PIAC says evidence shows undue preference with Shomi

Media | 06/12/2015 4:34 pm EDT

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) told the CRTC that evidence presented by other parties supports its case that Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.'s Shomi has not been distributed in line with...

HuffPost TV channel approved for Canada

Media | 06/12/2015 4:18 pm EDT

The television channel of AOL Inc.'s Huffington Post, called HuffPost Live, has been approved for distribution in Canada, the CRTC said Friday. A notice on the commission's website, said an application put forward by the...

BlackBerry declines comment on Android report

Media | 06/12/2015 4:12 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. declined Friday to comment on a report that it was considering using Google Inc.'s Android software in an upcoming smartphone. Reuters reported Thursday that four sources with knowledge of the matter said...

Who to lobby on spectrum: Policy Map

telecom | 06/12/2015 2:33 pm EDT

With demand for wireless spectrum on the rise, policy around the finite natural resource in Canada has emerged as a major government file over the last decade. Two spectrum auctions have already taken place this year, so far...

Bell, Telus, SaskTel and Videotron rank highest in customer survey

telecom | 06/11/2015 8:45 pm EDT

A new survey from J.D. Power says wireless customers in Ontario gave the highest marks for network performance to BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., those in the West to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. and customers in the East chose Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron. The J.D. Power 2015 Canadian Wireless Network Quality Study, released Thursday, looked at the performance of wireless networks related to calling, messaging and data, the company said in a press release. “On average,...

CRTC vs. Shoan dispute in full public view

Media | 06/11/2015 7:08 pm EDT

The federal government and the CRTC have been unsuccessful in their attempt to have documents in the Federal Court case CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan has brought against the CRTC shielded from public view, for the time being. It...

WireIE’s Rob Barlow appointed to charity board

telecom | 06/10/2015 2:10 pm EDT

WireIE Holdings International Inc. announced Wednesday that the company’s CEO, Rob Barlow, has been appointed a new board member of Hope Air, a charity that focuses on providing financial support to Canadians who require travel for medical care by arranging free flights. Barlow said in the release that his company believes in the mandate of Hope...

Privacy commish to look at IoT privacy

telecom | 06/09/2015 8:30 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner will release a report on privacy issues related to the Internet of Things (IoT), according to its annual report released Tuesday. The office will release an introductory paper and...

Telus to close Blacks stores

Media | 06/09/2015 5:04 pm EDT

Telus Corp. said Tuesday it will close all Blacks retail outlets by Aug. 8. The company said in an emailed statement that despite changes implemented over the last year at these photography-centric stores, it has been...

Bell/Astral tangible benefits proposals partially approved

Media | 06/09/2015 4:54 pm EDT

The CRTC on Tuesday said it had approved some of BCE Inc.'s proposals for how to manage tangible-benefits payments relating to its acquisition of Astral Media in 2013, though one specific proposal...

Com Dev announces satellite contract

Media | 06/09/2015 2:11 pm EDT

Com Dev International Ltd. on Tuesday announced a multimillion-dollar deal to develop satellite equipment. It said in a press release that it will develop multiplexers and switches that will be built over the next year in...

OTT messaging struggling to monetize: Juniper

Media | 06/09/2015 2:06 pm EDT

Over-the-top (OTT) messaging services are expected to see traffic levels triple globally by 2019 compared to last year's levels, but a lack of success in monetizing the product will lead to a decline in global revenue for the...

Telus announces 8,000 free WiFi hotspots for West

telecom | 06/08/2015 8:30 pm EDT

Telus Corp. announced on Monday that it will provide free WiFi at more than 8,000 hotspots throughout British Columbia and Alberta. These are provinces where Telus competes with Shaw Communications Inc. in the provision of...

