1% increase for PNI not enough, creative groups say

Media | 01/30/2018 5:33 pm EST

Creative groups are standing their ground on spending for programs of national interest (PNI), suggesting that a marginal increase in funding for those programs proposed by the large English-language broadcasters last month is not...

FCC’s Pai slams U.S. nationalized 5G proposal

telecom | 01/29/2018 3:34 pm EST

Following reports that the United States government was considering building its own 5G network, Ajit...

TekSavvy offering near 1 GB speeds

telecom | 01/29/2018 2:25 pm EST

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has become the “first independent Canadian telecom service provider” to offer...

Canada to test border ID system using blockchain, biometrics

telecom | 01/29/2018 12:59 pm EST

Canada and the Netherlands are teaming up to test a system for identifying...

Telus launches health app for infants

telecom | 01/26/2018 5:28 pm EST

Telus Corp. has a new Telus Health product that promises parents a way to track the health of their baby “from birth,” said a press release on Friday. The telecom launched the Telus Baby Health App, which will track medical information like "allergies, immunizations,...

CRTC sets 2019 deadline for a system to stop caller ID spoofing

telecom | 01/26/2018 5:16 pm EST

The CRTC said Thursday that by March 31, 2019, it expects that telecoms in Canada will have a technical solution to authenticate caller IDs and an industry administrator to combat nuisance phone...

OPC says search engine de-indexing right exists in Canada

telecom | 01/26/2018 5:08 pm EST

Canadians have the right to ask search engines to remove links to results...

CRTC declines review request on internet affordability

telecom | 01/25/2018 5:14 pm EST

In a Thursday decision, the CRTC denied an effort by a collection of public...

‘Technical issue’ hurt Rogers churn during Dec. wireless promos: CEO

telecom | 01/25/2018 4:54 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc.’s systems had a technical glitch that...

Alphabet takes aim at cybercrime

telecom | 01/25/2018 4:16 pm EST

In a blog post on Wednesday, Alphabet Inc.’s ‘moonshot factory’ X announced the details of its...

10M Canadians affected by cybercrime in 2017: Symantec report

telecom | 01/24/2018 5:37 pm EST

Within the last year, 10.14 million Canadians were affected by cybercrime,...

‘Worrying’ trend of data breaches ‘must stop’: NDP

telecom | 01/24/2018 5:21 pm EST

In a statement on Tuesday, the same day that BCE Inc. reported a breach affecting up to 100,000 customers, the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) Public Safety Critic Matthew Dubé said that expecting...

Bell intros product for improved home internet

telecom | 01/24/2018 4:58 pm EST

In a release on Wednesday, BCE Inc. said it launched its residential mesh WiFi product. Dubbed Whole...

Canada touts wins on copyright, culture in TPP deal

Media | 01/24/2018 3:17 pm EST

The Canadian government announced Tuesday it has reached an agreement with 10 other countries taking part in the negotiations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). It said it had achieved concessions on issues including intellectual property and cultural protection in the agreement formerly known as the TPP. The news followed a meeting in Tokyo earlier this week, and a years-long negotiation process that began under the previous Conservative government and saw the United States withdraw from the agreement a year ago. “On culture,...

Up to 100K customers potentially affected by Bell data breach

telecom | 01/23/2018 6:22 pm EST

BCE Inc. has reported a second data breach in less than twelve months,...

Vancouver now home to largest public WiFi network in Canada

telecom | 01/22/2018 4:56 pm EST

From Gastown to Granville St., there are now about 550 places to access...

Freedom could drive down incumbents’ ARPU: Desjardins

telecom | 01/22/2018 1:16 pm EST

The past performance of Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron could be key to...

Can telecoms cut through the blockchain hype?

telecom | 01/19/2018 3:38 pm EST

The federal government said Friday it is “experimenting” with blockchain technology to create a...

Bell, Telus sign on to Ericsson’s TV platform

Media | 01/19/2018 2:53 pm EST

BCE Inc. said Thursday it has signed a deal with Ericsson AB to use its TV platform, following a similar announcement from Telus Corp. in December. Bell has used Ericsson’s Mediaroom IPTV platform on its Fibe TV since 2010, Ericsson said in the release, and will now use...

Bell asks Supreme Court for stay, reversal of CRTC simsub decision

Media | 01/18/2018 4:12 pm EST

Weeks ahead of the 2018 Super Bowl, BCE Inc., along with the National...

