Telecom role in Canadian economy increasing, Industry Canada reports

telecom | 02/26/2002 5:00 am EST

Despite the doom and gloom of the last year, the telecommunications sector is still a healthy part of the Canadian economy. New figures released by Industry Canada show salaries are above the national average, while prices are below the mean. "Since 1994, telecommunications services GDP has out-performed the...

Wireless telecom veteran Kedar calls for new spectrum licensing structure

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

One of the country's most experienced and respected telecommunications leaders is once again calling on the federal government to overhaul the current telecommunications regulatory framework, and implement a new structure that would favour more sustainable competition. Specifically, Mike Kedar, chair of MobilExchange...

Edmonton firm poised for growth from wireless video game controller market

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

A small but growing Edmonton-based wireless engineering firm is ready to take on the gaming world with its wireless RF technology that connects multiple peripherals to game consoles such as the PlayStation 2, the Xbox and the GameCube. Eleven Engineering Inc. has already made public one major deal, and will soon unveil...

Rogers only wireless carrier willing to spend heavily on capex, says new survey

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Capital expenditures by Canadian wireless companies will be consistent, but not spectacular, a new study by IDC Canada finds. Only Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. is projected to invest heavily, the market research firm predicts in its annual Canadian Telecom Market Drivers and Strategies.Unlike last year's report...

RoW People

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Last week, Nortel Networks Corp.'s CFO Terry Hungle abruptly resigned from his position as CFO of the company amid concerns over controversial stock trades he made during the last year. With the Enron situation getting international play in the media, Nortel reacted quickly to avert any potential serious consequences with security exchange officials, both here in Canada and the United States. He resigned on Monday, Feb. 11, a day before an analysts meeting, after questions arose from personal investments he made ahead of corporate announcements.IceFyre Semiconductor, Ottawa, has appointed Richard Monkman as its CFO. According to company president and CEO Dan Mathers, IceFyre was seeking a CFO who could facilitate the growth of the company. Prior to joining the company, Monkman was VP finance of global sales, marketing and customer service at Nokia Internet Communications. In this role, he built and led a global finance team supporting the sales, marketing and customer service units for international markets. Prior to working for Nokia,...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Giants to develop multimedia messaging systemApple Computer Inc., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Ericsson are teaming up to develop a system for bringing multimedia content such as movie clips to cell phones and other wireless devices. The three companies are banding together to battle rivals such as Microsoft Corp. and RealNetworks in the emerging...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Sierra Wireless expands into Nordic regionVancouver-based Sierra Wireless Inc. is expanding into the Nordic region through a distribution agreement with Nordic-Gate, a Norway-based company. The two companies will work together to introduce the AirCard 750 wireless modem PC card to the corporate and business market segments throughout Norway and other Nordic countries. The AirCard 750 is a tri-band wireless modem card...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 02/19/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Mike Kedar is once again asking the federal government to open up access to the country's wireless carriers' networks, all in the hope that this will spur deployment into rural and remote regions of Canada (see lead story). While laudable in concept, mandating third-party access would do little...

NL Update

telecom | 02/18/2002 5:00 am EST

Telus losses increase 58% in FY2001The B.C.-based telco announced its losses jumped by 58 per cent in the fourth quarter. Most of the loss can be attributed to the costs of the takeover of wireless firm Clearnet Communications Inc. More details.  Rogers, Shaw chase dial-up customers with Internet Lite Rogers Cable Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. have each unveiled an "Internet Lite" product, which...

NL Editorial

telecom | 02/11/2002 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 possibility that high-speed Internet access will finally be priced according to market conditions is welcome news indeed. After the baby steps necessary for implementing the service, the cost of using bandwidth will be borne by those who use it, while at the same time becoming affordable for...

RoW Update

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Look Communications won’t trade todayShares of Look Communications Inc., the embattled wireless cable and Internet service provider, won’t trade on the Canadian Venture Exchange (CDNX) today, when the company’s restructuring plan is to take effect. Trading in the Milton ON-based company’s common stock is expected to resume tomorrow, Feb. 12. At that time, the company’s shares will trade under the symbol LOK....

Internet providers on verge of introducing two-tiered pricing policy for subscribers

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Bell Canada is just weeks away from introducing a two-tiered system for its Sympatico high-speed Internet service that will see heavy users of bandwidth paying more, with a reduction for less active web surfers. This would be the first volley in what is likely to be a reconfiguration of how Internet access is priced in...

Rogers rejects complaint about @Home announcements on community channels

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Cable Inc. denies that it is surreptitiously promoting its high-speed Internet service under the guise of informing current clients how to shift their email addresses. Canada’s largest cableco says it merely ran public service announcements (PSAs), a claim rejected by a group of independent ISPs. The matter...

