Phone companies line up against Bell Aliant’s proposed ‘huge rate increases’

telecom | 11/04/2010 10:04 pm EDT

GATINEAU—A proposal from Bell Aliant to uniformly raise price caps for phone services in Canada’s rural and remote areas to $36 per month is drawing criticism from competitors who say the price increase wouldn’t be fair to consumers. “Today, most high-cost service area...

Satellite broadband reliability, affordability challenged at CRTC hearing

telecom | 11/04/2010 12:19 am EDT

GATINEAU—The reliability and affordability of satellite broadband came into question at a CRTC hearing Wednesday as telcos argued the technology is one of the only means to reach the country’s most remote locations. “This week and last week, we heard from all sorts of people … that [satellite]...

CRTC calls for administrative monetary penalties at House committee

Media | 11/03/2010 6:16 pm EDT

OTTAWA—CRTC officials appeared before the House Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Tuesday where they called for the power to impose administrative monetary penalties across all of its regulated sectors. “This would allow the commission to adopt a less restrictive approach to regulation and ensure a level...

Rural, remote competition would kill small phone companies within three years, says ACTQ

telecom | 11/02/2010 9:00 pm EDT

GATINEAU—Allowing local competition in rural and remote areas would wipe out the profitability of small incumbent phone companies within three years, the Association des Compagnies de Téléphone du Québec (ACTQ), an association of Quebec phone companies, told the CRTC...

Top R&D telcos invest in LTE, IPTV and e-health

telecom | 11/02/2010 8:49 pm EDT

BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. have been listed as two of Canada’s largest research and development spenders for the 2009 fiscal year, just behind Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) and Nortel Networks Corp. The telcos are focusing their research on next generation wireless technology, Internet protocol television (IPTV) and e-health initiatives. Last week, consulting firm Research Infosource released a list of Canada’s top 100 corporate R&D spenders in 2009. Although BCE ranked third, spending $806 million, the list shows that the $806-million figure is an 18 per cent drop from 2008 spending, when the company put $983 million toward R&D. Telus ranked just behind Bell in the fourth spot, with $653 million in R&D—a 211 per cent increase from 2008, when the...

CRTC chairman calls for new speed target for universal broadband

telecom | 11/01/2010 10:17 pm EDT

GATINEAU—Canada will “fall behind” if it doesn’t set a target for broadband speed, access and affordability, CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein said Monday at the commission’s basic services hearing. “Other nations are setting much loftier goals of 4 Mbps, 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps … I...

CRTC’s usage-based billing decision fails to address peak-hour congestion: Distributel

telecom | 11/01/2010 9:38 pm EDT

The CRTC’s usage-based billing decision fails to address the real problem with bandwidth usage—which is a lack of capacity during peak hours, says Melvin Cohen, president of Distributel Communications Ltd., a third party Internet service provider (ISP). The rules implemented in the...

CRTC approves Bell’s use of deferral account for HSPA+

telecom | 10/29/2010 9:05 pm EDT

The CRTC approved Friday an application by Bell Canada to review a previous commission decision that said the companies cannot use deferral account funds to deploy HSPA+ wireless broadband services in 112 communities in Quebec and Ontario. “The most important and significant thing from...

Local competition shouldn’t be viewed on case-by-case basis, says von Finckenstein

telecom | 10/28/2010 10:25 pm EDT

Opening up rural and remote communities to local competition on a case-by-case basis would lead to “special deals,” CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein said Thursday at the basic services hearing.  “Categorically and emphatically, I don’t like case-by-case. I want...

MTS Allstream puts $7-billion price tag on universal broadband

telecom | 10/27/2010 9:56 pm EDT

Achieving complete national broadband coverage would cost the country $7 billion over 10 years, MTS Allstream told the CRTC Wednesday, adding that costs would most likely be passed onto urban and rural consumers. Wednesday marked day two of a two-week CRTC hearing reviewing access to basic telecommunications services....

Bell Canada says CRTC vertical integration hearing ‘completely unnecessary’

telecom | 10/27/2010 3:14 pm EDT

The CRTC’s upcoming hearing on vertical integration in the broadcasting industry is “completely unnecessary,” Bell Canada's senior vice-president of regulatory and government affairs, Mirko Bibic, told The Wire Report in an interview Tuesday. The commission announced Friday a...

Local subsidy regime should be scaled back, says Bell Aliant

telecom | 10/26/2010 10:00 pm EDT

The CRTC’s local subsidy regime to ensure that rural and remote areas have access to affordable basic services is “broken,” Bell Aliant told the commission Tuesday.  “To be blunt, that regulatory mechanism is broken—resulting in large transfers of funds from Bell Aliant to others,”...

Predicting the fate of Bill C-32 is like predicting the next election, says Geist

Media | 10/26/2010 2:16 pm EDT

Michael Geist isn’t shy about engaging in a “copyfight.” The very title of his new book alludes to his last public fight—waged on Twitter, blogs, and in the news media—with Heritage Minister James Moore. Last June, Moore made comments about “radical extremists” in the copyright...

