Mobilicity will not participate in 2500 MHz auction

telecom | 01/26/2015 4:37 pm EST

The latest report from the monitor appointed to oversee Mobilicity’s bankruptcy protection says the carrier will not participate in the upcoming 2500 MHz auction, although it is trying to raise funding to participate in the...

CRTC to issue Talk TV decision on local TV this week

telecom | 01/26/2015 4:03 pm EST

The CRTC will issue a decision about local television in its Let’s Talk TV process by Jan. 30, the regulator said in a weekly email Friday. Local TV was one of the key topics at the CRTC’s two-week hearing...

Shaw fights back in wholesale Internet pricing dispute

telecom | 01/23/2015 7:44 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. is fighting back against accusations from small ISPs that its new pricing proposal for third-party Internet access is exorbitant, saying in a recent filing with the CRTC that...

‘Moving parts’ making spectrum auction predictions difficult: analyst

telecom | 01/23/2015 7:12 pm EST

Analysts are divided on how two upcoming spectrum auctions will change Canada’s wireless industry as the deadline for registration looms at the end of January. The upcoming AWS-3 and 2500 MHz auctions are taking place against a backdrop of uncertainty as carriers await a decision from the CRTC on wholesale wireless...

Distributel gets word out on TV service

Media | 01/23/2015 5:18 pm EST

Distributel Communications Inc. announced on Thursday its new television service, which is available in markets throughout Ontario and Quebec. The independent Internet service provider had already began offering TV service last year, though it announced in a news release this week the "official launch" of Distributel TV. Distributel said its service includes more than 90 channels in its base packages, and its rates, which also include Internet service, range from $99.95 to $149.95 a month. IPTV service provider Zazeen Inc. is a partner in the distribution of Distributel TV, the...

BlackBerry boss takes aim at Netflix in neutrality battle

Media | 01/23/2015 3:38 pm EST

BlackBerry Ltd. CEO John Chen said the battle for net neutrality in the United States should not only focus on service providers' traffic management practices, but should also include companies,...

Jet purchase pits Rogers vs. Ont. gov’t in tax fight: report

telecom | 01/23/2015 3:32 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc. has filed a court challenge to recoup almost $3 million paid to the Ontario government in lieu of sales tax on a jet it bought in 2006, the Globe and Mail reported. In an article posted to its website Thursday night, the Globe said Rogers bought the jet, which can carry up to 19 passengers, for...

Shomi gets rights to original Amazon content

Media | 01/22/2015 8:50 pm EST

Canadian video streaming service Shomi said Thursday it has secured the Canadian rights to original content made for Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime streaming service in the U.S. Shomi, a joint venture of Rogers Communications Inc....

VMedia secures Blue Ant content for cloud-TV service

Media | 01/22/2015 8:14 pm EST

VMedia Inc. said it has secured its first specialty-TV channels for the cloud-based PVR service it makes available to IPTV customers. The company said in a news release Thursday that it has reached a deal to include Blue Ant...

TMN Go now available to Shaw customers

Media | 01/22/2015 7:35 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. said Thursday that TMN Go is now available to its cable customers in northern Ontario and satellite-TV customers throughout Eastern Canada, allowing them to watch The Movie Network, HBO Canada, Showtime...

Documents show Samsung interested in BlackBerry: report

Media | 01/22/2015 2:51 pm EST

Documents indicate Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is still interested in buying device maker BlackBerry Ltd. despite denials from both companies that a deal was in the works, the Financial Post...

Americans want wireless exceptions to net neutrality: survey

telecom | 01/21/2015 9:32 pm EST

Most Americans say mobile communications should be treated differently than wireline connections when it comes to enforcing net neutrality principles, according to recently released survey. A poll...

Millennials’ technology usage soars: MTM

Media | 01/21/2015 8:13 pm EST

Millennials, those between the ages of 18 and 34, are using newer technology such as the Internet and smartphones more and traditional media such as television and radio less than older generations, according to a report released Wednesday. The Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, broke millennials into two subgroups: generation Z,...

Telecom sector ‘resilient’ to economic problems: Ghose

Media | 01/21/2015 6:03 pm EST

The telecommunications services sector should weather the storm of economic uncertainty facing Canada right now, though some negative effects are likely, Canaccord Genuity telecom analyst Dvai Ghose. Following the Bank of Canada's interest rate cut Wednesday and its downward revision to its economic forecast for the year, Canaccord Genuity analyst Dvai Ghose said in a research note that most of the revenue generated by telephone and cable companies has "historically been quite resilient to economic pressures" because "these services are considered increasingly essential by consumers." He added that any unemployment that might arise from economic problems could...