End of 2017 saw Stingray, Birch Hill reinvigorate lobby efforts

Media | 01/17/2018 4:39 pm EST

Stingray Digital Group Inc. and Birch Hill Equity Partners ramped up their lobbying in December, with both submitting their first communications reports for the year in the last weeks of 2017....

Distributel teams up with Eeyou network on northern Quebec service

telecom | 01/17/2018 4:01 pm EST

A Cree-owned non-profit will partner with Distributel Communications Ltd....

Coastal B.C. communities to get $45M toward better internet

telecom | 01/17/2018 3:01 pm EST

The federal government will plow a large chunk of a $45.4-million investment for high-speed internet along coastal British Columbia, including remote and First Nations communities, according to a...

CSIS document flags less-effective encryption as issue for IoT

telecom | 01/16/2018 5:31 pm EST

Canada’s security agency is aware of the push for stronger encryption by...

BlackBerry launches cybersecurity software for cars

telecom | 01/16/2018 5:01 pm EST

BlackBerry Ltd. is making available a new cybersecurity product initially aimed at carmakers, the company...

Wireless coverage improvements coming to site of G7 summit

telecom | 01/16/2018 4:09 pm EST

In anticipation of the G7 summit in June, the federal government will have 13 cell towers built to increase coverage for the area near host Charlevoix, Que, a release on Monday revealed. Announced...

CRTC OKs ownership change for two Ont. radio stations

Media | 01/15/2018 4:05 pm EST

The CRTC has approved the acquisition of two Ontario radio stations by Byrnes Communications Inc. from...

Canadian IP, tech targets during gov’t travel: CSIS

telecom | 01/15/2018 1:48 pm EST

In an instructional guide released to government employees, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) recommended high levels of vigilance in protecting personal information during international travel. Originally reported on and accessed through an information request by the Globe and Mail, the guide states that both other governments and criminals will target Canadian travellers and diplomatic status isn’t enough to mitigate the risks. It also noted Canada’s technology-sharing relationship with the U.S., which gives it “privileged access to advanced U.S. technologies few...

FCC investigating false wireless emergency alert in Hawaii

telecom | 01/15/2018 12:39 pm EST

A false wireless emergency alert that saw residents of Hawaii receive a...

Bell buys regional telecom Maskatel

telecom | 01/15/2018 12:38 pm EST

BCE Inc. kicked off the new year by acquiring Quebec telecom Groupe Maskatel LP, furthering its fibre...

NDP calls on Apple to justify software slowdown to MPs

telecom | 01/12/2018 5:39 pm EST

The NDP says silicon valley giant Apple Inc. should speak to a...

Samsung to unlock FM chip in new smartphones

Media | 01/12/2018 3:47 pm EST

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will unlock FM chips in its newer smartphones, according to a press release...

Citing gov’t signals, Cogeco CEO indicates renewed interest in wireless

Media | 01/11/2018 5:55 pm EST

MONTREAL — Cogeco Inc. is feeling more optimistic about the possibility of entering the wireless market, potentially as a facilities-based operator, president and CEO Louis...

With the iPhone, Freedom like a ‘new business’: Mehr

telecom | 01/11/2018 5:47 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc.’s wireless brand may see its strongest quarter...

As its TV ad revenue drops, Corus says ad tech is the future

Media | 01/10/2018 6:05 pm EST

Corus Entertainment Inc. executives emphasized their optimism about future...

Six telecoms in CRTC crosshairs for CCTS violations

telecom | 01/09/2018 5:25 pm EST

In a notice on Monday, the CRTC said that six telecom companies could potentially face fines for not participating in the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), as it launched a proceeding asking them to...

$43.7M in Connect to Innovate funds allocated for Manitoba

telecom | 01/09/2018 5:06 pm EST

The federal government will spend $38.5 million of its $500 million of...

CIRA partners with Amazon on community investment program

telecom | 01/09/2018 3:34 pm EST

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) said in a press release Monday that projects funded as part of its Community Investment Program will now have access to Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon...

Analysts expect Freedom subscriber boost in Q1

telecom | 01/08/2018 5:54 pm EST

After a rollicking December, analysts say Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile has potential to...

PIAC asks CRTC to investigate telecom sales practices

telecom | 01/08/2018 5:26 pm EST

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has written to CRTC chairman Ian Scott asking him to launch an inquiry into telecom companies’ sales practices. PIAC asked the CRTC in a Jan. 8 letter to look into “the revelations...