Critics question Berkeley broadband report funded by incumbents

telecom | 10/25/2010 10:05 pm EDT

Critics are questioning the timing of a new report from the Berkeley Research Group about Canada’s broadband performance commissioned by Bell Canada and Telus Corp. The report, dated Oct. 11, is called “Canada’s Broadband Performance: Relevant Considerations for a ‘Digital Economy’ Strategy,” and was written by Leonard Waverman, dean of the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary and Kalyan Dasgupta, principal with the Berkeley Research Group. The report argues that Canada’s broadband speeds and pricing are competitive compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and that the focus on network infrastructure is distracting from more pressing issues like technology adoption. ...

Speed, transparency to be top issues in new vertical integration proceeding

Media | 10/25/2010 9:47 pm EDT

The CRTC’s capacity to quickly and transparently deal with broadcasting disputes will be at the forefront in a new proceeding to review the commission’s powers to regulate vertically integrated companies, industry observers tell The Wire Report. “It’s not helpful if you have to fight over access to...

CRTC approves Shaw-Canwest transaction, launches review of vertical integration

Media | 10/22/2010 10:13 pm EDT

The CRTC approved on Friday Shaw Communications Inc.'s acquisition of the broadcasting assets of Canwest Global Communications Corp.—but at the same time announced a new proceeding to study vertical integration in the Canadian communications industry.  “As a regulator, it is only prudent...

Subsidy regime for rural broadband to be ‘provocative’ issue at basic services hearing

telecom | 10/22/2010 8:47 pm EDT

The stakes will be high at CRTC hearings on basic telecom services that start Tuesday, where one of the top questions will be whether the commission should mandate Internet access and extend its telecom subsidy regime to cover broadband connectivity in rural and remote areas. “The one...

New Quebec TV distributor Colba.Net plans pricing attack

Media | 10/22/2010 8:15 pm EDT

Calling itself ‘the Wal-Mart’ of communications services, Colba.Net Telecom Inc. plans to battle Videotron Ltd. and Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. on pricing with its new IPTV service in Montreal.  On Oct. 13, the CRTC approved Colba.Net’s application to operate a Class 1 wireline television...

Incumbents financially prepped for 700, 2500 MHz spectrum auction, say analysts

telecom | 10/21/2010 9:44 pm EDT

Ottawa—Canada’s telecom incumbents are financially ready for the upcoming 700 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions but new entrants will have trouble raising the necessary capital if the government doesn’t take appropriate regulatory measures, industry analysts tell The Wire Report. Last week Industry Minister Tony Clement told reporters he was in the process of meeting with industry players to determine their ability to raise funds for the auction. He said the auctions will be held once potential bidders have raised the necessary capital and the government’s policy on the foreign ownership limits has been clarified. But analysts say the outcome of the auctions is...

Satellite distribution policy more important in face of vertical integration, says CBC’s Lacroix

Media | 10/20/2010 10:13 pm EDT

OTTAWA—Regulators must ensure Canadians can access all of the CBC’s services on satellite now that it is poised to be the only major broadcaster not controlled by a broadcasting distributor, CBC president and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix said Wednesday.  “It is clear to me that the...

EastLink raises red flag on telecom contracts in Nova Scotia, P.E.I.

telecom | 10/19/2010 9:48 pm EDT

Communications service provider EastLink is taking aim at untendered contracts that competitor Bell Aliant has inked with Atlantic provinces. Earlier this year, Bell Aliant announced it would spend $15 million to roll out its fibre-to-the-home high-speed Internet service, FibreOP, to more than 30,000 homes and businesses...

Incumbents vie for larger piece of 2500 MHz spectrum

telecom | 10/15/2010 9:52 pm EDT

Canada’s incumbent telecom providers are arguing over how much spectrum on the 2500 MHz band Bell Canada and Rogers Communications Inc. should retain before the rest is put up for auction, according to documents filed with the Industry Canada. “What you see is there’s a war going on where [Bell and Rogers] are trying to pull the...

Wind Mobile files CRTC complaint on Rogers’ advertising, roaming hand offs

telecom | 10/15/2010 9:47 pm EDT

Wind Mobile has filed a complaint with the CRTC accusing Rogers Communications Inc. of refusing to offer Wind “seamless roaming” services while advertising that Rogers’ discount Chatr brand is offering “fewer dropped calls than new wireless carriers.” The complaint, dated Oct. 12, is filed...

New Barrett 4G network could make rural broadband faster than urban

telecom | 10/15/2010 9:12 pm EDT

Barrett Xplore Inc.’s upcoming 4G and satellite network may mark the first time rural Canadians will have access to higher broadband speeds than many of their urban counterparts. On Oct. 7, Barrett announced it will launch a next-generation 4G network by the end of the year, a first of its kind in Canada. The...