Access to infrastructure outranks ownership limits in telecom, Kedar states

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Gaining access to existing infrastructure is of greater value to new entrants than changing foreign ownership restrictions, according to one of this country’s telecom pioneers. In a webcast late last month, Mike Kedar also called on the federal government to restructure the Can-adian telecom regulatory regime. The founder of Call-Net Telecommunications Ltd. held a half-hour dissertation on the state of the Canadian telecom industry Jan. 25 through a webcast distributed by Dolphin Investor. He stressed the need for linking into current networks. "Access is the key to implementation of any service that is provided to the public, either through the SOHO, residential or business...

Telecom market logical opportunity for non-traditional companies

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

It makes perfect sense for utilities to enter the telecom market, an executive of one utel reported to a conference last month. While traditional telcos may complain about newcomers encroaching on their territory, Victor Viola, VP sales & marketing for Hydro One Telecom Inc., maintains his firm is just following its...

New satellite company prepares to offer high-speed service in remote regions

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

The push to bring high-speed Internet to remote and rural areas is getting a boost, with the entry of LinCsat Communications Inc. into the field. The company, based in Toronto, will tailor an American satellite to serve Canadian needs. LinCsat, formed last November as a subsidiary of iMark Corp., will be adapting the...

Manitoba Tel can offer broadcasting service without subsidy, MTS says

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

The incumbent telco in Manitoba denies that it will use profits from its core business to subsidize its proposed entry into broadcast distribution. MTS Communications Inc. likewise assures its critics that it will not deploy copper wire for its own use at the expense of outside wholesale customers. The company is...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

AT&T Canada losses increase by $200 million for FY 2001AT&T Canada Corp. released its final figures for Q4 2001. The CLEC posted a loss of $733 million, up from the $523 million reported a year earlier. The company now has nearly 550,000 local access lines installed.  Slight increase in Group Telecom loss for 2001GT Group Telecom Inc. reported a loss in FY 2001 of $88 million, up from nearly $82 million in...

NL People

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Stephen Wetmore, currently president/CEO of Aliant Inc., is moving to become vice-chair corporate at Bell Canada. The new appointment takes effect March 1. His former job will be taken over on an interim basis by Jay Forbes, Aliant’s EVP/CFO. Donald MacDonald is retiring as senior policy advisor for the eastern ILEC, but will continue consulting in the telecom field. Lucent Technologies president Carole Stephenson is ready to begin finding qualified people for the federal government ranks in her new role as chair of the Advisory Committee on Senior Level Retention and Compensation. She has put together a group that will try to replace a vast number of senior officials who are retiring this decade. Her team includes: Robert Brown, president/CEO at Bombardier Inc.; John Fryer, adjunct professor at the University of Victoria; Monique Leroux, president at Desjardins-Laurentienne Financial Corp.; Sarah Rais, executive VP HR and public relations at TransCanada Pipelines Ltd.; and Tom Traves, president of Dalhousie University. Robert...

Access to networks major hurdle facing competitors

telecom | 02/11/2002 5:00 am EST

Canadian telecom pioneer Mike Kedar recently presented his overview of the national telecommunications scene in a webcast to analysts and other observers. Kedar is the founder of Call-Net Entrprises and of Microcell Communications. Edited highlights of his remarks appear here.  Growth in this industry now cannot be building further overlays of...

Industry Canada receives passing grades on spectrum auctions, documents reveal

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s spectrum regulator has scored well on its first two spectrum auctions, according to documents obtained by Report on Wireless through Access to Information. Three independent evaluations, commissioned by the department, report that Industry Canada did an above average job. Still, the reports urge the...

MSS players strike back in fight to gain terrestrial access to L-band spectrum

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Mobile Satellite Ventures Canada (MSV Canada) is striking back at opponents of terrestrial use of the L-band spectrum with its own technical analysis that says an urban in-fill network can co-exist with MSS without causing harmful interference to itself or to other MSS operators. The company states that its technical...

Rogers and Telus take instant messaging to the national scene; using different paths

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. and Telus Mobility are rolling out instant messaging (IM) in the national arena, but the two mobile operators are approaching the rollout differently. While Rogers is using popular instant messaging software ICQ combined with SMS capabilities, Telus is employing an interoperable IM...

Buystream unveils lead customer; Telus to more effectively market wireless web

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Ottawa-based web analytics firm Buystream Inc. has unveiled the details of its lead customer agreement that it hopes will make its AirMetrics software a household name in the wireless carrier community. For the past several months, Buystream has been working with Telus Mobility to complete development of the software, which...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Agilent enhances Bluetooth testing kitAgilent Technologies Inc. has introduced a new Bluetooth test set. The new Agilent E1852B Bluetooth Test Set can be used in the development and manufacture of Bluetooth wireless networking devices. In other Agilent news, it has also released instrument software for testing components of the 1xEV-DO cdma2000 3G wireless specification. The software enables the verification of the...