Sidewalk Labs, civil liberties group register to lobby

Media | 01/08/2018 4:14 pm EST

Alphabet Inc.’s Sidewalk Labs kicked off the new year by registering to...

Text-with-911 incompatible with WiFi calling: CRTC

telecom | 01/05/2018 4:05 pm EST

In a step towards its goal of upgrading Canada’s 911 network by 2020, the CRTC published a decision on Friday which recommended that wireless service providers default all 911 calls to the cellular networks whenever possible. With the increase in Canadians using WiFi-enabled calling services offered by wireless providers, the Emergency Services Working Group of the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee explored the issue of connectivity with 911 operators. It found that, when using WiFi calling, there could be a number of circumstances where new features of 911 calling in Canada were...

As Bell deal closes, Telus buys western Alarmforce assets

telecom | 01/05/2018 1:26 pm EST

In a press release on Friday, Telus Corp. announced its acquisition of...

As programmatic ads grow, GDPR could pose a problem: expert

telecom | 01/04/2018 6:16 pm EST

Automatic, data-based advertising has grown significantly over the years...

Jim Shaw, former Shaw CEO, dies at 60

Media | 01/04/2018 1:05 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. said on Wednesday evening that its former CEO, Jim Shaw, has died. “Jim’s...

Scheer says he supports net neutrality

telecom | 01/03/2018 5:28 pm EST

Opposition leader Andrew Scheer has said he supports net neutrality, despite statements by his Innovation...

$24.8M from Connect to Innovate to go to N.L.

telecom | 01/03/2018 12:44 pm EST

The federal government will allocate $24.8 million from its Connect to Innovate program to improve internet connectivity in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to a Tuesday press release. The funding will be combined with an additional $2.1 million from the Atlantic...

5G specifications approved by 3GPP

telecom | 12/21/2017 11:39 am EST

In a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) announced the...

Telecom criticized for continuous credit checks

telecom | 12/21/2017 11:27 am EST

In a report released on Wednesday by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), a Canadian...

CRTC calls out Iristel, but says no new regs in traffic stimulation case

telecom | 12/20/2017 5:40 pm EST

In separate decisions on Wednesday, the CRTC ordered Iristel Inc. to cease...

Part 1 over Calgary access agreement reinstated

telecom | 12/20/2017 4:49 pm EST

The CRTC has resumed a proceeding regarding municipal access by telecoms in the city of Calgary, even...

CRTC tells Bell it has to build outside meet-me points

telecom | 12/20/2017 2:44 pm EST

BCE Inc. must have a point to which other internet service providers (ISPs)...

Five new directors named to CBC board

Media | 12/19/2017 5:22 pm EST

Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly named five new members to the CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors for five-year terms, said a Tuesday press release. Harley Finkelstein, the chief of operations for Shopify Inc., René Légère,...

C-59 could hurt security, allow surveillance on telecom networks: report

telecom | 12/19/2017 3:39 pm EST

A comprehensive new report from the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab...

Rogers’ flinch potential source of the $60/10 GB plan standoff: analyst

telecom | 12/18/2017 5:31 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc. appears to have blinked — which caused a cascade of $60 for 10 GB bring-your-own-device wireless plans — in its ongoing battle for Toronto-based wireless subscribers,...

CRTC reprimands Orangeville radio station for targeting GTA market

telecom | 12/18/2017 2:40 pm EST

The CRTC has renewed the licence of Orangeville, Ont. top 40 radio station Z103.5 for a shorter licence term after it said the station had targeted audiences in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) instead of the town located outside the GTA boundary.  The regulator said in a decision Monday that programming on the station that it monitored “contained very little locally reflective content with direct and particular relevance to Orangeville, the community the station was licensed to serve....

Big Three launch $60, 10 GB plans in Freedom territory

telecom | 12/15/2017 5:18 pm EST

Following the launch of a 10 GB wireless plan for $50 by Shaw...

CRTC consulting on reseller registration obligations

telecom | 12/15/2017 4:47 pm EST

The CRTC is asking for comment on rules requiring resellers to register with the commission. The regular said in a notice of consultation Friday that it wants input on which types of non-carrier telecom providers should fall...

House committee backs stricter border device search rules

telecom | 12/15/2017 4:06 pm EST

A parliamentary ethics committee is recommending the government enact into...