Canadian official defeated in ITU election

telecom | 10/13/2010 9:18 pm EDT

Canada has lost its election bid to become director of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Radiocommunication Bureau. The Wire Report reported in January that Veena Rawat, president of the Communications Research Centre (CRC) at Industry Canada, had put forward her candidacy as radiocommunication director at the ITU. The...

Class action suits to test new Quebec contract termination law

telecom | 10/12/2010 9:20 pm EDT

A Quebec law firm has filed two class action suits against Bell Canada and Telus Mobility over the companies’ contract termination policies, potentially creating the first legal test of a new provincial law surrounding telephone contracts. On Sept. 30, Montreal law firm BGA Avocats filed requests with the Quebec...

Provinces plan launch of new emergency communication networks

telecom | 10/12/2010 8:58 pm EDT

Saskatchewan is one of the first provinces in Canada to switch to a new emergency communication network to facilitate inter-agency communication.  About 80 per cent of the fire, ambulance and police organizations that formerly used SaskTel’s FleetNet radio network for emergency communications are in the process...

Telecom players lobbying on spectrum issues

telecom | 10/08/2010 8:40 pm EDT

The government needs to move forward with plans to change its spectrum management policies, industry players say. “I’m talking about things like the structure and timing for the 700 MHz auction, which the U.S. did in 2008 … and a broader long-term spectrum release plan and policy framework, which has been in the works for years,” Jim Patrick, vice-president of government affairs at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), said in an interview. Other issues, like consultations on how to establish spectrum licence fees, also need to get going, he said. Through September and early October, Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Telus Corp., Barrett Xplore Inc. and Quebecor Media Inc. updated their federal lobbying registrations. The...

ITU urges Canada to ‘play a more proactive role’ in Broadband Commission

telecom | 10/08/2010 8:28 pm EDT

Although Canadians were not part of the initial stage of the international Broadband Commission for Digital Development, the secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says it’s time for Canada to take part. In an email interview with The Wire Report from Mexico, ITU secretary-general Dr....

Canada can do 85 per cent fibre, Middleton says

telecom | 10/08/2010 8:15 pm EDT

The federal government should undertake a study to understand the true potential for Canada’s fibre footprint, Catherine Middleton, Canada research chair in communications technologies and the information society at Ryerson University, said at an event on Parliament Hill Thursday. And she estimates Canada’s potential footprint is about 85...

Cablecos propose competitive auction to settle deferral account dispute

telecom | 10/06/2010 9:57 pm EDT

The CRTC should hold a competitive auction to determine which company can best utilize deferral account funds for the deployment of HSPA+ technology, Rogers Communications and Quebecor Media Inc. have told the commission. On Sept. 13, Bell Canada asked the CRTC to review and vary its deferral account decision, which told...

Two scientists sidelined after testifying before House health committee

telecom | 10/06/2010 9:29 pm EDT

Two European professors say their research careers have suffered after testifying last April before the House Standing Committee on Health about health risks associated with wireless signals. “I was kept back from doing experiments. I was gradually excluded from lectures and remained a post-doctoral fellow while I...

New official ACTA draft reveals watered down copyright provisions

Media | 10/06/2010 9:26 pm EDT

Parties to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) released a new draft Wednesday that shows the negotiating partners have moved away from intellectual copyright provisions describing what signatories shall do to what they “may” do. The new consolidated text, dated Oct. 2, is considered a watered down version from earlier drafts that included provisions modelled on the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The new version resembles something more like the Internet treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Michael Geist, law professor and Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, wrote in a blog...

Quebec court sets precedent by upholding $1-billion spam decision

telecom | 10/05/2010 10:04 pm EDT

A Quebec resident must pay over $1 billion in damages after a Quebec judge set a precedent by upholding a California court decision that found the man guilty of spamming Facebook users.  In August 2008, Facebook Inc. filed a court action against defendant Adam Guerbuez, accusing the Montreal resident of sending over...

Moore would like to see C-32 at legislative committee by November

Media | 10/01/2010 7:31 pm EDT

Heritage Minister James Moore would like to see copyright reform Bill C-32 debated, voted at second reading and referred to committee before November, he told The Wire Report Wednesday at a Canada Media Fund (CMF) event in Ottawa. But he added: “I would like to have seen it at committee yesterday.” The real...

International Broadband Commission recommendations short on details, experts say

telecom | 10/01/2010 7:17 pm EDT

The international community should develop a multi-stakeholder think-tank for broadband development, public-private partnerships to support “sustainable broadband” business models and a high-level broadband advocacy group, says a new report of the international Broadband Commission for Digital Development. But...

DirecTV seeking damages for grey-market satellite operation in Windsor

Media | 09/29/2010 8:04 pm EDT

American satellite provider DirecTV is seeking damages and a permanent injunction against a Canadian “grey market” reseller in a case that could send a strong message to grey market operators. “We have an interlocutory injunction and the action is for a permanent injunction and for damages,”...

