United Telecom Council heads north with creation of Canadian sections

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

As expected, the United Telecom Council (UTC) has decided to expand its operations to include Canadian electrical utilities among its membership ranks. The Washington DC-based lobby group voted at its board meeting in late October to set up two new divisions, one representing eastern Canada and one representing western...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

Setting the record straightThis is how urban legends get started. Despite a published report in the Oct. 17 Globe and Mail, it appears that Ottawa has not committed to spend $1 billion to bring broadband to every Canadian community. Network Letter spoke with the reporter who wrote the story, Heather Scoffield, who acknowledged that the $1 billion number was erroneous. The press secretary for former Industry minister John...

NL People

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

Patricia Bowles is the new EVP communications for Telus. She has prior experience in public relations, marketing, public affairs and government relations.  Theresa Muir, formerly director of regulatory matters at Bell Canada has joined AT&T Canada as VP of regulatory.  Brock Robertson has left his position as VP treasury and investor relations at Call-Net Enterprises Inc to take on a similar role as senior...

Alberta edges ahead in broadband race

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

Not to be outdone by the federal Liberals in Ottawa, the Alberta Conservatives last week announced plans to roll out high-speed Internet access to virtually every community in Alberta (see story on page 1). Alberta is hoping the initiative – called Supernet – will create a critical mass for broadband service delivery, and attract large corporations...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.If you haven’t already noticed, a communications revolution is taking place in Canada. It’s not just the rise in Internet penetration per se; it’s how the demand for better and faster communications is altering the traditional roles of both suppliers and users.  Last week’s announcement by the Alberta government to bring broadband to every community by 2003 is revolutionary for two reasons. First, a staunchly conservative government that rails against so-called corporate welfare has realized that public spending that supports open and accessible networks is as important as using public funds to build public highways.  Despite critics who suggest that condominium fibre networks promote government ownership and management of telecom networks, Alberta’s $193-million initiative demonstrates that this new network model actually promotes competition, as well as universal access and equal rates for all...

Bell consortium beats out Telus–Alberta leapfrogs federal gov’t in bid to bring broadband to every community

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

The Alberta government’s decision last week to award a $193-million infrastructure contract to a Bell Intrigna-led consortium and $163-million service contract to two Bell affiliates has given BCE Inc the network and customer base it needs to aggressively compete on the home turf of its biggest...

New deal will see C1 Communications re-emerge as XO Communications Canada

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

The president of C1 Communications Inc says his company’s transformation into XO Communications Canada Inc should give it the clout and brand recognition it needs to compete as a larger player in Canada’s major markets.  Under the agreement, C1 Communications has joined with Wispra Networks Inc to form XO...

Calgary MUD awaits approval to add cable TV to telephone, Internet bundle

telecom | 11/06/2000 5:00 am EST

A subsidiary of a Calgary rental property owner has received CLEC status and is hoping to offer bundled telephony, Internet and cable services soon. Suite Systems Inc (SSI), a division of Boardwalk Equities Inc, hopes to offer phone service in Edmonton and Calgary, with an eye to rolling out to other communities across the...

Additional PCS frequencies to be sold off in next year’s spectrum auction

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

PCS spectrum bidders will have an extra 20 MHz to compete for in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec when Canada’s second spectrum auction begins January 15. The extra spectrum comes from Telus Mobility, which found itself exceeding Industry Canada’s spectrum cap following its parent’s acquisition of Clearnet...

Lumic Electronics extols virtues of new multimedia processor to venture capitalists

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

Ottawa-based fabless semiconductor company Lumic Electronics Inc its chip-based system to venture capitalists last week as a way to solve potential bottlenecks in delivering multimedia content to the handset. A presentation of the wireless technology and its business plan was given at the sold out Ottawa Venture Capital...

Incentives more than subsidies needed to accelerate broadband deployment

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

Fixed wireless and satellite companies will likely take the lead in bringing broadband access to rural and remote areas of Canada, as part of a new federal initiative to have every community connected to a high-speed link by 2004. On the day before his departure from the Industry Canada portfolio, Industry minister John...

Bringing broadband to remote areas will depend on govt’s satellite policy: Telesat

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

Bringing broadband services to the remote northern regions could prove difficult unless the federal government moves quickly to ensure a new Canadian satellite has somewhere to park in space. Telesat Canada says it’s anxious to finalize plans that would see a new two-way Ka-band satellite – the Anik F2 – launched in...

