Election 2019 still ripe for opinion-shaping, CSE says

Media | 12/06/2018 3:46 pm EST

OTTAWA — Efforts to stanch online misinformation campaigns will not eliminate the very real situation that may see Canadians fall victim to attempts to influence their political opinions, the...

China protests arrest of Huawei CFO in Canada

telecom | 12/06/2018 1:28 pm EST

The Chinese embassy in Canada is demanding the release of telecom Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou (Sabrina Meng), who was arrested in Canada last weekend and faces extradition to the U.S....

OPC to Bains: privacy rights not ‘at odds’ with innovation

telecom | 12/05/2018 2:01 pm EST

The federal privacy watchdog is warning the Liberal government against...

Bar Association tells committee notice-and-notice falls short

Media | 12/04/2018 5:36 pm EST

OTTAWA — The Canadian Bar Association told MPs Monday Parliament should introduce a new regime to deal with online piracy in the Copyright Act because the current notice-and-notice regime is...

CRTC has no jurisdiction over content on single programs, SCC hears

Media | 12/04/2018 5:18 pm EST

OTTAWA — The CRTC can’t decide what commercials broadcasters can show on individual programs, as that authority lies beyond the jurisdictional boundaries the commission is...

CRTC says yes to new Alta. radio station, no to two Quebec applications

Media | 12/03/2018 3:43 pm EST

In a trio of decisions Monday, the CRTC approved a broadcast licence application for a new station in Cochrane, Alta., and declined both an application for a new station in Lachute, Que. and to renew...

Wireless subs ‘on-track’ after Black Friday, but no winner: Barclays

telecom | 12/03/2018 2:19 pm EST

There doesn't appear to be a clear winner among Canadian telecoms after the intense sales period around Black Friday, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. “Deals for this year's...

Verizon to offer Samsung 5G phones in U.S. next year

telecom | 12/03/2018 1:18 pm EST

U.S. telecom Verizon Communications Inc. plans to have device manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co.’s 5G-compatible smartphones in the U.S. market within the first half of next year, the two companies announced Monday. That...

CRTC closes Novus condo access file

telecom | 11/30/2018 5:07 pm EST

The CRTC has closed a Part 1 file, once suspended, involving two parties embroiled in a condo access issue that emerged when the property owner allegedly didn’t answer a telecom’s calls to connect its services.   Novus...

More consumer groups say they won’t participate in CRTC internet code proceeding

telecom | 11/30/2018 3:59 pm EST

The list of consumer groups that say they won’t take part in the CRTC’s...

Small ISPs welcome ISED consults for fifth tier spectrum licensing area

telecom | 11/29/2018 4:48 pm EST

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has launched a...

Rogers beefing up wireless in Manitoba

telecom | 11/29/2018 4:15 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc. is planting more cell towers in parts of Manitoba as wireless activity in the...

Shaw doubles internet speeds on highest tiers

telecom | 11/29/2018 3:38 pm EST

Existing customers on Shaw Communications Inc.’s top internet packages, and new customers on those...

Public Policy Forum to track online disinformation

Media | 11/29/2018 3:13 pm EST

Ottawa-based think tank the Public Policy Forum says it’s launching a new project to track, analyze and eventually find a way to counter "fake news." It’s digital democracy project will start by studying the effects of disinformation through commissioned research and journalism in the lead-up to the next federal election, the think tank said in a press release this week. Concerns have been stirring that Canada might be a target of foreign actors when Canadians go to the polls next year. Public Policy Forum president Edward Greenspon said his group’s previous research has shown that...

CRTC requests advice on broadband data, maps

telecom | 11/29/2018 3:09 pm EST

The CRTC is asking telecoms and satellite broadband providers for feedback on broadband maps and data...

VMedia now serving all provinces after Atlantic push

telecom | 11/29/2018 2:37 pm EST

VMedia Inc. recently launched its full suite of services in all four Atlantic Canada provinces, meaning it now operates in all 10 provinces. CEO George Burger confirmed that the company “started rolling out services as...

Bell could see $100M benefit from fed tax plan in 2019: analyst

telecom | 11/29/2018 2:21 pm EST

The federal government’s recently-tabled tax strategy allowing telecoms...

1-in-10 say ISPs should play a role identifying ‘fake news’: survey

Media | 11/28/2018 2:21 pm EST

There’s a lack of consensus over who should help Canadians determine what...

Bell emphasizes original, ‘boots on the ground’ content for ethnic licence

telecom | 11/27/2018 8:35 pm EST

GATINEAU, QUE. -- Seeking to differentiate itself from other applicants, BCE Inc. said it would not outsource, and commit to limit dubbing over, ethnic and third-language...