Telus seeking phone service deregulation in more than 85 communities

telecom | 09/27/2010 10:34 pm EDT

After granting Telus Communications Co. an exemption from residential phone service regulation in several jurisdictions last week, the CRTC is now considering one of the provider’s last outstanding applications under opposition from MTS Allstream.  “We are concerned that Telus meets its quality of service...

CETA negotiations could impact foreign ownership bill this fall, researcher says

telecom | 09/24/2010 6:48 pm EDT

Canada’s negotiations on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) could influence the legislation Industry Minister Tony Clement is expected to table this fall to loosen the foreign ownership rules for the telecom sector, says Scott Sinclair, a senior researcher on trade and investment with the...

ISPs off the hook in latest ACTA draft

telecom | 09/22/2010 8:06 pm EDT

Canadian Internet service providers (ISPs) are relieved the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) no longer implicates ISPs when users infringe copyright.  But since ACTA is still being negotiated and Canada’s domestic copyright rules are in flux, ISPs may not be completely clear of this issue just yet. In development...

Opinion: Don’t assume the only broadband problem is geography

telecom | 09/22/2010 2:23 pm EDT

Last week, John Maduri, CEO of rural broadband provider Barrett Xplore, published a very interesting opinion piece in these pages on satellite broadband (“Opinion: Satellite broadband is life-changing for those accustomed to dial-up,” Sept. 21). I have a few comments.  After congratulating The Wire Report...

Commission, Shaw, discuss how to ‘enshrine’ content-sharing

Media | 09/21/2010 10:14 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. says intends to make its Canwest Global television content available to competitors because it’s “a benefit to offer the rights to everyone.” Shaw vice-chairman and CEO Jim Shaw told the commission Tuesday that denying competitors access to content—which it will acquire through its $2-billion purchase of CanWest Global Communications Corp.’s broadcasting assets—is not on the company’s agenda. During the first of three days of CRTC hearings to review the Canwest Global transaction, Shaw said it will make the content available to competitors for their television and new media platforms. “It’s a benefit to...

Privacy consultations helped prep office for upcoming battles, participants say

Media | 09/21/2010 7:42 pm EDT

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s summer consultation on emerging technologies will help the office take pre-emptive measures to deal with technology firms, industry observers told The Wire Report. “I think [Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart] saw many issues coming down the pipe [involving]...

Opinion: Bill C-32 heads to committee in a volatile political climate

Media | 09/21/2010 1:56 pm EDT

The process of making legislation is often compared to the manufacture of sausage. It is probably better not to see how it gets made. Copyright law is no exception. The committee process is the point where the final ingredients are added, and the recipe can change very quickly and unpredictably, for better or worse. In...

Industry Canada should adopt ITU, not U.S., standard for 2500 MHz band, industry says

telecom | 09/16/2010 9:44 pm EDT

Industry Canada should adopt the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) plan for the 2500-2690 MHz spectrum band, say a majority of industry stakeholders commenting for the department’s consultation on what to do with the band. During the World Radiocommunications Conference in...

Opinion: Satellite broadband is life-changing for those accustomed to dial-up

telecom | 09/16/2010 8:43 pm EDT

Rural broadband is like the last runner in a relay race. It’s not nearly as sexy as the lead sprinter who gets all the camera time and is wound like a spring ready to launch off the block. But try finishing the race without a strong anchor and you’ll find yourself embarrassed, having placed back of the pack....

Quebecor convergence plan trumps Bell’s, analyst says

Media | 09/16/2010 11:51 am EDT

Following Videotron Ltd.’s wireless launch and BCE Inc.’s plans to acquire CTV Inc., industry observers say it’s clear convergence is back in vogue—but Bell’s version of convergence may be “a poor facsimile” of Videotron’s, Iain Grant, a communications industry analyst with the SeaBoard Group, told The Wire Report. On Sept. 9, Videotron launched its mobile wireless network, the fourth leg of its quadruple-play strategy, which includes television, home phone, Internet and wireless service. Via television network TVA, Videotron’s sister company under parent Quebecor Media Inc., the new wireless service will also offer access to 1,000 hours of free video content, including 2,000 TV programs, 28 channels (10 of which are live) and 45...

Telus shouldn’t go for content, analyst says

Media | 09/14/2010 2:10 am EDT

Telus Corp. should not follow Bell Canada Enterprises’ lead in acquiring media content, National Bank Financial analyst Greg MacDonald told The Wire Report. “When I read it in the newspaper this weekend, a lot of people saying, ‘Telus is really at a disadvantage,’ but I could not disagree more. Telus is fine. It does not need to...

Industry groups call for unbiased, consumer-minded replacement for Arpin

Media | 09/10/2010 9:29 pm EDT

Speculation is mounting among industry and cultural group insiders about the kind of candidate the Conservative government will select as Michel Arpin’s replacement. Arpin left a vacancy at the 13-member commission (now 12 members) when his term expired on Aug. 30 without reappointment. Ian Morisson, spokesman for...

