Industry should know Canadians concerned about sales practices: Bains

telecom | 06/14/2018 1:35 pm EDT

OTTAWA  — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said Thursday afternoon that...

Live TV streaming services opportunity for Corus, CEO says

Media | 06/13/2018 5:30 pm EDT

U.S.-based video services like Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube TV and Amazon.com...

No clear suitor for Corus assets after report of sale: analysts

Media | 06/13/2018 1:51 pm EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc. CEO Doug Murphy is refusing to comment on a media...

CSE watchdog oversight, fall launch for cybersecurity centre

telecom | 06/12/2018 7:49 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) now has a leader...

Don’t rush new laws for AI, data conference hears

telecom | 06/12/2018 7:36 pm EDT

TORONTO — There are ways to regulate artificial intelligence and the amounts of data that it produces, but introducing unnecessary new rules to protect privacy when current laws should suffice is not one of them, the Big Data Toronto conference heard Tuesday. Trying to...

Rogers IPTV service live to certain Ont. customers

telecom | 06/11/2018 6:14 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. confirmed on Monday it started a targeted roll out of its Ignite TV IPTV service to select customers in Ontario. While Rogers initially planned on developing its own platform, that system was...

Iristel suing Rogers for nearly $150M in traffic agreement dispute

telecom | 06/11/2018 5:30 pm EDT

Iristel Inc. is suing Rogers Communications Inc. to the tune of nearly $150...

Rogers to launch more TV everywhere-style services

Media | 06/11/2018 4:55 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. is launching additional TV-subscription authenticated, ad-supported...

Freedom expands WiFi calling availability

Media | 06/11/2018 3:34 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile said more phones with Apple Inc.’s iOS and Alphabet...

$26.4 million in rural internet funding announced for Sask.

telecom | 06/08/2018 6:26 pm EDT

The federal government and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding...

Frequency of overage charges trending back up, survey suggests

telecom | 06/07/2018 8:29 pm EDT

The federal government released the findings of a 2018 public-opinion survey meant to assess the effectiveness of the Wireless Code this week, revealing that one out of two Canadians have paid...

ISED consulting on timelines for 5G devices, 3.5 GHz for mobile use

telecom | 06/07/2018 6:11 pm EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is seeking comments, during a consultation on the 3.5 Ghz spectrum, about timelines related to the deployment of the spectrum, including the...

Bell to launch new on-demand services, content hub

Media | 06/07/2018 5:47 pm EDT

BCE Inc. will launch two new ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services, rebrand its entertainment...

Bains says spectrum auction dates to give industry predictability

telecom | 06/06/2018 6:51 pm EDT

TORONTO — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains announced Wednesday the timing of the next three spectrum auctions — including the much talked-about 3.5 GHz — as well as a...

Order telecoms to provide paper bills, PIAC asks CRTC

telecom | 06/06/2018 5:45 pm EDT

Telecom companies should have to offer paper bills to customers who ask for them, the Public Interest...

SCC Haaretz ruling maintains jurisdiction ‘status quo’: legal experts

Media | 06/06/2018 5:20 pm EDT

A Supreme Court of Canada ruling in an online libel case won’t change much about how court jurisdiction over online content currently works in Canada, according to legal experts. “The SCC did...

Shoan takes another legal swing over firing

Media | 06/06/2018 3:25 pm EDT

Former CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan filed an appeal on Tuesday of a May Federal Court decision which dismissed an application for a judicial review of his second firing from the communications regulator. Federal Court Judge...

Too many emergency alerts could lead to ignorance: telecom consultant

Media | 06/06/2018 12:14 pm EDT

TORONTO — An amber alert that resulted in three emergency texts sent to...

Making net neutrality law redundant: telecom execs

Media | 06/05/2018 9:37 pm EDT

TORONTO — If there was a single point of agreement among panelists representing both small and big internet service providers (ISPs) on a panel discussing regulatory issues at the Telecom Summit in Toronto, it was on what they said is a redundancy in imposing net...

Experts to ‘find solutions’ in broadcast, telecom review: Joly

Media | 06/05/2018 8:10 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The expert panel appointed by the federal government to...

Autonomous cars still many years away: conference panel

Media | 06/05/2018 7:35 pm EDT

TORONTO — The advent of fully autonomous cars on the road is still further away than some may think, according to an executive at a company that supplies small cells. “I would wager we’re...

