Canadians’ online phone, video calls doubled: StatsCan

Media | 10/28/2013 9:07 pm EDT

The number of Canadians who used online technology to make phone or video calls nearly doubled from 2010 to 2012, Statistics Canada said. StatsCan said in a release Monday that the number of Canadians who used services such as Microsoft Corp.-owned Skype or Apple Inc.’s FaceTime to make phone or video calls over the...

Xplornet secures $158m in private financing

telecom | 10/28/2013 9:05 pm EDT

Rural broadband provider Xplornet Communications Inc. said it secured $158 million in private financing. The company, which offers satellite broadband services, said in a release Monday that the transaction will consist of $10 million in refinanced debt and $148 million in new debt. “The financing proceeds will be used to support...

Catalyst motion adjourned at Mobilicity bankruptcy hearing

telecom | 10/25/2013 8:27 pm EDT

Catalyst Capital Group Inc. has shelved its effort to force Mobilicity to consider alternative debtor-in-possession financing proposals as the struggling new entrant carrier proceeds with its...

Kee leaves ESAC for Google

telecom | 10/25/2013 7:43 pm EDT

Jason Kee is leaving the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) to join Google Inc.’s public policy team. Kee, ESAC’s former director of policy and legal affairs, said in an interview Friday that he will join Google’s Ottawa office as the company’s new public policy and government relations counsel in Canada. “I’ll be supporting all of Google’s public policy and any...

Postmedia losses deepen as ad revenues fall

telecom | 10/24/2013 9:17 pm EDT

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. reported a loss of $35.8 million for its fourth quarter of 2013, down from a loss of $28.4 million in the same period a year earlier. The company said in a release Thursday, announcing its year-end and fourth-quarter results for the period ending Aug. 31, that its losses deepened primarily as a result of ad revenue declines. Postmedia’s revenues in the three-month period were $169.3 million, falling $20.8 million, or 10.9 per cent, from the same period a year earlier. For the 12-month period ending Aug. 31, revenue of $751.6 million was $80.3 million or 9.7 per cent lower than the previous year, as print advertising revenue dropped by $69.4 million or 13.5 per cent. Print circulation revenue for the year also fell by $13.3 million, or 6.3 per cent,...

Shaw profits fall on cable sub losses

Media | 10/24/2013 8:59 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.’s profits fell 12 per cent in the past 12 months as the company lost more cable subscribers in the fourth quarter. Shaw said in a release Thursday that it lost 29,522 cable subscribers in the three...

Rogers profits down on slower sub growth

Media | 10/24/2013 8:56 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reported slightly lower profits in the third quarter of 2013 as its wireless revenues and postpaid subscriber additions slowed, the company said. In a quarterly financial report released Thursday,...

Lyons leaving Mobilicity for another telecom job

telecom | 10/24/2013 8:44 pm EDT

Stewart Lyons is leaving new entrant wireless carrier Mobilicity to take another job in the Canadian “telecom space.” “It’s time for me to move on to other opportunities,” Lyons, who has served as...

Industry Canada approves Telus acquisition of Public Mobile’s spectrum

telecom | 10/23/2013 10:02 pm EDT

Telus Corp. reached a deal to purchase Public Mobile Inc., and received Industry Canada's permission to acquire the new entrant carrier's spectrum licences, the companies said. In a joint release Wednesday, the companies said the deal, which must still be approved by the federal Competition Bureau, would allow...

Government won’t support NDP’s privacy reform bill

telecom | 10/23/2013 9:29 pm EDT

An NDP private members’ bill that seeks to reform the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) has the support of the federal Liberals, though not the governing Conservatives. “We cannot support Bill C-475,” Conservative MP Mike Lake, the parliamentary secretary to Industry...

Applicants qualify for 700 MHz auction

telecom | 10/23/2013 9:20 pm EDT

Fourteen companies have been provisionally qualified to take part in Industry Canada’s auction of 700 MHz spectrum next year, the federal department said. In a notice posted on its website Tuesday, Industry Canada said all...

BBM downloads top 10m in 24 hours

telecom | 10/23/2013 9:18 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd., which launched BlackBerry Messenger apps for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems this week, said the apps were downloaded 10 million times in the first 24 hours. “We’ve already had more than...

Consumer groups ask CRTC to stop paper billing fees

telecom | 10/23/2013 9:13 pm EDT

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) have asked the CRTC to prevent telecom providers from charging consumers to receive paper bills, and to refund some customers who have...