RoW People

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Telecom and media conglomerate BCE Inc. has made several changes to its executive ranks. The most significant appointment is the naming of Michael Sabia as president and COO of BCE. He also becomes the CEO of Bell Canada. This appointment is effective March 1. Sabia joined BCE in October 1999 as vice-chair and CEO of Bell Canada International. In July 2000, he was named executive VP of BCE and vice-chair, corporate at...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 02/05/2002 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 revocation of Maxlink’s spectrum licences raises two significant questions. Did the competitive environment have a negative impact on the success of Maxlink? What is now the long-term viability of LMCS and other high-frequency wireless services? There will surely be those who say the...

Maxlink’s licences revoked; department considers realignment of LMCS allocation

telecom | 02/05/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada has revoked the spectrum licences of Maxlink Communications Inc., closing the books on a tempestuous 13-month business saga and on this country’s first foray into high-frequency wireless services. The Toronto-based company, and major spectrum-holder, sank into receivership in November 2000 (RoW, Dec. 11/00), sparking a combined effort by the receiver and Industry Canada to transfer the assets to an unnamed suitor. Last week, the department acknowledged the failure of those efforts and regained control of the spectrum. Several parties had shown some interest in acquiring Maxlink’s assets, which included a massive amount of 28 GHz holdings. Despite the emergence of one...

NL Update

telecom | 02/04/2002 5:00 am EST

Primal unveils VoIP products for CLECsToronto’s Primal Technologies Inc. announced today the introduction of a new service node that will help alternative CLECs distribute Voice over IP technology. Alternative CLECs are firms like cablecos and ISPs that would be able to offer telephony without actually being registered as a competitive carrier. Prairie province profits prodigiousManitoba Telecom Services Inc....

Incumbents and competitors must adapt business plans to survive, telco execs say

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

The upheaval in the telecom market is forcing both ILECs and CLECs to reconsider their business plans. Previous assumptions about how to sell to customers no longer apply, a Toronto conference was told. In a session at the Competition and Access in the Local Loop conference last week, Bell Canada’s chief strategy...

Businesses in Canada optimistic about implementation of IT, new study reports

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

Information technology managers across the country are feeling much more hopeful than last year, but security measures are becoming an increasingly important factor, a new study finds. The second annual Canadian IT Issues Study was released mid-month by Athabasca University and CIO Canada magazine. A total of 2,823 IT...

CRTC must change competition approach if new entrants are to thrive, Call-Net says

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

The CRTC must take a more proactive approach in its actions if sustainable competition is to truly flourish in Canada, a telecom conference was told last week. The commission should also abandon theory and become practical, remarked Don Bowles, VP regulatory affairs at Call-Net Enterprises Inc.  While he isn’t...

Town in Prince Edward Island wants fire department included in 911 services

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s smallest province is in the midst of a big fight over the provision of 911 service. On one side is a community that wants its firefighters to handle emergencies, while on the other, is the provincial government that wants equal treatment for everyone. The town of North Rustico, P.E.I. is seeking to go back to the future by returning to the previous system where all emergency calls were routed through the local fire department. Under the current system, established in May 2000, all emergency calls are now transferred to Neils Ambulance in Charlottetown. The president of the fire department, Kenny Sampson, tells Network Letter the ambulance company does notify it when someone...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

BCI gets Canbras stake from Telecom AmericasBell Canada International Inc. is assuming the interest in Canbras Communications Corp. currently held by Telecom Americas Ltd. When the deal closes, BCI will hold 76.6% of the common shares of Canbras and, taking into account minority interests, will have an equity interest of 75.6%.  Telus buys DSL equipment from Alcatel and rolls out in NorthTelus Corp. is spending $250...

NL People

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

Stephen McCartney has stepped down as president/CEO of Futureway Communications Inc. Romeo DeGasperis will be replacing him on an interim basis.  Michael Sabia has been named president/COO of BCE Inc. and COO of Bell Canada. He currently serves as president of BCE and vice-chair, corporate for Bell. Charles Childers has been appointed president of the Teleglobe division. The Nortel and Bell veteran replaces Terry...

American and Canadian courts rule on utility pole access by cable companies

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

Echoing an argument currently underway in Canadian courts, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared that the Federal Communications Commission has the right to set fees that utilities charge cablecos for pole access. A similar appeal from the Canadian Cable Television Association is before the Canadian Supreme Court. Lorne...

NL Editorial

telecom | 01/29/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Last week’s Competition and Access in the Local Loop conference in Toronto showed how a renewed sense of optimism is creeping into the telecom market. No one was dancing in the aisles exactly, but the gloomy mood at previous parlays has dissipated. The feeling seems to be that the worst is behind us...