Canadian office opening in Toronto

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

General Bandwidth launches new product to help ILECs migrate into broadband  The rapid rollout of high-speed networks in Canada has given an Austin TX start-up the potential market base it needs to beef up sales of its voice-over-broadband (VoB) equipment in this country. Seventeen-month-old General Bandwidth announced Oct. 17 that it is opening...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

COM DEV gets go ahead in RF gear contract in EuropeThe European subsidiary of COM DEV International Ltd has received an Authority to Proceed (ATP) from a major European satellite prime contractor for advanced RF/electronic equipment. COM DEV will begin work on the contract that sits now at a maximum of $2.2 million, but is expected to be expanded to $14.2 million. This order builds on COM DEV Europe’s successful completion of a series of space contracts for major European and American satellite prime contractors. TimesThree and SignalSoft sign joint marketing agreementLocation carrier TimesThree, Calgary, and SignalSoft Corp have agreed to jointly market their location-based products. As part of the agreement, the two companies plan to promote the combination of TimesThree’s position collection and distribution systems (PCDS) platform and SignalSoft’s location gateway product, locations manager, and accompanying applications. Interoperability between the two companies’ products will provide wireless carriers with a one-stop...

RoW People

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

Voice IQ Inc has appointed Don George as VP global business development and marketing. Formerly a global marketing executive in IBM’s personal systems group for the telecommunications sector, he also served as the project manager for deploying a wireless network in the Middle East. George has more than 37 years experience in the telecommunications industry which includes the building of the Southwestern Bell Mobile...

“Brought To You By The Letter ‘M’…”

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

The rapid growth of wireless communications is changing the focus of online communications from e-delivery to m-delivery.  Gregory Rohde is assistant secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Association, a Washington-based agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Rohde examined the ABCs – and Ms...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/30/2000 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. David Johnston and the yet-to-be appointed members of the new National Broadband Task Force have some daunting issues to examine over the coming weeks before the federal government can take credit for accelerating the rollout of broadband to every community. The biggest issue isn’t the technical...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

Group Telecom takes over C1 assets in Atlantic CanadaToronto-based CLEC GT Group Telecom Inc is spending $70 million to buy C1 Communications Inc’s assets in Atlantic Canada. The telco, which recently purchased Cable Atlantic’s telecom service, is taking over the fibre network, on-net buildings, customers and employees of C1 Communications. Telus unveils major projects in advance of New York listingEdmonton will be...

NL People

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

Dave McMahon is the new VP operations/carrier relations/engineering and customer care for Telus Integrated Communications. He’ll cart that lengthy title all the way to the telco’s Toronto office from Calgary, where he most recently served as assistant VP, carrier services. He has nearly a quarter century of experience in the telecom field.  Eugene Roman has been appointed chief information officer for Bell Canada. He previously acted as VP for IS/IT business solution development. There are also changes in the media relations unit of the telecom giant. Toronto-based spokeswoman Irene Shimoda has decamped for a job at Telus, while Jennifer Lang is leaving for parts unknown. Ottawa’s Margaret Eades, who has shepherded many an innocent newsletter editor through the maze of telephony, is staying with Bell but her duties no longer entail dealing with the media. Fibre network research agency Canarie Inc has named Susan Baldwin as director of advanced content. She has experience at the CRTC, at Canadian Heritage and at Industry...

The future of mail delivery in a virtual age

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

With a history rooted in the door-to-door delivery of ‘snail mail’, it’s easy to see why some pundits have predicted a finite existence for postal corporations. However, it’s not a view shared by Gerard Power, Canada Post’s VP and general counsel. In a recent presentation to the Senate’s Subcommittee on Communications, Power maintained...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. It is easy to be suspicious of the government’s intentions in announcing the National Broadband Task Force. It can be seen as John Manley’s final valentine to the high-tech sector in his native Ottawa region. It can be viewed as a chance for Brian Tobin to make a splash in his debut as Industry...

New task force will decide government’s role in bringing broadband to rural Canada

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada has given a new national task force an ambitious mandate and little time to examine how broadband Internet access can be provided to all rural and remote communities by 2004, and whether the federal government should be footing part of the bill. One of Brian Tobin’s first jobs as Industry minister...

Telecom carriers contribute to expansion of Canadian economy, TD bank finds

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

Telecom and other parts of the "new economy" are improving Canada’s economic performance, a new study reports. The Toronto Dominion Bank’s Quarterly Industrial and Provincial Forecast predicts GDP growth in each province and in many of these regions, the expansion is driven by the new economy. The bank...

New Industry minister will decide the make up of new broadband task force

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

It will be up to Industry minister Brian Tobin to decide which sectors are represented on his new National Broadband Task Force, and how large it will be. The group’s newly appointed chair, David Johnston, says he expects the task force will include diverse representation from industry, government, local communities and...