Privacy commissioner to look at Bell’s tracking

Media | 10/23/2013 8:43 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said it will investigate BCE Inc.’s plans to track customers’ television viewing and Internet and mobile device usage habits. In an emailed statement, Valerie Lawton, a spokeswoman for Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, said the office “will be investigating this matter” following complaints it has received about a notice issued by Bell Canada. Bell's notice, available on its online privacy disclosure page Tuesday, said the company would start tracking subscribers’ habits on Nov. 16, including the websites...

Struggle for control sharpens between Mobilicity and Catalyst

telecom | 10/23/2013 5:13 pm EDT

Mobilicity’s management says Catalyst Capital Group Inc. is trying to leverage a $60-million lending agreement to take control of the floundering new entrant carrier. Catalyst says it’s...

Civil liberties group sues CSEC over surveillance

telecom | 10/22/2013 9:25 pm EDT

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) launched a lawsuit against government agency the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) on Tuesday over apparent surveillance of Canadians, the group said. BCCLA said in a release that the lawsuit, filed in the B.C. Supreme Court, claims CSEC’s “broad and unchecked...

Bell Aliant expands FibreOp in N.L.

telecom | 10/22/2013 9:23 pm EDT

Bell Aliant Inc. is expanding its FibreOp fibre-to-the-home network to Bay Roberts, Carbonear, Torbay, Portugal Cove-St. Philip's and Clarenville, N.L., the company said. Bell Aliant, which is controlled by BCE Inc. through a...

NWTel transfers wireless subs to Bell Mobility

telecom | 10/22/2013 9:06 pm EDT

Northwestel Inc. is transferring its wireless customers to Bell Mobility, the BCE Inc. northern subsidiary said. In a notice to customers Monday, Northwestel said it was completing the transfer to allow Bell Mobility—also a BCE subsidiary—to take over development of BCE’s northern wireless infrastructure, allowing Northwestel to focus...

BCE to track subscriber patterns

telecom | 10/22/2013 8:57 pm EDT

BCE Inc. will begin tracking its subscribers’ Internet and TV-viewing habits, as well as their mobile calling patterns and mobile application use, to help advertisers better target consumers, the company said. In a notice available on its online privacy disclosure page Tuesday, BCE said it will start tracking subscribers’ habits on Nov. 16 “to improve network performance and product offers through new business and marketing reports,” and to sell targeted ads. BCE said it will begin tracking the websites subscribers visit on their wireless phones and home Internet connections, web searches and mobile application usage, TV viewing habits, calling patterns, and other location-related information available on users’ cellphones. The company will also track information about use of BCE products, including the type of...

MPAA, in sending anti-piracy message, could go after isoHunt assets

telecom | 10/22/2013 8:20 pm EDT

Gary Fung and his company isoHunt Web Technologies Inc. are not likely to hand over $110 million US to a group of American movie studios. That’s the sum of the damages awarded to members of the...

Hearing begins on video relay services

telecom | 10/21/2013 9:38 pm EDT

The CRTC will be looking at costs, among other issues, during a hearing this week on whether video sign language services should be made available to telephone users who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired. “What...

CRTC proposes more benefits dollars to Canada Media Fund

telecom | 10/21/2013 9:27 pm EDT

The CRTC's proposed changes to its tangible benefits policy would provide the Canada Media Fund with financial stability and allow it to expand its programs, industry experts said. Under CRTC...

Who will step in to bid on a fourth prime block in Ontario, Alberta, or B.C.?

telecom | 10/18/2013 6:53 pm EDT

It’s been described as the most valuable wireless spectrum the federal government has ever auctioned off, yet few—if any—bidders are expected to try to acquire those airwaves in...

CRTC provides throttling complaints update

telecom | 10/18/2013 6:37 pm EDT

The CRTC received 53 complaints about Internet throttling in the past year, the commission said. In a report Friday, the CRTC said it received 17 complaints between July 1 and Sept. 30 about throttling, or Internet traffic management practices. That number was up from six complaints in the three months from April 1 to June 30. The CRTC tracks...

Lenovo interested in BlackBerry: WSJ

telecom | 10/18/2013 6:36 pm EDT

Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo Group Ltd. has signed a nondisclosure deal with BlackBerry Ltd. to examine its books in advance of a potential bid for part of the Canadian company, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. In a report that cited anonymous sources, WSJ said that Lenovo was likely to “pursue just parts” of BlackBerry due...

