Sweeping government review to include CRTC, Broadcast Act, CanCon

Media | 04/25/2016 10:56 pm EDT

Industry insiders and observers are calling Canadian Heritage’s impending study of Canadian content in the digital age — which could potentially affect CBC/Radio-Canada, legislation like...

SaskTel upgrades networks in northeast

telecom | 04/25/2016 9:41 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said in a press release Monday it plans to complete, by the end of June, a three-year, $30-million project to rebuild the backhaul network in the northeastern part of the...

Smart homes on the rise: studies

telecom | 04/22/2016 8:58 pm EDT

Households with connected devices are increasing, according to a pair of studies studying smart home adoption. The number of broadband-connected Canadian homes with smart home devices more than doubled, rising to 11 per cent, or...

Feds should create ‘telecom stamps’ for low-income Canadians: Cogeco

telecom | 04/22/2016 8:21 pm EDT

When it comes to issues of affordability, the Canadian government should look to an American social assistance program to help low-income residents purchase telecommunications services, Cogeco Inc. told CRTC commissioners Friday morning. The government could provide “telecom stamps” as a...

ISED approves spectrum transfers

telecom | 04/22/2016 7:17 pm EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada has approved the transfer of 83 WCS spectrum licences from Xplornet Communications Inc. to Telus Corp. ISED said in a decision Thursday that though the transfer means there will be a “modest increase” in Telus’ commercial mobile spectrum holdings in those licence areas, “all existing service providers have had multiple opportunities to access additional spectrum in the licence areas and, along with future service providers, will have the opportunity to access spectrum in the coming years.” The decision added that given “the extent and diversity of holdings of competing wireless service providers within the affected licence areas, there will be a minimal impact on spectrum concentration.” In a separate decision also released Thursday, the...

Redirect voice subsidy to broadband, CRTC panel hears

telecom | 04/21/2016 9:37 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que. — With the use of landlines declining across the country, the money collected for the provision of universal phone service should be reallocated to cover areas of the country underserved by broadband...

CRTC starts renewal process for TV provider licences

telecom | 04/21/2016 9:07 pm EDT

The CRTC issued a call for Thursday for IPTV and cable providers whose broadcast licences will expire in 2016 and 2017 to submit licence renewal applications. The regulator said that licensees with licences expiring on Aug. 31...

Simsub legal action not premature: Bell, NFL

telecom | 04/20/2016 8:45 pm EDT

Lawyers for BCE Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) fired back at the claim their legal action against the CRTC’s simultaneous substitution decision is premature in new legal documents filed with the Appeal Court....

Rogers to launch IPTV by end of the year

telecom | 04/20/2016 8:19 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will be launching an IPTV service by the end of the year, Guy Laurence, the company’s CEO, confirmed Tuesday during Rogers’ annual general meeting of shareholders held in Toronto....

Low-income access to affordable Internet is ‘poverty issue’: Bell

Media | 04/19/2016 11:20 pm EDT

Canadians who can’t afford Internet access don’t face an “affordability problem,” but a “poverty issue that is in need of a social safety net,” which should be addressed by different levels of government, Robert Malcolmson, BCE Inc.’s senior vice-president of regulatory...

Companies should be compensated for 600 MHz spectrum reallocation: Rogers

Media | 04/19/2016 8:15 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Rogers Communications Inc. moved its request to be compensated for the sale of 600 MHz spectrum to a new battlefront Tuesday morning, with representatives pleading the company’s case with parliamentarians. During an appearance in front of the House of Commons standing committee on Canadian Heritage,...

Competition Bureau ends Google probe

telecom | 04/19/2016 7:30 pm EDT

The Competition Bureau announced Tuesday it is closing its investigation into Google Inc.’s advertising practices after finding evidence that it "used anti‑competitive clauses in certain types of contracts that...

In ‘unusual’ move, Blais calls for national digital strategy

telecom | 04/18/2016 10:37 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que. — The ongoing basic services hearing may be the “last, best chance” for the CRTC and the stakeholders appearing before its five-person panel to formulate some...

