Receiver hopes to close Norigen deal quickly; CRTC reviews customer migration

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

The interim receiver for Norigen Communications Inc expects later this week to have the beginnings of a deal to sell off assets. Greg Prince, VP financial advisory services at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), told Report on Wireless that several offers from diverse groups have been received for the assets of the bankrupt...

SiGEM divides into three business units to better serve existing customers

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

SiGEM Inc is reorganizing into three separate business segments and cutting staff to bring the company back into the black by its fourth quarter. The satellite positioning technology provider is also pulling out of the application service provider (ASP) business to avoid competing with its clients.  Planning for the...

Synchropoint gets cash infusion, prepares for P2P-like application introduction

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

SynchroPoint Wireless Inc is wrapping up development of two new software applications that will take peer-to-peer communications to the next level using Bluetooth and wireless LAN connections. The Vancouver-based firm will soon release products that allow mobile workers to collaborate on projects on a variety of handheld...

DragonWave ramps up production on lower cost LMCS radios, ships to five clients

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

An Ottawa area company has developed a process for designing and manufacturing LMCS radios faster and for a fraction of the price of previously designed equipment. That process will now be put into practice as DragonWave Inc has signed a manufacturing agreement with Ottawa-based BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions Corp,...

Malaysia seeks help, advice from Canada on last mile access, digital divide

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

Government officials and industry leaders from Malaysia met with their Canadian counterparts last week for advice on expanding the Asian country’s communications infrastructure. More specifically, the delegation is looking to Canada, its companies and its regulatory agencies for help in universal service provision, providing last mile access and bridging the digital divide. The dele-gation met with officials from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, the CRTC, Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage.  Canada is considered a world leader in providing basic communications to its citizens. It’s also become a regular stop for countries anxious to establish competitive...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 09/18/2001 4:00 am EDT

eDispatch sets up committee to review Proprietary’s bidEDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc, Vancouver, has set up a special committee to review a hostile takeover bid launched by Proprietary Industries Inc. Proprietary’s bid is in opposition to eDispatch’s previously announced merger agreement with AirIQ. The special committee, which consists of independent directors, will be headed up by Stephen Willey and will...

NL Update

telecom | 09/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

Aliant Telecom resumes normal serviceThe arrival of 14,000 unexpected guests following the rerouting of overseas flights overloaded the telephone system in Atlantic Canada. Local ILEC Aliant Telecom reports service has now been restored to its previous levels. Bell Canada also noted that traffic on its network was up 40 per cent after the terrorist attacks in the United States. Manitoba Telecom was forced to put...

ISPs accuse Bell of undercutting prices and sharing customer information

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

A group of independent Internet service providers is accusing Bell Canada of predatory pricing, saying its low-cost introductory offers for high-speed access are unfairly crippling small competitors. In a battle that has now made its way before the CRTC, Bell is quick to dismiss the complaints as "vague" and...

Carriers invited to submit initial bids for CA*net 4, although funding still in limbo

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

CANARIE Inc has taken the unusual step of issuing a Request for Information for a new national fibre network, despite a $150-million shortfall in federal funding. The lease on Canada’s primary university research network – CA*net 3 – expires next July and CANARIE officials say they must start...

United Way wins right to 211 code; preparations begin for 2002 rollout

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

Now that the CRTC has issued the 211 dialing code to the United Way, the process of actually rolling out the system has begun. The director of special projects for the United Way of Greater Toronto hopes to have the service operating by early next year, although it will take much longer before it’s available across...

SaskTel’s buy of RSL COM moves telco into BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

SaskTel has taken the first step to compete in other parts of Canada with its $17-million purchase of RSL COM Canada – a move that should make RSL a more formidable competitor, and at the same time, help the provincial telco diversify its revenue base. Announced this summer, the deal follows months of negotiations between...

Minimal growth predicted for telcos in digital TV market: Decima report

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

Telephone carriers are still small players in the digital television market, and their competitive position isn’t expected to improve much over the coming months, according to a new report released Sept. 5 by Decima Publishing Inc.  The Digital Domain: Tracking the Growth and Development of the Canadian Digital TV...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

Final 2001 percentages for distribution of contribution revenueChanges to the contribution regime (Decision 2000-745) saw the CRTC replace the previous per-minute mechanism collected only from LECs with a system based on revenues from all telecom service providers (NL, Dec. 4/00). The new plan took effect on Jan. 1 of this year. The commission has now released the final percentages that each province will be able to draw...