Software manufacturer moves from fraud detection to detecting buying patterns

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

An Ottawa-based telecom equipment manufacturer is hoping to use its experience in fighting fraud as a springboard to help telcos sell more services. Magardi Inc has been in the telephone fraud business for 15 years, which has opened up opportunities to launch new product lines that anticipate consumer demand.  Bruce...

Canadian utilities seeking telecom stake look to American experience

telecom | 10/23/2000 4:00 am EDT

Utility companies may have several advantages when it comes to entering the telephony market but they have a lot to learn before they can exploit them, an industry conference has been told. Gregory Green, president and CEO of Avista Communications of Spokane WA, was a speaker at a session on CLEC business strategy at the...

OA Group becomes newest fixed licensed competitor in Western Canada

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

Spectrum previously reserved for military use is proving popular among small Internet access providers in Western Canada. On Oct. 12, OA Group Inc of Calgary became the third western-based company to scoop up 3.4 GHz licences since Industry Canada decided to release the spectrum earlier this year. OA Group purchased...

New gear from Wavesat to enable quicker deployment of fixed wireless systems

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

PCS and satellite communications amplifier manufacturer, Wavesat Telecom Inc is beta testing a new broadband wireless modem that could produce cheaper and faster equipment for broadcast and high-speed Internet access players. The product, which has been designed around orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology, promises to deliver bi-directional data rates significantly faster than other gear on the market today. The Montreal-based company expects to commercially release the OFDM modem within the next six months. Wavesat Telecom Inc could have a ready-made market if changes to older microwave licensing policies proposed by Industry Canada earlier this year are...

Content and technology top lists of concerns over the wireless Internet

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

Wireless carriers in Canada must loosen their stranglehold on web content and give consumers more choice over the information they receive if they want the wireless Internet to take off. That message was delivered by some of the country’s leading infrastructure and application development players at Emerge@Wireless 2 in...

Tundra and Motorola to enable faster gear

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

Motorola Inc’s semiconductor products business unit has made a multi-year, multi-million investment in Tundra Semiconductor Corp, of Kanata ON. The investment will help speed up development of new chips based on the RapidIO core logic that will allow communications equipment manufacturers to produce faster gear. While terms of the deal weren’t...

Utility companies poised to become carriers’ carriers in telecom market

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

The rising demand for wireless access – with the arrival of a powerful U.S. ally – could prompt Canada’s utility companies to expand into this market sooner than expected, a conference in Toronto has been told. Utility companies on this side of the border have long talked about getting into the telecommunications...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

SiGEM provides software to iSO.LINK for payment systemKanata ON-based SiGEM Inc and iSO.LINK are teaming up to provide web-based transaction and ATM payment services to SiGEM’s ePing Enterprise customers in the ground transportation industry. SiGEM will provide the software that iSO.LINK needs to become an application service provider to those customers. The first installation of the network and services will be a fleet...

RoW People

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

Paradigm Advanced Technologies has appointed Joseph Schembri chief of engineering for the company’s subsidiary PowerLOC Technologies Inc. Prior to joining the company, Schembri was president at Tie Communications Research Inc, a designer and manufacturer of telecommunications equipment for the global marketplace. He has also worked at Nortel Networks Corp and Motorola Inc where he specialized in setting up the engineering database and documentation control procedures. Paradigm has also named J Edward Antecol as the company’s new general counsel. He is formerly VP regulatory at AT&T Canada Corp. Antecol will advise the company on matters regarding its intellectual property and licensing agreements. Communications and Information Technology Ontario (CITO) has appointed a new chair of the board of directors and nine new members to the board. Peter Perry, head R&D, public switching at Mitel Corp, takes over as chair. CITO has also elected five new industrial directors. Frank Huntley, president at Kingston Software factory, Rob...

U.S. prepares to combat spectrum drought

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

Increased demand for spectrum, and growing concern over spectrum scarcity, is turning into a public policy challenge for federal regulators around the world. An increasingly mobile workforce, falling prices for wireless devices and the growth in the wireless Internet are among the developments driving this increased demand. Dale Hatfield, chief of...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/16/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and nor will the wireless Internet. Stone by stone the walls were erected, and much in the same manner, equipment capable of faster speeds will be hoisted onto the towers. But more importantly, carriers will go step by step signing up content providers to provide...

Growing Nfld’s IT capability, the Irish way

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

As many of you would probably expect, the majority of our (company’s) revenue comes from the telecommunications side. But this is changing very quickly. Although this business line will continue to grow, we are forecasting that it will only represent half of Aliant’s total revenue by 2003.  That means that our IT, remote communications, and...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/11/2000 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 recent conference of the United Telecom Council in Toronto may well prove to be a watershed event in the evolution of Canadian telecommunications. The utility companies have talked for years about entering the marketplace; this parlay may finally combine the desire with the proficiency.  The...