Prepare for automated vehicles now: Conference Board

Media | 01/21/2015 5:18 pm EST

Automated vehicles are about to become the most disruptive near-term technology in the average person's life, the Conference Board of Canada said in report released Wednesday. The research group said the impact of driverless...

Music streaming in Canada ramps up

Media | 01/20/2015 10:56 pm EST

In the past six months, Canadians’ usage of streaming music services seems to have jumped, in a trend that’s not only good news for streaming services, but wireless companies as well. Nielsen Co. only began...

Facebook’s Canadian impact worth $5B US: study

Media | 01/20/2015 4:02 pm EST

The Canadian economy saw an economic benefit of about $5 billion US last year thanks to Facebook, according to a new study by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. commissioned by Facebook Inc. That's out of a global impact from Facebook of $227 billion US, which "enabled" 4.5 million jobs around the world, the study said. It said about 80 were...

Ex-Microsoft exec calls out wireless industry on radiation issues

telecom | 01/19/2015 9:36 pm EST

OTTAWA — The former president of Microsoft Corp.'s Canadian operations is calling on companies involved in wireless technology to be more forthcoming in addressing what he says are health...

T-Mobile ‘un-carrier’ approach unsustainable: owner

telecom | 01/19/2015 7:40 pm EST

Deutsche Telekom AG CEO Tim Hoettges said in an interview published by American technology website Re/Code on Monday that T-Mobile US Inc., of which it is part-owner, needs to change its approach in order to build a sustainable business. “The question is always the economics in the long term … and earning appropriate money,” Hoettges told the website. “You have to earn your money back at one point in time.” T-Mobile has been aggressively courting customers with roll-over data and low prices as part of its its “un-carrier” campaign, under which it previously ended long-term contracts and phone subsidies. The company, of which Deutsche Telekom owns about 70 per cent, has lost money in five out of the last six quarters, according to its most...

BlackBerry CEO to Industry Minister: no talks with Samsung on buyout

telecom | 01/19/2015 6:31 pm EST

BlackBerry Inc. CEO John Chen told Industry Minister James Moore on Thursday that reports of talks about a potential acquisition of his company by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. weren’t true,...

Wireless competition to intensify this year: analyst

telecom | 01/19/2015 6:16 pm EST

Competition in the wireless market will “likely intensify” in the next six months, Barclays analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday. He said a “double cohort” effect caused by three and...

Obama supports more government investment in broadband

telecom | 01/16/2015 4:26 pm EST

U.S. President Barack Obama this week called for measures that would facilitate more investment from various levels of government to improve broadband Internet performance. He made a speech Wednesday...

600 MHz consultation deadline extended

telecom | 01/16/2015 4:23 pm EST

Industry Canada is extending the deadline for comments on its consultation on repurposing the 600 MHz spectrum band from Jan. 26 to Feb. 26. The department said on its website Thursday that it made the decision “based on...

Bell provides more data in roaming plans

telecom | 01/16/2015 3:45 pm EST

BCE Inc. said Friday it is now providing up to double the data for international roaming plans. In a press release, it said an example of its new offerings include boosting the quantity of data for data passes for Group 1 areas...

Google Glass’ Explorer Program cancelled

Media | 01/15/2015 9:14 pm EST

Google Inc. said Thursday it will stop selling the Explorer Edition of its Google Glass wearable product after Jan. 19. The company said in a statement on the Google+ social network: "January 19 will be the last day to get the Glass Explorer Edition. In the meantime, we’re continuing to build for the future, and you’ll start to see...

Wind promotion seen as shot against Mobilicity

telecom | 01/15/2015 9:08 pm EST

Wind Mobile's offer of free wireless service to customers of Mobilicity, with unlimited data, text and calls for six months, could be an offensive move to help clear away competition for set-aside spectrum in the upcoming...

Sony to close Canadian stores

Media | 01/15/2015 8:07 pm EST

Electronics maker and retailer Sony Corp. is closing all of its Canadian stores. Robin Powell, a spokesman for Sony Canada, said in a phone interview that all 14 Sony outlets in Canada would shut down over the next six to eight...