CENGN announces new CEO

telecom | 06/05/2018 7:22 pm EDT

The Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) will have a new CEO as Jean-Charles Fahmy takes over the role, according to a release on Tuesday. Fahmy is...

Households need more than gig speeds, conference hears

telecom | 06/04/2018 8:23 pm EDT

TORONTO — The telecom industry will need to look beyond the gigabit threshold in the home to take advantage of better technologies and enhance customer experience, speakers told a telecom conference...

Lack of cybersecurity framework mind-boggling: Telus exec

telecom | 06/04/2018 8:09 pm EDT

TORONTO — A security executive at Telus Corp. told an industry conference...

Apple takes aim at targeted ads with browser privacy features

Media | 06/04/2018 5:07 pm EDT

During its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote on Monday, Apple Inc....

ISED won’t rule out using spectrum proceeds for CanCon: Bains

Media | 06/01/2018 4:47 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Heritage Minister Mélanie...

Fewer businesses worried about data breaches: OPC

telecom | 06/01/2018 3:57 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) said its 2017 survey of Canadian businesses revealed that small businesses are less likely to have considered necessary privacy responsibilities than larger entities. The...

SaskTel’s microwave backhaul network getting an upgrade

telecom | 05/31/2018 5:16 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. (SaskTel) announced on Wednesday plans to deploy a new, long-distance wireless backhaul system that will bring transport layer speed increases to remote communities. Picking Nokia Corp.’s Wavence microwave platform, SaskTel...

CRTC calls for ISPs to pay for CanCon, ‘equitable’ OTT contributions

Media | 05/31/2018 11:18 am EDT

GATINEAU — The CRTC is recommending the government undertake a bevy of...

Matthew Boswell to head Comp Bureau in 1 year interim term

telecom | 05/30/2018 2:26 pm EDT

The Competition Bureau has an interim replacement for outgoing commissioner...

Ice Wireless hooking up remote Quebec communities with cell service

telecom | 05/29/2018 5:56 pm EDT

Ice Wireless, a subsidiary of Iristel Inc., is partnering with a regional...

Cybersecurity start-up gets gov’t funding

Media | 05/29/2018 4:00 pm EDT

The federal and Quebec governments are putting roughly half a million dollars into a cybersecurity...

Fate of online sting operations hanging in Supreme Court case

telecom | 05/29/2018 12:24 pm EDT

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) will have to weigh the impact its decision could have on online undercover operations pursued without a warrant by law enforcement, as it considers overturning a lower court ruling that found an alleged child predator did not have a...

Iristel to launch wireless service in parts of Ont., Que.

telecom | 05/28/2018 4:39 pm EDT

Iristel Inc. has acquired a small wireless provider with spectrum in eastern Quebec and northern Ontario and plans to launch wireless service in those areas next month, the company said Monday....

CRTC backtracks on aspects of NG911 decision

telecom | 05/28/2018 4:18 pm EDT

The CRTC has changed its mind when it comes to a distinction it initially drew between primary and...

Balsillie-led Centre for Digital Rights registers to lobby

Media | 05/25/2018 12:33 pm EDT

A new organization called the Centre for Digital Rights (CDR) that is...

Data collection, consent guidelines published by the OPC

Media | 05/24/2018 5:29 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has unveiled a set...

Bains mum on if telecom concerns led to Aecon takeover denial

telecom | 05/24/2018 5:01 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wouldn’t say Thursday...

Motion seeking to enshrine net neutrality into law passes

Media | 05/24/2018 12:56 pm EDT

A motion asking the government to consider enshrining the concept of net...

Christianne Laizner staying at CRTC for a full term

Media | 05/23/2018 2:44 pm EDT

The CRTC’s vice-chairwoman of telecom, Christianne Laizner, will stay in her role for a full five-year...

Cogeco picks up 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz spectrum

telecom | 05/22/2018 6:18 pm EDT

Innovation Canada (ISED) released the results of its 2018 residual spectrum auction Friday, with Cogeco Inc. ending up as the big spender. The Montreal-based telecom picked up seven paired and 16 unpaired licenses in the 2300...

Optics for gov’t could hamper tax on foreign ads proposal: Friends

Media | 05/22/2018 5:15 pm EDT

OTTAWA — A media advocacy group calling for changes that would upend the ability for Canadian organizations to deduct taxes on foreign digital advertising admitted Tuesday...