NL People

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

Paul Lamontagne has been named president of Look Communications Inc. The former EVP/COO of Look’s Quebec and Eastern Ontario division succeeds David Parkes, who left last June.  Roger Tinley is the new VP space systems at Telesat Canada. He has been with the company since 1979, serving most recently as director of satellite systems. Vancouver’s Clearigo Solutions Inc has appointed Geoff Catliff to its board of directors. Catliff is a director of the Columbus Group, an Internet consulting firm now wholly-owned by Telus. Victor Giacomin is the new CFO at West Bay Semiconductor Inc of Vancouver. He has 19 years experience in the financial field, having worked for Norsat International Inc, Avcorp Industries Inc, and Future Shop. Janet Callaghan, senior VP integrated marketing at Bell Globemedia, has been told her contract is not being renewed. She developed integrated multi-platform advertising opportunities involving print, TV and the Internet for the BCE subsidiary. Callaghan has more than 20 years of marketing and...

Why companies should worry about sharing customer information

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC will likely take notice of a new survey released last week by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre that shows Canadians disapprove of having their customer data shared among corporate affiliates or unaffiliated third parties. It’s an issue that is currently before the commission (NL, Dec. 20/00), and has been...

NL Editorial

telecom | 09/11/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The most recent spate of CLEC bankruptcies produced an interesting aftereffect. The phone calls had barely gone out to the bankruptcy trustees when the irate customers were telling their tales of woes to anyone who would listen. If that someone was connected with a newspaper or television station, so...

ROW Update

telecom | 09/10/2001 4:00 am EDT

 Offers for Norigen assets due September 11Those interested in acquiring parts or all of the now-defunct Norigen Communications have until tomorrow to submit offers to the interim receiver PricewaterhouseCoopers. Some of the assets up for sale are equipment in core mega hub sites in seven cities, building access agreements, spectrum licences and back office support systems. A notice advertising the sale appeared in...

Norigen spectrum licences could be left on auction floor with no apparent takers

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

The receivers for Norigen Communications Inc may find it difficult, if not impossible, to find any company interested in buying the assets of the now defunct CLEC and LMCS provider. A senior industry analyst says there are no obvious takers for the company's spectrum licences, switches, access nodes, telephony equipment...

Content company may be possible suitor for struggling MDS operator Look: analyst

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

Look Communications Inc may be in the final stages of securing a financing arrangement with a major content provider or entertainment-type company that would see the struggling MDS operator live another day, an industry analyst suggests. The Milton ON-based company has until Sept. 7 to come up with a plan to pay back $98 million to its primary lenders, BCE Inc and Telesystem Ltd, or close up shop for good (RoW Update, Aug. 27/01).  The money was originally due Aug. 25, and while BCE and Telesystem agreed to extend the deadline, they weren't willing to provide further financing to keep the company afloat beyond the end of this week. However, some speculate a deal to save the...

Wi-LAN not likely to become primary vendor for Inukshuk; tests continue

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

It appears that Wi-LAN Inc and its system integration partner Ericsson Canada Inc have lost out on an opportunity to be one of the key broadband wireless equipment suppliers to Inukshuk Internet Inc. Wi-LAN says it walked away from an opportunity to supply critical wireless access gear to an organization planning to offer...

COM DEV International offers up RF components business for sale or merger

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

COM DEV International Ltd plans to sell or merge its wireless components business and focus on operations that promise better returns, particularly its space and wireless Internet systems businesses. In a conference call with analysts last week following the release of the company's third-quarter results, president and...

Handset subsidies, free minute offerings still viable marketing tool for Microcell

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

Microcell Telecommunications Inc says it's done the math and found that it can continue to offer inexpensive handsets and free-minute offerings, despite recent statements suggesting the company would shift its focus away from costly promotions (RoW, Aug. 7/01). Executives at Microcell's PCS subsidiary acknowledge...

American company sets up wireless research centre in downtown Montreal

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

US-based InterDigital Communications Corp has hired a veteran engineer in wireless technologies to kick start its new 3G design centre in downtown Montreal. Michel Desgagné was appointed director of InterDigital Canada Ltée on Aug. 21. He previously worked at Ericsson Canada as senior manager of a group conducting...

Comparable spectrum and compensation needed before military can be displaced

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

Debate south of the border over the introduction of third-generation wireless networks continues with the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association and the wireless industry waging a war of words with U.S. military interests. The latest volley comes from the top brass at the U.S. military seeking support in the...