Privacy commish looking into targeted advertising

telecom | 01/15/2015 7:02 pm EST

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner is launching a research project into online advertising that targets users based on their online behaviour. In a letter to the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada (IAB), privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said that despite “the launch of an industry-led self-regulatory program, informal observations of major web sites viewed by Canadians show that privacy compliance may still be an issue.” The research project will involve observing online advertising on popular Canadian websites, the letter said, and it aims to “measure and...

Non-consensual software installation outlawed

Media | 01/15/2015 4:40 pm EST

It became illegal Thursday to install software on another person's computer, smartphone or other device without their consent, the CRTC said. The commission said in a press release that the new rules are part of anti-spam...

Cogeco creating public WiFi hotspots from people’s homes

telecom | 01/14/2015 10:44 pm EST

Cogeco Cable Inc. has quietly rolled out home spotting, or the use of multi-signal routers in people's homes to provide both private WiFi signals to residents and separate public signals to...

BlackBerry denies acquisition talks with Samsung

telecom | 01/14/2015 9:13 pm EST

BlackBerry Ltd. has denied a report it has held talks with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. about an acquisition. “BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase...

Small ISPs raise fuss over new Shaw wholesale price proposal

telecom | 01/14/2015 9:01 pm EST

Small ISPs are speaking out against an “egregious” new pricing proposal from Shaw Communications Inc. for wholesale access to its Internet lines. The Calgary-based incumbent introduced...

Shaw’s consumer, media divisions pulling in less money

Media | 01/14/2015 8:27 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc.'s first-quarter financial figures showed its consumer network and media businesses bringing in less money than a year earlier, while there was some growth in its business-services operations. The company said in a press release Wednesday it had overall revenue of $1.39 billion in the three months ended Nov. 30, up two per cent from a year earlier. There would have been a fall in revenue had it not been for the contribution of $55 million from the company’s new business infrastructure division, created from the acquisition of ViaWest Inc., which closed on Sept. 2. Shaw said this division, which operates several data centres in the United States, is on track for annual revenue growth in the low-to-mid teens, percentage-wise. Net earnings for the quarter...

Videotron’s copyright notices contradictory: Geist

Media | 01/14/2015 7:53 pm EST

Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron has been sending out copyright-infringement notices to customers, as directed by federal government's new notice-and-notice copyright requirements, that falsely tell users that the rights holder that has alleged a breach cannot be identified, University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist...

Government to spend $100M on computer security: report

Media | 01/14/2015 4:20 pm EST

The federal government will spend about $100 million to bolster the security of its computers in order to safeguard against breaches like last year's hacking of the National Research Council,...

Sirius reports higher Q1 earnings

Media | 01/13/2015 3:05 pm EST

Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. on Monday reported higher profits, revenue and subscriber numbers for its first fiscal quarter ended Nov. 30. The provider of satellite radio service said in a press release that earnings for the...

Former CRTC commissioner Louis Sherman dies

telecom | 01/13/2015 1:23 am EST

Louis Sherman, who was a commissioner with the CRTC from 1985 to 1995, has died. CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais issued a statement on Monday saying Sherman died on Friday at the age of 88. Blais said on behalf of himself,...

Glentel shareholders approve Bell buyout

telecom | 01/13/2015 1:20 am EST

Wireless product retailer Glentel Inc. said Monday that its shareholders have approved a deal to be bought out by BCE Inc. Glentel said in a press release that shareholders voted 99.9 per cent in favour of being acquired by Bell...

ISPs prepping for increase in copyright infringement notices

Media | 01/12/2015 10:11 pm EST

After "significant" investments in time and money to prepare for the notice-and-notice regime that went into effect this month, independent Internet service providers Teksavvy Solutions Inc....

Enterprise to assume bigger role in technology adoption: Deloitte

Media | 01/12/2015 6:50 pm EST

After a decade of consumers being the trendsetters in the adoption of emerging technology, the enterprise sector will take on a bigger role in 2015 as leaders in the use of cutting-edge IT products,...

Rogers, RCMP at odds on surveillance fees: report

telecom | 01/12/2015 4:11 pm EST

The RCMP is fighting efforts by Rogers Communications Inc. to recover fees for the company's work helping law-enforcement officials track suspected criminals, the Canadian Press reported Monday. The wire service, citing...