Tories agree to EU trade deal, ensure European access to telecom market

Media | 10/18/2013 12:14 pm EDT

OTTAWA—The Conservative government announced it reached an agreement in principle for a free trade deal with Europe, ensuring EU access to Canada’s telecom sector and eliminating EU tariffs on Canadian communications technologies. The government announced the agreement Friday morning, though it did not provide...

Unbundling to overhaul broadcast distribution system, insiders say

Media | 10/17/2013 10:07 pm EDT

The Conservative government’s promise to “unbundle” television channels and move toward a pick-and-pay model will involve a complex series of changes to the broadcasting system,...

Roam Mobility cuts U.S. roaming rates

telecom | 10/17/2013 8:52 pm EDT

Roam Mobility Inc. cut the price of its “Data Only” plans in half and raised the data allowance on its “Talk+Text+Data” plan for customers traveling to the U.S., the company said. The Vancouver-based telecom provider said in a release Thursday that it was raising the data allowance for its “Talk+Text+Data” plan from 100 MB to 300 MB per day. The plan, which costs $4 per day, also includes unlimited voice and data, the company said. In its release, Roam Mobility said it was also adding “a new 300 MB data plan” that will cost $8 per day, and that it has reduced the price of its 500 MB, 1 GB, and 2 GB plans by “as much as 50 percent.” The company added that it has also increased the data allowance of its multi-day plans,...

Oliver to leave ITAC

telecom | 10/17/2013 8:52 pm EDT

Linda Oliver is retiring from her role as vice-president of the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). Oliver, who has been with ITAC for 13 years and works out of the group’s Ottawa office, handled the organization’s government relations work. In a brief interview Thursday, Oliver said she will be replaced by Cindy Baker, who was named ITAC’s vice-president of government relations and...

IsoHunt to close following settlement with MPAA

telecom | 10/17/2013 8:42 pm EDT

Canadian torrent search engine isoHunt Inc. will shut down its worldwide operations following an out-of-court settlement with The Motion Picture Association of America Inc., the U.S. industry group said. In a release Thursday, the MPAA said it has reached a $110-million US settlement with isoHunt in relation to a copyright lawsuit against the site,...

Opinion: Let’s have a discussion, not rush to judgment, on pick-and-pay

Media | 10/17/2013 6:50 pm EDT

Consumers want more choice and flexibility in television. Unfortunately, before Canada’s television regulator has even had a chance to carefully consider the issue, there has been a rush to judgment. The detractors say it can’t be done, or shouldn’t be done, as though Canadians are wrong for thinking...

Tories pledge TV unbundling, more rural broadband, no paper billing fees

telecom | 10/16/2013 10:05 pm EDT

The Conservative government said it will reduce wireless roaming fees, enhance rural broadband accessibility and unbundle TV providers’ channel packages as part of a series of pledges to protect...

‘You can count on us,’ BlackBerry tells customers

telecom | 10/16/2013 9:43 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. published an open letter to customers in major newspapers around the globe on Tuesday, reassuring them of continued service as changes are ahead. “You can continue to count on BlackBerry,” said the letter, also posted on the company’s website. “These are no doubt challenging times for us and we don’t underestimate the situation or ignore the challenges we are facing. We are making the difficult changes necessary to strengthen BlackBerry." The Wire Report reported this month that many of the company's roughly 70 million subscribers around the world are high-profile enterprise clientele in the health, government and finance sectors, who will be watching the company’s efforts to recover following a second-quarter loss of $965...

Canadian mobile services faster than in U.S.: report

telecom | 10/16/2013 9:16 pm EDT

Mobile wireless services provided in urban areas by incumbents BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., and Telus Corp. are often faster than comparable services in the United States, PC Magazine reported Wednesday. “Urban Canadians can get online fast, often at speeds that would make south-of-the-border Americans green with envy,” the report...

Cellphone-only users are younger, lower-income: MTM

telecom | 10/16/2013 8:49 pm EDT

People who use cellphones and not home phones spend more time on the Internet and watch more online TV, Media Technology Monitor said in a new report. MTM, a joint research project between CBC/Radio-Canada and BBM Analytics, said...