Rogers selling gigabit Internet plans for small businesses

telecom | 04/18/2016 8:12 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will offer a plan with 1 GB speeds and no data cap to small businesses in Ontario for $199.99 a month. The company said in a press release the Ignite For Business Gigabit plan “is available to select areas in downtown Toronto and the GTA, as well as areas in Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Newmarket, Markham, Pickering, Ajax, and Whitby,” as of Monday.  It will be available in additional areas “in the coming months,” Monday’s release said. The company announced it would begin offering gigabit Internet last fall. ...

Obama backs FCC set-top box proposal

telecom | 04/15/2016 8:19 pm EDT

U.S. President Barack Obama is weighing in on his country’s debate over increasing competition to benefit consumers. On Friday, Obama announced “that his administration is calling on the FCC to open up set-top-cable...

Microsoft sues U.S. government over secret info requests

Media | 04/15/2016 8:12 pm EDT

Microsoft Corp. is suing the United States federal government over orders to keep government requests for customer emails and records secret. President and chief legal officer Brad Smith...

Customers say skinny basic not worthwhile: study

Media | 04/15/2016 4:57 pm EDT

More than 66,000 Canadians have signed up for a skinny-basic TV package since its rollout on March 1, according to the CRTC. In a Friday press release, the regulator said a third of those who signed up also took...

Corus sells rights for ‘classic’ Nickelodeon series to Netflix

Media | 04/15/2016 3:25 pm EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc., which holds to the Canadian rights to Viacom Inc.’s Nickelodeon content, said it has sold the digital streaming rights for a number of shows to Netflix...

Cogeco open to Shaw partnership: Audet

telecom | 04/14/2016 10:03 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet said his company would be “delighted” to partner with Shaw Communications Inc. on its newly acquired wireless business, Wind Mobile. During the company’s second-quarter earning conference call Thursday, Audet was asked by an analyst whether he sees any potential for “maybe not an outright acquisition of that business, but potentially to partner and to have some sort of arrangement where you can also get favourable rates ... but also contribute some capital to help Shaw build out the Wind business.” Shaw completed...

Shaw posts 3% revenue rise in Q2

telecom | 04/14/2016 9:58 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. reported Thursday a three-per-cent rise in revenue to $1.15 billion in its second quarter, up from $1.12 billion in the same period a year earlier. Shaw said the rise in the three months...

RCMP had encryption key for BlackBerry: report

telecom | 04/14/2016 8:19 pm EDT

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has had an encryption key for BlackBerry Inc.’s devices since 2010, Vice News reported Wednesday. The report was based on court documents that show “law enforcement...

Advocacy groups ask CRTC for subsidies, to ‘champion’ Internet access

telecom | 04/14/2016 8:02 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que. — CRTC commissioners drilled into what should constitute a need versus a want when it comes to access to broadband Internet Thursday, during the fourth day of a three-week hearing...

Canadians unaware of MVNO decision: survey

telecom | 04/13/2016 9:38 pm EDT

A new Angus-Reid Institute survey suggests two-thirds of Canadians were unaware of a recent CRTC decision that advocates said could affect wireless rates and competition. The study, released Monday, said 61 per cent of...

New satellites to improve Internet access in North, companies say

telecom | 04/13/2016 9:21 pm EDT

As-yet-unlaunched satellites will make more Internet capacity available at a lower cost in rural and remote areas, satellite providers told the CRTC Wednesday, on the third day of its three-week...

Privacy commissioner investigating ‘stingray’ tech

telecom | 04/13/2016 9:12 pm EDT

The privacy commissioner’s office has started an investigation into the RCMP’s use of “stingray” surveillance technologies, or IMSI catchers, following a complaint brought...

Speeds ‘red herring’ when North needs backbone builds, panel hears

telecom | 04/12/2016 9:36 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que. — Setting a basic speed requirement doesn’t do the North any good when it comes to improving Internet access, unless there’s necessary backbone infrastructure in...

Telus to invest $1 billion in Ontario, $4.5 billion in B.C.

telecom | 04/11/2016 10:14 pm EDT

Telus Corp. announced it will invest $5.5 billion in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia in order to advance its communications infrastructure. It said Monday it will...