NDP wants government to close notice-and-notice ‘loophole’

Media | 01/09/2015 8:53 pm EST

The federal NDP issued a statement Friday calling on the government to prohibit false claims in copyright infringement letters sent under the new notice-and-notice regime. “The Conservatives must take immediate steps to protect Internet users by closing a loophole that allows media companies to bully Canadians with threats of hefty fines that don’t actually exist under Canadian law,” the press release said. Under the regime, which came into effect this month, Internet service providers (ISPs) are legally required to notify customers about copyright infringement complaints...

Unlicensed spectrum eyed for easing wireless capacity crunch

telecom | 01/09/2015 7:06 pm EST

As data consumption by smartphone users increases exponentially every year, wireless technology companies are looking to harness the unlicensed spectrum normally used for WiFi connections to improve...

Live sports, the lynchpin of traditional TV, making inroads to OTT

Media | 01/08/2015 10:16 pm EST

As new over-the-top (OTT) services continue to be launched both in Canada and the United States, online alternatives for live sports have also been increasing. But in a world where live sports...

FCC boss leaning toward Obama’s position on net neutrality: reports

Media | 01/08/2015 9:21 pm EST

U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler could be hinting toward a net-neutrality policy along the lines of what President Barack Obama has suggested, categorizing broadband...

Redline gets $2.6M contract for Mideast network

telecom | 01/08/2015 4:50 pm EST

Redline Communications Group Inc., a Markham, Ont.-based provider of wireless network technology for the oil-and-gas industry, announced on Thursday a $2.6-million contract with an unnamed oil producer in the Middle East. Redline...

Most seniors not adopting smartphones: survey

Media | 01/08/2015 4:33 pm EST

While a majority of senior anglophone Canadians have cellphones, a minority have smartphones, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM). The report, released Wednesday, showed 63 per cent of anglophone Canadians 69 or older had cellphones, compared to 88 per cent of those younger than 69. It found that 18 per cent of seniors had smartphones, while 72 per cent of non-seniors have such technology. The report also said 20 per cent of seniors had tablets, compared to 46 per cent of non-seniors who had them. MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, said seniors watched 69 per cent...

Apple raising app prices in Canada: report

Media | 01/08/2015 4:20 pm EST

Apple Inc. is raising prices for applications sold through its App Store in Canada due to the declining value of the Canadian dollar, the Canadian Press reported Thursday. The CP article cites an email Apple sent to software...

Canipre to notify Canadians of copyright infringements

Media | 01/08/2015 4:16 pm EST

Copyright infringement monitoring company Canipre Inc. says it will be using new “notice-and-notice” measures in the Copyright Modernization Act to have those who pirate content online...

Mobile Internet time surpasses computer access: report

Media | 01/07/2015 8:48 pm EST

Canadians are now spending more time accessing the Internet from mobile devices than from computers, the Canadian Press reported Wednesday, based on the latest data from ComScore Inc. A CP article...

TiVo OTA product gets full release in U.S.

Media | 01/07/2015 7:33 pm EST

TiVo Inc. said Wednesday it is widening availability in the United States of a PVR for capturing over-the-air programing, a product it released on a limited basis in the fall. The TiVo Roamio OTA is meant for people who do not...

BlackBerry launches IOT platform, BBM for wearables

Media | 01/07/2015 6:16 pm EST

BlackBerry Inc. said Wednesday from the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas that it launched an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, and that it will make its BBM service available on smartwatches. The IoT platform, which the...

U.S. workers say landline phones more important than cellphones

Media | 01/07/2015 4:15 pm EST

Recently released results of a survey for the Pew Research Center showed U.S. workers ranked landline phones as more important for their jobs than cellphones but less important than email and the...

WhatsApp reports more than 700M users

Media | 01/07/2015 3:29 pm EST

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum said on a Facebook post Tuesday that the service now has more than 700 million active monthly users, up from 450 million when Facebook Inc. announced its intention to purchase the mobile-messaging-app company...

U.S. revenue for of ’emerging’ gadgets expected to double

Media | 01/06/2015 6:22 pm EST

Sales revenue in the United States of "new" and "emerging" consumer electronics is predicted to grow by 108 per cent, year-over-year, in 2015, the Consumer Electronics Association said Tuesday. The organization, which is responsible for the ongoing International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las...

Verizon CEO dismisses report about AOL purchase

Media | 01/06/2015 4:08 pm EST

Verizon Communications Inc.'s CEO on Tuesday denied it is interested in purchasing AOL Inc., despite a report suggesting it was exploring this option. Several news agencies reported Lowell McAdam denied such speculation during a presentation at the Citi Media Conference in Las Vegas. CNet reported that McAdam said a partnership with AOL is possible, but not an acquisition. "We will be more of a partner with media companies rather than doing an acquisition," he said, according to CNet. "AOL, along with lots of other media companies, are potential partners for us. But to say...