BCE steps headlong into media arena with purchase of CTV

Media | 09/10/2010 9:05 pm EDT

Bell Canada Enterprises announced an agreement Friday to acquire full ownership of CTV Inc., putting the telco in a better position to use media assets to compete against vertically integrated players Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Media. BCE president and CEO George Cope told news media...

FreeHD tells commission Bell, Shaw should move to spot beam satellite technology

Media | 09/10/2010 8:21 pm EDT

New satellite entrant FreeHD Canada Inc. says spot beam technology could solve arguments surrounding the carriage of local, over-the-air channels that broadcasters and satellite television providers are fighting out before the CRTC. In submissions made in advance of the CRTC’s hearing to review its direct-to-home...

Videotron launches Quebec wireless network

telecom | 09/09/2010 10:14 pm EDT

Videotron Ltd. launched its new 3.5G wireless network Thursday, pledging to be an “unprecedented" force among the heavy hitters dominating Quebec’s wireless sector.  At a press conference Thursday, Videotron president and CEO Robert Dépatie said a price war had begun and that his company is emphasizing value in addition to...

Von Finckenstein clears the air on political interference

Media | 09/09/2010 9:30 pm EDT

CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein appears to have done himself and the Prime Minister’s Office a favour by clearing the air on suggestions of political interference in the commission’s business. In a letter to the editor published in The Globe and Mail on Wednesday, von Finckenstein sought to set the record...

Broadband Commission to recommend ‘broadband inclusion for all’ to UN

telecom | 09/08/2010 9:10 pm EDT

The international Broadband Commission is preparing to file a report with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sept. 19 that will issue a declaration on “broadband inclusion for all.”  The report of the Broadband Commission—a joint project of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the...

Incumbent telcos argue for no obligation to serve on broadband

telecom | 09/07/2010 10:08 pm EDT

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is challenging the incumbent Internet service providers (ISPs) that say, in the CRTC’s obligation to serve proceeding on Internet access, market forces are enough to provide universal Internet access across Canada. “They’re not going to drive [wireline] DSL or...

Arpin wanted to stay, ‘but the wise men decided differently,’ he says

Media | 09/03/2010 7:15 pm EDT

Two days after leaving his position as vice-chair of broadcasting at the CRTC, Michel Arpin sat down with me for an exclusive interview in his new office at Université de Montréal, where this week he officially took on a position as visiting professor in the communications studies department. For more than two hours, we discussed his departure from the CRTC, Quebecor Inc.’s Sun TV News application, and the transition to digital over-the-air broadcasting. The following excerpt has been edited for length and style.  There was a recent Globe and Mail story claiming you were “ushered out the door” at the CRTC. Did you see the article? Sure, I saw...

Deferral account rebates going to current customers, at cost of $2.3 million

telecom | 09/02/2010 9:22 pm EDT

Incumbent phone companies Bell Canada, Telus Corp. and MTS Allstream now have six months to rebate $310 million from deferral account funds they collected between 2002 and 2006—but the rebate program will cost $2.3 million and won’t necessarily go to customers who paid into the fund. They will go to existing...

Use deferral accounts to deploy wireline DSL, not HSPA, CRTC tells Bell

telecom | 08/31/2010 11:03 pm EDT

The CRTC denied an application by Bell Canada Tuesday to use its deferral account funds to deploy an HSPA+ broadband Internet service in 112 rural and remote communities in Ontario and Quebec. The commission instead directed Bell to deploy a DSL service comparable to what it offers in urban areas. As of May 31, 2010,...

Fibre rollout in population densities of 6,000? Try 50

telecom | 08/30/2010 11:04 pm EDT

A new German report on fibre rollout in Europe and Australia focuses on population densities of a minimum 6,000 people per square kilometre, highlighting the challenges Canada faces as it rolls out broadband in suburban and urban areas with densities as low as 50 people per square kilometre. Produced by Dr. Karl-Heinz...

Small ISPs happy with new speed matching decision

telecom | 08/30/2010 10:41 pm EDT

GATINEAU, Que.—The CRTC decided Monday to reinstate speed-matching rules for incumbent phone companies at a 10 per cent markup cost to small Internet service providers that access the higher speeds. Last year, telcos Bell Canada, Bell Aliant and Telus Corp. successfully appealed a CRTC decision to the federal cabinet when the government, on Dec....

CRTC telecom decisions coming on wholesale access, deferral accounts

telecom | 08/27/2010 5:17 pm EDT

The CRTC will hold lockups for the news media and industry next Monday and Tuesday for the release decisions on wholesale Internet access and on what should be done with the funds remaining in Bell Canada’s deferral accounts.  Both lockups will start at 2 p.m. and end at 4 p.m., when the decisions are publicly released. Both decisions—the wholesale access decision on Monday and the deferral accounts decision on Tuesday—will be released at the same time that trading markets close for the day in Toronto and New York. The lockups, at the CRTC's offices in Gatineau, Que., allow media and industry representatives to get a sneak preview of the decisions before they are...