Pick and pay will be pricey, watchdog group says

telecom | 10/16/2013 8:07 pm EDT

Consumers will “feel pain in the pocketbook” if the government continues with plans to unbundle cable TV packages, watchdog group the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting said. In a release Wednesday, Friends said cable...

Sawiris says he’s exiting Canadian market for good

telecom | 10/16/2013 8:03 pm EDT

Egyptian billionaire and former Wind Mobile financier Naguib Sawiris said he is “finished with Canada” following the federal government's decision to reject his firm's bid to acquire Allstream Inc., Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram said. “I am finished with Canada, I tell you,” Sawiris told...

Birch Hill withdraws from 700 MHz auction

telecom | 10/16/2013 2:31 pm EDT

Toronto-based private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc. withdrew its application to take part in Industry Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum auction, Industry Canada said. In an updated list of auction...

Bell lowers roaming rates to Caribbean

telecom | 10/15/2013 9:05 pm EDT

BCE Inc. cut the cost of its roaming packages for customers visiting Bermuda and “most Caribbean islands,” the company said. In a release Tuesday, BCE said its “30-day Travel Bundle,” which previously cost...

Small ISPs say their potential footprint is shrinking due to fibre upgrades

telecom | 10/15/2013 8:47 pm EDT

Small Internet service providers (ISPs) will find themselves blocked out of more markets as incumbent providers continue their fibre-to-the-home network upgrades, particularly if the CRTC does not...

Melka leaving Redline

telecom | 10/11/2013 8:04 pm EDT

Eric Melka, chief executive of Redline Communications Group Inc., plans to leave the company by February 2014, Redline said in a release Friday. Melka is currently on medical leave, Redline said. The company said Melka was appointed in 2009 to turn the company around as it was “struggling with outdated technology, decreasing sales and mounting losses.” "We engaged Eric at a crucial point in the...

Global wireless revenues to fall in 2018: Ovum

telecom | 10/11/2013 7:59 pm EDT

The global wireless industry will see overall revenues decline for the first time ever in 2018, said Ovum, a U.K.-based research firm. In a release Thursday, Ovum predicted global wireless connections will grow at a compound annual growth rate of less than four per cent through 2018, “while global revenues will grow at less than half that rate.” Total mobile connections, the firm said, will grow to 8.1 billion by 2018—up from 6.5 billion in 2012—while annual revenues from mobile services will rise from $968 billion US to $1.1 trillion US over that time. “However, global service revenues will contract in 2018 for the first time in the history of the mobile industry, declining from 2017 levels by 1 percent or US$7.8bn,” the release said. “As...

BlackBerry founders looking at buying the company back

telecom | 10/11/2013 2:30 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd.'s founders Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin are considering an offer to buy back the Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker, they said in a regulatory filing Thursday. The founders...

CRTC consulting on 911 services

telecom | 10/11/2013 2:23 pm EDT

The CRTC is consulting on the future of 911 services, the commission said in a notice Thursday. “[T]elephone networks in Canada are evolving to next-generation networks that will handle a variety of communication methods...

‘Pro-privacy’ coalition calls for stronger safeguards

Media | 10/11/2013 2:11 pm EDT

A new coalition of about 30 organizations is calling for stronger safeguards on privacy rights, said the group, whose members include advocacy group OpenMedia.ca and consumer group the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. The “Protect Our Privacy” coalition said in a release Thursday it is calling on the government...

Rogers will now carry BlackBerry Z30

telecom | 10/11/2013 2:05 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said it will offer the new BlackBerry Z30 to its customers a week after the company said it would not stock that model when it becomes available in Canada Oct. 15. “In response to customers'...

BCE may buy out Bell Aliant after 2015: analyst

telecom | 10/10/2013 9:06 pm EDT

BCE Inc. may try to acquire full ownership of Bell Aliant Inc. to boost its free cash flow and shareholder dividends, likely sometime after 2015, RBC analyst Drew McReynolds said. In a research note released Thursday, McReynolds said BCE, which currently owns a 44-per cent stake in Bell Aliant, could attempt to buy out the remaining 56 per cent in the company to support future growth opportunities following its recent acquisition of Astral Media Inc. Any such acquisition, he said, would give BCE access to Bell Aliant’s free cash flow, and would provide the fully merged company with...