Shaw touts 5G trial success

telecom | 05/22/2018 4:21 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. said in a press release Tuesday that it has successfully completed its first 5G trial. The company said the tests, conducted with partners...

CRTC approves Rogers’ disaggregated interconnection point in Ontario

telecom | 05/18/2018 4:26 pm EDT

The CRTC has approved, on a final basis, an application by Rogers Communications Inc. to add a disaggregated point of interconnection (POI) in Argentia, Ontario, for small providers to connect to...

Eastlink can’t stop serving new customers of small ISPs: CRTC

telecom | 05/18/2018 3:40 pm EDT

Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink has to keep provisioning new...

Telus says smartphone-specific adds at least on par with competitors

telecom | 05/18/2018 2:54 pm EDT

When paring the first quarter numbers down, Telus Corp.’s smartphone plan...

Border device search constitutionality case can proceed: U.S. judge

telecom | 05/18/2018 2:13 pm EDT

A federal judge in the United States has denied an attempt to dismiss a case examining whether device searches at the border are unconstitutional, in a decision on May 9....

FairPlay meeting with legal staff, not commissioners: CRTC

Media | 05/17/2018 6:57 pm EDT

An anti-internet piracy coalition did not end up meeting with CRTC...

CRTC wants answers on emergency alert test problems

telecom | 05/17/2018 4:33 pm EDT

The CRTC could consider further regulations covering the wireless emergency alert system, depending on the answers it gets from the CEO of Pelmorex Corp. The company runs the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) system. The...

Project to upgrade connectivity in all NWT communities completed

telecom | 05/16/2018 5:51 pm EDT

Each of the 33 communities in the Northwest Territories (NWT) now has...

New numbers emerge in mandatory carriage renewal consultation

Media | 05/15/2018 4:31 pm EDT

The CRTC has issued a call for comments after correcting the data it used to determine wholesale rates during the regulator’s look at mandatory carriage renewals, according to a Friday letter. ...

FairPlay hits back, claims piracy cost TV providers as much as $761M

Media | 05/15/2018 3:00 pm EDT

The FairPlay coalition has responded to the laundry list of criticism...

CRTC puts PIAC occasional-use plans Part 1 on hold

telecom | 05/14/2018 1:23 pm EDT

The CRTC won’t consider mandating occasional-use wireless plans until the regulator wraps up its proceeding on low-cost data-only plans, it told the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) in a May 10 letter. PIAC asked the...

MPs hear about ‘surveillance capitalism,’ Google data use

Media | 05/11/2018 11:32 am EDT

OTTAWA — Two sides of the data-use debate squared off at the House ethics...

FCC net neutrality repeal to be effective June 11

telecom | 05/10/2018 7:04 pm EDT

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s repeal of its 2015 net neutrality rules will take effect...

Competition Bureau studying broadband sector

telecom | 05/10/2018 3:51 pm EDT

The Competition Bureau launched a market study into the broadband sector Thursday which will look at, among other questions, how regulators and policymakers could foster competition. The study will focus on four main themes, the Bureau said, looking at “the ability of...

Gov’t shouldn’t allow FairPlay regime: House committee

telecom | 05/09/2018 6:12 pm EDT

The House ethics committee said that if the CRTC rules in favour of a...

Videotron says cord-cutting stable, eying IPTV to grow TV ARPU

Media | 05/09/2018 1:37 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said it won’t force the migration of its...

CRTC approves two new Christian radio stations

Media | 05/09/2018 12:43 pm EDT

The CRTC has issued broadcast licences for new FM radio stations in Regina, Sask. and the Sydney, Nova Scotia area, it said in a pair of decisions Tuesday. It granted an application by the non-profit United Christian...

Shoan considering “options for appeal” after dismissal of second CRTC firing review

Media | 05/08/2018 6:55 pm EDT

In a decision on Monday, a Federal Court judge...

Canadian telecom prices justified by speed, quality: MEI

telecom | 05/08/2018 6:34 pm EDT

A report by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) challenging studies saying Canadian telecommunication prices are comparatively high against the rest of the world is being criticized by Nordicity as an unquantified analysis that misunderstood the scope of its work. The MEI’s annual state of telecom competition report, released Tuesday, challenged assumptions that the Canadian sphere was ruled by unduly high prices and little competition, pointing to the country’s fast wireless speeds, high investment in its networks, increased usage by Canadians and competitive options relative to...