Nunavut broadband access limited by scarce satellite capacity, says NBDC

telecom | 08/26/2010 8:51 pm EDT

A lack of satellite capacity on the C-band will limit Nunavut’s ability to expand broadband Internet access in the territory, Oana Spinu, acting executive director of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC), said in an interview. “There are several satellites that footprint the North and right now...

Former political staffer, entrepreneur, gets bright idea for mobile campaign app

telecom | 08/25/2010 9:11 pm EDT

Julian Haigh left a four-year career as a Parliament Hill staffer, working for Conservative MPs such as Joe Preston, Garth Turner and Peter Goldring, to launch a wireless startup in Vancouver for the politically minded. His new company is called D2D Campaign Solutions, and Haigh said his experience working on political...

Provinces criticized for reporting 100 per cent broadband access

telecom | 08/25/2010 7:28 pm EDT

Canadian provinces are taking criticism for reporting that they have 100 per cent broadband access. “This is outrageous, that public officials are going around saying that any area has 100 per cent or 95 per cent access,” David Ellis, a digital strategy consultant and course director at York...

Wireless operators oppose government’s licence fee proposal for backhaul spectrum

telecom | 08/24/2010 12:47 pm EDT

Wireless operators are taking issue with Industry Canada’s proposal to charge licence fees on a per-MHz-per person basis for fixed services operating in the 25.25 to 28.35 MHz spectrum band. “It means you pay more money to do the same job just because [the antenna] goes near a larger...

Investment industry planning to challenge new do-not-call list ruling

telecom | 08/23/2010 9:42 pm EDT

The financial industry says it plans to lobby against a recent CRTC decision that brings financial planners under the rules of the national do-not-call list, Ian Russell, president and CEO of the Investment Industry Association of Canada (IIAC), said in an interview. “This [decision] has happened without any notice...

Government offered von Finckenstein plum jobs to push him out: Report

Media | 08/20/2010 9:58 pm EDT

The communications industry was buzzing this week following a report that the Conservative government offered CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein positions as an ambassador or judge to encourage him to leave his post early. Lawrence Martin, a columnist for The Globe and Mail, wrote this week that although von...

Make broadband a basic service, PIAC says

telecom | 08/19/2010 9:28 pm EDT

In advance of a far-reaching CRTC hearing on access to basic telecom services, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) released a 50-page report Wednesday recommending that broadband Internet access should be treated as a basic service in the same way as telephony. “It’s a matter of strategic policy importance for the regulator and the...

Bell says competitors trying to deny long distance payments to small companies

telecom | 08/17/2010 9:46 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Media Inc.’s reluctance to pay for routing long distance calls over Bell Canada’s network could deny smaller phone companies from interconnection payments, Bell says. In a submission to the CRTC Friday, Bell has accused Rogers and Quebecor of trying to create a...

On mobile, broadband pricing, U.K. knocks out Canada, every time

telecom | 08/13/2010 9:41 pm EDT

It comes down to competition. At least, that’s the reason experts cite when they explain why Canada’s communication services persistently cost more than those in the U.K. According to the CRTC’s annual statistical report, released late last month, Canada’s average wireless service price per month in 2009 was $52, much higher than the U.K. ($33) but lower than the U.S. ($61). On broadband pricing, Canada’s average monthly average was $48, again higher than the U.K. ($36) but lower than the U.S. ($59). Another report this year from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said Canada offers the 11th-lowest prices of 80 countries surveyed for landline phone, mobile phone, and broadband services. But again, the U.K. ranked much better, at sixth....

Hold 700 MHz, 2500 MHz spectrum auctions together, Quebecor says

telecom | 08/13/2010 9:06 pm EDT

OTTAWA--Industry Canada should auction off the 700 MHz and 2500 MHz wireless spectrum bands together to let interested companies develop broader business plans, Quebecor Media Inc. says. “If you’re sitting down at a table, and you’re planning your affairs, and you’re looking at your inputs, your...

Rogers, Quebecor file complaint over ‘toll traffic routing’ on Bell’s network

telecom | 08/12/2010 7:02 pm EDT

Bell Canada wants some of its competitors to cough up some cash for long distance calls. That is at the heart of a new dispute that has led Quebecor Media Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. to file a complaint with the CRTC. The companies have asked the commission to prevent Bell from...

New copyright coalition launched to counter ‘louder voice’ of user lobby

Media | 08/11/2010 9:56 pm EDT

OTTAWA—The recently announced Balanced Copyright for Canada online advocacy group formed because rights holder groups felt they needed to counter the user lobby’s “louder voice” online, Stephen Ellis, a board member of the group, told The Wire Report in an interview. “The pro-copyright forces...

Google, Verizon propose U.S. net neutrality rules, exception for wireless

telecom | 08/10/2010 9:38 pm EDT

OTTAWA—Google Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. proposed a joint policy paper on network neutrality Monday that included a hands-off approach to the “competitive and still developing” world of wireless. Canadian players reacted stridently to the proposal, some questioning the exception for wireless...