Household strategy deepens with new services, share plans on top of bundles

Media | 10/10/2013 8:28 pm EDT

When Canada's wireless carriers put out new two-year mobile plans after the release of the CRTC's wireless code in June, many of the new rate plans emphasized the savings that could come through household or family sharing plans. Telus Corp.’s “Share Plus” plan, BCE Inc.’s “share...

Rogers outage caused by signalling traffic surge

telecom | 10/10/2013 8:26 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. will provide financial compensation to its wireless customers after an “unprecedented surge” in signalling traffic caused widespread outages Wednesday evening, the company said. In a series...

Bell Aliant expands FibreOp to northern Ontario towns

telecom | 10/09/2013 8:53 pm EDT

Bell Aliant Inc. is expanding its FibreOp fibre-to-the-home network to Temiskaming Shores and Cobalt, Ont., the company said. Bell Aliant, which is controlled by BCE Inc. with a 44 per cent stake, said in a release Wednesday that the $2.5-million expansion will allow it to offer fibre-to-the-home Internet and TV services in the communities under its...

Allstream no longer for sale as Accelero deal the first blocked for national security

telecom | 10/09/2013 8:51 pm EDT

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is removing the “for sale” sign from its Allstream division following the Conservative government's decision to block its sale...

Bell partners with NBA

Media | 10/09/2013 8:50 pm EDT

BCE Inc. entered a “multi-year strategic partnership” with the National Basketball Association (NBA), the company said. In a release Wednesday, Bell said the deal will allow its customers to watch “new weekly NBA content on their smartphones and tablets” throughout the...

Million-plus Canadian households don’t pay for TV: SRG

Media | 10/08/2013 9:29 pm EDT

In the second quarter of 2013, the number of Canadian households with no paid TV subscription “who rely solely on Internet for video entertainment” rose to 1.1 million, consulting firm...

Industry Canada blocks Accelero purchase of Allstream

telecom | 10/07/2013 11:37 pm EDT

Industry Canada denied Accelero Capital Holding’s proposed purchase of the Allstream business unit from Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., citing national security concerns. “The Government of Canada has concluded its review of Accelero Capital Holdings’ proposed acquisition of the Allstream division of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc....

Cogeco extends Internet service

telecom | 10/07/2013 9:30 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc. extended its high-speed Internet service to Chandler and Pabos, Que., the company said in a release Monday. Customers can choose between the “Express 5, Express 10, Turbo 14, Turbo 20, Ultimate 40 and...

Cisco, Google, SAP show interest in BlackBerry: report

telecom | 10/07/2013 9:29 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. is talks with Cisco Systems Inc., Google Inc. and SAP AG about its possible sale, Reuters reported Monday. The news service, citing anonymous sources, said BlackBerry was in talks "about selling them all or parts of itself.” The company has also asked for “preliminary expressions of interest from potential strategic buyers,” such as Intel Corp., LG Corp., and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Reuters said, adding it is not clear which, if any, of those companies will bid for BlackBerry.  The Wall Street Journal reported last week that New York-based...

With new roaming plans, customers still vulnerable to extra charges: PIAC

telecom | 10/07/2013 9:28 pm EDT

Some of the incumbents' new and cheaper roaming plans offer small data packages that smartphone users will quickly exceed, incurring extra charges, said John Lawford, executive director of the...

Domestic Internet exchanges no ‘panacea’ against foreign surveillance

telecom | 10/07/2013 7:40 pm EDT

More domestic Internet exchange points would help protect Canadian data from foreign surveillance agencies though it wouldn’t shield that data completely, said Byron Holland, president and CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). In an interview last month, Holland said CIRA has been pushing for...

Del Mastro does not speak for Tories: Moore

telecom | 10/04/2013 8:32 pm EDT

Industry Minister James Moore's office said former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro does not speak for the government following the MP's statement that Industry Canada has decided to, for the second time, deny...

Wind offers Mobilicity customers $300 credit to switch

telecom | 10/04/2013 8:26 pm EDT

Wind Mobile targeted Mobilicity’s wireless customers the same week that Mobilicity filed for and received bankruptcy protection in advance of a possible sale of the company. “We’ve...

CRTC can regulate roaming rates: Wind

telecom | 10/04/2013 8:20 pm EDT

BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. are “distorting” Industry Canada’s wireless roaming rules in an effort to encourage the CRTC not to regulate wireless carriers' roaming agreements and practices, said Ed Antecol, Wind Mobile’s vice-president of regulatory affairs and carrier relations. In regulatory documents filed with the commission this week, BCE and Telus said the CRTC lacks jurisdiction to regulate wireless carriers’ roaming agreements and retail prices. They said CRTC regulations on roaming rates would conflict with Industry Canada roaming rules. “Any...