Basic service should include wholesale rates: TekSavvy

Media | 04/11/2016 10:12 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que. — On the first day of the CRTC’s hearing on what basic telecom services should be available to all Canadians, small ISP TekSavvy Solutions Inc. asked the CRTC to include wholesale access in its definition of basic service. It suggested the CRTC change the definition of basic service from including the “capability to connect via low-speed data transmission to the Internet at local rates” to “capability to connect to the Internet via high-speed data transmission made available, where feasible, at reasonable wholesale rates.” Andy...

Nova Scotia ISP receiving rural broadband funds

Media | 04/11/2016 8:17 pm EDT

A rural Internet service provider in Nova Scotia will receive about $46,000 from the federal government to help increase broadband connectivity, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said in a press release. On Monday, the ministry said the funding from the Connecting Canadians program will go to Acadian Communications...

Privacy sweep to examine IoT, health devices

telecom | 04/11/2016 5:06 pm EDT

Health devices will take the spotlight when Canada’s privacy commissioner participates in this week’s global examination of the Internet of Things (IoT). The Global Privacy Enforcement Network’s 2016 privacy...

23 ISPs to share new Connecting Canadians allocation

telecom | 04/08/2016 6:45 pm EDT

More than 65,000 households are expected to benefit from projects funded by the $34.5 million in Connecting Canadians funds announced Friday by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains....

Opposition names new ISED critics

telecom | 04/08/2016 6:16 pm EDT

The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development has a new Opposition critic after interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose shuffled her shadow cabinet Friday. According to a press release, Diane Finley, formerly...

As streaming services grow, is TV-everywhere still relevant?

Media | 04/08/2016 4:00 pm EDT

When companies launched TV-everywhere products a few years ago, they did so as part of an effort to compete with then-new streaming services — but now that many of those same companies have their own subscription OTT products, TV everywhere seems to be stuck in something of a holding pattern. Despite companies continuing to push TV-everywhere products, people aren’t using them any more than when they were first introduced. And while awareness of individual platforms remains steady, the general idea of TV everywhere is falling off the radar. The most recent numbers on...

Rogers program raises pre-hearing questions about affordability

telecom | 04/07/2016 9:33 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Other major Internet service providers may be compelled to follow in the footsteps of Rogers Communications Inc. and offer cheap Internet packages for low-income earners, according to...

20% of Canadians don’t subscribe to TV: MTM

Media | 04/07/2016 8:20 pm EDT

The number of Canadians without TV subscriptions is currently 20 per cent, according to a pair of new reports from Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada. MTM noted that “living without a paid TV...

SaskTel expands Internet service in three communities

Media | 04/07/2016 6:07 pm EDT

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. is expanding Internet service in three rural towns in Saskatchewan, it said in a press release Thursday. Download speeds of 5 Mbps will available in Craven, Sask.,...

WhatsApp to encrypt all traffic

Media | 04/07/2016 5:31 pm EDT

Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp will automatically encrypt all communications going through its service, the company announced. “From now on when you and your contacts use the latest version of the app, every call...

Christian Morsanutto joins Ethnic Channels Group

Media | 04/07/2016 4:38 pm EDT

Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. (ECG) said in a press release that Christian Morsanutto is its new senior vice-president of business development and operations. It said he will oversee “television transmission sales initiatives,” including in video-on-demand (VOD), subscription VOD, pay-per-view (PPV) and both specialty and...

Rogers expands low-income-housing Internet service

telecom | 04/07/2016 3:29 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. is expanding its $10 Internet service for customers living in low-income housing. In a Thursday press release, the company said its Connected for Success program, which began as a pilot program in...

NFL to stream on Twitter, Canadian OTT rights still up for grabs

Media | 04/05/2016 9:22 pm EDT

The National Football League (NFL) announced Tuesday a new deal with Twitter Inc. to stream NFL games on the social media platform, and though Canadians won’t have access,...

Lawsuit over expiry of prepaid services dismissed on appeal

telecom | 04/05/2016 6:27 pm EDT

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has upheld a previous dismissal of a lawsuit against BCE Inc. over expiry dates on its prepaid wireless services.  Launched in 2012, the...

Telus to invest $4.5 billion in Alberta

telecom | 04/04/2016 8:49 pm EDT

Telus Corp. announced Monday it will invest $4.5 billion towards new communications infrastructure across Alberta over the next three years. This year it will invest more than $900 million in order to extend its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network “directly to thousands of homes and businesses in rural and urban communities,” it said in a press release. Telus added the money will also be used to “further strengthen wireless service, and support key services including healthcare and education with new technologies.” It made similar announcements in March...