ROW People

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

Wi-LAN Inc of Calgary has made two major executive and board level changes. The company's CFO Peter Kinash has left to pursue other interests and will be replaced by Steve Bellamy who held the same position at UC Wireless, a subsidiary of the Calgary-based company, since 1998. Bellamy has more than 20 years experience in financial operations both in North America and Europe with a particular strength in mergers and...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

Final 2001 percentages for distribution of contribution revenueChanges to the contribution regime (Decision 2000-745) raised the ire of the wireless industry which lobbied hard to have their level of contribution decreased, but to no avail (RoW, Dec. 11/00 and Jan. 8/01). The CRTC has now released the percentages that each province will be able to draw on.  Unique Broadband unveils major restructuring plan Unique...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 09/04/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Another U.S. government department is warning in yet another report that allocating 3G spectrum will be a tricky task that could jeopardize domestic military operations. Tell us something we didn't already know.  This latest report comes from the U.S. General Accounting Office and indicates...

NL Update

telecom | 08/27/2001 4:00 am EDT

PIAC upset with proposed rate increasesThe Public Interest Advocacy Centre says proposed rate increases for local service now before the CRTC would be "unhealthy for the industry and unfair to ratepayers who have no other choice for local service." The group is concerned that Bell Canada, Telus, MTS and Aliant are asking for rates as much as $35 per month, and in a submission to the commission last week, called the proposal "an enormous cash grab by monopolies who are already showing very healthy financial returns." The consumer group and its partners in the submission cite figures that indicate the telcos are earning greater-than-benchmark profits on their regulated services – as much as $2 per month per subscriber greater than the CRTC has deemed fair. The submission was made as part of the hearing into the existing price cap regime. More details. Commission approves Telus IXC rate hikesThe CRTC has puts its stamp of approval on a 17.3% raise in monthly fees for several of Telus Corp’s interexchange services...

ROW Update

telecom | 08/27/2001 4:00 am EDT

 Wi-LAN loses out on Inukshuk contractIt appears that Wi-LAN Inc has lost out on its chance to be one of the primary equipment suppliers for Inukshuk Internet Inc, the country’s near-national MCS player. Last week, the company issued a statement saying that an opportunity in the 2.5 GHz band was no longer active. Wi-LAN chair and CEO Hatim Zaghloul wouldn’t reveal the name of the company, but told Report on...

ROW People

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

Norsat International Inc has made sweeping changes to its senior management ranks. Walter Buller has been named CFO, joining the company from a global technology-based public company. He has more than 30 years experience in senior executive positions and management consulting roles. He was president at Gendis Business Services Inc, VP finance at Sony Canada and Camgard Supply and senior auditor of forensic accounting at...

CWTA wants firmer commitment from feds on use of wireless for broadband rollout

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

Wireless technologies are poised to play a greater role in bridging the digital divide between rural and urban Canadians. Whether through advanced third generation wireless or fixed wireless, the opportunities to provide all Canadians with high-speed access to the Internet are on the horizon. The Canadian wireless industry...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The subject of eligibility will likely be one of the more contentious issues in Industry Canada’s proposed auction of high-speed Internet spectrum. While the incumbents will preach the advantages of letting market forces rule, small wireless companies will push for limited participation by dominant...

Incumbents could be big winners in auction for high-speed Internet spectrum

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada is preparing to auction more spectrum in a bid to meet the government’s 2004 deadline for broadband community access, but its willingness to let the dominant carriers compete could shut out smaller players. On Aug. 10, the department released a proposed policy for auctioning more than 300 10-year licences in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands (DGRB – 006-01). The fixed spectrum would be used to deliver high-speed Internet service to rural and remote areas, in keeping with the government’s promise to bring broadband access to every Canadian community by 2004 (RoW, July 9/01). One licensee already operating in the 3.5 GHz band says his company’s ability to expand into...

Department looks to improve access, transparency to radio licensing data

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

High-volume spectrum users may find it easier to build out their networks and better manage spectrum resources if federal officials green-light a new access-to-information policy. Industry Canada says the proposal (DGRB – 005-01) would create a level of transparency for users in obtaining and analyzing radio spectrum...

Craig Wireless gets one-year reprieve in scramble to finance MDS system in B.C.

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

Craig Wireless International Inc has been given a one-year extension by the CRTC to raise up to $10 million in financing and to roll out its wireless cable TV service in British Columbia. Craig’s SkyCable Pacific subsidiary was to have launched services in seven B.C. communities by July (RoW, July 24/00).  The...

Primary voice access to be dominated by wireless in next decade: Study

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

The wireless phone is set to become the primary telephony device by the end of the next decade, according to a recently released study exploring the impact of new technologies on ILECs’ facilities.  The Impact of Competition and Technology on Local Exchange Outside Plant Assets, prepared by Technology Futures Inc,...

Wireless LAN market to become a little more crowded with arrival of Ottawa firm

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

Semiconductor companies developing products for the wireless LAN market will soon have a new competitor nipping at their heels. Ottawa-based IceFyre Semiconductor plans to use US$12 million in venture capital financing to launch a new low-power chipset for the 5 GHz wireless LAN market next year. The main selling features...