Telus faces wireless battle in West as millions in East still unserviced

telecom | 10/04/2013 3:26 pm EDT

It shouldn't be surprising that Canada's incumbent wireless carriers are targeting Alberta. It has the fastest-growing population in the country, and more than 80 per cent of its residents...

New York firm eyeing BlackBerry

telecom | 10/03/2013 9:09 pm EDT

New York-based private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP is looking at BlackBerry Ltd. in a possible acquisition, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The New York firm plans to sign an agreement with BlackBerry...

Competition Bureau wants closer cooperation with CRTC

Media | 10/03/2013 9:05 pm EDT

Last month's deal for more cooperation between the Competition Bureau and the CRTC is “a first step, baby step,” Commissioner of Competition John Pecman said Thursday at a conference in Ottawa. “What really...

Albertans lead smartphone ownership nationally: poll

telecom | 10/03/2013 8:55 pm EDT

People in Alberta “lead the nation” in the ownership of smartphones, particularly Apple Inc. iPhones, Media Technology Monitor said. MTM, a joint research project between CBC/Radio-Canada and BBM Analytics, said in polling data released this week that two-thirds of people in Alberta have smartphones and that they are 18 per cent more likely...

Analysis: Harper wants to say no to Telus, and may have to say yes

telecom | 10/02/2013 9:49 pm EDT

At first blush, Telus Corp.'s second run at trying to acquire new entrant Mobilicity sounds very familiar, even comically so. The Harper government very clearly said no the first time. If you ask...

Mobilicity losing millions per month: documents

telecom | 10/02/2013 8:58 pm EDT

Mobilicity was more than half a billion dollars in debt when it filed for bankruptcy protection this week, and was losing nearly $4 million per month to continue operating, court documents show. “For the seven months ended...

CRTC doesn’t have authority to regulate roaming rates: Bell, Telus

telecom | 10/02/2013 6:54 pm EDT

The CRTC lacks the legal foundation or jurisdiction to regulate wireless carriers’ roaming agreements and retail prices, and any effort to do so would undermine Industry Canada’s current roaming rules, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. said. In regulatory documents filed with the commission on Friday, BCE said market...

Rogers investing $700m in Alberta

telecom | 10/01/2013 10:00 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said it will invest $700 million in branding, mobile services, and retail stores in Alberta over the next four years as it steps up competition with Telus Corp. Rogers said in a release Tuesday that, as part of the spending, it reached a multi-year sponsorship partnership with the Edmonton Oilers and its arena,...

Telus to upgrade push-to-talk service

telecom | 10/01/2013 9:57 pm EDT

Telus Corp. will start transitioning its “push-to-talk” mobile customers to its HPSA and LTE wireless networks this month, the company said. In a release Tuesday, Telus said its new push-to-talk, or “walkie-talkie” service, will be called Telus Link and will be available in mid-October. It said the service is “the natural evolution” of its current push-to-talk service, and will allow users to access mobile data on their push-to-talk phones using the company’s HSPA and LTE networks, as well as WiFi networks where available. Push-to-talk services...

NATO approves BB10 for use

telecom | 10/01/2013 9:55 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. said NATO approved its BB10 smartphones for “restricted” security level use. “The certification allows agencies in NATO countries in all 28 member states across North America and Europe to use BlackBerry 10 smartphones in the office or in the...

New entrant wireless pricing not sustainable: report

telecom | 10/01/2013 9:35 pm EDT

New entrant carriers Public Mobile Inc., Mobilicity and Wind Mobile are undercutting incumbents’ wireless plan prices “on voice packages by up to 58% & 40% respectively, and on combined voice/data packages by up to 63% & 57% respectively,” Convergence Consulting Group Ltd. said. The new entrants’ share of Canadian...

Small ISPs say cablecos ‘unduly discriminating’ against them

telecom | 10/01/2013 8:46 pm EDT

Canada’s small Internet service providers (ISPs) are asking the telecom regulator to impose extra costs on incumbent cablecos that offer wholesale Internet, said Ken Engelhart, senior vice-president of regulatory affairs at Rogers Communications Inc.  “They want to load a lot of extra costs onto us, but do...