Large telecoms oppose CNOC application for interim relief

telecom | 06/08/2015 8:23 pm EDT

Canada’s biggest telecom companies are asking the CRTC to dismiss an application by smaller providers that, if granted, would make usage-sensitive rates interim, allowing small Internet service providers to access refunds and retroactive rate adjustments should the CRTC lower wholesale rates in the future. BCE Inc. said in an intervention that doing so would introduce “significant and unnecessary uncertainty that harms the marketplace and ultimately consumers and the public interest.” CNOC had filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC in early May, saying that the...

Bell Aliant opens new data centre in N.B.

Media | 06/08/2015 6:19 pm EDT

BCE Inc.’s Bell Aliant announced Monday that its new data centre in Saint John, N.B. is now fully functional and open for business. The new $25 million data centre met the Tier III certification from the Uptime Institute,...

Blais says ‘click to retail’ next big thing in media

Media | 06/08/2015 5:41 pm EDT

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais touted the merits of "click to retail" as the next big thing for the future of media during a speech Sunday at the Banff World Media Festival.  According to speaking notes released by the CRTC, Blais said: “Now imagine creating a sit-com set in a clothing shop. Now...

CMPA announces new board of directors

Media | 06/08/2015 3:33 pm EDT

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) announced Monday the results of its board of directors election. The release stated that Jamie Brown of Frantic Films was re-elected as chairman of the board. It named the...

Netflix expanding to Italy, Portugal, Spain

Media | 06/08/2015 2:32 pm EDT

Netflix Inc. announced it will be expanding its video-streaming services to Italy, Spain and Portugal. The company announced in two separate press releases on Thursday and Saturday last week that it would be available in the...

Cogeco acquires new U.S. company

telecom | 06/08/2015 1:35 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc. announced Monday that its U.S. subsidiary Atlantic Broadband will acquire MetroCast Communications of Connecticut from parent company Harron Communications LP for $200 million US. MetroCast Connecticut has a network that passes nearly 70,000 homes with TV, Internet and/or phone services, Cogeco said in a news release. "We have been pleased with the results of our Atlantic Broadband acquisition and we are excited to continue our geographic expansion in the U.S. market,” Cogeco CEO Louis Audet said in the press release. “This transaction enhances our growth profile through the planned launch of new residential services such as TiVo and Metro Ethernet for businesses.” CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said MetroCast Connecticut serves rather than passes nearly 70,000 homes.  ...

Shopify teams with Pinterest to create new sales platform

Media | 06/05/2015 3:56 pm EDT

Ottawa-based e-commerce company Shopify on Tuesday said it has teamed with social networking website Pinterest to provide businesses a new way to sell things directly to online audiences. Shopify...

Sports channels drive specialty-channel revenue boost: CRTC

Media | 06/04/2015 8:50 pm EDT

In recent years, it has almost become conventional wisdom in the industry that sports content is a good way for broadcasters to buffer themselves from trends toward cord-cutting and online video, and...

Radio Cancon rules could change: Blais

Media | 06/04/2015 7:03 pm EDT

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said Thursday that rules regarding Canadian content for radio stations might change to help stations compete in the digital age. According to speaking notes for a presentation to the Western...

Time Warner Cable expands U.S. public WiFi

telecom | 06/04/2015 6:05 pm EDT

Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC), announced Thursday that its outdoor WiFi hotspot network will expand to three more cities in the U.S. It said in a press release that the addition of Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, and Raleigh, N.C.,...

Shaw raising Internet, TV service rates

telecom | 06/04/2015 4:45 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. says it will be increasing prices for residential Internet and television services to compensate for its own higher costs. A notice on its website said price changes will take effect Aug. 1, and it...

CRTC to hold public hearing to review CCTS

Media | 06/04/2015 3:31 pm EDT

The CRTC said Thursday it will hold a public consultation to review the structure and mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS). The consultation will include a public hearing, which will...

BDUs say Shomi has not been made available

Media | 06/04/2015 3:12 pm EDT

Some companies have disputed the notion put forward by Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. that their video-streaming service Shomi has been made available to other service providers. In filings to the CRTC...