RoW Update

telecom | 01/28/2002 5:00 am EST

MSS players strike back in fight to gain terrestrial access to L-band Mobile Satellite Ventures Canada (MSV Canada) and the New ICO Global are striking back at opponents of terrestrial use of L-band spectrum in reply comments to Industry Canada filed earlier this month. The two companies, which want access to mobile satellite spectrum for an urban terrestrial in-fill network, say the technical analysis provided by...

CSI Wireless expands telematics offering with second product line, Asset-Link

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Calgary-based CSI Wireless Inc. is taking aim at a larger slice of the telematics equipment market with the release of its second product line for the burgeoning market. Already in the vehicle and asset tracking space with its older AssetVision line since October 2000, the newest product is the first in a family of...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Ericsson Canada gets $21-million grantThe Canadian subsidiary of Swedish telecom equipment maker, Ericsson, has landed a $21.5-million grant from a Quebec provincial government agency Ericsson Canada Inc. received the money from Investissment Québec and will use to it create more jobs at its Montreal-area design facility. The company has already been the beneficiary of a job-creation grant from the Quebec government when...

RoW People

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Obituary: David Simmonds, 73, passed away on Jan. 14 following a battle with cancer. For more than 55 years, Simmonds displayed leadership and enterpreneurship in the Canadian telecommunications and electronics industries. Founder of the Lenbrook Group, Clearnet Communications, NAD Electronics, AirIQ and many other enterprises, he was a mentor and encourager to many. He is survived by his wife Barbara and their six...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Aperto gear approved for sale California-based Aperto Networks received the green light to begin selling its broadband wireless access equipment into the Canadian market. Industry Canada granted the company approval on Jan. 7. The gear operates in the 3.5 GHz band. Aperto had previously received Canadian approval to sell 5 GHz band equipment. Antenova signs agreementAntenova, a U.K.-based smart antenna developer, has signed an agreement with Cambridge Consultants to jointly market advanced antenna systems to the wireless industry. The deal is expected to shorten time to market for smart antenna products. In other Antenova news, the company has released a new multi-directional antenna to support the emerging mobile location-based services market. The antenna minimizes interference by dividing the space around it into three sectors. The antenna represents the first commercial release of the company’s smart antenna technology. Navini partners with TINavini Networks Inc. has signed a strategic partnership with Texas Instruments to...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 01/22/2002 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 year 2002 is shaping up to be a good year for the Canadian wireless industry as all four national wireless operators begin offering next-generation wireless services and reaping the benefits from increased revenue. Microcell Telecommunications and Rogers Wireless Communications launched 2.5G...

MSV Canada faces uphill battle in scoring terrestrial use of satellite spectrum

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s wireless carriers, with the predictable exception of Bell Mobility, have expressed vehement opposition in comments to Industry Canada to granting Mobile Satellite Ventures Canada (MSV Canada) its request for exclusive access to terrestrial use of the L-band spectrum. They argue that there’s no reason to approve...

Excess spectrum should go back to other MSS companies, Inmarsat argues

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

An international MSS company is citing a 1996 agreement between several nations in arguing that L-band spectrum can’t be allocated for terrestrial use. Inmarsat Ventures plc says the agreement states that the spectrum must be reallocated to other MSS providers if there are portions of the band that are unused. The...

Star Choice founder gets into broadband satellite game with new venture, LinCsat

telecom | 01/22/2002 5:00 am EST

The founder of Star Choice Communications Inc. is getting back into the satellite game to provide two-way high-speed Internet access via satellite to under-served communities in Canada. Toronto-based LinCsat Communications Inc., founded by Brian Neill, has already begun offering the DirecWay broadband access service in...

NL Update

telecom | 01/21/2002 5:00 am EST

Nortel posts record loss for FY 2001Telecom equipment manufacturer Nortel Networks Corp. registered a final loss of US$27.3 billion for the last year, compared with a loss of $3.5 billion the previous year. CEO Frank Dunn tells analysts the company has reached "a true turning point", which may be what the captain of the Titanic alleged. More details: Nortel Networks press release Webcast of Dunn's remarks  Aliant offers medium term notesEastern telco Aliant Telecom Inc. is issuing $100 million worth of five-year notes at a 5.35% rate. Fellow BCE property Bell Canada International has closed a rights offering worth $440 million, as an institutional investor threatens to sue the company over its recapitalization plan. More details: Aliant Telecom Inc. offers medium term notes BCI announces closing of rights offering Litigation threatened by an institutional holder of BCI convertible debentures  American Supreme Court says FCC can set pole ratesEchoing an argument currently underway in Canadian courts, the U.S. Supreme...

Dalfen expected to provide bold leadership at helm of CRTC

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

The appointment of communications lawyer Charles Dalfen as chair of the CRTC is being heralded by observers in the telecom world. They note his expertise in telecommunications and in broadcasting and expect he will impose new discipline on the commission as it faces serious new issues. Dalfen assumed his post this...