Washington-based trade association helps Canadian utilities move into telecom market

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

After years of talking and little action, Canadian utilities are turning to their American counterparts for help in cracking the telecommunications market. The first step in this new alliance will see the Washington-based United Telecom Council (UTC) creating two Canadian divisions in a trade association for utilities that...

Hearing begins Oct. 30 in Calgary–Provincial telco’s cable TV application facing opposition from traditional cablecos

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

SaskTel’s plan to move into the cable market has not been warmly received by either the cable industry or opposition parties in the provincial legislature. The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) warns that the provincial telco could use monopoly telephone revenues to subsidize...

Foreign aid from Canada helping to develop Internet capacity in Latin America

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Canadian efforts to expand the Internet into Latin America have been successful, but more work needs to be done. Leaders of four pilot projects were in Ottawa at the end of September to tell the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of their results.In introducing the session, Ricardo Gomez of the IDRC said the...

FCC initiates study of high-speed Internet; backbone deregulation also an issue

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

The Federal Communications Commission in Washington is launching an inquiry to study high-speed Internet service, with particular emphasis on cable delivery. The American regulator is seeking comments on the legal and policy approach to be given to services provided over different platforms, including cable, wireline,...

Fibre will be main source of diet for utility companies going into telecom

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

When it comes to facilities-based competition, utility companies could be the next major competitor to challenge both incumbent telcos and CLECs. With control of an unrivaled number of rights of way, power companies are being told to plan early and choose wisely as they deploy new fibre optic networks.  More than 100 delegates attending a conference in Toronto October 3-5 heard how American utilities are taking advantage of telecommunications, and how their Canadian counterparts can follow suit. The conference was organized by the Washington-based United Telecom Council, which is looking at establishing two Canadian divisions. In a session titled "Fibre, Fibre, Fibre",...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Axxent rolls out service in eight provincesToronto-based CLEC Axxent Inc is now a national player. After building initially in Montreal and Toronto, the company is now providing on-switch services in Quebec City, Ottawa, Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Calgary and Vancouver. The firm’s coast-to-coast network includes other cities in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,...

NL People

telecom | 10/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Bill Linton is the latest president and CEO of Call-Net Enterprises Inc. The veteran of Prior Data Science Inc, SHL Systemhouse Inc and Rogers Cantel Inc replaces Kevin Bennis who resigned in July.  The board of Cannect Networks Ltd, the holding company of CLEC Cannect Communications Inc, has chosen Gary McCone as its new chair. The former president of marketing, wholesale/carrier & consumer services for AT&T...

eMPOWR says $550-$600M in federal funds needed to combat ICT skills shortage

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

At a meeting last week, major telecommunications players from industry, government and academia put the finishing touches on a new organization that would manage $550-$600 million in new federal funding over five years for information and communications technologies (ICT) studies at Canadian universities and colleges. The...

ABC waits for 38 GHz gear to drop in price, forges ahead in the 3.4 GHz band

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

High equipment prices for 24/38 GHz equipment is forcing at least one recent licence winner to launch its wireless Internet access service in the 3.5 GHz band as an interim measure. ABC Communications of St. Quesnel BC, which last year won the higher frequency spectrum licences (RoW, Oct. 18/99), says gear in the 38 GHz...

CSP Internet, first to use 3.4 GHz band for fixed wireless services in Canada

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

Vancouver-based CSP Internet Ltd will one of the first wireless access providers to use the 3.4 GHz band to provide commercial non-military service after acquiring nearly 90 spectrum licences for the band in British Columbia and Saskatchewan early last month. An additional 55 licences in Alberta will be added to the company’s spectrum holdings when it receives approval for the licences, expected within the next couple of months. The 3.4 GHz band was previously reserved for military use. It was opened up to commercial applications about six months ago. Discussions to loosen the band’s regulations began early last year when Nortel Networks Corp (then Northern Telecom Ltd) and the...

More professors needed to increase number of qualified engineers in Canada

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

The critical shortage of information and communications technologies (ICT) professionals is one step closer to being addressed as key stakeholders hammered out a plan to attack the growing problem. Last week, major players from the telecommunications community, including industry, government and academia, put the final...