‘Golden age of TV’ facing changes: panel

Media | 06/03/2015 11:43 pm EDT

TORONTO — There has never have been a better time than now to be a consumer of television, it was said during a panel discussion Wednesday at the Canadian Telecom Summit, but it was also discussed how big changes are afoot,...

Xplornet CEO calls for 100% Internet penetration by 2020

telecom | 06/03/2015 5:24 pm EDT

TORONTO — Different government branches have their own goals for how many Canadians should have certain Internet speeds by certain dates; Xplornet Communications Inc. CEO Allison Lenehan raised the ante on Wednesday. During a keynote speech at the Canadian Telecom Summit, Lenehan said the goal of the government and the telecom industry should be to get 100 per cent of Canadians online with speeds of at least 100 Mbps by 2020. “Just imagine how Canada could leapfrog the world socially, economically and artistically,” Lenehan said. “Then our limits are no longer...

Robert Blair appointed new Copyright Board chairman

Media | 06/03/2015 5:04 pm EDT

Industry Canada announced Wednesday the new appointment of Robert Blair as the new chairman of the Copyright Board of Canada. Blair was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in November 2003 and served for 12 years as a...

CRTC extends deadline for basic telecom review

telecom | 06/03/2015 3:56 pm EDT

CRTC announced on Wednesday a revised date for submitting initial interventions in regards to the review of basic telecommunication services. An extension was requested in a letter on May 4 by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre...

Canadian smartphone data to grow five times by 2020: Ericsson

Media | 06/03/2015 2:20 pm EDT

The new Mobility Report published Wednesday by Ericsson predicted that Canadian smartphone data usage will grow five times between 2014 and 2020, the company said in a press release. Ericsson...

Rogers’ hockey content brings Sportsnet neck-to-neck with TSN

Media | 06/02/2015 9:22 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. both used Numeris data Tuesday to proclaim their sports channel is No. 1 in the market, a virtual tie that Rogers said was enabled by its hockey content....

TekSavvy’s Abramson takes on incumbents at Telecom Summit

telecom | 06/02/2015 7:36 pm EDT

TORONTO — With a key decision from the CRTC on smaller service providers’ access to wireline telecommunications networks expected soon, three incumbents’ regulatory bosses took on their counterpart at TekSavvy Solutions Inc. over the issue at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday. During the so-called “Regulatory Blockbuster” panel discussion, TekSavvy chief regulatory officer Bram Abramson found himself arguing the merits of stronger oversight over the prices companies like his have to pay for access to networks owned by the major telecoms. “You’ll...

Mobile emergency alerts to move into testing phase

telecom | 06/02/2015 6:15 pm EDT

A working group operating under a CRTC committee has developed specifications that will be used to deliver emergency alerts to Canadians’ mobile phones, the CRTC said in a press release Tuesday. “In the coming months,...

DHX expands licensing service to more countries

Media | 06/02/2015 1:56 pm EDT

DHX Media Ltd. announced Tuesday that its full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG), will expand business offices to the Middle East, Turkey and Greece. The company said in a press...

Wearable apps to multiply in coming years: IDC

Media | 06/02/2015 1:42 pm EDT

The number of third-party applications for smart wearable devices is expected to surge from 2,500 last year to 349,000 by 2019, International Data Corp. said Tuesday. The research company said in a news release that most of these...

Birch Hill invests in Sigma Systems

telecom | 06/01/2015 7:31 pm EDT

Sigma Systems announced Monday that it has received a major investment from Birch Hill Private Equity Partners Management Inc. Sigma, which provides subscriber-management software, said in a press release said the new...

Changes made to Google’s privacy controls

Media | 06/01/2015 4:23 pm EDT

Google Inc. announced Monday changes to its privacy and security settings. It said in a blog post the changes will include an easier way of managing user privacy controls, as well as the creation of a new website that answers questions about privacy and security settings.   In the past, account holders had to sift through several of the search...