By 2024, 1.5 billion people worldwide will have 5G subscriptions: Ericsson

telecom | 11/27/2018 7:47 pm EST

A new report by Ericsson AB projects that by the end of 2024, some 1.5 billion people worldwide will have 5G wireless internet subscriptions and about 40 per cent of the world’s population could...

‘We’re repeating it again’: CCTS sees complaints jump nearly 60 per cent

Media | 11/27/2018 6:00 am EST

The Commission for Complaints for...

CRTC issues interim resolution in Iristel, Telus fight

telecom | 11/23/2018 4:46 pm EST

The CRTC ordered Friday both Telus Corp. and Iristel Inc. to make interim...

Cogeco wants to put fibre cables in Ottawa River

telecom | 11/23/2018 3:05 pm EST

Part of Cogeco Inc.’s plan to deliver gigabit internet service to its footprint is to put two fibre...

PIAC says CRTC ‘railroading’ internet code, boycotts proceedings

Media | 11/23/2018 2:33 pm EST

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre says it is boycotting the CRTC’s internet code proceedings, a move that comes after the regulator denied an application by consumer groups for a time-extension on...

Cogeco expands gigabit to Quebec, Wi-Fi service in Ontario

telecom | 11/22/2018 4:56 pm EST

Just as it did in Ontario, Cogeco Inc. is now expanding its gigabit...

Feds pledge faster fibre cost recovery for telecoms

telecom | 11/21/2018 6:00 pm EST

The federal government’s fall economic update includes a faster way for telecoms to recover a bigger portion of their investment costs in fibre deployment, which it hopes will spur broadband connectivity in rural areas. The...

Marie-Hélène Labrie new Cogeco SVP of communications

telecom | 11/21/2018 2:01 pm EST

Cogeco Inc. has a new senior vice-president of public affairs and communications, the telecom announced Tuesday, following the retirement of René Guimond. Marie-Hélène Labrie will replace...

ISED pays Quebec fire station over spectrum issue

telecom | 11/21/2018 1:27 pm EST

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) paid out a $1,040 settlement to reimburse a Quebec First Nation after radio interference stemming from a spectrum management issue caused it to reprogram its equipment, according to the department and documents tabled in Parliament this fall. Orizon Mobile Inc., which rents and maintains public safety telecom equipment in Quebec, had reprogrammed the equipment for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake fire department after it experienced interference with another land mobile radio operator on its radio frequencies in 2017. An...

Political parties ‘bumbling rubes’ on data: CPC campaign chair

Media | 11/20/2018 4:58 pm EST

OTTAWA —  The head of the Conservative Party’s 2019 national election...

ISED said it will do its ‘darndest’ for rural in face of 3.5 GHz clawback

telecom | 11/20/2018 2:49 pm EST

OTTAWA — Innovation Canada deputy minister John Knubley said his...

AG finds flaws in rural connectivity funding, spectrum auction process

telecom | 11/20/2018 10:23 am EST

OTTAWA — The federal government has been lagging behind on rural...

More emergency alert tests coming afternoon of Nov. 28

telecom | 11/19/2018 1:47 pm EST

The second round of emergency alert testing will take place on Nov. 28. The alerts will be sent out at 1:55 p.m. in every province and territory except Quebec, where they will be issued at 2:55...

Freedom ups the ante with 100 GB of data offer

telecom | 11/19/2018 6:00 am EST

Shaw Communications Inc.’s wireless division is stirring the piping hot industry pot once again, as it announced Monday that it is giving existing and new customers of some plans a one-time, additional 100 GB of data on top of their monthly allotment. The Big Binge...

Lack of scale, device lineup challenges for Xplore Mobile

telecom | 11/16/2018 6:34 pm EST

New Brunswick-based internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. started...

CRTC to hold hearing on Leclerc radio stations acquisition

Media | 11/16/2018 4:54 pm EST

The CRTC will hold a hearing in Quebec City on Feb. 20 that will look into...

FCC says Kepler can access U.S. market

telecom | 11/16/2018 4:16 pm EST

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a request by Canadian satellite operator Kepler...

ISED’s low-income internet program launches

telecom | 11/16/2018 1:20 pm EST

A government program intended to connect low-income families with affordable internet launched Friday....

ISED proposes ‘modernizing’ backhaul spectrum fee system

telecom | 11/16/2018 1:00 pm EST

Innovation Canada is consulting on a proposed new system governing how it sets licence fees for point-to-point systems, which includes wireless backhaul uses, the demand for which is increasing....