Mobilicity, under bankruptcy protection, being reviewed for possible sale

telecom | 09/30/2013 11:06 pm EDT

Mobilicity has filed for and received bankruptcy protection in advance of a possible sale of the company, Mobilicity said.  In a release Monday evening, Mobilicity (operated by Dave Wireless...

Dorval joins Cogeco

telecom | 09/30/2013 9:36 pm EDT

Nathalie Dorval is the new vice president of regulatory affairs and copyright at Cogeco Cable Inc. The company said in a release Friday that the position is effective Sept. 30. Dorval’s most recent position was as vice-president of regulatory affairs at Astral Media, where she worked for 16 years, the release said. Dorval left Astral following its merger with Bell Media over the summer....

CWTA launches ‘blacklist’ for stolen mobile devices

telecom | 09/30/2013 9:35 pm EDT

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) launched a new program that will “blacklist” lost or stolen smartphones and other mobile devices to help reduce device theft, the industry organization said. In a release Monday, the CWTA said the program will identify lost or stolen devices that will...

No way BlackBerrys will ‘go dark’ as enterprise clients consider options

telecom | 09/30/2013 9:25 pm EDT

If BlackBerry Ltd.'s users haven't yet decided whether to give up on their devices, give it a year, or maybe more, for enterprise clients.  Many of the company's roughly 70 million subscribers around the world are high-profile enterprise clientele in the health, government and finance sectors, who will be...

Rogers offers LTE roaming to U.S.

telecom | 09/27/2013 7:27 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reached an agreement with U.S. carrier AT&T Inc. for Rogers customers visiting the U.S. to roam on AT&T’s LTE network. The company said in a release Friday that it was “the first...

BlackBerry confirms $965m second-quarter loss

telecom | 09/27/2013 6:15 pm EDT

BlackBerry Ltd. reported a second-quarter loss of $965 million US, or $1.84 US per share, including a $934-million US writedown on unsold phones and a restructuring charge of about $72 million. For its second quarter results for...

Motorola opening Waterloo office

telecom | 09/27/2013 1:47 pm EDT

Google Inc. subsidiary Motorola Mobility is opening an office in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. Derek Phillips, engineering director for Motorola Canada, said in an emailed statement that “Motorola is hiring in Waterloo, and we...

Pension funds in talks to finance BlackBerry: report

telecom | 09/26/2013 9:13 pm EDT

Canadian pension funds the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and the Alberta Investment Management Corp. held “preliminary discussions” with FairFax Financial Holdings Ltd. about financing its proposal for a...

Rogers to offer in-car Internet services

telecom | 09/26/2013 9:08 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. reached a deal with U.S. wireless provider Sprint to bring Internet-connected cars to Canada, the company said. In a release Thursday, Rogers said the deal will allow car manufacturers to deploy the Sprint Velocity in-car Internet service in Canada using Rogers’ wireless network. It said the service would allow users to...

57% of Canadians had access to four or more carriers in 2012: CRTC report

Media | 09/26/2013 8:54 pm EDT

Fifty-seven per cent of Canadians had access to four or more wireless carriers in 2012, while a 6.3 per cent increase in revenues to $20.37 billion for wireless providers was powered by higher use of...

Bell supports U.K.-style broadcast system, blocking U.S. networks

telecom | 09/26/2013 8:15 pm EDT

BCE Inc., Canada's largest broadcaster, would support the establishment of broadcasting rules similar to those of the United Kingdom, where American channels cannot be aired and broadcasters can license and air shows exclusively, the company said. "Canada is the only country in the world where American channels are freely carried by cable and satellite distributors, dramatically impacting the value of the exclusive programming rights Canadian broadcasters purchase. Allowing U.S....

Communitech joins Google tech hub network

telecom | 09/25/2013 8:44 pm EDT

Communitech Ltd. will gain greater access to Google Inc.’s technology, experts and financial support after joining the Google for Entrepreneurs Tech Hub Network, the Waterloo, Ont.-based tech hub said. In a release Wednesday, Communitech said that its inclusion in the network alongside six other tech hubs across North America will help to...

Federal Court of Appeal to hear wireless code challenge

telecom | 09/25/2013 8:36 pm EDT

The Federal Court of Appeal granted Canada’s incumbent mobile providers leave to appeal part of the CRTC’s wireless code. In a motion filed with the courts in July, incumbents BCE Inc.,...