FCC launches broadband labels

telecom | 04/04/2016 8:37 pm EDT

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has launched a labeling program for broadband services, similar to nutrition labels found on food products. “The consumer broadband labels will provide consumers with more...

Rogers takes on troubleshooting with introduction of IoT as a service

telecom | 04/04/2016 8:15 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc.’s introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) management as a service removes the need for its business enterprise customers to troubleshoot their various applications...

Sale of Primus’ Canadian assets to U.S. company completed

telecom | 04/04/2016 6:33 pm EDT

Atlanta-based Birch Communications Inc. said Monday it has completed the Canadian component of its acquisition of Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. “Birch plans to...

QVC can’t be distributed in Canada: CRTC

telecom | 04/04/2016 5:33 pm EDT

The CRTC denied Monday an application by VMedia Inc. to add the U.S. TV shopping service QVC to the list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution. The CRTC said that...

CRTC revokes licences of 42 telecoms

Media | 04/04/2016 4:25 pm EDT

The CRTC said Friday 42 companies providing basic international telecommunications services can no longer operate in Canada. It revoked their licences after they failed to comply with licence conditions requiring them to file information with the regulator. CRTC spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said in an email Friday that a basic international telecommunications services (BITS) licensee “is an entity that the CRTC has authorized to carry telecommunications traffic between Canada and another country.” She added that both facilities-based providers and...

FCC to subsidize broadband for low-income customers

telecom | 04/01/2016 8:37 pm EDT

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will provide subsidies of $9.95 towards Internet service for low-income individuals. The FCC said in a press release Thursday it has modernized its Lifeline program, which previously...

Competition Bureau updates IP enforcement guidelines

Media | 04/01/2016 7:32 pm EDT

The Competition Bureau has updated its Intellectual Property Enforcement Guidelines, as part of what it said in a Thursday press release would be an annual review. It said the updated guidelines clarify “the Bureau’s...

TPP exposing Canada’s innovation weak link: Balsillie

telecom | 04/01/2016 6:04 pm EDT

OTTAWA — The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a raw deal for Canadians who deal in intellectual property because the country has never developed a proper innovation strategy, according to Jim Balsillie, former co-CEO of BlackBerry Ltd. "I find it inexcusable. I find our approaches completely different than...

Internet speeds beating benchmarks: CRTC

telecom | 03/31/2016 10:45 pm EDT

The majority of broadband wireline Internet services sold to Canadian homes meet or exceed their advertised speeds, suggest the preliminary findings of a CRTC-commissioned study on broadband Internet performance. "Based on...

CRTC to reconsider current wholesale Internet rates

telecom | 03/31/2016 8:40 pm EDT

The CRTC issued Thursday a new approach to how the rates small companies pay large telecoms for wholesale Internet services are set, stating that “current wholesale [high-speed access] service rates are likely not just and...

Juno Awards to be broadcast in 4K

telecom | 03/31/2016 4:29 pm EDT

Sunday's Juno Awards ceremony will be broadcast in 4K, BCE Inc. announced Thursday, with the company calling it the first music awards show in North America to be broadcast in the ultra-high-definition format. Fibe TV...

Basic Internet service standards should be joint responsibility: CRTC survey

telecom | 03/30/2016 8:51 pm EDT

A combination of government intervention, market forces and use of a CRTC-established fund should be used to provide a minimum standard of Internet access across the country, according to results of a...

Cogeco launches business-specific TV bundles

telecom | 03/30/2016 5:47 pm EDT

Cogeco Inc. is now offering TV packages aimed at business customers. In a Tuesday press release, the company said the new channel bundles were "specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses and...

Rogers customer complaints down by 65%: CCTS

telecom | 03/29/2016 10:17 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. experienced a nearly 65-per-cent drop in complaints accepted by the Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), according to the commissioner's mid-year report. Released Wednesday morning, the report said Rogers was the subject of 437 complaints during the six-month period of Aug. 1, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016, down from 1,240 complaints during the same period a year earlier. Complaints about Rogers’ Fido brand also fell almost 23 per cent to 237 from 306 complaints over the latter half of 2015. In a press release, Rogers...