First wireless emergency alert tests marred by errors

telecom | 05/07/2018 6:28 pm EDT

Scheduled tests of the new national emergency alert notification system failed on Monday, after an errant...

Connect to Innovate directing $17M to Nova Scotia

telecom | 05/04/2018 4:23 pm EDT

The federal government will chip in $17 million of its $500-million Connect to Innovate fund to “bring high-speed Internet access or faster Internet” to 64 communities and up to 80 institutions in Nova Scotia. It said in a...

‘Unprecedented’ international cooperation in data scandal investigation: Angus

telecom | 05/03/2018 5:27 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The House of Commons ethics committee spoke to a British MP on...

Industry’s hot streak in wireless continues with Bell’s record Q1

telecom | 05/03/2018 4:59 pm EDT

The first three months of 2018 represented one of the most competitive in...

OPC follows up on Rogers email complaints

telecom | 05/02/2018 4:43 pm EDT

On Tuesday, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) said it is opening an investigation...

U.S. trade report blasts Canada on IP, copyright

telecom | 05/02/2018 3:16 pm EDT

An annual report evaluating whether trade partners are implementing favourable policies to the United States — traditionally dismissed by the Canadian government — has sunk Canada’s record on piracy this year because of what...

Amazon to quadruple Vancouver workforce

Media | 04/30/2018 5:34 pm EDT

Amazon.com Inc. will add 3,000 new employees in Vancouver, B.C., the company said in a press release on...

Frontier-Eastlink tariff tiff could affect other ISPs, CNOC warns

telecom | 04/30/2018 5:13 pm EDT

A dispute between two internet service providers (ISPs) over the...

Bell loses in small claims court over price increases

telecom | 04/30/2018 5:08 pm EDT

A small claims court has decided in favour of a Toronto-area BCE Inc. customer who complained after signing up for a contract term at one price, which Bell proceeded to change unilaterally, according to reports by CBC/Radio-Canada. After starting a two-year term for internet and television services for $112.93 a month with a phone representative, David Ramsay was subsequently told that the price was going up for his services two months later, read the CBC’s report. According to the CBC, the judge said the verbal agreement over the phone was binding, ruling in Ramsay’s favour. Ramsay...

T-Mobile, Sprint tout merger as way to win race to 5G

telecom | 04/30/2018 3:34 pm EDT

T-Mobile US Inc. is looking to get ahead of the evolution to 5G with a play that would see it absorb...

Privacy heads ask for data protection in smart cities challenge

Media | 04/27/2018 5:13 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) is asking the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to consider how privacy protocols were implemented when selecting smart cities challenge winners....

Trade committee recommends sales tax for foreign ‘intangible products’

telecom | 04/27/2018 4:54 pm EDT

The House standing committee on international trade is calling on the government to implement sales taxes on “intangible products” sold by foreign companies, improve rural internet access and...

Don’t allow social media data use by political parties: professor

Media | 04/27/2018 4:11 pm EDT

OTTAWA — There is no reason for political parties to be using social...

Big three unveil low-cost, data only plans to criticism

telecom | 04/25/2018 6:08 pm EDT

Canada’s big three wireless carriers have responded to the CRTC’s request to submit proposals on low-cost data-only mobile phone plans, though critics say the plans on offer won’t do much to address affordability. “By and large, the carriers’ proposed rate plans...

CRTC rejects CUPE ask to pull digital media exemption

Media | 04/25/2018 4:45 pm EDT

The CRTC will not do anything about a Part 1 application filed by CUPE’s Provincial Council for Communications (CPSC) asking it to drop its regulatory exemptions for digital services because the arguments made in its Part 1 are...

CRTC suspends Novus condo access Part 1

telecom | 04/25/2018 4:30 pm EDT

The CRTC has granted Novus Entertainment Inc.’s request to suspend a Part 1 application it filed to set...

AggregateIQ denies whistleblower claims to ethics committee

telecom | 04/24/2018 5:39 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The heads of West Coast-based software developer AggregateIQ...