Gov’t hopes to net major trade deals for Canadian companies during trip to Asia

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian government is planning a trade mission to the Asia Pacific region next year in hopes of boosting the flow of Canadian wireless products and applications to the highly-populated region. It recently launched a campaign aimed at attracting 15 firms ranging from fixed wireless equipment makers to applications...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 08/21/2001 4:00 am EDT

eDispatch enters into merger agreement with AirIQMobile workforce management software company eDispatch.com Wireless Data Inc has entered into a merger agreement with AirIQ, a wireless application service provider specializing in the mobile asset management business. The combined company will be a leading provider of mobile resource management including fleet and mobile workforce management.  Mobile Computing lands...

No consensus found…Foreign ownership regulations subject to varying opinions by industry experts

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

There is no better time to do an indepth analysis of the major issue facing the Canadian telecommunications sector, foreign ownership restrictions. It is a topic Network Letter has dealt with several times in the past and no doubt will in the future. But there is a difference this time. We...

The liberalization of foreign ownership – a false dilemma

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

The existing restrictions on direct foreign investment in the telecommunications sector are without merit. The rules create a disincentive for investment in transmission (read local broadband) facilities; they increase the cost of capital for Canadian firms; and they are detrimental to healthy domestic competition in...

Current ownership rules are fair and reasonable, SaskTel believes

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

As expected, there are differing views on whether foreign ownership restrictions in the telecommunications, cable and satellite fields should be lifted. We have heard the arguments from some that a relaxation of the rules would make Canadian companies better able to compete with other global players, increase their access to badly needed capital and create the means for companies to build broadband networks to the most remote parts of Canada. At the outset, SaskTel would note that the absence of ownership limits will not help push broadband services to rural and remote regions of Canada. There is no link whatsoever between expanding high-speed broadband service to these areas and the...

Increased foreign control does not translate into access or jobs, union says

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

Allowing for greater foreign control of our communication companies in order to fulfill our new national dream of wiring every community with high-speed Internet services is just pure nonsense.  Why would the likes of SBC Communications, Verizon or AT&T be more willing to bring high-speed Internet services to...

Foreign investment needed to proliferate high-speed Internet access across Canada

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

Little by little, the telecommunications industry has undergone changes that have opened it up to foreign investment. As Canadians begin to demand equitable and reasonable access to high-speed Internet connections, the need for foreign investment actually becomes a necessity. The Canadian government should once again...

Beyond a casual glance

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

At a casual glance there appears to be no compelling reason to change Canadian telecommunications foreign ownership rules. Investment remains strong, prices are low and Canadian residential and business customers enjoy a variety of service choices. In short, there doesn’t appear to be any problem that needs fixing. Why then are non-incumbent carriers clamoring for change? And why are incumbent carriers fighting...

NL People

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

Telus Business Solutions has named Mario Mannella VP marketing. He worked at Digital Equipment of Canada and Alcan Aluminum before joining Telus Advanced Communications in 1996 as VP sales & marketing.  Gaston Germain has been appointed VP international development of Cogeco/SNC-Lavalin Broadband International. He brings 20 years of telecom experience to the new company. Dale Beeston has been promoted to the...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

Vidéotron sued for millions by former staff membersA dozen former managers and staff of Groupe Vidéotron ltée have submitted claims in the Quebec Superior Court, seeking more than $4 million for being dismissed without proper compensation. The individual filings are asking for amounts ranging from $33,288 to $960,309. Vidéotron’s telecom division is currently up for sale.  Look scores another reprieve from BCE and TelesystemTroubled broadband carrier Look Communications Inc has reached an agreement with BCE Inc and Telesystem Ltd that will see it stave off bankruptcy for a few more weeks. The two telecom firms will pay Look’s $98 million debt owed to several banks and will become lenders rather than guarantors of Look’s debt. CRTC allows 211 for social service networkIn Decision 2001-475, the CRTC granted the United Way of Canada permission to use 211 as a community services code (NL, June 19/00). The service will begin in Toronto and then roll out to other areas. In other rulings, Telus Québec received partial...

ROW Update

telecom | 08/13/2001 4:00 am EDT

 More spectrum to hit the auction blockIndustry Canada has announced plans to auction off radio frequencies that can be used to provide high-speed Internet access to businesses and consumers in all regions of the country. Spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands is expected to be on the block next year. More details. Poor capital markets blamed for B.C. MDS rollout delayMDS licensee SkyCable Pacific has been...