Feds put out call for mobile spectrum performance data

telecom | 11/15/2018 6:30 pm EST

The federal government is looking for a contractor to crowdsource measurements of mobile phone spectrum performance in Canada – results that could affect government licensing strategies. A new...

Indigenous ISP lobbies to get piece of allocated fed funds

telecom | 11/14/2018 6:19 pm EST

An indigenous telecom vying for federal support to provide Northern Manitoba communities with fibre internet is trying to claim a share of Innovation Canada money announced in January, following a...

CRTC closes utilities’ MVNO application, citing wireless review

telecom | 11/14/2018 12:28 pm EST

The CRTC has shut down a request by the Canadian Electricity Association asking it to allow electrical utilities to become “private” mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to help with...

Corus wants to shutter 44 TV rebroadcasting transmitters

Media | 11/13/2018 6:17 pm EST

Corus Entertainment Inc. is asking the CRTC for permission to shut down 44 television rebroadcasting transmitters in small rural markets, arguing they are too expensive to run. “The rebroadcasting transmitters generate no incremental revenue, and attract little to no...

ISED announces signing of first supercluster funding agreement

telecom | 11/13/2018 12:28 pm EST

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains announced the federal government has signed a funding agreement with the group constituting its “advanced manufacturing” supercluster Tuesday, showing that Ottawa...

Rural 5G coverage could hamper impact of connected vehicles: Juniper

telecom | 11/12/2018 4:20 pm EST

If 5G is to disrupt the automotive industry with its ability to connect to infrastructure, the rollout of the next generation of networks will need to reach rural areas, according to a study by...

Videotron appeals trade tribunal ruling on Bell G7 Summit contracts

telecom | 11/12/2018 2:31 pm EST

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is appealing a ruling by the Canadian...

Accurate audience measurements for radio lacking, conference hears

Media | 11/09/2018 6:15 pm EST

TORONTO —  The radio industry has a “big problem” with a lack of...

CRTC proposes code of conduct for ISPs

telecom | 11/09/2018 5:33 pm EST

The CRTC is asking for input on a draft version of a new code governing internet service providers (ISPs) that would follow similar rules covering the wireless and TV distribution sectors. The regulator said a release Friday that the code would “establish...

Raj Shoan sues government, former CRTC chairman over firing

telecom | 11/09/2018 12:32 pm EST

Former CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan has filed a lawsuit against the federal...

Telus posts wireline gains at expense of Shaw

telecom | 11/08/2018 5:51 pm EST

Telus Corp. ended its third quarter with 187,000 new customers, reporting growth that beat expectations...

Helix to be ‘superior’ to Bell’s Fibe: Videotron CEO

telecom | 11/08/2018 5:48 pm EST

As CEO Manon Brouillette wrapped up her last quarterly results with...

Former CRTC commissioners criticize Harnessing Change report

Media | 11/07/2018 7:15 pm EST

TORONTO —  The idea of cross-subsidization of industries did not find...

‘An existential crisis’: CNOC files Part 1 on disaggregated criteria

telecom | 11/07/2018 5:13 pm EST

TORONTO — An industry group representing smaller internet providers is...

Zuckerberg declines joint Canada-UK committee appearance

Media | 11/07/2018 1:50 pm EST

Facebook Inc.’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has declined a joint-request by...

5G still in ‘hype cycle,’ WiFi to drive home connectivity for a while: Intel

telecom | 11/07/2018 1:35 pm EST

TORONTO — It will be a long time before the home network is replaced by...

Bell hits Videotron with $100M infringement suit

telecom | 11/07/2018 12:35 pm EST

BCE Inc.’s Bell Media is suing Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron for copyright and trademark infringement...

Consumer groups warn MPs against site-blocking pitches

Media | 11/06/2018 1:55 pm EST

OTTAWA — Consumer advocacy groups are cautioning MPs against proposals that would make site-blocking in Canada easier, after a push for those anti-piracy policies failed at the CRTC failed last month. Representatives from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) warned MPs on the House of Commons industry committee Monday against proposals similar to FairPlay Canada’s CRTC ask for a new website-blocking regime to deal with internet piracy. John Lawford, executive director at PIAC, said “expedient judicial...

Cheaper wireless plans lowered telecom service prices in 2017: CRTC

telecom | 11/06/2018 12:50 pm EST

Wireless prices drove overall average monthly communication service pricing down 1.6 per cent in 2017 compared to the year prior, according to the pricing installment of the CRTC’s latest...

Distributel goes with MobiTV for IPTV

telecom | 11/06/2018 10:42 am EST

Distributel Communications Ltd. is partnering with MobiTV Inc. to deliver its IPTV service, it said...