BlackBerry reaches legal settlement with Typo

Media | 06/01/2015 1:52 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. said Monday in a press release it reached a settlement agreement in its disputes with Ryan Seacrest's Typo Products LLC. The release said that Typo will permanently discontinue the sale of its...

Netflix’ share of bandwidth usage grows, BitTorrent’s falls

Media | 05/29/2015 6:11 pm EDT

In North America, Netflix Inc. now accounts for 36.5 per cent of peak period, downloaded network traffic, a new report from network management provider Sandvine Inc. said, up from 34.9 per cent...

Google launches IoT platform

telecom | 05/29/2015 4:10 pm EDT

Google Inc. will launch a new Android-based platform that will allow companies to build connected devices, it said in a blog post Thursday. Google said the platform, called Project Brillo, will include a communications protocol,...

Non-smartphone, mobile device sales on rise: Gartner

Media | 05/29/2015 3:53 pm EDT

As demand to be connected to the Internet on non-smartphone mobile devices increases, so do the sales of such products, according to Gartner Inc. The company said in a press release Friday that more than 112 million cellular-embedded mobile PCs, tablets and mobile hotspot devices will be sold worldwide in 2015, up 5.6 per cent from last year. “Mobile access is not just about smartphones,” Tracy Tsai, Gartner research director, said in the release. “Consumers and business users alike want to connect multiple mobile devices to the Internet at an affordable cost or at an...

CRTC scolds Rogers, Shaw for Letterman simsub errors

telecom | 05/28/2015 8:28 pm EDT

The CRTC has sent letters to Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. regarding mistakes the companies made in the simultaneous substitution of the last episode of the Late Show With David Letterman, which aired...

CRTC to review wholesale-Internet tariff process

Media | 05/28/2015 5:10 pm EDT

The CRTC said Thursday that it will review the application process and methods for determining tariff rates for large cable and telephone providers selling wholesale high-speed Internet access. The CRTC said it will review the...

Tablet market to shrink this year: IDC

Media | 05/28/2015 3:04 pm EDT

International Data Corp. said Thursday that worldwide shipments of tablets and 2-in-1 devices will decline in 2015. It said in a press release that there will be an annual decline of 3.8 per cent from last year for 221.8 million...

Optimal Payment buys Montreal-based Fans

Media | 05/28/2015 2:15 pm EDT

Optimal Payments PLC, an Isle of Man-based company that provides transactional technology, said Thursday it has bought Montreal-based Fans Entertainment Inc., which created a consumer mobile app for fans attending Montreal...

Prepare for 5G, says Huawei Canada boss

Media | 05/28/2015 10:45 am EDT

The president of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s Canadian unit is calling for policy-makers, businesses and academics in Canada to come together and help prepare the country for the coming of 5G networking technology. At a breakfast event hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning, Sean Yang was to call for the creation of a public policy group, comprised of various public- and private-sector players, to prepare Canada for this next stage in the evolution of communications technology. He made a similar pitch in a phone interview with The Wire Report Wednesday. "5G is...

Shomi stand-alone proposal could be financially feasible: analyst

Media | 05/27/2015 9:38 pm EDT

At some point this summer, Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Shomi streaming service will be made available to customers of other TV and Internet service providers...

Eastlink offers improved home-automation service

telecom | 05/27/2015 8:01 pm EDT

Eastlink on Tuesday announced it is offering a new and improved security-and-automation service for homes. Among other things, the new service called Winston can detect when the home occupant is approaching the residence and...

Cogeco unveils new business-phone plans

telecom | 05/27/2015 4:43 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc. announced Wednesday a series of a new business phone plans for its fibre-services customers. The new service will provide customers with lower costs, better productivity and "scalability" to meet...

Canadian IP traffic to triple by 2019: Cisco

Media | 05/27/2015 3:02 pm EDT

Canada’s data usage over Internet protocol networks will triple by 2019 in comparison to what it was last year, according to Cisco Systems Inc.’s latest Visual Networking Index report that was released Wednesday....