Bell fibre build moves to Oshawa, Ont.

telecom | 04/24/2018 2:29 pm EDT

Oshawa, Ont. will be the next target for BCE Inc.’s fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network buildout, the...

Cogeco picking up 10 RNC radio stations for $18.5M

Media | 04/24/2018 2:25 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc. has reached a deal with RNC Media Inc. to acquire 10 of RNC’s radio stations. The deal,...

Changes coming to Facebook advertising programs: eMarketer

Media | 04/23/2018 8:36 pm EDT

Advertisers on Facebook Inc. should expect changes — like less reliance on third-party data and better consent tools — to the platform after the privacy breach revelations this spring, says...

Gov’t posts CRTC commissioner job for B.C./Yukon

Media | 04/23/2018 12:44 pm EDT

The federal government has a new job posting for a CRTC commissioner for British Columbia and Yukon to replace Stephen Simpson, whose term ends June 22. The deadline for applications for the Vancouver-based position, which pays...

Rogers email users mad about missing data mining opt-out

Media | 04/20/2018 5:18 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. customers spoke out on social media this week...

Wholesale payphone service no longer mandated: CRTC

telecom | 04/20/2018 4:35 pm EDT

Canada’s biggest telcos will be able to stop providing wholesale service for payphones, the CRTC has determined. The decision Friday was concurrent with denying two 2016 applications from BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. to avoid some of the regulations surrounding pay...

Rogers bounces back on wireless with 95,000 postpaid ads

Media | 04/20/2018 4:33 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reported increases in wireless revenue and subscribers in the three months ending March 31, which it said drove its overall revenue up eight per cent over the year to $3.63...

It’s not ‘notice-and-Norwich,’ SCC to hear in disclosure costs case

Media | 04/20/2018 11:33 am EDT

The notice-and-notice regime requires internet service providers (ISPs) to...

Hey Siri, 39% of Canadians are talking to their electronics: MTM

telecom | 04/19/2018 6:14 pm EDT

Virtual assistants are beginning to take hold in Canada, with almost 40 per...

Telus says it’s first Canadian provider to offer 4K HDR

Media | 04/19/2018 4:13 pm EDT

Telus Corp. is launching 4K high dynamic range (HDR) on-demand content on its Optik TV IPTV service, it said in a release Thursday. HDR is a feature meant to improve picture quality through better...

B.C. court dismisses Google case in Equustek

Media | 04/18/2018 12:33 pm EDT

A British Columbia court said it will not set aside or change a provincial court decision to force Alphabet Inc. to remove an alleged bad actor from its search results, pointing to weak new evidence brought by Google that experts say made for an unsurprising decision....

Report calls for ‘larger role’ for small rural broadband players

telecom | 04/17/2018 5:40 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The House of Commons standing committee on industry, science and...

Facebook data leak could affect Canadian elections: Therrien

Media | 04/17/2018 5:03 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Canada’s privacy commissioner told the House of Commons ethics...

Rogers hints at gigabit LTE network availability

telecom | 04/16/2018 5:38 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. estimates its gigabit-speed LTE network will be available later this, or early next, year following 5G demonstrations at the Rogers Centre in Toronto on Monday, according to an email from a company...

PIAC asks CRTC to mandate occasional-use wireless plans

telecom | 04/16/2018 5:17 pm EDT

The CRTC should ensure telecoms offer plans for consumers who only need wireless service on an occasional basis, according to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). The consumer group filed a...

Anne Bertrand named ad hoc privacy commish

Media | 04/16/2018 2:17 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has named Anne Bertrand, the former privacy commissioner for...

CRTC adds wholesale internet to quality of service regime

telecom | 04/13/2018 5:34 pm EDT

The rules governing quality of wholesale services provided by large...

Cogeco qualifies for wireless auction, CEO says no more

telecom | 04/13/2018 5:17 pm EDT

Despite qualifying this week for an auction of wireless spectrum, the head...

Blockchain tech could stop connected car cyber-threat: Carleton prof

telecom | 04/12/2018 5:27 pm EDT

OTTAWA — So-called Sybil attacks are a significant potential...

Freedom on new, ‘sustainable’ trajectory after record sub adds: Shaw

telecom | 04/12/2018 4:46 pm EDT

On the heels of record wireless subscriber growth in its second quarter, Shaw Communication Inc.’s Freedom is on a path to steady growth, its president said on a conference...