NL U[pdate

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

SaskTel buys RSL COM CanadaProvincial telco SaskTel has paid $17 million to acquire RSL COM Canada, which operates in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The current RSL staff will stay in place, president/CEO David Alsop reports. He expects a fair degree of autonomy from his new bosses in Regina. "They will be active at the board level, they will provide support at the management level if we need...

Launch of next-gen services could stave off slowdown in wireless market

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

Flatlining wireless subscriber growth numbers are giving Canada’s wireless companies good reason to anticipate next-gen services even as most lower their future projections for the take-up of current technology, say industry observers. As new net subscriber additions generally fell short of expectations in the most recent...

UBS considers mergers, acquisitions and sales in bid to boost shareholder value

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

Unique Broadband Systems Inc is willing to consider a merger or sale of certain assets to ward off a potential cash crisis in the wake of two senior resignations and the end of a major contract with Hughes Network Systems. The Concord ON-based company has enlisted a group of high profile directors, including former Prime...

Several more radio stations possible in the GTA, but not as many as previously thought

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada has launched technical tests to determine if more FM radio stations can be squeezed into spectrum-congested markets, particularly Toronto. Department officials won’t speculate as to how many new FM stations can be accommodated by reducing the space between each channel, but they...

SRT gains stranglehold on rural telephony market by acquiring Lucent assets

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

SR Telecom Inc’s proposed acquisition of the French-based fixed wireless assets of its struggling competitor Lucent Technologies Inc would give the company a better presence in Europe and access to important European financing. The deal would also consolidate the Montreal-based company’s already dominant position in the...

New financing, cost-reduction plan will help Infowave weather downturn in markets

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

New financing potentially totaling US$15 million and cost-reduction measures should give Infowave Software Inc the necessary capital to meet its business plan during difficult financial markets, the company says. The Vancouver-based wireless software developer has secured a US$5 million credit facility and is close to...

MVNO model won’t be launched in Canada following failure of Internet firm itemus

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

The demise of Internet incubator itemus Inc effectively kills a plan to launch Canada’s first mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). The Toronto-based company, which was the lead proponent of the plan, filed for bankruptcy last week.  Itemus participated in the auction of additional 2 GHz spectrum last year in...

Look Communications gets much-needed reprieve, seven days to find money

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

Wireless cable operator Look Communications Inc scored a minor victory last week in its ongoing battle to remain in business. The Milton ON-based firm received a seven-day extension from the Bank of Montreal and the Bank of Nova Scotia on loan payments in order to come up with a new business plan and new financing. The extension allows Look to continue discussions with the banks and its two principal investors, Charles Sirois’ holding company Telesystem Ltd and Montreal-based BCE Inc. Discussions in recent weeks have proved less than fruitful for the fledgling MDS operator, which has been trying to convince major shareholder BCE to extend a loan guarantee. While Sirois’ Telesystem...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

WaveRider sells LMS products to city in MinnesotaWaveRider Communications Inc, of Toronto, has sold a set of LMS 3000 non-line-of-sight fixed wireless access products to the City of Buffalo in Minnesota. The purchase of the system is the first part of the city’s plan to roll out high-speed access throughout the city. Initially, eight communications access points will be installed this month and service will be launched...

ROW People

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

Wireless industry veteran Cesar Cesaratto has joined the board of directors at SiGEM Inc, Ottawa. With more than 30 years of experience and many of those as an international business executive, he brings a wealth of knowledge in product development, business development, operations, sales and marketing to the table. Prior to his retirement, he held a number of senior level positions with Nortel Networks Corp including...

Solution to 3G problem in the U.S. rests in military’s hands, says CTIA

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

As the United States continues to struggle to find a suitable solution to allocating spectrum for future third-generation networks, the American military is already finding how difficult it can be to use current spectrum while training military corps abroad. The following is an edited excerpt of testimony given by the...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 08/07/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Canada’s wireless industry appears poised for a marketing revolution. After years of depending on subsidized handsets, free minutes and pre-paid airtime packages to boost subscriber numbers, carriers appear ready to sacrifice some incentives in favour of the bottom line.  The old strategy helped...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

FCC dismisses Bell motion on non-dominance Bell Canada has been told by the Federal Communications Commission that it does not meet the criteria to be removed from the list of dominant carriers (NL, March 8/00).The FCC found Bell's 95% presence in the six provinces east of Manitoba make it too big to be added to the roster of non-dominant carriers. A related filing, asking the commission to waive the rule for good cause, was also dismissed.  Telus Québec purchases Axxent assets in province Telus Québec has bought the Quebec-based assets of failed CLEC Axxent Inc. The purchase of the Montreal and Quebec City co-location facilities and equipment gives the Telus subsidiary coverage of 70% of the business community in the two areas.  Bell retreats from touch-tone tariff try Bell Canada has withdrawn an application to the CRTC that would have required customers to pay $2.80 per month for touch-tone service. The approximately 285,000 subscribers in Quebec and Ontario still using rotary phones rebelled, forcing the telco to...