Misgivings expressed over proposed TV-service code

Media | 05/26/2015 9:31 pm EDT

A number of Canadian broadcast distributors have taken issue with aspects of the CRTC’s proposed code governing the relationship between TV providers and their customers, including the requirement that distributors must...

Social network users spending more time online: MTM

Media | 05/26/2015 7:12 pm EDT

Anglophone Canadians who use social networks spend an average of about three hours more each week online than Internet users in general, according to a report released Wednesday. Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of...

CRTC reluctant to release certain info in Shoan case

Media | 05/26/2015 4:10 pm EDT

The CRTC is asking that certain information requested by commissioner Raj Shoan in a Federal Court case he has brought against the government not be released. A letter notes that Shoan, who was accused of workplace harassment...

Smartphone market growth to slow this year: IDC

telecom | 05/26/2015 4:00 pm EDT

International Data Corp. said Tuesday that global smartphone shipments will rise 11.3 per cent in 2015, down from growth of 27.6 per cent last year. That will result in about 1.45 billion smartphones shipped worldwide, IDC said...

Charter announces deal to buy Timer Warner Cable

Media | 05/26/2015 3:05 pm EDT

Charter Communications Inc. announced Tuesday it is acquiring Time Warner Cable Inc. for $78.7 billion US, including the assumption of debt. At the same time, Charter Communications said in a press release that it is buying a majoriy Bright House Networks LLC for $10.4 billion US. Charter CEO Tom Rutledge said in the release that the new union of the three companies will bring new and innovative ideas to create better products to benefit 23.9 million customers spanning 41 states across the United States. “With our larger reach, we will be able to accelerate the deployment of faster...

Bell launches Fibe TV app

Media | 05/26/2015 1:43 pm EDT

BCE Inc. on Tuesday announced the release of a new Fibe TV app, which it said will allow customers to access this TV service anywhere, at any time, on any screen.  The new app gives Fibe TV subscribers access to over 7,000 hours of on-demand programming and can be downloaded for free for Apple...

Videotron rolls out Apple watch app for TV customers

Media | 05/25/2015 8:19 pm EDT

MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has launched a new app for Apple Inc.’s smartwatch that the company hopes will increase discoverability of channels available though its cable packages and appeal to early...

Quebec, Ontario request more funding for CBC

Media | 05/25/2015 7:13 pm EDT

Quebec and Ontario are making the case to federal political parties for more financial support for CBC/Radio-Canada. The offices of Jean-Marc Fournier, Quebec’s minister of Canadian intergovernmental affairs, and Madeleine...

Fumbled response to iPhone sealed BlackBerry’s fate: book authors

telecom | 05/25/2015 5:15 pm EDT

The decline of BlackBerry Ltd. as a dominant player in the global smartphone market can be traced largely to its inadequate response to Apple Inc.'s iPhone, say authors of a new book on the subject. Losing the Signal: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of BlackBerry was written by Globe and Mail journalists Jacquie McNish...

Facebook launches Amber Alerts in Canada

Media | 05/25/2015 3:35 pm EDT

Facebook Inc. said Monday that its users in Canada will receive Amber Alert notifications to help find missing children. Amber Alert notifications will be sent to residents living in the area where the child is missing, Facebook said in press release. Notifications will include photos and details about the missing child, and users will be able to share this information.  The application was created in collaboration with police authorities in different provinces across Canada to help expedite the search faster, Facebook said. “The wireless industry applauds Facebook for leveraging...

Tap streaming services to fund Canadian productions: CMPA

Media | 05/22/2015 8:06 pm EDT

OTTAWA — Streaming video services like CraveTV and Shomi can and must be regulated as broadcasting entities in order to ensure funding for Canadian programming, the Canadian Media Production...

Is illegal downloading declining in Canada?