Lack of infrastructure, bylaws challenges for remote connectivity

telecom | 11/05/2018 7:28 pm EST

TORONTO — Remote communities looking to build internet as an essential...

Xplore Mobile to launch with data rollover plans

telecom | 11/05/2018 4:58 pm EST

Manitoba customers of Xplornet Communications Inc.’s upcoming mobile service will be allowed to...

Comms law review panel extends comment period

Media | 11/05/2018 1:13 pm EST

The comment period for the government-appointed, blue-ribbon panel that’s reviewing Canada’s communications laws is being extended into next year. It is being lengthened to January 11, 2019, the panel has confirmed to The Wire Report. Submissions to the panel were originally due at the end of this month, on Nov. 30, but some groups had complained about the fast-approaching deadline. Last week, at the International Institute of Communications (IIC) annual conference, a consumer advocacy group had asked the head of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel to...

CSE has worked with nearly all wireless providers on cybersecurity

telecom | 11/02/2018 5:15 pm EDT

The Canadian Security Establishment (CSE) says it has worked with 31 Canadian wireless providers “to help mitigate the risk of cyber espionage and network disruption through the exploitation of...

Cogeco’s transition to new customer system drags down Q4

Media | 11/02/2018 4:52 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc.’s implementation of a new customer management system, which...

Comms acts review panel urges ‘practical’ submissions

Media | 11/01/2018 7:11 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Members of the panel tasked with providing recommendations to...

Bell posts subscriber gains, but wireless ARPU dips

telecom | 11/01/2018 5:42 pm EDT

BCE Inc. reported its wireless average revenue per user (ARPU) dipped in its third quarter results...

Privacy commish ‘surprised’ by political ‘chill’ comments

telecom | 11/01/2018 4:28 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Canada’s privacy commissioner said Thursday that comments...

Yale responds to criticism about review panel consumer reps

Media | 11/01/2018 2:29 pm EDT

OTTAWA – Conservative senators doubled-down on a previously-raised...

MPs call on Zuckerberg to testify to international committee on ‘fake news’

Media | 10/31/2018 7:45 pm EDT

MPs in Canada and the United Kingdom have stepped up their efforts to get the chance to grill Facebook Inc.’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a parliamentary committee hearing. The chairs of two...

Rogers’ network ‘our contribution’ to content ecosystem: VP

Media | 10/31/2018 7:24 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The billions of dollars Rogers Communications Inc. says it’s...

Electrical utilities ask CRTC to become MVNOs

telecom | 10/31/2018 1:31 pm EDT

An organization representing Canada’s electricity providers has filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC asking for changes to wireless regulations it says are necessary for the roll out of smart electrical grids. The Canadian Electricity Association said the CRTC should allow utilities to become “private” mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) that would only provide service to themselves, and not to consumers. It’s an approach that’s been implemented in the Netherlands and is being considered by other countries, it noted. The application filed Tuesday said the smart grid...

PIPEDA could put a ‘chill’ on political volunteers: Liberal counsel

telecom | 10/30/2018 4:57 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The consequences of bringing the country’s political parties...

CRTC needs clarity over who can resolve 5G rollout disputes: Scott

Media | 10/30/2018 4:34 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The head of Canada’s telecom regulator says clarity on where...

Ontario, Saskatchewan didn’t agree to ISED broadband strategy

telecom | 10/29/2018 5:45 pm EDT

Last week, ministers of innovation and economic development from three...

Last First Nation on Highway of Tears to get cell service

telecom | 10/29/2018 5:33 pm EDT

Witset First Nation, the last along B.C.’s Highway of Tears without...

Create cybersecurity ministry: senate committee

telecom | 10/29/2018 4:37 pm EDT

The federal government should appoint a minister of cybersecurity, the Senate banking committee said in a new report out Monday. That minister would “be responsible for all aspects of cyber security, from threats to national security and critical infrastructure to...

Bell, Rogers defend sales practices to CRTC

telecom | 10/26/2018 8:00 pm EDT

GATINEAU –– BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. defended their sales tactics Friday after a week...

Ottawa struggles to stop prisoners from using illicit mobile devices

telecom | 10/26/2018 5:07 pm EDT

The federal government is offering a contract for a company to come up with...

Telus and Rogers latest to upgrade LTE networks for IoT expansion

telecom | 10/26/2018 3:47 pm EDT

Telus Corp. is the latest telecom to upgrade its LTE network to support a broader array of internet of things (IoT) devices ahead of the anticipated deployment of 5G technology. The company...

Shaw proposes banning third-party door-to-door sales

telecom | 10/26/2018 12:10 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. is proposing a ban on third-party door-to-door sales to curb aggressive and...