COM DEV International unveils details of new wireless Internet system, M/ERGY

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

COM DEV International Ltd has unveiled a new wireless Internet system that promises to deliver broadband connectivity to laptops and desktop computers without using external roof top antennas. The Cambridge ON company licensed technology from wireless communications product developer Qualcomm Inc that will be used in its...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

Bell Mobility to offer BlackBerry deviceBell Mobility and Research in Motion have signed an agreement that will enable Bell to offer RIM’s BlackBerry wireless email solution over its ARDIS wireless data network. Additionally, Bell has partnered with Neomar Inc to put Neomar’s WAP microbrowser on the BlackBerry handhelds which enables consumers to access more than 40 wireless sites on Bell’s Mobile Browser service....

RoW People

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

SUMmedia.com Inc has named Philip Kunsberg president of the Vancouver-based company as it moves to position itself as an application service provider in the wireless space. Kunsberg has been serving on the board of directors since January and will continue in that capacity. He brings a wealth of experience gained from his employ at Hollinger Digital, particularly in the areas of new media and in the development of new...

De facto standards threaten future of ITU

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was established 135 years ago by 20 European countries to facilitate international telegraph services through coordinating details of a technical and operational nature for providing services, namely the standardization of telecommunications. Things have changed a great deal since then. We now have...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/02/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. When Kevin Lynch left the Industry Canada portfolio earlier this year to become deputy minister of Finance, many industry insiders hoped his extensive understanding of the advanced technology sectors would bring a "new economy" perspective to Finance. A recent speech given by Paul Martin...

BCE aims for the ‘Globe’ but may be forgetting its own backyard, analysts warn

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

With all the hoopla over BCE Inc expanding into broadcasting and publishing, the conglomerate may be in danger of disregarding its core business. Several analysts believe the company is ignoring its telecom roots in favour of sexier, but not necessarily more profitable sidelines. "I’ve seen some articles where...

Industry-led campaign seeks $550-$600M in new funding to boost ICT capacity

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

Canada is facing a critical shortage of information and communications technology (ICT) professionals, and a new industry-led consortium has launched a major campaign to squeeze $550-$600 million from the federal government to combat the problem. Key details of the proposal will be hammered out this week when some of the...

Future of backbone looks favourable, but more development needed, delegates told

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

The demand for bandwidth is growing steadily, but government and industry are slow to respond, experts told a conference in Ottawa recently. All of the participants at a panel of the Canadian Institute of Telecommunications Research extolled the various delivery types, but said more developments are looming. As part of its annual research conference in August, the CITR hosted a discussion entitled Broadband Access: The Last Mile. It brought together five specialists in fibre, wireless and satellite transmission. "Fibre-to-the-home is coming faster than we expect," predicted Bill St-Arnaud, senior director, advanced networks for CANARIE Inc. Carrying voice transmissions is...

Vidéotron Télécom emerging as a coveted jewel in Quebecor’s newest media crown

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

Quebecor Inc startled many in the telephony world last week when it announced that the telecom assets of le Groupe Vidéotron ltée would be put on the selling block. It wasn’t the decision to sell that caught the industry off guard so much as the speed with which Quebecor acted. Some industry analysts believed the media...

Directory listing charges too high, independent publishers tell commission

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

A group of telephone directory publishers claims the telcos are giving them the shaft financially and it wants the CRTC to do something about it. The seven firms say the telecom companies are overcharging them for the names and numbers of subscribers. They have filed a review-and-vary application with the commission seeking...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

CRTC grants licences to aspiring CLECsCombined Telecom Inc and Combined Xchange Telecom have received Class B licences from the CRTC, thus clearing the way for the firms to become CLECs. In other commission news, Public Notice 2000-124-1 grants an extension to those seeking to file comments on access to multi-dwelling units, in-building wiring and riser space. The new deadline is October 31. Télébec’s 1999 final...

NL People

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

GT Group Telecom has appointed Michael Kurtz as VP and GM prairie region. He previously worked with IBM, Intergraph and Unisys.  Craig Storey is the new GM of the Interactive Knowledge division of Innovatia, an Aliant subsidiary. Most recently director of business development with Aliant, he joined NBTel in 1989. Frank Fagan, the president of NewTel and senior VP customer services for Aliant, has been nominated for...

The reasoning behind BCE’s merger mania

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

Our vision at BCE is simple: To bring the world to Canadians and Canadians to the world through communications. That’s ambitious. But a vision must be powerful and far-reaching.  This voyage will transform us, as well. Because to realize our vision, we must become the leading broad-based Canadian communications company in the Internet economy with the appropriate global footprint for connectivity and growth. Our Internet strategy is the tool that makes this possible.  The three dimensions of our Internet strategy are connectivity, content and commerce. And like our vision, this strategy boasts the advantage of simplicity. Each of the Bell companies, as well as our recent acquisitions, reinforce one or the other of these three dimensions.  Connectivity is the first link...