CRTC, Competition Bureau sign cooperation agreement

Media | 09/25/2013 8:30 pm EDT

The CRTC and the federal Competition Bureau reached a deal to encourage more cooperation between the two organizations, the CRTC said. In a release Wednesday, the commission said the deal will mean the two regulatory bodies share...

Distributors, consumer groups, say no ‘systemic problem’ with news channels

telecom | 09/25/2013 8:27 pm EDT

Canada's broadcast distributors and some public interest groups are urging the CRTC not to go ahead with its news channel regulations, arguing there is no systemic problem that needs to be addressed. In final reply comments on the comission's proposed regulations to help startup news...

Huawei opens Regina office

telecom | 09/25/2013 8:27 pm EDT

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. opened an office in Regina to help support business with SaskTel, the company said in a release Tuesday. The global Chinese telecom company said the new office, whose official opening was Tuesday, will “serve as the sales and support hub for Huawei in the province of Saskatchewan, and will play a key role in supporting Huawei's relationship with SaskTel.” Last year, SaskTel said it was teaming up with Huawei to trial a fourth-generation LTE fixed wireless network in Saskatchewan....

Incumbents, Videotron, to build Montreal metro network

telecom | 09/25/2013 8:24 pm EDT

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and Quebecor Inc. subsidiary Videotron are teaming up to build a mobile network in Montreal’s underground metro system. According to a release...

Smaller players to seek spectrum for mobile, fixed wireless services

telecom | 09/25/2013 4:02 pm EDT

Rural Internet service provider Corridor Communications Inc. will attempt to make the jump into mobile wireless if it can secure wireless airwaves during Industry Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum...

Internet exchange point opens in Winnipeg

telecom | 09/24/2013 8:57 pm EDT

A new domestic Internet exchange point will open in Winnipeg on Wednesday, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) said. In a release Tuesday, CIRA said the non-profit Manitoba Internet Exchange (MBIX) will allow Winnipeg’s Internet users to exchange their online traffic directly, as opposed to sending their data signals to other...

SaskTel launches fixed wireless LTE

telecom | 09/24/2013 8:40 pm EDT

SaskTel is launching a new fixed wireless fourth-generation LTE service for its customers now receiving wireless broadband Internet (WBBI) service from towers in 12 communities where its high throughput satellite service is not...

CRTC’s role no longer ‘gatekeeper:’ Menzies

Media | 09/23/2013 9:06 pm EDT

Technology has changed “old assumptions" about the CRTC's role as "a gatekeeper,” Peter Menzies, the CRTC’s vice-chairman of telecommunications, said in a speech at a Canadian Cable Systems Alliance conference on Monday. “But now the Internet and all the devices that can reach it...

Rogers buying Pivot Data Centres, Granite Networks

telecom | 09/23/2013 9:00 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. is acquiring Pivot Data Centres for $155 million and Granite Networks for $6.25 million, the company said in a release Monday. The acquisitions “provide Rogers Business Solutions with unique...

Bidding begins for BlackBerry as FairFax makes $4.7b offer

telecom | 09/23/2013 8:18 pm EDT

Takeover bids for Waterloo, Ont.-based BlackBerry Ltd. officially began after Toronto investment firm Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. said it made an offer to acquire the Canadian smartphone maker for...

Women less connected to Internet than men: UN report

telecom | 09/23/2013 7:54 pm EDT

A “significant and pervasive” gap between the number of men and women who do not use the Internet will get worse without concentrated efforts by governments and regulators around the world, a new United Nations report said. In a report released Saturday, the UN Broadband Commission estimated there are about 200 million fewer female Internet...

Bitove, Birch Hill and Catalyst register for 700 MHz auction

telecom | 09/23/2013 1:58 pm EDT

Companies owned by Mobilicity executive chairman John Bitove, as well as two private equity firms, registered for Industry Canada’s auction of coveted 700 MHz wireless spectrum, along with most of Canada’s mobile providers and three smaller telecom companies, Industry Canada said. No foreign-owned companies registered. In a list of auction applicants posted on the department's website Monday, Industry Canada said 15 companies applied to bid during the January 2014 auction, including Feenix Wireless Inc., owned by Bitove, BH Wave Acquisition Corp., owned by Birch Hill Equity...