NL People

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

Telus has made a series of new appointments. Paul Goldman is the new VP/GM national systems. The 16-year telecom veteran will manage the overall operations of the service that sells data, voice, video and Internet throughout the country. Brian Ridgway is now VP sales for central and eastern Canada for the client solutions division. He previously worked for GE Capital IT Solutions where he was EVP, IT products/Net...

NL Editorial

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  The American author F. Scott Fitzgerald once opined, "The rich are different than you and I." To which Ernest Hemingway replied, "Yes, they have more money." Shareholders in Nortel Networks are unlikely to be called rich these days, but they may be inspired by the two literary...

ROW Update

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

More fixed wireless spectrum to be made availableIndustry Canada will soon be announcing plans for the competitive licensing of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz ranges. Department officials confirmed to Report on Wireless that a document is in the works and is scheduled to be released within the next couple of weeks.  RIM extending reach in EuropeResearch in Motion is continuing to expand the reach of its popular...

Federal Court of Appeal sides with power companies in pole access battle

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

The cable industry says it will appeal a landmark court ruling that challenges the CRTC's jurisdiction to regulate utility companies, and to mandate what they charge for access to their poles. Released July 13, the unanimous decision by the Federal Court of Appeal represents the latest development in a five-year battle...

Calgary CLEC trying to figure out who controls local utility poles

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

A fledgling Alberta CLEC wants the CRTC to act as referee in its battle for pole access, but it's still not clear who the company is opposing - the local power company or Telus Corp. Without the ability to use existing support structures and facilities, the company says it can't offer telephone service to its...

AT&T Canada’s backing from other telcos too cozy for Toronto’s liking

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

The groundswell of support for AT&T Canada Corp in its fight with the City of Toronto has raised the hackles of the municipality and it's asking the CRTC to ignore their interventions. The city claims that other CLECs, telcos and cablecos are attempting to turn a contract dispute between...

DSL poised to overtake cable modems in popularity, new report predicts

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

The number of DSL lines is expected to exceed the number of cable modems globally by next year, a new study predicts, although it likely won't happen that fast in Canada. The report, released by IDC Canada, also questions how much of that growing DSL market will be ceded to the established telcos.  "IDC...

Opportunities for industry and challenges for public policy in newest free trade deal

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

Free trade with Central and South America will create more opportunities for Canadian telecom companies, lure new competitors to our domestic market, and at the same time, cause concerns for domestic policy, according to experts reviewing the recently released draft agreement of the Free Trade Area...

Carriers not getting proper return on network infrastructure

telecom | 07/30/2001 4:00 am EDT

Ando Corp is the American subsidiary of Japan's Ando Electric Co. It is currently conducting trials for its first OC-48c IP Core Network Probe. The gigabit speed router is a hardware accelerated statistics engine. The American division of Ando has been in operation for two decades and coordinates with the company's other operations in Asia and in Europe. In this article, a senior executive with the firm looks at the need for state-of-the-art equipment.  It is common knowledge in today's IP industry that network management and monitoring capabilities lag far behind packet forwarding technologies, with the broad consensus being that the sooner network management applications catch up the better.  According to an Infonetics report, enterprise customers lost an average of...

Ottawa’s TMI wins critical U.S. battle to build and launch next-gen mobile satellite

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

TMI Communications has won a lengthy U.S. battle to secure frequencies for a new mobile satellite that will transform the Ottawa-based company from a telephony to a broadband services provider. The July 17 decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to award 3.5 MHz of contiguous...

Time still available to license Ka-band, but industry players warn not to wait too long

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

Canada isn’t in any hurry to award a licence for a multimedia satellite, despite warnings from international regulators that it will take away our orbital slot if it isn’t used by 2005. This ‘use it or lose it’ deadline is posing a challenge to both Industry Canada and the private sector,...

Halifax firm seeks financing to bring speech recognition technology to market

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

A Halifax-based start-up is finalizing a new speech recognition product that lets mobile workers tap into corporate data using only their cell phone. Developed by OKAMLogic, the Wireless Voice Commerce Gateway is in beta tests with Aliant Telecom and should hit the market early next year.  OKAMLogic’s patent-pending...

Gov’t agencies, public safety groups oppose widespread use of cell jammers

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

Allowing restaurants, movie theatres and other public places to use cell phone jammers could result in ‘dead air zones’ which jeopardize public safety, environmental and emergency response groups warn in letters to Industry Canada. Responding to the government’s call for comments on whether to legalize the sale and...