Glentel purchase could help Bell, Rogers avoid competition: analysts

telecom | 01/05/2015 9:53 pm EST

A deal announced Christmas Eve to split the ownership of wireless retailer Glentel Inc. between BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. will help the incumbent carriers stave off competition from a...

Dish launches online TV service in U.S.

Media | 01/05/2015 7:28 pm EST

Dish Network Corp. is launching an over-the-top (OTT) television service that will allow subscribers to access 12 specialty channels for $20 US a month. The U.S. satellite-TV service provider said in a press release Monday...

FCC expected to vote on net neutrality next month

Media | 01/05/2015 4:28 pm EST

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will vote on a net-neutrality proposal in February, the Washington Post and other news outlets reported late last week. The Post said FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler told other commissioners...

Q&A: Talking IoT with Telus

telecom | 12/19/2014 4:48 pm EST

The coming year is poised bring about new developments and changes in the worlds of technology and telecommunications. While a number these twists and turns will seemingly come out of nowhere, at least one predictable trend is...

AWS-3 auction set for March 3, consultation starts on 600 MHz

telecom | 12/18/2014 8:24 pm EST

Industry Canada on Thursday announced March 3 as the date for the beginning of the AWS-3 auction and proposed policy changes to make 600 MHz, AWS-4 and 3500 MHz spectrum available for mobile use in the near future. The government said in a press release it has launched consultations on the release of 600 MHz spectrum, is looking to allow mobile use on the 3500 MHz band currently used for fixed-wireless connections and is planning for the release of AWS-4 spectrum “so that a new competitor can offer more choice to Canadians, especially those in rural and remote areas.” At a...

CRTC, spectrum auctions among major wireless issues for 2015: analysts

telecom | 12/18/2014 6:01 pm EST

As the new year approaches, Canadian wireless carriers of all sizes await a CRTC decision on domestic roaming that could, in the words of one analyst, “disrupt” the industry with...

CRTC establishes structure, mandate for video relay service

telecom | 12/18/2014 5:00 pm EST

The CRTC said Thursday that it has decided how its video relay system, which will help hearing-impaired people make phone calls, will be administered. The administrator’s responsibilities will...

Moore to make announcement on wireless

telecom | 12/17/2014 9:46 pm EST

Industry Minister James Moore will announce “new measures to deliver more choice, lower prices and better service in Canada's wireless industry” on Thursday, according to a press release. Industry Canada said in...

Rogers applies to block Bell purchase of Glentel

telecom | 12/17/2014 8:53 pm EST

Rogers Communications Inc. has filed an application before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to block the purchase of mobile products retailer Glentel Inc. by BCE Inc. Rogers filed the application Wednesday on the grounds...

Bill expanding CRTC powers becomes law

telecom | 12/17/2014 7:19 pm EST

The government’s budget bill, which gives the CRTC the ability to impose fines and allows the regulator to exert control over companies that operate telecom services but do not own network infrastructure, received royal...

T-Mobile to allow customers to roll over data

telecom | 12/17/2014 6:19 pm EST

U.S. wireless carrier T-Mobile US Inc. announced on Tuesday that it would allow customers to store unused data as part of their monthly plans in a "Data Stash" to be available to them any time for up to a year. The...

Apple ordered to provide records to Competition Bureau

telecom | 12/17/2014 5:20 pm EST

OTTAWA — Apple Inc.'s Canadian subsidiary has been ordered by the Federal Court to hand over records and other relevant information to help the Competition Bureau determine whether the...

CRTC decisions, new streaming services top TV agenda for 2015

Media | 12/17/2014 12:50 pm EST

It seems all eyes are on the two newest services in the Canadian TV industry. This fall, the country’s biggest telecom and media companies launched streaming services meant to compete with...

Shaw launching faster Internet packages

telecom | 12/16/2014 9:18 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. will be revamping its Internet packages early next month with faster speeds, a spokesman said Tuesday. "We are announcing new Internet packages for new customers in the new year," Shaw spokesman Chethan Lakshman said in a phone interview. "They don't affect existing packages or existing customers." For example, Lakshman said a package called Internet 15 would replace a service known as High Speed 10. He said the numbers reflect the download speeds in Mbps. Other changes, he said, include a 25 Mbps package being increased to 30 Mbps, a 50 Mbps...