Verizon calls for removal of telecom foreign ownership restrictions

telecom | 08/09/2010 10:15 pm EDT

OTTAWA--Foreign investment restrictions are precluding Verizon Canada from making direct network investments and offering new services in Canada, the company said in a submission to the federal government’s consultation on foreign ownership rules in the telecommunications sector. Verizon Canada, operating under the American communications giant Verizon Inc., said it supports completely removing the restrictions on foreign direct investment, arguing that the change would introduce more competition and encourage innovation. “New entrants play a major role in introducing innovative telecommunications services to the Canadian telecommunications market and their...

Challenges, opportunities ahead for ITU’s new IPTV standards

Media | 08/09/2010 9:15 pm EDT

Running a Canadian test bed for the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) latest Internet protocol television (IPTV) standards--as the ITU has suggested--would benefit Canada’s IPTV providers, industry players say. But it’s not clear which company in Canada—if any—will step forward to...

Costs of new Quebec law will be passed on to wireless customers, CWTA says

telecom | 08/05/2010 9:28 pm EDT

OTTAWA--The Quebec government’s changes to consumer protection laws surrounding cell phone contracts will pass extra fees onto consumers, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) says. On July 1, the province’s Consumer Protection Act, Bill 60, came into force. The bill introduced new...

IPTV rollout do-or-die for Bell Aliant, analysts say

telecom | 08/04/2010 8:54 pm EDT

Bell Aliant’s ability to expand its Internet protocol television (IPTV) business in Eastern Canada will determine the company’s long-term viability, industry analysts say. The regional communications service provider announced on July 28 slow IPTV take-up during the second quarter results. The company reported 3,000 net additions for the...

Big three telco incumbents take different approaches to foreign ownership restrictions

telecom | 08/03/2010 9:24 pm EDT

OTTAWA—Canada’s telecommunications incumbents disagree on what changes the federal government should make to the foreign investment restrictions under the Telecommunications Act. According to consultation submissions to the government obtained by The Wire Report, Bell Canada, Telus...

Navigating convergence sometimes easier than navigating the CRTC website

Media | 07/30/2010 6:36 pm EDT

OTTAWA--For many in the broadcasting and telecommunications industries, the CRTC website is something of a second home. But it’s also common to hear complaints that the site could be more welcoming and easier to navigate. The CRTC website went through a complete makeover in early 2009, but many who use it on a daily...

Astral calls on government to reserve spectrum for broadcasters

Media | 07/29/2010 7:56 pm EDT

Industry Canada should not allocate spectrum to mobile broadband services at the expense of broadcasters, Astral Media Inc. said in a submission to the federal government’s digital economy consultation. In the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting by the deadline of Aug. 31, 2011, Canadian...

New wireless entrants look to U.S. carrier for AWS-compatible iPhone 4

telecom | 07/26/2010 11:32 pm EDT

Canada’s new wireless entrants could offer the popular iPhone 4 if American carrier T-Mobile can convince Apple Inc. to create a version of the device that functions on their networks--but analysts say new entrants won’t necessarily want to carry the handset. The iPhone 4 will be Apple’s first smart phone...

Canada left out of ITU Broadband Commission

telecom | 07/23/2010 8:18 pm EDT

Canada may not have a representative on the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Broadband Commission for Digital Development, but experts say Canada could still play an important role. In an effort to reduce the international “digital divide”—the barrier between those who have access to broadband services and those...

CTV says profits from spectrum auctions should help finance digital transition

Media | 07/23/2010 7:43 pm EDT

OTTAWA—A portion of the revenues from the upcoming 700 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions should go to assisting broadcasters in the digital transition, CTVglobemedia says.  In a submission to the federal government’s consultation on the digital economy, CTV said that the government's demands on broadcasters--through the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting and the freeing up of spectrum for mobile broadband use in the 700 and 2500 MHz bands--is coming at a great cost to broadcasters. “Consequently, given that the Government is supporting the expansion of broadband throughout Canada, it would also be appropriate for the Government to support...

Digital strategy needs focal point at cabinet table, say experts, industry

Media | 07/21/2010 9:39 pm EDT

OTTAWA—Industry Canada's portfolio is too broad and the government needs a focal point in cabinet to lead its digital economy strategy, say industry insiders and experts. “The starting point for any digital economy strategy is leadership. Canada needs digital leaders, including a chief technology officer and...

Telus loses court battle over CRTC decision on government services contract

telecom | 07/20/2010 9:29 pm EDT

OTTAWA--In a Federal Court of Appeal decision Tuesday, Telus Corp. lost a bit of ground in its continuing fight over a CRTC decision that the company says will put a chill on the enterprise market’s interest in government services contracts. CRTC decision 2009-85, issued in January 2009, allowed Bell Canada to...