Media | 05/21/2015 9:17 pm EDT

Copyright-enforcement company CEG TEK International said recently that it’s seen a significant fall in the piracy of its clients’ content in Canada over the past few months, which it attributes to the inclusion of...

Fewer TV subscribers generating more revenue: CRTC

telecom | 05/21/2015 8:53 pm EDT

Television-service providers in Canada took in more revenue last year despite having a smaller subscriber base to draw from, according to new data from the CRTC, and one analyst says that’s due to pricing trends that could...

CRTC to test broadband Internet quality

telecom | 05/21/2015 7:10 pm EDT

The CRTC on Thursday said it is seeking volunteers to have their home broadband Internet connections evaluated for the purpose of gathering evidence to guide policy and show Canadians how close Internet service providers come to...

Kevin Crull to join Sprint

Media | 05/21/2015 2:43 pm EDT

Kevin Crull, former president of BCE Inc.'s Bell Media unit, will join Sprint Corp. as chief marketing officer at the end of this month, Sprint said Wednesday. The company said in a press release that Crull will report to Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure and his responsibilities will include customer...

Spotify adds video content

Media | 05/20/2015 7:16 pm EDT

Music streaming provider Spotify AB said Wednesday that it has added video to its offerings, along with several other features. "We know there are times in the day you want to switch between music to catch up on the latest news, listen to your favourite podcast or simply watch something...

Bell, MLSE chair buy CFL’s Argonauts

telecom | 05/20/2015 6:23 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said Wednesday it is teaming up with the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to buy the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Bell's partner in the deal is the Kilmer Group, owned by MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum. Bell spokesman Jason Laszlo said in an email that team ownership is split evenly between the two...

UpSnap’s mobile ad revenue up 66.5%

Media | 05/20/2015 3:39 pm EDT

UpSnap Inc., a Toronto-based provider of mobile-ad services, said Wednesday that it grew its revenue in the first quarter and reduced losses. It said in a press release that overall revenue was up 33.1 per cent from a year earlier to $1.4 million. Revenue specifically from mobile advertisements rose 66.5 per cent over that time to $1.2 million, it...

Government to exceed broadband connectivity goal

telecom | 05/20/2015 3:35 pm EDT

Industry Canada said Wednesday that it is set to surpass the goal the government set last year for connecting households in rural, remote and northern locations to broadband Internet. The department said in a press release that, following a first round of partnership approvals with Internet service providers, it's poised to bring Internet speeds of at least 5 Mbps to 356,000 more homes. It said most of the work will take place by 2017. This exceeds the target, set in the 2014 budget, to have 280,000 homes connected to broadband Internet at a cost of $305 million. That monetary amount was...

CGI teams incorporate usage-based insurance technology

Media | 05/20/2015 3:25 pm EDT

IT-services company CGI Group Inc. said Wednesday it has teamed up with Baseline Telematics to use real-time vehicle metrics to help insurance company set their rates. CGI said in a news release it...

Wireless code to apply to all consumer contracts June 3: court

telecom | 05/20/2015 12:48 am EDT

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a challenge by wireless providers regarding the date by which the CRTC’s wireless code will apply to all consumer cellphone contracts. On Tuesday, the...

Quebec radio acquisition approved

Media | 05/19/2015 5:35 pm EDT

The CRTC said Tuesday it has approved the sale of a Quebec radio-station operator with certain conditions. Attraction Radio Inc. is buying Gestion Appalaches Inc., which operates CKLD-FM and CFJO-FM, both in Thetford Mines, as...

No break for Rogers on wireless code’s application to business accounts

telecom | 05/15/2015 7:41 pm EDT

The CRTC is not giving Rogers Communications Inc. any leeway on the wireless code's applicability to accounts provided to employees of large companies in cases where the individual is responsible for a portion of the costs. The commission said in a decision Friday that it has denied an application from Rogers to review...