EDC provides $850M US in financing to Vodafone

Media | 12/16/2014 8:40 pm EST

Export Development Canada (EDC), a federal Crown corporation that loans money to foreign companies doing business with Canadian companies, said Tuesday it has loaned $850 million US to British-based telecommunications service...

Wind won’t go ‘national,’ says new CEO

telecom | 12/16/2014 8:30 pm EST

Wind Mobile's new chief executive says the carrier will become a "stronger fourth carrier" in the provinces where it already operates, but is unlikely to become a "national" wireless competitor to BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. "I don't think we'll be a national...

China widens lead in global patent filings

Media | 12/16/2014 4:38 pm EST

Global patent filings were up nine per cent in 2013 from the previous year, while double-digit growth in first-place China widened its lead in patent filings from the United States and other countries, according to the World...

Telus buys Quebec pharmacy-management company

telecom | 12/16/2014 3:22 pm EST

Telus Corp. announced Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of XD3 Solutions, a Quebec-based provider of pharmacy-management software. Telus said in a press release that the addition of the 150 pharmacies served by XD3 brings...

Wearables, OTT, IoT to rise in 2015: IDC

Media | 12/15/2014 8:45 pm EST

Greater consumer interest in wearable technology, growth in over-the-top (OTT) television subscriptions and greater prominence of the Internet of Things (IoT) are among the top trends in technology expected for next year in Canada, International Data Corp. said Monday. The technology research company said in a press release the availability of Apple Inc.'s Apple Watch will "invigorate consumer interest in wearables" next year, helping to spur unit sales of 1.2 million in such technology, representing growth of 70 per cent from 2014. IDC also predicted that legitimate...

Pirate Bay torrent tracker resurrected by website

Media | 12/15/2014 6:15 pm EST

The website Isohunt.to has uploaded a copy of the Pirate Bay, the torrent-sharing website taken offline last week after a raid by Swedish police investigating illegal file-sharing. “We, the Isohunt.to team, copied the...

Wi-Lan buys patents for device chargers

telecom | 12/15/2014 5:35 pm EST

Wi-Lan Inc., an Ottawa-based licenser of technology patents, said Monday it has acquired a portfolio of patents related to power inversion, which is a technology used for chargers of cellphones, tablets and laptops. The company...

FCC raises rural Internet speed requirements

telecom | 12/15/2014 5:28 pm EST

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) said Thursday that companies would need to provide rural Internet download speeds of at least 10 Mbps in order to qualify for support from its Connect America Fund. It said in a press...

Global smartphone sales up 20% in Q3: Gartner

telecom | 12/15/2014 5:15 pm EST

Global smartphone sales to end users were up 20.3 per cent worldwide in this year's third quarter compared to a year earlier, technology research company Gartner Inc. said Monday. The company said in a press release that...

Telecoms said intercept capabilities would be standard: Geist

telecom | 12/12/2014 8:23 pm EST

Canadian telecom service providers told the government that surveillance capabilities would soon become a normal feature of their networks, according to an Ottawa academic. Quoting documents obtained...

ISPs aspiring to launch TV services face uncertainty

Media | 12/12/2014 6:36 pm EST

Small Internet service providers looking to provide TV service should hold off on investment because of the uncertain future of the broadcast television market, according to 3Macs analyst Troy Crandall. At the recent CRTC...

Competition Bureau asks Apple to turn over records on iPhone contracts

telecom | 12/11/2014 10:45 pm EST

The Competition Bureau filed an application on Tuesday in federal court to compel Apple Inc. to turn over records related to an investigation into whether the company used anti-competitive language in...

Extent of TV piracy unclear, might be rising among youth

Media | 12/11/2014 7:37 pm EST

On Wednesday, the Australian government said it would allow the blocking of foreign websites that offer illegal downloading and streaming, the same day that the file-sharing website Pirate Bay was...

OpenMedia seeking more transparency in TPP talks

Media | 12/11/2014 4:13 pm EST

OpenMedia, the Canadian-based promoter of open Internet policies, said Thursday one of its representatives will meet with negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and make demands for more transparency during the TPP talks currently taking place in Washington, D.C. The organization said the public is not being informed of the proposals in the trade agreement, which Canada is negotiating to be part of, nor is the public having its interests properly represented. "With so much at stake, citizens shouldn’t have to rely on leaked documents to find out what’s going on...