Quebecor blames bigger providers for sales practices hearings

telecom | 10/25/2018 6:26 pm EDT

GATINEAU — Telecom providers who appeared before the CRTC Thursday said...

Shaw feels the competitive heat on wireline

telecom | 10/25/2018 6:04 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. reported wireline results for the fourth quarter that analysts characterized as...

Municipalities requesting $4B for rural broadband, mobile access target

telecom | 10/25/2018 5:56 pm EDT

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is asking the federal government to plow $4 billion over 10 years into filling a rural broadband gap they say leaves about two million Canadians without...

VMedia aims to ‘fast track’ plans with public play: co-founder

telecom | 10/25/2018 5:31 pm EDT

George Burger, co-founder of Ontario-based telecom VMedia Inc., says he...

TekSavvy tells CRTC about incumbents trying to ‘poach’ customers

telecom | 10/24/2018 6:17 pm EDT

GATINEAU — TekSavvy Solutions Inc. told the CRTC Wednesday that a sales code of conduct for the telecom industry should cover technician service visits because its...

VMedia looking to go public through reverse takeover

Media | 10/24/2018 5:06 pm EDT

VMedia Inc. has come to an agreement Tuesday to buy a small company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in a move that will allow it to become publicly traded without having to go through an initial public offering (IPO). The...

Former Telus employee can continue working at Rogers: B.C. court

Media | 10/24/2018 3:58 pm EDT

The Supreme Court of British Columbia has ruled that Telus Corp. can’t stop a former employee from immediately joining Rogers Communications Inc. despite signing a contract that forbids him from...

Consumer, seniors groups ask for telecom sales code of conduct

Media | 10/23/2018 6:24 pm EDT

GATINEAU — Consumer protection and seniors advocacy groups told the CRTC...

Ensure ISPs don’t have to contribute money to CanCon: CCSA

Media | 10/23/2018 4:33 pm EDT

The Canadian Communications Systems Alliance (CCSA) is asking the Senate...

ISED seeks mmWave testing after report questions spectrum readiness

telecom | 10/23/2018 10:39 am EDT

Just over a year after a critical internal report raised questions about the technological readiness of millimetre wave frequencies in the wake of a government consultation on using the spectrum for 5G deployment, Innovation Canada on Monday launched a request for proposals to set up a test bed for the spectrum. The department’s research and development agency, the Communications Research Centre (CRC), is seeking an mmWave testing platform that will operate in the mobile urban environment....

Alleged sales practices wouldn’t be ‘tolerated’ elsewhere: CRTC chairman

Media | 10/22/2018 6:23 pm EDT

GATINEAU— CRTC Chairman Ian Scott opened public...

Alberta court rules city bylaw lacks jurisdiction over telecom builds

telecom | 10/22/2018 5:00 pm EDT

Canada’s major telecoms have succeeded in getting an Alberta court to rule that a municipal access bylaw in Calgary can’t regulate the building of telecommunications networks.   Until 2014,...

Rogers plans to advance Ignite at ‘thoughtful pace’ to replace legacy systems  

telecom | 10/19/2018 6:42 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. top brass say they expect to see enough...

Corus expecting TV ad revenue to stabilize in a ‘handful’ of years

Media | 10/19/2018 5:57 pm EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc.’s wild ride through the unpredictable TV ad...

Iristel sues Telus for $135M in unpaid call services

telecom | 10/18/2018 6:29 pm EDT

Iristel Inc. is suing Telus Corp. for $135 million in withheld payments it said is owed to the company for terminating Telus’ customer calls, escalating tensions between the two in an ongoing fight over alleged traffic...

Cost of TV service driving cord-cutting: Angus Reid

Media | 10/18/2018 6:18 pm EDT

A new report from the Angus Reid Institute indicates that the cost of services is the main driver behind...

Bell partners with Ford on built-in wireless service for cars

telecom | 10/18/2018 5:37 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said Thursday it will be the first Canadian telecom to offer built-in wireless service for cars. It said in a press release the service “features a dedicated external antenna, supports...

Bell introduces virtual network services platform

telecom | 10/18/2018 5:37 pm EDT

BCE Inc. is now offering its enterprise customers the ability to manage their networks remotely, the company said in a press release Thursday. It said on its website that it’s the first “service provider in Canada to launch...

Combine Heritage and ISED, move spectrum to CRTC: professor

telecom | 10/18/2018 2:16 pm EDT

The government should combine the Heritage and Innovation ministries, and give responsibility for spectrum to the CRTC, a Senate committee study into the modernization of Canada’s communications legislation heard Wednesday evening. Gregory Taylor, an assistant professor...