NL Editorial

telecom | 09/25/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports."Investing in our people" appears to be the federal government’s newest catch phrase. Speaking at an event in Windsor last week, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said "we know we have to invest in people to become competitive."  A week earlier in a speech to the Toronto Board of...

Plaintree re-invents itself through wireless optic products to be released next year

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Plaintree Systems Inc, Ottawa, is putting the finishing touches on four new wireless products, nearly six months after the struggling Ethernet switch developer purchased wireless network firm AT Schindler Communications Inc, also of Ottawa (RoW, April 3/00). The products signal the first foray into the wireless market for...

Cognos and JetForm use XML for future wireless connectivity products

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Two high tech heavyweights from the Ottawa area have unveiled plans to use wireless technology to deliver electronic forms and business intelligence applications to cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices. It’s a bold move for JetForm Corp and Cognos Inc, and one which the two companies say will open new markets for...

Local phone market gets more competition from Clearnet and Microcell

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s new entrant wireless players are now in a better position to battle incumbent telcos for telecommunications market share following two landmark decisions released by the CRTC on September 8. In Decisions 2000-830 and 2000-831, the regulator granted Clearnet Communications Inc and Microcell Connexions Inc interim...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Stream introduces new wireless-in-a-box broadband technologyStream Intelligent Networks Corp, Toronto, has launched its wireless-in-a-box broadband product that allows carriers to rapidly deploy carrier-class, high-speed data network services. Once operational, the product becomes part of the carrier’s existing network and can be used as an alternative or temporary network solution. IT can also provide high-speed...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Mark Lukowski has been appointed senior VP marketing and sales at AirIQ Inc, Pickering ON. He will head up the Toronto area company’s vertical markets division that now includes providing its web-enabled fleet management technology to school buses and heavy equipment. Lukowski joins AirIQ from Canadian freight company Clarke Transport where he served as president. He brings more than 20 years of national and...

Leveling the playing field for wireless firms

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association tells the federal government that it needs to level the fiscal playing field for wireless companies, so they can better compete at home and abroad. The following is an edited transcript of the CWTA’s submission to the Standing Committee on Finance on Sept 1. The Canadian wireless...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Not all wireless companies have a voice in national policy issues, as the government is quickly finding out. The recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission to release more bandwidth in the licence-exempt 2.4 GHz band is certainly good news for proponents of HomeRF technology. But it’s...

Canadian fixed wireless players lack representation in policy discussions

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Future policy discussions on the 2.4 GHz band could be hampered by a lack of representation at the association level from new and small companies. The issue arose just recently when the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) tried to get industry feedback on a U.S. decision to open up the unlicensed band in that country to more competition. The implications of this decision on the Canadian market aren’t known, primarily because the RABC is having difficulty getting all the players involved to the table. At a meeting two weeks ago, the RABC made note of the decision by the Federal Communications Commission, but did not discuss it at length, says Ted Campbell, executive director at the...

Canadian licence-exempt players divided over impact of FCC ruling on 2.4 GHz

telecom | 09/18/2000 4:00 am EDT

Industry players offering service in the licence-exempt 2.4 GHz band are divided over what effect a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling will have in this country. The decision, which gives more bandwidth to proponents of HomeRF technology, also raises concerns of increased interference and congestion in...

Release of service provider information divides law enforcers and civil libertarians

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

A proposal to give law enforcement agencies the authority to find out which telcos individual customers use is drawing support from police, criticism from privacy groups and uncertainty from the phone companies. In Public Notice 2000-97, the CRTC asked for comments on handing over service provider identification (SPID)...

Bell Canada defends right to compete more freely, and with less red tape, in U.S. market

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Bell Canada may still be the largest and most dominant local telco in this country, but it’s not powerful enough to stifle competition in the U.S. market, according to new evidence filed with the Federal Communications Commission. The 13-page document, filed September 1 by Washington lawyers...

Bolstered on the wireless side, Telus apt to snap up fixed line assets, analysts believe

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

With the ink barely dry on the merger deal between Telus Corp and Clearnet Communications Inc, analysts were already predicting which facilities-based telecom companies could be next for the western telco. For CIBC World Markets, the logical targets are GT Group Telecom and Vidéotron...

Bolstered on the wireless side, Telus apt to snap up fixed line assets, analysts believe

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

With the ink barely dry on the merger deal between Telus Corp and Clearnet Communications Inc, analysts were already predicting which facilities-based telecom companies could be next for the western telco. For CIBC World Markets, the logical targets are GT Group Telecom and Vidéotron Télécom. Telus is making no secret of its strategy of using acquisitions to accelerate its expansion into eastern Canada. On August 20, the day the takeover was announced, Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle was quoted as saying "Buying is better than building." The next day, CIBC tabled its predictions. "Yesterday, (Entwistle) made it clear that he will be making acquisitions to...