Rogers self-promotion in violation of rules on community channels, IMCAIP charges

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

A group of independent Internet service providers is accusing Rogers Cable Inc. of repeatedly violating CRTC directives on self-promotion on its community cable channels, even after the ISPs had warned the cable operator. The move comes on the heels of the commission’s release of a proposed new framework for community...

Fibre laying firm ready to begin operations in Canada with new gas line technology

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

A California-based company is preparing to deliver a last mile fibre solution by using gas lines to lay fibre optic cable without digging up city streets. It is hoping to roll out service to major Canadian utilities within weeks. "We’ve met with the major gas companies in Canada and we hope to meet with them...

Yankee Group optimistic about future of wholesale telecom market

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Even though the telecommunications market is tight, the outlook for Canada’s wholesale services providers is hopeful, a new study predicts. The evolution of the sector should encourage growth for some time to come. The Yankee Group, which released the report entitled Wholesale Services in Canada last month, follows...

Call-Net and Bell battle over winback provisions of competitive toll market

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

The war of words between Call-Net Enterprises Inc. and Bell Canada over the competitive toll market is heating up as each side is accusing the other of playing fast and loose with the facts. The battle began last November when the Sprint Canada parent filed a Part VII application accusing Bell Canada and Bell Nexxia of...

Regulatory Roundup

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Manitoba Telecom SIP rejected; telco told to file new five-year planPerhaps remembering the old chestnut that CRTC stands for "Can’t Rule ’Til Christmas", the commission cleared the decks with a series of decisions issued just before the holiday break, and after the last edition of 2001 of Network Letter. A summary of the decisions follows.Manitoba SIP deniedMTS Communications Inc. had filed its service...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Bell Canada rustles up contract with StampedeThe eastern ILEC heads out west as Bell Canada signs a five-year exclusive agreement with the Calgary Stampede to provide telecom services. The telco will offer LD, high-speed Internet, network infrastructure, wireless and satellite services. No financial terms were disclosed.  360networks wins extensions on both sides of borderTroubled fibre builder 360networks Inc. has...

NL People

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Isabelle Courville is the new president/CEO of Télébec and of Northern Telephone. She had been a senior VP at parent company Bell Canada and succeeds Pierre Brochu at the helm of the two regional telcos.  Tal Bevan is joining Group Telecom as EVP business operations on Feb. 4. He had been president of WorldCom Canada. Before joining the ISP, he worked at Lucent Technologies, Bell Canada and Xerox...

Full Broadband Access via Fibre Optics is Right Around the Corner

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Fibre-optics have long been touted as the solution for North American businesses’ ever-expanding broadband needs, but there has always been a critical obstacle – the "last mile" problem of getting fibre-optic cable from outlying networks into the buildings where people can actually put it to use. While most experts agree that the current Canadian economy is somewhat stronger than its U.S. counterpart, they also say a recession is a foregone conclusion. In spite of what most consider a temporary downturn, business planners understand their long-term survival depends on their ability to move massive amounts of information at high speeds.  The need for more bandwidth...

NL Editorial

telecom | 01/14/2002 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 selection of Charles Dalfen as the new head of the CRTC is a welcome move by a government that too often favours expediency over expertise. The nearly universal support for the appointment from all sectors of the communications industry underlines the correctness of the decision.  As many...

RoW Update

telecom | 01/14/2002 5:00 am EST

U.S. defense department to get help on spectrum issuesThe U.S. Department of Defense has hired a telecom industry veteran to look after spectrum-related issues while it continues to joust with the commercial wireless industry over access to valuable slices of airwaves. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld named Steven Price as DOD’s deputy assistant secretary of Defense for spectrum and command, control and communications...

RoW Update

telecom | 01/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Opposition mounts against TMI’s bid for terrestrial spectrum useConsiderable opposition is mounting against TMI Communications’ application to use portions of its L-band spectrum in a terrestrial "in-fill" network. Domestic wireless companies believe that giving TMI exclusive access to the spectrum would only serve to give them an unfair advantage and could potentially lead to an all out abandoning of its...

Federal Budget-Broadband delay in budget disappoints, but hope remains for eventual rollout

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

The federal government’s decision to postpone the rollout of high-speed Internet across the country was a disappointment for many observers. But they do hold out hope that the delay will give the industry more time to convince a skeptical public the project is worthwhile. "We will work...

Federal Budget-CANARIE’s CA*net 4 one of few high-tech winners after Martin introduces budget

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

The federal government’s decision to allocate funding for an upgraded national fibre network is being heralded by the agency that oversees the project. CANARIE Inc. is now in the process of selecting suppliers. "In 1998, Canada staked its claim to becoming the world leader in high-speed network technologies with the creation of CA*net 3," Finance minister Paul Martin told the House of Commons during his Dec. 10 budget address. "Today, to stay on the cutting edge, this budget provides $110 million to build and operate CA*net 4, which will benefit research organizations across the country, particularly many of our smaller universities and community...