Google taking self-driving cars to public roads

Media | 05/15/2015 5:11 pm EDT

Google Inc. said Friday that the testing of its self-driving cars will move from its own track to public roads in its home base of Mountain View, Calif. Google said in a blog post that cars on the public roads will not be able to drive faster than 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Operators will be on board the vehicles to take over the controls if necessary. The company said it's looking to see how the self-driving cars perform when confronted with certain challenges, such as where they will park if its destination is not accessible due to congestion or construction....

CRTC consulting on 30-day notice ban for telecom services

telecom | 05/14/2015 8:15 pm EDT

The CRTC said Wednesday in a notice of consultation that it is looking for comments on its elimination of 30-day notice requirements for cancelling telecom services, which has been in effect since...

Montreal’s Mnubo raises $6 million

Media | 05/14/2015 7:06 pm EDT

Mnubo Inc., a Montreal-based developer of an Internet of Things (IoT) application, said Thursday it has raised $6 million in venture funding. The company said in a press release it would use the financing to improve its product and conduct further development, which will involve hiring more people in its home base of Montreal and internationally. The...

Will our next piece of ID be digital?

Media | 05/14/2015 5:23 pm EDT

Showing a piece of ID to prove who you are has remained, for the most part, one stubbornly analog interaction in our increasingly digital world. That’s now starting to change, in countries like Estonia and even some...

Rdio launches mid-tier subscription option

Media | 05/14/2015 2:27 pm EDT

Music streaming service Rdio Inc. said Thursday it is introducing a new mid-level service option in several markets, including Canada, for $3.99 a month. The company said in a press release that the new option, called Rdio...

Robert Dépatie resigns from Saint-Hubert

Media | 05/13/2015 8:17 pm EDT

Robert Dépatie, former CEO of Quebecor Inc., is resigning as CEO of restaurant operator St-Hubert Group, the company said Wednesday. Dépatie was named the next CEO of St-Hubert in December last year, and his role...

U.S. channel carried in Canada against its will

Media | 05/13/2015 8:17 pm EDT

A U.S. affiliate of ABC has been denied by the CRTC its request to be removed from the list of non-Canadian television channels approved for distribution in Canada. The commission turned down an application from Hubbard...

CRTC consulting on roaming caps it wants repealed

telecom | 05/12/2015 6:46 pm EDT

The CRTC has issued a notice of consultation on domestic wireless roaming caps, despite its recommendation to the federal government that they be scrapped. The regulator on Tuesday asked for “comments to assist it in...

CRTC opens online discussion on TV code

Media | 05/12/2015 4:33 pm EDT

The CRTC said in a press release Tuesday it has opened an online discussion forum on a code of conduct for TV providers it proposed in March. At the time, the CRTC said the code would help better inform Canadians and help resolve...

Quebecor adds spectrum, still non-committal on national expansion

telecom | 05/12/2015 2:43 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc. is still publicly sitting on the fence when it comes to expanding its wireless service throughout Canada despite bidding $187 million on 2500 MHz spectrum, including for licences outside Quebec, in an auction for which results were announced Tuesday. After Telus Corp., Quebecor was the second-biggest spender in the auction, acquiring 18 licences in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Industry Canada said the purchases increased Quebecor's spectrum holdings by 28 per...

Verizon buying AOL for $4.4B US

Media | 05/12/2015 2:26 pm EDT

Verizon Communications Inc. is buying AOL Inc. for an estimated $4.4 billion US, Verizon said in a press release Tuesday. AOL will become a subsidiary of Verizon once the deal is completed, it added. Verizon noted AOL’s...

Telus reports 5% decline in government info requests

telecom | 05/11/2015 8:49 pm EDT

Telus Corp., in its second annual transparency report, said the quantity of requests from government agencies for customer information fell 5.3 per cent to 97,938 in 2014. It said requests for customer names and addresses were...

Rogers, Corus seek dismissal of ‘terms of trade’ challenge

Media | 05/11/2015 8:09 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. and Corus Entertainment Inc. are asking the Federal Court of Appeal to dismiss the Canadian Media Production Association's (CMPA's) challenge of CRTC's directive to eliminate the "terms of trade" agreement between the group and large broadcasters. Eliminating terms of trade...

