2002 5:00 am EST

 Funding for research and development in this country should be changed quickly, a Parliamentary committee recommends. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance made the suggestion as part of a larger pre-budget report, released late last month. The study points out that several bodies help promote...

NL Update

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada, Call-Net win one, lose one in winback disputeThe CRTC last week ruled in favour of Call-Net Enterprises Inc. in a dispute with Bell Canada over winback rules – Telecom Decision 2002-73. The CLEC complained that the incumbent was targeting subscribers before the switch to the new carrier was completed. The commission dismissed another Call-Net application involving Bell and Bell Nexxia attempting to...

Review of foreign investment in telecom industry to take longer than expected

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology won’t meet the February 2003 deadline for reviewing foreign investment limits in telecommunications service providers imposed by Industry minister Allan Rock. The chair of the Parliamentary committee promises to take a thorough and methodical look at all of the complex issues surrounding changes to foreign ownership rules, which requires that the process take longer than previously anticipated.  "We will not rush the study," Walt Lastewka tells Report on Wireless. "Although the minister has requested that it be done by a certain date, we will be running back to him and telling him that in order...

Telus plans to phase out CDPD wireless data services within next several years

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

Telus Mobility plans to phase out its analog CDPD wireless data network and migrate the network’s users to either its Mike or CDMA 1XRTT wireless networks within three years. The company hasn’t yet finalized its phase-out plans, but a company executive tells Report on Wireless that it is simply following the lead of...

Finance committee report recommends changes to R&D funding mechanisms

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

The federal government should move quickly to make changes to the way it funds research and development in this country, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance recommends in its recently tabled pre-budget report. The committee recognizes that the federal government has made headway in addressing concerns of...

Canada’s wireless lobby releases blank media levy position statement

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) has outlined its case against proposed levies on blank audio media in a recently released position statement supporting the Canadian Private Copying Collective’s (CPCC) position that the levy shouldn’t be applied to wireless devices such as cell phones, PDAs or...

Microcell challenges Bell on argument over CLECs’ inclusion in expanded LCA

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has taken Bell Canada to task over its argument that CLECs should be required to pay into a cross-subsidy pool from which ILECs and IXCs would be able to draw to recoup foregone lost toll revenue (RoW, Nov. 25/02 and Oct. 28/02). The Montreal-based wireless operator says the telco’s...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

Decima Reader Online Poll October/November 2002Attracting skilled workers was a key theme of the Speech from the Throne, delivered on September 30. In relation to the communications industries, do you believe that: There is no skills shortage (22%). The skills shortage has been mitigated by heavy layoffs in the communications sectors (29%). Canada must immediately attract skilled workers from overseas with incentives and...

RoW People

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

Earl Hoeg is now acting senior director of spectrum management operations at Industry Canada, taking the place of Mike Connolly, who is on special assignment. Hoeg returned from the management consulting centre during the summer to assume his new role. Carson Chen has joined VenGrowth Capital Partners Inc.’s technology advisory board. He is currently VP and GM of Cisco Systems Inc.’s cable and wireless broadband...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 12/09/2002 5:00 am EST

Public WLAN market to grow substantiallyRevenue from the public wireless local area network (WLAN) services market will grow to approximately US$1.6 billion by 2007, according to a new study released by the Yankee Group. The Boston-based technology research group also notes that business users will represent the vast majority of public WLAN users at 86%...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 12/09/2002 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 number of mobile-to-mobile text messages sent in Canada during the month of November hit the 20-million mark, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) reported last week. The wireless industry may focus on this figure as a key milestone or even a major trend indicator of SMS...

RoW Update

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada close to finding chair for tower committeeIndustry Canada will soon be reviewing candidates to chair the committee that will lead a review of the cell phone tower antenna policy, Report on Wireless has learned. Candidate proposals are flowing into the department, and the government hopes to make its selection and release it publicly before the holidays. Industry minister Allan Rock announced the review at the end of October, which is scheduled to begin early next year with the release of a consultation document (RoW Update, Nov. 4/02). Earl Hoeg, acting senior director of spectrum management operations at Industry Canada, tells Report on Wireless that the department should be in a position to issue a contract for the chair before the holidays. Some industry observers have suggested that Rock’s announcement was simply to curry favour among the Canadian public for his run at the leadership of the federal Liberal party. But the current policy dates back to 1995 and it is time to review the seven-year-old policy, Hoeg states....