What inroads will virtual reality make in TV, communications?

Media | 03/29/2016 9:37 pm EDT

This week is a long-awaited one for virtual reality enthusiasts, as Facebook Inc. starts to ship its Oculus Rift headset to people who pre-ordered their $599 US devices as far in advance as early...

Rogers launching 4K versions of Sportsnet channels

telecom | 03/29/2016 9:17 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will make two dedicated 4K sports channels available this week, the company announced Monday. Sportsnet 4K and Sportsnet ONE 4K will be available as of April 1, the day before the first...

FBI drops suit against Apple for iPhone hack

telecom | 03/29/2016 6:24 pm EDT

The United States government called off its bid to compel Apple Inc. to create a workaround to get into a phone connected with a Dec. 2 attack in San Bernardino, Calif. According to court documents...

CRTC to hold hearing on next-generation 911

telecom | 03/29/2016 5:46 pm EDT

The CRTC has started a public consultation on the evolution of more technologically advanced 911 services. In a Tuesday press release, the regulator said it is now accepting comments on new ways for people to contact...

CRTC launches consultation on wireless emergency alerts

telecom | 03/29/2016 5:10 pm EDT

The CRTC is calling for input on the potential participation of wireless service providers in the country's National Public Alerting System to allow Canadians to receive emergency alert messages on their mobile devices. "Given the broad ownership of wireless devices by the Canadian public, the wireless industry's participation in the alerting system could further enhance its effectiveness in safeguarding and warning Canadians about potential emergencies and natural disasters," it said Tuesday in a press release. Issues the regulator is asking for feedback on...

Calls for CBC funding to be used for in-house, independent production

telecom | 03/23/2016 11:24 pm EDT

Following the release of the first Liberal budget, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) said funding for CBC/Radio-Canada should be used for producing in-house content, while the Canadian Media...

Post budget, Liberal telecom policy remains unclear

telecom | 03/23/2016 11:03 pm EDT

The budget didn't offer many clues about the Liberals' telecommunications strategy, but that might in itself be a hint as to where the new government will go, according to experts. Unlike budgets from the previous...

TV subscription rate down to 77%: MTM

Media | 03/22/2016 10:47 pm EDT

The percentage of Canadians subscribing to TV service in Canada fell to 77 per cent in the fall of 2015, according to a new report released Tuesday by Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada. That’s a...

Rural broadband, CBC funding in 2016 federal budget

Media | 03/22/2016 8:27 pm EDT

In its first budget, the new Liberal government is continuing the previous Conservative government’s practice of setting aside funds for broadband service in underserved areas, cyber security and research frameworks,...

CRTC closes PIAC undue preference complaint against Shomi

Media | 03/22/2016 6:19 pm EDT

The CRTC said in a letter Tuesday it closed the “moot” Part 1 complaint by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) against Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw...

I’m not your adversary, Blais tells marketers

Media | 03/22/2016 4:51 pm EDT

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a speech to the Canadian Marketing Association in Toronto Tuesday that “legitimate marketers” should welcome anti-spam rules. “They’re not going anywhere....

Telus to invest $2 billion in Quebec

telecom | 03/21/2016 8:00 pm EDT

Telus Corp. announced Monday in a press release it is investing $2 billion towards new infrastructure in Quebec over the next five years. This year, Telus will invest $340 million in extending its fibre-to-the-home...

Air Canada to offer WiFi on international flights

telecom | 03/21/2016 7:07 pm EDT

Gogo Inc., a Chicago-based provider of in-flight Internet service and entertainment, announced Monday it has partnered with Air Canada provide in-flight WiFi services on international flights. “Air...

Global wearable device shipments to grow 38.2% this year: IDC

telecom | 03/18/2016 8:55 pm EDT

International Data Corp. said Thursday that global shipments of wearable devices are expected to reach 110 million by the end of 2016, with a 38.2 per cent growth over the previous year, and to reach 237 million by 2020. The research company said in a press release that “an expanding lineup of vendors combined with fast-growing consumer awareness and demand” accounts for the expected growth from 2015 to 2020. It added that the market will be driven by new and different wearable products and that watch and wristband shipments will reach a combined total of 100...