Regional broadband networks show early signs of connecting rural Canadians

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

Community broadband networks are proving to be a most effective manner of delivering bandwidth, especially to smaller and remote areas. Several presentations at a conference held last week in Ottawa highlighted the progress being made in the rollout of such networks. The need for networks was best illustrated by Glen...

MTS wants to join list of telcos providing cable TV service over DSL

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

Another provincial telco wants to move into the cable TV business, but this time around the CRTC apparently wants to ensure that corporate convergence doesn’t strangle competition. MTS Communications Inc. has filed an application for a broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) licence to serve Manitoba to become the...

CRTC dismisses Toronto appeal to strike AT&T contract from proceeding record

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

The CRTC has rejected a proposal by the City of Toronto that would see it strike a contract from the record of a forthcoming proceeding. But a dissenting commissioner worries that future debate may get bogged down in picayune details. The issue is complicated, involving a maze of decisions. It stems from a Part VII...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

BCE looking to sell international telcoBCE Inc. has indicated it plans to put its Bell Canada International division up for sale. In a conference for analysts, the telecom giant said it would begin listing BCI under "discontinued operations" starting in the first quarter of next year. BCI also announced a reorganizing plan that will see its Telecom Americas Ltd. joint venture focusing on the wireless market in...

NL People

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

Roch Dubé has been named as the new president of Aliant Telecom. The former president/CEO of Connexim, who has also worked at Bell Canada and Bell Sygma (now CGI), will also serve as EVP of parent company Aliant Inc.  Leitch Technology Corp. has appointed Margaret Craig as president/CEO, starting next month. She joined the company as COO last year. Craig replaces former Bell Canada president John A. MacDonald, who...

Broadband can promote equality of access in education for remote areas

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

Judith Hughes is the VP student services at Athabasca University, an online post-secondary institution in Alberta. She told the recent Broadband Canada conference about the need for backbone to assist electronic learning. Here is an edited version of her remarks.  For decades distance education (now often referred...

NL Editorial

telecom | 12/18/2001 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Scrod is a fish. Screwed is a past participle. Brian Tobin is familiar with both.  After the federal budget, the Industry minister must wonder what hit him. He got sandbagged by Cabinet colleague and leadership rival Paul Martin in the latter’s economic statement. The much-vaunted broadband...

ROW Update

telecom | 12/17/2001 5:00 am EST

CRTC introduces 2002 contribution rateCanada’s telecom regulator, the CRTC, has set the interim rate for contribution charges for next year. The 2002 rate has been set at 1.4 per cent, a significant decrease over the 4.5 per cent rate applied in 2001. In addition, the commission has set the total subsidy required at $279 million, nearly three-quarters of the national pool that was supposedly needed for this year. The...

Wireless industry welcomes Charles Dalfen to top job at telecom regulatory agency

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Sources in the wireless industry say the appointment of communications veteran Charles Dalfen to head the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) may spark a new level of cooperation between the telecom regulator, Industry Canada, and other government departments. This, they say, may even lead to a better recognition of the distinctive dual-regulatory environment that wireless carriers must live with. The sector seems ready to roll out the red carpet for the newly appointed top regulator on Jan. 1, and optimism is at such a high level that some are even predicting that the wireless industry may finally get its due at the CRTC. Dalfen is no stranger to the...

Look confident plan will be accepted by creditors at Dec. 14 meeting

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Management at Look Communications Inc. is confident that its plan to emerge from bankruptcy protection will be accepted by the majority of its creditors at a meeting on Dec. 14. Getting the requisite number of creditors to vote in favour of the plan has been bolstered by the fact that the company’s two primary lenders –...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

ITU enables global wireless number portability The International Telecommunication Union has allocated the country +878 code to VISIONng Association so that it can eventually introduce global wireless number portability for its members. VISIONng plans to offer its members a unique Universal personal Telecommunications Number (UPTN) that will allow global portability regardless of geography or telecommunications carrier...

ROW People

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Cell-Loc Inc. has added two new members to its board of directors. On Nov. 27, Keith Bohn and Sheldon Reid joined the board. Bohn is a senior VP at PG&E Energy Trading Canada Corp. and a director of IQ2 Power Corp., the parent of IQ2 Communications Corp. In his current position, he is responsible for all trading operations and business development. Reid is currently executive VP corporate and business development at...