Chinese smartphone market shrank: IDC

telecom | 05/11/2015 6:10 pm EDT

The Chinese smartphone market shrank in this year's first quarter, technology research company International Data Corp. said Monday. IDC said in a press release that smartphone shipments in China were down four per cent from...

Amazon launches online wearables store

Media | 05/11/2015 4:10 pm EDT

Amazon.com Inc.'s Canadian unit on Monday announced the launch of an online shop for wearable technology. The company said in a press release that customers can now go to www.amazon.ca/wearabletechnology to shop for the latest and most innovative wearables, including activity trackers, smartwatches, wearable cameras, devices for children and pets, and other items. It said the site will feature product reviews, videos and detailed guides to help consumers better understand the products for sale. "Wearable technology has proven its significance and customers are increasingly coming...

MTS Allstream announces $100M contract with government

telecom | 05/11/2015 4:03 pm EDT

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s Allstream unit on Monday announced a multi-year contact with the federal government it said is likely to be worth more than $100 million. Allstream said in a...

Privacy commish to monitor children’s online privacy

Media | 05/11/2015 3:48 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said Monday it is participating in an international "sweep" of websites and mobile applications to help safeguard the privacy of children. The office said in a press release Monday that it will participate in an international initiative by the Global Privacy Enforcement...

Broadcasters, BDUs at odds over proposed wholesale code

Media | 05/08/2015 8:49 pm EDT

While many broadcasters and TV providers expressed support for the CRTC’s proposed changes to its wholesale code, which governs carriage agreements for TV channels, they took differing positions...

CRTC approves new IPTV service from VMedia

Media | 05/08/2015 8:39 pm EDT

The CRTC on Friday approved a new IPTV service from VMedia Inc., despite arguments from some interveners that the proposed service would be transmitted over the public Internet and should therefore not be licensed as a broadcast...

CRTC allows PIAC complaint to proceed against Shomi

Media | 05/08/2015 5:55 pm EDT

The CRTC will allow a complaint by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) against video-streaming service Shomi to proceed, despite requests from its owners that the matter be dropped. A letter from the CRTC to Shomi owner...

Telus announces $120M investment for Ont.’s biggest cities

telecom | 05/08/2015 3:01 pm EDT

Telus Corp. said Friday it will spend $101 million to bolster its technological infrastructure in the Toronto area this year, and $18 million in Ottawa. In two separate releases, Telus said both investments are part of plans to invest $2.1 billion in Ontario between now and the end of 2018. Investments will be used for...

Ciena announces new Ottawa campus

telecom | 05/08/2015 2:57 pm EDT

Ciena Corp. said Friday it is moving into a new campus in the west end of Ottawa on a property that was formerly used by BlackBerry Ltd. Ciena, which is headquartered in Hanover, Md., said in a press release that employees will...

One-fifth of Canadians considering cord-cutting: MTM

Media | 05/07/2015 6:24 pm EDT

In the past three years, five per cent of Canadians have gotten rid of their TV service, Media Technology Monitor (MTM) said in a new report. MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, reported that 16 per cent of Canadians currently do...

Quebecor revenue up, profit down

telecom | 05/07/2015 3:48 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc. reported revenue of $948.6 million in the first quarter of 2015, which it said was an almost six per cent increase from a year earlier. At the same time, its net income was down to $29.4 million from $39.1 million in the three months ended March 31. It said that decrease was due to an “increase in amortization,” an “unfavourable variance in the charge for restructuring of operations, impairment of assets and other special items” and an “unfavourable variance in losses and gains on valuation and translation of financial instruments,” offset by a “favourable variance in gains and losses on debt refinancing,” a decrease in financial expenses and an increase in adjusted operating income. Quebecor’s Videotron division saw an increase in its average revenue per user for all...