Prioritize 3.5 GHz band for 5G: Telus

telecom | 12/15/2017 2:30 pm EST

Telus Corp. said in a press release Friday its ongoing 5G tests have now hit 2 Gbps speeds, using 3.5 GHz spectrum. The Vancouver-based company said in the release the tests, which took place in Edmonton, “help to...

Quebec digital strategy aims for 90% to have 100 Mbps speeds

telecom | 12/14/2017 5:46 pm EST

Quebec unveiled a five-year digital strategy Wednesday, which included long-term goals to provide high speed internet access to 100 per cent of the province’s population, more digital government services and to elevate the visibility of Quebec culture on digital networks....

Canadian gov’t reiterates net neutrality support as FCC kills 2015 rules

telecom | 12/14/2017 5:00 pm EST

The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2...

BPF registers to lobby amidst consumer group funding concerns

Media | 12/14/2017 2:25 pm EST

A few months after the emergence of a proposal asking the CRTC to shift...

Weakening prices, NAFTA should be on telecoms’ radar: Conference Board

telecom | 12/14/2017 2:02 pm EST

Canadian telecommunications companies should expect lower household...

Amidst NAFTA IP negotiation, Copyright Act review kicks off

Media | 12/13/2017 6:13 pm EST

After a unanimous vote in the House of Commons, the federal government has triggered the long-awaited five-year review of the Copyright Modernization Act, though the timing might cause some...

Scheer mum on net neutrality as CPC MPs take opposing sides

Media | 12/13/2017 4:39 pm EST

Opposition leader Andrew Scheer isn’t going public with his position on...

Canadian ‘tale of two internets,’ as 25% get online wirelessly: Deloitte

Media | 12/12/2017 6:39 pm EST

The number of Canadians who get their internet access wirelessly — either...

Basic wireless plans cheaper, bigger data buckets more expensive: report

telecom | 12/12/2017 6:38 pm EST

While Canadians saw prices for basic mobile phone subscriptions fall, data released by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada on Tuesday indicated that high-end mobile phone plan...

Over 800K Canadians involved in Uber hack

telecom | 12/12/2017 6:30 pm EST

The Canadian division of Uber Technologies Inc. said about 815,000 riders and drivers in Canada were...

House committee recommends rural broadband spending

telecom | 12/11/2017 5:10 pm EST

The House of Commons standing committee on finance presented its budgetary policy report Friday, which included a recommendation for funding to ensure high-speed internet is available across Canada. Recommendation 89 in the report read: “Allocate the funds necessary to reach full coverage of high-speed internet service across Canada.” In a release on Monday, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA), one of the groups which submitted proposals to the committee, praised the decision to include the recommendation. “The committee’s recommendations are absolutely a step in the...

OPC formally investigating Uber after data breach

telecom | 12/11/2017 4:34 pm EST

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has confirmed in an email that the privacy...

Shaw launches security video service for smaller businesses

Media | 12/11/2017 1:08 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. is now offering a video surveillance service aimed...

Edward, Melinda Rogers to head company board of directors

Media | 12/08/2017 11:38 am EST

Rogers Communications Inc. announced that Edward and Melinda Rogers, the...

SCC text message ruling clarifies privacy in digital communications

telecom | 12/08/2017 10:32 am EST

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada said Friday that a sender of a text...

Shaw backs website blocking for pirated content in CRTC consultation

Media | 12/07/2017 5:53 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. used the CRTC’s Creative Canada consultation this week to back website blocking as a strategy to fight privacy. “The rapid growth of the black market for online content, facilitated by streaming piracy, is a concern for the licensed system that the industry, the Commission and Government cannot ignore,” Shaw said. “Each year, this...

CSE activities under C-59 may weaken encryption tools: CCLA

telecom | 12/07/2017 5:24 pm EST

OTTAWA — Parliamentarians debating Bill C-59 will have to come to grips...

Under C-59, unauthorized data collection still a risk: professor

telecom | 12/06/2017 4:14 pm EST

OTTAWA — On Tuesday morning, University of Ottawa law professor Craig...

ISED outlines $22.3M program for digital tech accessibility

telecom | 12/06/2017 3:53 pm EST

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is launching a...

Committee tells Equifax compensation meagre after breach

telecom | 12/05/2017 12:47 pm EST

OTTAWA — The House of Commons’ ethics committee did not mince words...