Broadband gets left out of federal budget, unforeseen events cause headaches

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) has both praise and criticism for this year’s federal budget. While ITAC recognizes that unforeseen events made it difficult on the government to put the right foot forward and usher in a new era in the Canadian communications transformation, it still reserves some...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. During the weeks leading up to this week’s federal budget, it became clear, document after leaked document, that the government’s broadband access to every Canadian community initiative was going to get little or no funding. As important an initiative as it is, it shouldn’t have received any money this time around.  Backroom talks of a scaled-back investment in broadband go back to the days following the attacks of Sept. 11 and surfaced at the Wireless Vision Congress at the end of that same month.  The wireless industry has known for weeks that the proposals of the Broadband Task Force would come to nought, but the sector shouldn’t despair just yet. Security concerns are obviously paramount to Canadians in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, and the federal government can hardly be blamed for emphasizing them in its budget. That said, the Chrétien government is to be...

Hughes’ plan to use Canadian satellite spectrum comes under harsh criticism

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Hughes Network Systems’ proposed plan to use Canadian satellite spectrum as part of a constellation of communications satellites has come under harsh criticism from Canadian industry observers who say the plan is without merit. Sources question Hughes’ willingness to develop the Ka-band in the 107.3 degrees West orbital...

Merger between TMI and Motient receives approval in both Canada and the U.S.

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Ottawa-based TMI Communications and Motient Corp. of Reston VA are now one step closer to offering continent-wide satellite services under a single banner as regulatory authorities in both Canada and the United States have approved their merger (RoW, Jan. 22/01).  The new combined company, currently dubbed Mobile...

Airborne Entertainment scores $6.3 million in financing; expanding into Latin America

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

The co-founder and CEO of an emerging wireless entertainment service provider says a significant new financing round proves gambling on wireless content was a good bet. Airborne Entertainment Inc. has scored $6.3 million in funding from a cabal of investors, including Bell Mobility Investments and...

Storm Internet gains national presence through acquisition and reseller deal

telecom | 12/11/2001 5:00 am EST

Storm Internet Services is taking its ISP services to the national arena, a move made possible through an acquisition and a reseller agreement that the company signed last week. The Ottawa-based ISP made the two deals with WiBand Communications giving it access to its western Canadian wireless network on a reseller basis...

NL Update

telecom | 12/10/2001 5:00 am EST

 Nortel didn’t see it comingAn extensive series by Toronto Star reporters Robert Cribb and Tyler Hamilton reveals how Nortel Networks Corp. fell so precipitously. Former CEO John Roth grants the pair an exclusive interview. Business columnist David Olive also examines the issue. More details: How a giant fell to earth Nortel's Roth a raging bull until bitter end John Roth speaks out Behind Nortel's takeover...

City of Surrey and AT&T Canada may settle rights-of-way dispute without CRTC help

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

Even though AT&T Canada Corp. wants the CRTC to order the City of Surrey B.C. to give it access to roads and property, both sides expect the matter to be resolved long before the commission rules on the submission. Talks are continuing in the hopes an interim agreement can be reached. The...

Comments come pouring in over Telus appeal to CRTC over contribution, bands

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

Other telcos have responded to the review and vary application by Telus Communications Inc. over contribution and restructured bands, and as expected, the ILECs are firmly in Telus’ corner, while the CLECs think the western company doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Telus is claiming the CRTC’s contribution ruling,...

Nation moving on right path for fibre access, international report finds

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

Canada is the second-most connected nation when it comes to broadband access, according to a new study by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. The Paris-based group looked at the levels of DSL and cable penetration in 30 countries. Only the Republic of Korea rated higher than Canada. Like the...

Internet migration proves difficult for Rogers, easier for Shaw and others

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

The rapid demise of American cable Internet access provider Excite@Home has caused problems for users north of the border as most major Canadian cablecos have provisioned services from the bankrupt U.S. firm. For several weeks now they have been scrambling to shift email addresses from the @home domain, but some cablecos have been better prepared than others. Least prepared for the switch was central Canadian giant Rogers Communications Inc., which apparently ignored warning signs and continued to use @home, even though it had been told to get ready by customer groups. "They’ve been committed to sticking with @Home through thick and thin," Chris Weisdorf, the president...

September 11 brings hard lessons over computer security, Sun Microsystems says

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

The terrorist attacks on the United States have increased concerns about security worldwide. An executive with a leading computer firm maintains we must look at the people involved rather than the equipment. "Security is not about technology," Masood Jabbar of Sun Microsystems Inc. told an Ottawa audience...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

BCE to participate in Bell Canada International rights offeringBCE Inc. is going to participate in a $440 million rights offering for Bell Canada International Inc. BCI has announced a recapitalization plan in order to meet its short-term funding commitments. Another part of the scenario will see BCI reorganize its participation in Telecom Americas Ltd. in the South American market.  Nextel Communications divests...