Sugar Mobile model threatens facilities-based competition: Telus, Quebecor

telecom | 03/18/2016 8:47 pm EDT

Allowing Sugar Mobile to continue roaming on Rogers Communications Inc.’s network would be a “backdoor means” to mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access, and “a...

Long-distance payphone call rules open for comment

telecom | 03/18/2016 8:34 pm EDT

The CRTC is asking payphone service providers to weigh in on how Canadians should be informed about charges associated with long-distance calls. The regulator has issued a call for comments about the implementation of new...

ISED releases more fixed wireless spectrum

telecom | 03/18/2016 4:56 pm EDT

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is currently accepting applications for fixed wireless access (FWA) spectrum in 23 Tier 4 service areas across the country. According to an updated list the department...

CRTC tells CCTS to step up enforcement, ‘naming and shaming’

Media | 03/17/2016 9:09 pm EDT

In addition to expanding the mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) Thursday to include TV service, the CRTC told the organization to make more use of...

One-fifth left in Connecting Canadians: ISED

telecom | 03/17/2016 8:53 pm EDT

Parliament's finance committee has recommended a rural broadband program be included in next week's federal budget, but there's still money available from the previous attempt to increase rural access, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development confirmed. In email statements from department communications staff, the ministry confirmed that roughly one-fifth of the $305 million set aside for the Connecting Canadians program, announced in 2014, was left over. "The other four-fifths of the funding has already been allocated to selected projects, some of which...

Radio-Canada still mulling options for Montreal headquarters

Media | 03/15/2016 9:06 pm EDT

CBC/Radio-Canada said in a French-language press release Tuesday that it hasn’t decided on the future of its Montreal headquarters. It said it is currently studying its options,...

Shopify now available on WordPress

Media | 03/15/2016 8:30 pm EDT

Shopify Inc. announced Tuesday its merchants will now be able to sell products using WordPress, a free open-source content management system that is used predominantly to host blog content. The Ottawa-based company said in a blog...

Cogeco launches WiFi hotspots in Kingston, Ont.

telecom | 03/15/2016 5:45 pm EDT

Cocego Inc. announced Thursday it has launched about 100 WiFi hotspots in Kingston, Ont. It said in the press release that Cogeco has been building its public WiFi network in the past year and that the service will be available at “retail shops, restaurants and professional services offices alongside high-traffic streets.” The service is...

Tax changes, rural investment should be in new budget: committee

telecom | 03/14/2016 9:13 pm EDT

The federal government should incorporate an industry suggestion to spur telecom investment by making changes to the tax system into the upcoming 2016 budget, according to the House of Commons...

Home Internet penetration at 92%: MTM

telecom | 03/11/2016 8:48 pm EST

Internet use is nearly universal by English-speaking Canadians and the amount of time adults spend online is continuing to grow, suggested a new report on Internet penetration by the Media Technology Monitor, a project of...

FBI responds to Apple opposition

telecom | 03/11/2016 8:36 pm EST

The U.S. government's order for Apple Inc. to create software allowing the FBI access to a phone connected with a Dec. 2 attack has no bearing on the company's relationship with foreign lawmakers, according to new court...

Telus expanding FTTH network in northern B.C.

telecom | 03/11/2016 4:30 pm EST

UPDATED — Telus Corp. is expanding its fibre-to-the-home rollout to the northeastern B.C. communities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Charlie Lake, the company announced in a pair of press releases. Telus will spend $10...

Telecoms’ TV customer losses up five-fold in 2015

telecom | 03/10/2016 10:22 pm EST

The number of subscribers leaving the Canadian TV system appears to be accelerating, as Canada’s publicly traded telecom companies lost five times more TV subscribers in 2015 than a year earlier. They reported having...

New executive team at Shaw, Jay Mehr named president

Media | 03/10/2016 10:02 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Wednesday a restructuring of its executive team and has appointed Jay Mehr, Shaw’s chief operating officer, as its new president, replacing Peter Bissonnette. The press release said Mehr has been with the company for almost 20 years and in his new role he will “be responsible for overseeing operational and customer-facing areas of the business, including Shaw consumer, Shaw business, Wind, and supply chain.” The rest of the executive team includes Vito Culmone as chief financial officer, Jim Little as chief marketing and culture...