PIAC still over $100K short of Feb. goal despite costs awards

telecom | 12/04/2017 12:34 pm EST

With under a month left in its donation drive and three recent cost awards,...

Bell’s low-cost Lucky Mobile a hit with government

telecom | 12/01/2017 5:26 pm EST

BCE Inc’s move to open a low-cost, prepaid carrier is “well-timed” and positioned to support the...

Over $24M in internet funding allocated to 26 Que. communities

telecom | 12/01/2017 4:08 pm EST

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada announced the allocation of funding to connect over 12,000 homes across 26 communities in Quebec with high-speed internet infrastructure, it...

Huawei to join CENGN

telecom | 12/01/2017 12:11 pm EST

Kanata-based Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) has announced that Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is the newest member of the research group, according to...

CRTC approves radio station licences in Quebec and Manitoba

telecom | 11/30/2017 3:09 pm EST

The CRTC has given the green light for three licences to operate radio stations in Quebec and Manitoba. On Thursday, the commission said it approved an application by Dufferin Communications Inc., which is owned by Evanov Communications Inc., to replace its ethnic commercial AM CKJS radio station to an FM station at 92.7 MHz in Winnipeg. The station will broadcast 126 hours of local programming per broadcast week, including local community reporting. It must direct ethnic programming to at least 19 cultural groups in at least 16 different languages, according to the decision. In...

New wireless-extending tech a ‘paradigm shift’ for 5G: federal researchers

telecom | 11/30/2017 9:04 am EST

OTTAWA — A federal research lab on the outskirts of Canada’s capital...

Monique Lafontaine appointed Ontario commissioner for CRTC

Media | 11/29/2017 1:36 pm EST

Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly has appointed Monique Lafontaine as the...

Telesat loses LEO satellite after launch

telecom | 11/28/2017 6:15 pm EST

Ottawa-based Telesat Holdings Inc. announced the loss of the first in an initial constellation of low...

CCTS report shows overage compliance concerns

telecom | 11/28/2017 6:03 pm EST

The struggle for some wireless service providers to get up to speed on managing data overage caps was...

CSE ‘actively working’ with telecoms on SS7

telecom | 11/28/2017 5:45 pm EST

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) has been providing “advice and guidance” to telecoms on a security vulnerability found on mobile network infrastructure known as signalling system 7 (SS7), the organization said in light of recent media reports on the matter.  “In addition to advice and guidance related to specific issues such as SS7, CSE provides the government of Canada with extensive cyber security advice and best practice recommendations including, for using mobile communications devices safely,” chief of the CSE Greta Bossenmaier said in the Tuesday statement. ...

Millimetre wave spectrum set-asides harmful to 5G potential: telcos

telecom | 11/27/2017 5:51 pm EST

The issue of set-asides has resurfaced in replies to a consultation on...

Goodale offers telecoms a hand in network security, SS7

telecom | 11/24/2017 5:53 pm EST

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the country’s telecoms can...

Hamilton eyeing fiber infrastructure along LRT

telecom | 11/24/2017 4:25 pm EST

A motion to investigate the prospect of installing fiber infrastructure simultaneously with its light rail construction, was passed by Hamilton city council on Wednesday, according to documents from the city council. The...

Government launches Smart Cities challenge in select cities

telecom | 11/24/2017 2:17 pm EST

The federal government officially kicked off its Smart Cities Challenge...

Rural broadband costs to become clearer early next year: ISED

telecom | 11/23/2017 6:53 pm EST

OTTAWA — Despite already surpassing their target to connect some rural...

TekSavvy appealing disclosure order involving 13 ISPs

telecom | 11/23/2017 5:03 pm EST

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is appealing a Federal Court order to disclose the identities of some of its...

Supreme Court to hear Rogers disclosure costs appeal

telecom | 11/23/2017 12:52 pm EST

The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it will hear a case by Rogers Communications Inc. that seeks to...

Gov’t should do more to support technology transfer: report

Media | 11/23/2017 12:33 pm EST

The House of Commons standing committee on industry, science and technology has outlined a number of ways to improve technology transfer — the move of knowledge developed in academic settings to...

Don’t count on Freedom’s $0 iPhone X offer for long: analyst

telecom | 11/22/2017 4:29 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile announced in a press release Wednesday it will offer the entire 2017 line of Apple Inc.’s iPhone for $0 up front. Available for pre-order on Friday, Freedom’s iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X models will be released December 8, the...