CRTC orders hearings before Manitoba Telecom can pay federal, provincial taxes

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

The move from public utility to pri company has forced Manitoba System (MTS) to start paying income tax to the federal and provincial governments. Remitting those levies has led to the CRTC initiating hearings over what the appropriate phone rates should be in the gateway to the west. MTS was originally privatized...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

360networks expands to the east and southVancouver fibre builder 360networks Inc continues its global expansion. It has undertaken a US$60-million move into Europe with network rings in seven cities. The new agreement moves the Canadian firm into London, Paris, Strasbourg, Geneva, Marseilles, Lyon and Milan. Earlier, the company signed a deal with Impsat Fiber Networks Inc to move into Brazil and Argentina. That deal is...

NL People

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Don Morrison is the new COO for wireless developer at Research in Motion Ltd of Waterloo ON. He has previous experience with AT&T Canada and with Bell Canada. Edmonton fibre builder Total Telcom Inc has named David Popowich as director of sales. He will be working for the company’s subsidiary, Total Telcom Fiber Inc. Don Smith has arrived at Comlink Systems of Oshawa ON as central region account manager...

Buildings owners make their case for freer access to inside cable wires

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

Buildings owners are once again finding themselves embroiled in a debate over control of the telecom wires that snake through their properties. Having already battled with telcos and regulators over the complex issue of copper wire, groups like the Canadian Institute of Public and Private Real Estate Companies (CIPPREC) and...

NL Editorial

telecom | 09/11/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Telecom, we are led to believe, is an esoteric interest. Approaching strangers at a cocktail party to regale them with tales of DSL access or rights-of-way fights will have them searching for the bar or the nearest exit.  Thus it was a pleasant surprise recently to visit the Telecommunications...

PCS Innovations launches developer program and increases market presence

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

PCS Innovations Inc, Longueuil QC, has announced two major partnerships that will move its wireless application development platform into the emerging mobile commerce market. The announcements were made at a preview of the most recent version of its mobileMAGIC platform, planned for commercial launch later this month at the...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

MDSI upgrades utility company workforce management systemMobile Data Solutions Inc (MDSI) has signed a $4-million contract to upgrade an existing customer’s wireless workforce management system to the next generation Advantex r7. The phased implementation will proceed initially with the installation of an intermediate version to expand the capabilities of the system. In the second phase, Advantex will be integrated with...

RoW People

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

Rogers AT&T Wireless Inc, Toronto, has made two major executive additions designed to bolster sales and marketing in the western part of Canada. Darryl Levy has been promoted to president MidWest region and will be responsible for sales, marketing, distribution and customer care for business in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. Additionally, Arnie Stephens has been named president Western Canada and...

RoW NewsMakers

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

Keynote Address ofCommissioner Gloria TristaniFederal Communications CommissionBefore the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO)August 14, 2000Boston, Massachusetts(As prepared for delivery) Thank you for that warm welcome. It's hard to believe that 2 years have passed since I joined you at the APCO annual conference in New Mexico. I had a wonderful time - and not only because it was hosted in my hometown of Albuquerque! APCO is an extraordinary organization. You are dedicated to helping your membership better serve and protect the public. You are equally committed to aiding those of us in Washington responsible for developing policies to promote public safety communications. In fulfilling these two roles, you serve as our link to the public safety community. And so it is a pleasure and honor to join you once again. Being in Boston, I have to put our work here in historical context. Public safety communication in this city dates back to Paul Revere and the famous warning - "one if...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Telus’ proposed acquisition of Clearnet has certainly put a new spin on Canada’s second ever spectrum auction, planned for November. The consolidation of Canada’s major wireless players from five to four eliminates one well-financed bidder from the auction race, and hopefully gives smaller...

Telus-Clearnet merger bumps one bidder from PCS auction; spectrum sale pending

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

New entrants stand a better chance of landing PCS licences in this fall’s spectrum auction as a result of Telus Corp’s proposed purchase of Clearnet Communications Inc. With Clearnet now out of the bidding for additional PCS frequencies, and Telus now exceeding its spectrum limit in Alberta and British Columbia, smaller...

Services from Microcell Solutions for the visually impaired come under fire

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC has waded into a dispute between Microcell Solutions Inc and one of its customers over the quality of services for the visually impaired. Chris Stark has filed a Part VII application with the commission seeking various orders that would require Microcell "to provide equal and equitable service to a customer...