U.S. mobile phone users continue to grow; penetration hits 39 per cent in 2000

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

Wireless penetration south of the border reached 39 per cent at the end of 2000, according to figures released last week by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). According to the U.S. regulator’s sixth annual report on the state of the wireless industry, there were nearly 110 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. at the end of last year, up from 86 million at the end of 1999.  The FCC attributes the 27 per cent growth in subscribers to a combination of network footprint expansion and innovative and competitive pricing plans. Nearly 260 million people in the U.S. or 91 per cent of the total population have access to wireless services through three or more different wireless...

New graphics format a good fit for wireless

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

A small Vancouver-based R&D company says it’s poised to exploit new opportunities in wireless multimedia with a graphics format ideal for the job. Last month, Image Power Inc released a trial version of its compression software for two popular media players that uses the new MJPEG2000 standard. The standard, much of which has already been...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

IDC makes sales in North America, Europe and AsiaOttawa’s International Datacasting Corp has racked up more than $2 million in new sales. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp has ordered a dozen FlexRoute digital audio uplinks for the conversion of CBC radio infrastructure to digital technology while SkyOnline of the United States bought another SuperFlex uplink system for its IP network in Latin America. Norway’s Telenor...

ROW People

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

Two of Unique Broadband Systems Inc’s leading executives have decided to leave the company. Both Alex Dolgonos, president, CEO and chair of the board, and Stephen Rosen, executive VP and CFO, are stepping down from their positions in a move the company describes as one that will maximize shareholder value. While Rosen is also leaving his post as a director, Dolgonos will remain a director and be a technical consultant...

CWTA prefers education on courteous cell phone use, rather than regulation

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association is advocating a broad public awareness campaign to educate citizens on the courteous use of cell phones and pagers. The association believes that the industry is best served through a self-regulatory approach rather than the heavy hand of government...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 07/24/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Public debate on the once divisive issue of cell phone jammers has closed with barely a whimper rather than the bang some had anticipated.  It appears that whichever organization or company approached the government about this issue has underestimated the public’s desire to ban cell phones in...

NL Update

telecom | 07/23/2001 4:00 am EDT

Nortel announces record loss for Q2Once the darling of the Canadian telecom market, Nortel Networks Corp has come crashing down to earth. The company reported the largest quarterly loss in Canadian history – US$19.4 billion in the second quarter of 2001. The Standard & Poor’s Corp has lowered the firm’s credit rating from single-A to tripple-B. More details. 360Networks restructuring extended to year endThe...

AT&T gets backing from other telcos in rights-of-way fight with Toronto

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

The major players in telecom and cable are rallying behind AT&T Canada Corp in a battle that will test the CRTC’s resolve in bringing municipalities to heel when it comes to providing access to public rights-of-way. In a rare moment of solidarity, the various competitors are jointly calling on the commission to force...

Norigen latest CLEC to face the hostilities of a tight financial market

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

Norigen Communications Inc has shelved plans to replace leased fibre lines with its own wireless network in one of several cost-cutting moves expected at the cash-strapped Toronto-based CLEC. An official at the company confirmed that its plans to build a national network using frequencies in the 24 GHz and 38 GHz bands have...

360networks may have filed for protection in time to save itself, says U.S. analyst

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

The hasty and unexpected move by 360networks Inc to file for voluntary bankruptcy is being viewed as a positive sign by at least one U.S. analyst who hasn’t given up hope that the Vancouver company can pull out of its current free fall. After failing to raise additional capital, the fibre giant filed for protection in Canada and the United States in late June (NL, July 3/01), earlier than analysts had anticipated.  But the analyst says 360networks, unlike previous telecom failures such as Winstar and PSINet, still has a viable business plan. "Not a formal plan of reorganization," says Peter Chapman, editor of the Bankruptcy Creditors’ Service Inc of Trenton NJ, "but...

Telecom markets slowly improving, new surveys by two banks say

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

The slowdown in the telecom sector has hurt the Canadian economy in the short term, but prospects in the long run are much more hopeful, two major banks predict. Plans by provincial and federal governments to spend billions on new broadband infrastructure is expected to help fuel a recovery. The Toronto Dominion Bank...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

Verizon sells Quebec holdings to TelusTelus Corp has purchased the 30% stake of Telus Québec previously held by Verizon Communications Inc for $284.6 million and has bought Arqana Technologies Inc for $21 million. The telco is also offering live integrated mortgage services through its Internet portals myBC.com, Alberta.com, and myTO.com.  AT&T Canada wins $16-million CBC dealToronto-based CLEC AT&T Canada...