CRTC should have power to investigate, monitor net neutrality, says Directors Guild

Media | 07/20/2010 9:19 pm EDT

OTTAWA--The CRTC should have the funding and powers necessary to investigate and monitor network neutrality, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) says in a submission for Industry Canada’s digital economy consultation.  “[W]e recommend that the government require, and allocate funding for, the CRTC to...

New governor general Johnston could be ‘spokesperson’ for digital issues, say colleagues

Media | 07/19/2010 9:11 pm EDT

David Johnston, Canada’s next governor general, could make digital issues one of his top priorities, his colleagues say—but it’s unlikely he’ll take positions on controversial issues like copyright. “We’ll have a very eloquent governor general who can really...

Bell, Telus expected to launch competitive discount plans: UBS

telecom | 07/19/2010 8:02 pm EDT

Bell Canada and Telus Corp. are expected to launch mobile plans to match Rogers Communications’ Inc.’s upcoming Chatr wireless brand, says a new research note by UBS Investment Research. Bell operates secondary wireless brands Virgin Mobile and Solo Mobile, and Telus offers Koodo Mobile. Rogers offers Fido and has plans to launch a discount brand, Chatr, this summer. Bell and Rogers could offer new discount plans through their secondary brands, but so far the companies are mum on any potential business plans to compete with Chatr.  “Bell is going to likely launch with Solo because they already have that brand, and I think the subscriber base on that brand is relatively small,” Phillip Huang, and analyst with UBS and one of the note’s authors,...

CRTC gives distributors option to offer local basic packages, but will cost consumers $300 to install

Media | 07/16/2010 9:11 pm EDT

To ensure Canadians have access to digital channels after the digital broadcasting transition deadline of Aug. 31, 2011, the CRTC is granting television distributors the option to offer free, local packages to viewers—but the commission estimates they would be charged about $300 for an...

Cablecos should devote 10 per cent of revenues to Canadian programming: Broadcasting watchdog

telecom | 07/14/2010 10:20 pm EDT

OTTAWA--Canada’s four biggest cable companies should contribute 10 per cent of their total revenues—including phone and Internet—to the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and other federally sponsored cultural funds, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says in a submission for Industry...

Google says government should follow U.S. lead on unlicensed, ‘white space’ spectrum

telecom | 07/14/2010 9:17 pm EDT

Canada’s transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting next year will open up so-called “white space” spectrum that the U.S. has defined as unlicensed and, if Canada follows suit, could lead to innovations in wireless broadband, Jacob Glick, Google's Canadian policy...

Shaw’s $100-million wireless network investment only the ‘tip of the iceberg’

telecom | 07/14/2010 8:30 pm EDT

Shaw Communications Inc.'s $100 million deal with Nokia Siemens Networks is only the “tip of the iceberg” in the cableco's network build out, which is expected move quickly to compete against wireless players in Western Canada, Greg MacDonald, a telecommunications service and media...

Canada in need of digital literacy, skills strategies, groups tell government

Media | 07/13/2010 10:04 pm EDT

OTTAWA--Faced with increasing demand for highly skilled workers, groups are telling the federal government that the country needs educational tools and a national digital literacy and skills strategy to head off a generational gap and a lack of skilled information and communications technology (ICT) workers. In a...

Incumbent telcos urge better spectrum coordination with U.S., spectrum trading

telecom | 07/13/2010 8:14 pm EDT

OTTAWA--Incumbent telecom companies Telus Corp. and Bell Canada are urging the federal government to follow the U.S. example and free up spectrum for mobile use. Facing a growing need for mobile spectrum, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan called for 500 MHz of spectrum to be freed...

Government intended competition like Rogers’ Chatr brand: Addy

telecom | 07/12/2010 9:42 pm EDT

A former head of the Competition Bureau says he is scratching his head at reports that new wireless entrant Mobilicity plans to challenge Rogers Communications Inc.’s new Chatr brand before the Competition Bureau. “What’s happening in the marketplace now is exactly what the government intended when they...

Cambridge-Ottawa agreement supports small wireless tech companies

telecom | 07/12/2010 8:16 pm EDT

Wireless technology companies in the Ottawa area have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Cambridge Wireless, a collective of mobile-focused businesses in the U.K. According to people familiar with the deal, the agreement supports a Canadian wireless industry that, perhaps more than ever, is made up of small,...

Is the telecom complaints commissioner necessary? Bell says no

telecom | 07/09/2010 9:05 pm EDT

In advance of the CRTC’s proceeding to review the structure and mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecom Services (CCTS), Bell Canada and Bell Aliant say the agency is not necessary. In a comment filed with the CRTC on June 28, Bell said competition in the marketplace is enough to motivate companies to resolve customer complaints without the assistance of a third party. “The companies do not believe that the CCTS is necessary,” Bell wrote. But it adds that if the CCTS is retained for now, Bell does not see a need for significant changes to its structure or mandate. “Indeed, in light of the many recent developments within the CCTS and its operations, there is too little track record on which to judge whether changes to its structure or mandate are...