Paradigm Advanced Technologies offers low-cost wireless data through LSP model

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

Paradigm Advanced Technologies Inc has introduced a new business model that gives customers access to location sensitive data for as little as $1 per month. The approach is similar to one used by application service providers, whereby users pay a fee to use applications on remote servers. Paradigm president and CEO, Eduardo...

Zucotto to play major role in Java applications in wireless market

telecom | 09/05/2000 4:00 am EDT

Zucotto Wireless Inc, Ottawa and San Diego, has taken dead aim at delivering streaming video to the handset by developing products for both the application layer and the device level. The company has released a kit that gives developers the tools to design high-bandwidth applications for the mobile environment. Later this year, it will release sample quantities of the next generation of its flagship product, the Xpresso chip, that will enable mobile devices to run these types of applications. Its first commercial product, the WHITEboard software development kit (SDK), was unveiled at the company’s open house in Ottawa last week. It gives developers a head-start in designing...

ISPs will benefit by year end–Retail market opening for cable Internet access; cablecos worry rates are too low

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

It’s been a long time coming, but the CRTC has finally cleared the way for the retail sale of cable Internet, and at rates low enough to help ensure cable modems remain the dominant access technology for high speed Internet, at least for the foreseeable future. On August 21, the commission...

ILEC competitors say Canada’s three-year-old co-location rules are already outdated

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

A coalition of 12 telecom companies is calling for changes to Canada’s three-year-old co-location regime, saying the current rules are making it difficult for competitors to move outside urban cores and to offer next generation data services. The group, calling itself the Coalition for Better...

Teleglobe shifts focus to data transmission following another disappointing quarter

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

Executives at Teleglobe Inc tried to put the best face possible on their company’s second quarter financial results, but no amount of spin doctoring could hide the fact that BCE Inc is buying a very troubled company. Teleglobe CFO Michael Boychuk told a conference call of investors and journalists that revenues fell in...

Ontario Hydro prepares for winter launch of bundled telecom service package

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

Ontario Hydro will decide this fall how aggressively it will compete in bundled telecom services, pending the results of market research being undertaken this summer. Last spring, the utility joined with the Mosaic Group of Toronto to create Onsource, a billing software package that permits subscribers to compare the best...

CLECs still face hurdles in bid to become large national players: Lemay-Yates

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

Technology may advance and companies may change, but the basic CLEC market is staying the course, a new study finds. Montreal telecom consulting firm Lemay-Yates Associates Inc (LYA) has issued Canadian CLEC Markets and Strategies 2000, a 220-page report on the evolution of the domestic CLEC market.  Johanne Lemay told...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

Telus buys Clearnet, gains national coverageVancouver-based Telus Corp has made a $6.6-billion bid to buy Clearnet Communications Inc of Scarborough ON. If accepted by Canadian regulators, the combined wireless operations of Telus Mobility and Clearnet would create the country’s largest wireless carrier. With the purchase, Telus gains a national wireless footprint, a cache of spectrum resources unrivaled in Canada and...

NL People

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

There are two new faces at Montreal telecom consulting firm Lemay-Yates Associates Inc. Pierre Cloutier, formerly of Teleglobe, the Economic Council of Canada and the federal finance department, joins as a senior consultant, while Yvan Petit is the new VP. He has worked for Ericsson Communications, Optinet, Reuters and Bell-Northern Research.  CLEC C1 Communications has appointed three new VPs. Jonathan Daniels will...

From the Jetsons to the Flintstones: Canada shifts into low gear on the info highway

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

Some folks at Industry Canada, in a recent report entitled Catching up with the Jetsons, have found that Canada is falling behind the U.S. in developing our knowledge-based economy and meeting the challenges of rapid technological change. Well, in the words of a more contemporary cartoon family member…....

NL Editorial

telecom | 08/28/2000 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. BCE’s takeover of Teleglobe is a truly breath-taking experience. There were gasps when the telecom giant offered $9.6 billion to purchase the outstanding shares of the overseas carrier. Wall Street wheezed when CEO Jean Monty admitted that maybe the purchase price was a tad on the generous side. The release of yet another bad quarterly report should drive market watchers into asphyxia.  It is easy to dismiss the hopeful spin of BCE and Teleglobe executives as hubris at best and whistling past the graveyard at worst.  "Actions that have been taken are already paying off and we believe we are close to turning the corner," Monty asserted in early August. Sure, Jean, and Captain Edward Smith drove that cruise ship into the iceberg just so James Cameron could make the world’s largest-grossing film 85 years later. The challenge facing BCE is by no means a small one. The changing market needs to be...