Top court upholds evidence in warrantless cellphone search

Media | 12/11/2014 4:04 pm EST

The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday upheld the conviction of a man for armed robbery in a case where evidence gathered from his cellphone without a warrant was used in the trial against him....

Cogeco promotes two executives at U.S. subsidiary

telecom | 12/10/2014 5:30 pm EST

Cogeco Cable Inc. said Wednesday that Richard Shea and David Isenberg will share the title of president at its U.S. subsidiary Atlantic Broadband, as of Jan. 1. Shea will also be given the title of CEO on that date, and Isenberg...

Counterfeit, online crime bills get royal assent

Media | 12/10/2014 5:22 pm EST

Bill C-8, officially known as the Combating Counterfeit Products Act, and Bill C-13, the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, both received royal assent on Tuesday. Bill C-13 has been criticized by many, including Privacy...

Apple, IBM launch business application suite

Media | 12/10/2014 5:19 pm EST

Apple Inc. and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. on Wednesday announced a new suite of business applications and cloud services for iPad and iPhone users. The companies said in a press release that IBM MobileFirst...

Privacy commish backs stricter privacy safeguards for apps

Media | 12/10/2014 5:13 pm EST

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien has joined 22 other privacy authorities from Canadian provinces and international jurisdictions calling on mobile-app marketplaces to require easily accessible privacy policies from developers of apps that collect personal information from users. Therrien is among those who signed a letter addressed to operators of application stores, including Google Inc., Apple Inc. and BlackBerry Ltd., that said "an app marketplace operator should, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, make the basic commitment to require each app that can...

Telus launches IoT marketplace

Media | 12/10/2014 5:07 pm EST

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it has launched Canada's "first Internet of Things marketplace" with an online offering of 38 different applications, and more to come, for business operations ranging from transportation...

App business thriving within Canada’s wireless industry: CWTA report

telecom | 12/09/2014 8:50 pm EST

A recent study on the wireless industry's effects on the Canadian economy in 2013 showed a shift favouring businesses involved in applications and content, and against those involved in devices and other hardware. The study was done for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) by research company...

Sports, news push mobile-video viewing in Q3: Ooyala

Media | 12/09/2014 8:17 pm EST

Sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup and the Wimbledon tennis championship helped push mobile video in the third quarter of 2014, with mobile and tablets views making up 30 per cent of all worldwide online video, according...

Industry Canada poised to lower satellite spectrum fees

telecom | 12/09/2014 3:39 pm EST

Industry Canada is seeking comment on a proposal to lower fees for the use of spectrum used for satellite communications by nearly two thirds. Under the new rules, posted to Industry Canada’s...

Voltage says Teksavvy overcharging for filesharing compliance

Media | 12/08/2014 11:09 pm EST

OTTAWA — Lawyers for Hollywood production company Voltage Pictures LLC told a Federal Court judge in Ottawa on Monday that Teksavvy Solutions Inc. is using a previous judgment to “claw...

Government could ease up on spectrum transfers: Ghose

telecom | 12/08/2014 8:28 pm EST

A Federal Court judge has affirmed the government's authority to block transfers of wireless spectrum whenever it sees fit, though at least one telecom analyst says the government's reluctance to let incumbents accumulate...

BlackBerry to launch cancer genome app for doctors

telecom | 12/08/2014 8:03 pm EST

BlackBerry Inc.’s new Passport phone will support an application that allows doctors to access their patients’ genetic data. The company said in a press release Monday that the NantOmics Cancer Genome Browser “enables deep, interactive reporting on genomics data for physicians and other treatment providers in clinical settings —...

Bell upgrades wireless service in North

telecom | 12/08/2014 7:02 pm EST

BCE Inc. said Monday it has launched 4G satellite wireless service in four Northwest Territories communities. The company said the upgrade in Gameti, Nahanni Butte, Paulatuk and Ulukhaktok was part of Northwestel...

CRTC approves NorthernTel refund

telecom | 12/05/2014 7:36 pm EST

NorthernTel customers will be paying less for their services and some will get refunds after the CRTC approved rate decreases by the BCE Inc.-owned telephone company on Friday. The company said it had failed to file for a rate reduction in June 2013 following the end of a five-year period in which it recovered local competitor start-up costs. In December 2013 NorthernTel filed a proposal to credit and refund customers for the inadvertent charges, which the CRTC approved on Friday....