CRTC extends TV renewal application deadline

telecom | 03/10/2016 5:40 pm EST

The CRTC announced Thursday it is extending the deadline to submit applications for TV licence renewals that will expire in 2017 to April 18. It said that the commission received requests from BCE Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc.,...

Canada needs digital skills to harness IoT opportunities: report

telecom | 03/09/2016 8:21 pm EST

OTTAWA — If Canada is to reap the benefits of the global digital shift, it needs to stack its skilled labour deck or risk falling behind, said a new report by the Information and Communications...

CRTC schedules basic service hearing for April 11-28

telecom | 03/09/2016 5:29 pm EST

The CRTC’s basic telecom services hearing will take place between April 11 and April 28, lasting almost three weeks. The regulator said in an undated agenda posted to its website, which it linked to in a post on Twitter...

Ministry was shooting for telecom spending status quo: report

telecom | 03/08/2016 9:32 pm EST

The new government's first financial plan is set to be revealed March 22, but a Treasury Board report tabled this week in the House of Commons gives a glimpse at where the government...

Verizon fined $1.35M US for targeted advertising practices

telecom | 03/08/2016 6:53 pm EST

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday it has fined Verizon Communications Inc. $1.35 million US for inserting unique identifier headers (UIDH) without customers’ consent in order to deliver targeted ads. The FCC said in a press release it found Verizon had been inserting “unique, undeletable identifiers,” known as UIDHs or “supercookies,” which it “inserted into web traffic and used to identify customers in order to deliver targeted ads from Verizon and other third parties.”   As a result of the...

Peter Grant reappointed broadcasting arbitrator

telecom | 03/08/2016 3:30 pm EST

Elections Canada announced Monday that Peter Grant has been reappointed as broadcasting arbitrator. It said in a press release that the reappointment was made “by a unanimous decision of the parties represented in the House...

Catalyst opposition unlikely to affect Shaw Media sale: analyst

telecom | 03/07/2016 10:24 pm EST

The pressure Catalyst Capital Group Inc. has been applying on Corus Entertainment Inc. shareholders to vote down a proposal to purchase the media division of Shaw Communications Inc. isn't likely...

Innovation Canada consulting on data breach reporting rules

telecom | 03/07/2016 9:35 pm EST

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said Friday it is holding a consultation on how to design new regulations for data breach reporting. The Personal Information Protection and...

Cellphone search violated police ethics code: board ruling

telecom | 03/07/2016 6:27 pm EST

A Shawinigan, Que., police officer violated the ethics code governing law enforcement officers when he seized and searched a driver's cellphone during a traffic stop. According to a police ethics board decision levied Feb. 15, Sûreté du Quebec officer Sylvain Baril "abused his authority" by...

Apple gathers support in FBI dispute

telecom | 03/04/2016 9:14 pm EST

Major tech companies have filed documents with the U.S. courts in support of Apple Inc.'s position against creating a workaround for investigators to access encrypted information on an iPhone connected with the Dec. 2 attack...

Telecom policy should focus on innovation, not competition: report

telecom | 03/03/2016 10:34 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc.'s acquisition of Wind Mobile has fulfilled the previous federal government's push for four national carriers, which means the new government has the chance to hit the...

Shaw partners with Bell to offer CraveTV discount

Media | 03/02/2016 9:59 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. has partnered with BCE Inc. to provide Bell’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, CraveTV, at a discount to its cable and satellite customers. The companies said in a joint press release that...

With no network infrastructure, towns opting to build their own

telecom | 03/02/2016 9:19 pm EST

Among the arguments from BCE Inc. and those supporting its appeal to federal cabinet of the CRTC decision mandating wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks is that the ruling will slow...

CCTS creates annotated guide to wireless code

telecom | 03/02/2016 5:04 pm EST

The Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) issued Wednesday an annotated guide to the CRTC’s wireless code, aimed at helping clarify how the code applies in specific situations to allow more complaints to be resolved without CCTS involvement. “When we investigate customer complaints, it is not always clear how the code is intended to apply to the specific fact situations that we see,” CCTS Commissioner Howard Maker said in the release. The guide includes the CCTS’ interpretations and decisions in the “thousands of complaints” it...