NL People

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

Telus Québec has made two appointments. Nicole Bertrand has been named director general of business market sales in Montreal. The 15-year telecom alumna will be responsible for business market sales in the city. Monique Riendeau is the new director general of indirect distribution network. She is in charge of the development of the distribution grid for the telco.  With the takeover of Arqana Technologies Inc by...

America’s looming crisis over local access

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

With facilities-based local competition unlikely to arrive anytime soon, CLECs are staking their future on the effectiveness of new rules that guarantee them open and affordable access to the incumbents’ networks. Canada is continuing to struggle with the issue and it’s still not certain that we have the rules right. Meanwhile, south of the...

NL Editorial

telecom | 07/17/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The most recent flirtations with restructuring in the telecom industry could be seen as another sign that the market is doomed. But closer examination reveals a maturity and willingness to face situations honestly.  As our stories in this issue indicate, both CLEC Norigen and fibre builder 360networks are facing rough times financially. Norigen is scaling back, giving itself breathing space and concentrating on its core business. 360networks is taking preventative measures that may well ensure that it can continue operations in the future. But what both companies have done is to make moves before it is too late. The information highway is littered with the burned-out hulks of CLECs, ISPs and other telecom firms that hung on too long. By the time they came to the realization the capital funding was drying up, it was too late. Last spring, George Horhota, the founding president of Cannect Communications...

ROW Update

telecom | 07/16/2001 4:00 am EDT

 Final comments are in concerning the use of cell phone silencersFederal agencies and provincial governments voiced their concern over the use of cell phone silencers in the latest round of comments on their use. Canadians still seem to be divided over the use of cell phone silencers in public places. With final comments in and posted on Industry Canada’s web site, the department now must wade through the...

Canadian government still waiting for U.S. decision–FCC commissioner’s remarks on 3G spectrum allocation encouraging: Binder

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

The top official in Canada’s department responsible for spectrum allocation says he’s heartened by recent remarks made by a Federal Communications Commission commissioner on the issue of what spectrum the United States will use for third generation (3G) wireless services. But Michael Binder,...

Canada proposes spectrum sharing for broadcasters and public safety operators

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

Broadcasters and public safety mobile operators could be heading for a showdown if Industry Canada follows through on a proposal to allow the two groups to share the same spectrum. Usable spectrum for the mobile industry below 1 GHz is rapidly running out, giving public safety operators reason to covet the 746-806 MHz band,...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

AT&T Wireless boosts stake in Rogers Wireless to 34%AT&T Wireless has bought British Telecom’s stake in Rogers Wireless Inc for more than $500 million. This purchase increases AT&T Wireless’ stake in the Canadian company to 34 per cent and gives BT an influx of cash to better deal with its mounting debt. The British company announced late last year that it was considering unloading its stake in Rogers to...

ROW People

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

Look Communications Inc has made a couple of major executive changes. President and CEO David Parkes has stepped down from his position and has been replaced on an interim basis by Michael Cytrynbaum, chair of the board of directors. Parkes will continue with the company in an advisory capacity and as a member of the board. Additionally, Louis Villeneuve, CFO, has been appointed COO. Villeneuve joined Look last year and...

Don’t sell fixed wireless short when it comes to broadband: Sprint president

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

Much debate has surrounded the viability of fixed wireless to provide broadband access, particularly to regions that fall outside the reach of cable and DSL. In Canada, the use of wireless for local access will become more pronounced as the government embarks on its plan to ensure every community has broadband access by...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The anticipated review of foreign ownership limits could become a public relations problem for the federal government. Senior bureaucrats and politicians have maintained that if such a review were to take place, it would focus on facilities-based telecom companies.  The argument is logical....

NL Update

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

Telus unveils internet data centresThe country’s second-largest ILEC opens state-of-the-art Internet data centres in Calgary and Toronto. This brings the number of centres Telus operates up to six. More details. Sprint introduces SDSL serviceSprint Canada has launched symmetrical DSL Internet services for its business clients. The Business Internet DSL is being rolled out in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and...

Norigen’s plans for 38 GHz spectrum shelved indefinitely due to lack of capital

telecom | 07/09/2001 4:00 am EDT

The financial crunch facing telecom companies has forced Norigen Communications Inc to suspend its deployment plans for 24 GHz and 38 GHz spectrum, with no firm timeline for putting the frequencies into use. The Toronto-based competitive local exchange carrier had planned to use the spectrum to replace leased fibre links with its own infrastructure as corporate clients were signed on. Speaking at the Wireless Communications Association International’s annual conference in Boston on June 26, Andres Schneiter opened the session – entitled Assessing Canadian Opportunities – with an update to his bio in the conference program.  He informed delegates that he had recently been let...