NL People

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

Charles Dalfen will take over as chair of the CRTC on Jan. 1. The Toronto lawyer, a senior partner at the Torys law firm, was vice-chair of the commission from 1976 to 1980. He succeeds Françoise Bertrand who left last February. Dalfen tied for third place in a Decima Publishing online survey on who should be the new chair, trailing interim chair David Colville and CBC-TV’s Mary Walsh (NL, Mar. 12/01).  Bill...

Survival of equipment providers depends on six key factors, American CEO states

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

The upheaval in the telecom market has people questioning how equipment manufacturers can survive. Last month, Charles Kenmore, president/CEO of ANDA Networks of San Jose CA, spoke to the Next Generation Networks 2001 conference in Boston. An edited version of his remarks follows.  We believe that at least four...

NL Editorial

telecom | 12/05/2001 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Once again a combination of hubris, arrogance, and shortsightedness have combined to make life difficult for users of high-speed Internet. The chaotic conversion of Rogers Communications Inc.’s customers from the @home domain name to the @rogers name is a textbook lesson on how not to conduct business.  For months now, the buzzards have been hovering over the slowly-decaying flesh of Excite@Home, the American broadband provider that served as the backbone for most major cablecos in North America. Last summer, the company was forced to halt operations in Europe, shortly after filing a submission with the Securities and Exchange Commission that said it might run out of cash before the end of this year. The firm’s auditor, Ernst & Young, repeated those comments in its application to the SEC.  Those warning signs alerted some Canadian cablecos to begin the migration to their own service. Shaw...

ROW Update

telecom | 12/03/2001 5:00 am EST

 TMI and Motient merger receives FCC, Industry Canada approvalOttawa-based TMI Communications and Motient Corp., Reston VA, are one step closer to offering continent-wide satellite services under a single banner after regulatory authorities in both Canada and the United States approved their proposed merger announced earlier this year (RoW, Jan. 22/01). That nod is the first step in the company’s plan to offer a...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 11/27/2001 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 lack of competition in Canada’s satellite carrier market became painfully clear following Industry Canada’s call for applications to launch a satellite in the 107.3 degrees West orbital slot two months ago. Of the two applications filed, not one came from a Canadian company.  Not even the...

Industry Canada protects MCS,MDS from having to migrate, adds mobile allocation

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

A recent decision by Industry Canada to align its 2500 MHz spectrum policy with that of the United States has given MCS and MDS operators the certainty they need to follow through on their long-term business plans. On Nov. 16, the department announced that those providers wouldn’t have to migrate to another band as was...

Web analysis software provider Buystream moves into wireless operator space

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

An Ottawa-based software provider says it has an answer to reducing wireless operator churn and increasing ARPU by profiling customers’ use of the wireless Internet. Buystream Inc. will soon unveil the details of a major deal with one of the country’s national mobile wireless operators that would see its software...

Industry Canada receives two applications from U.S. companies for Ka-band spectrum

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

Two established American companies are touting their individual strengths as reasons why each should be granted the right to operate a Ka-band satellite in the Canadian 107.3 degrees West orbital slot. But before either company can be granted a licence to launch a satellite, they will have to demonstrate adherence to...

Nortel capitalizing on growth of wireless; North America presents current opportunities

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

Telecom giant Nortel Networks Corp. has grabbed a significant share of the world’s next-generation wireless equipment market and has moved into second place behind Ericsson, according to its most recent figures. Despite a significant downturn in its optics business, the company is rolling ahead...

IT lobby swallows microelectronics association, creates semiconductor council

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

The Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) has taken over the Strategic Microelectronics Consortium (SMC) in a move both groups say will improve their chances of winning funding critical to increasing the number of university engineering professors. In the past, the two groups have lobbied the federal...

SMS traffic to increase dramatically in Canada, according to Yankee Group

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

The Yankee Group predicts that Canada’s four national mobile operators will see a significant increase in short messaging services (SMS) traffic, increased penetration rates among youth users and improved awareness of wireless data services, following an agreement that enables inter-carrier short messaging. The network...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 11/27/2001 5:00 am EST

Department extends deadline for comments on TMI filingIndustry Canada has extended the deadline for comments regarding TMI Communications’ application (Gazette Notice DGTP-009-01) to use parts of its satellite spectrum for a terrestrial repeater network. Comments were originally due Dec. 11, but that has been extended until Dec. 28. Reply comments, which were due on Dec. 28, are now due Jan. 13, 2002.  Paradigm location product on sale at Radio ShackToronto-based Paradigm Advanced Technologies Inc. has announced that its Destinator GPS navigation system will be sold in Radio Shack Canada retail outlets across the country. Paradigm will begin shipping the system to Radio Shack stores immediately. Destinator, which will retail for $499, provides navigation assistance to travelers throughout North America. It can provide turn-by-turn voice instruction in English, French or Spanish. "The opportunity to market and sell Destinator through a retail chain of stores such as Radio Shack represents a great step towards establishing this...