Bell-Telus switch to HSPA questioned by analysts

telecom | 09/08/2008 1:43 pm EDT

Are Bell Mobility and Telus Mobility making unnecessary and expensive investments by overlaying a shared GSM-based network over their existing CDMA networks? Analysts are questioning many aspects of such a move, particularly when the fourth generation of wireless networks (4G) will begin rolling out around the world within the next couple of years....

Barrett stymied by big wireless players in bid to provide national rural broadband service

telecom | 09/05/2008 4:54 pm EDT

Barrett Xplore Inc. will now be able to serve an additional two million Canadians living in rural regions after acquiring 3.5 GHz spectrum from Mipps Inc. Extending broadband to even more communities, however, is being hindered by major telecom companies unwilling to share their rural spectrum, the...

Inexpensive international wireless LD and text messaging comes to Canada

telecom | 09/03/2008 10:52 am EDT

A Vancouver-based wholesaler of international long distance minutes is leveraging its vast network to give mobile users in North America the opportunity to make long distance calls at low, single-digit rates. But the CEO of Verb Exchange Inc. says this is just the beginning.CEO Craig Goldenberger says his Vancouver-based...

Outlook grim for independent VoIP market

telecom | 09/02/2008 11:54 am EDT

Growth in VoIP services is exploding, but independent competitors in Canada are being marginalized as they battle against collapsing prices, stiff competition and the bundled service options of cablecos.A recent report from Infonetics Research notes that hosted VoIP and managed IP PBX services worldwide grew 52% in 2007. But the prospect of an...

Bell’s customers left wanting for information

telecom | 09/02/2008 11:51 am EDT

It's hard to know what's going on at BCE these days. The recent sale of Bell Business Solutions to GFI Conseils provides a glimpse into the direction the giant telco might be taking, but the complete lack of strategic transparency has left Bell's customers in the dark, according to analysts."I couldn't tell you what the Bell strategy and product portfolio for '09 is," says Roberta Fox, senior partner of Fox Group Telecom Consulting.The combination of GFI Conseils, a subsidiary of Québec-based IT services company GFI Solutions Group, with Bell Business Solutions, a provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), does make sense.Gilles Létourneau, president and CEO of GFI Solutions Group, says that the discussions with Bell...

Research project seeks to perfect intelligent antenna system

telecom | 08/28/2008 1:21 pm EDT

Researchers at the University of Waterloo are working on new antenna technology that could significantly increase bandwidth and efficiency of fourth-generation wireless services, and results of the research could be seen in as little as two years. The private sector, government and other universities are also participating...

Iristel takes single number reach service to new heights

telecom | 08/27/2008 4:07 pm EDT

Single number reach services have been presented as the solution to those who have multiple telephone numbers and need, or want, to be reached at nearly all times, but now a Toronto area company has added fixed mobile convergence (FMC) to the mix. It comes with a twist, though.Iristel Inc. recently introduced its IP...

CDMA not dead…yet

telecom | 08/26/2008 6:39 pm EDT

The CDMA death-watch has received a modest reprieve courtesy of ABI Research in its report titled CDMA Is Not Dead Yet, which claims that worldwide EvDO Rev A subscriber numbers ramped up more than eightfold between Q2 2007 and Q2 2008. For Canada, that means plans for Telus Mobility and Bell Canada to overlay their CDMA networks with HSPA should suffice - for now."Telus has been in the CDMA business for a long time...

Bell applauds commission decision on retail tariff procedures

telecom | 08/23/2008 1:05 pm EDT

Bell Canada is lauding the CRTC for making it easier for incumbent telephone companies to change prices in still-regulated markets without requiring prior commission approval."[The] decision will allow Bell Canada to respond quicker in the market when it makes changes to its services in areas where it is regulated. The...

Telus more aggressive than Bell in contact centre market

telecom | 08/22/2008 2:41 pm EDT

When it came to finding a partner for its customer interaction and workforce optimization software for IP-based contact centres, Calabrio Inc. chose Telus Corp. - in part because of its aggressive approach to the contact centre market."Telus is more aggressive at going after things than Bell Canada," Tim Kraskey,...

Iristel planning wireless service to complement converged communications offering

telecom | 08/21/2008 5:03 pm EDT

Iristel Inc., a Toronto-based CLEC with IP communications capabilities, has signaled its intent to enter the wireless market with a mobile offering to go along with its local wireline and fixed mobile convergence services.Speaking with Report on Wireless, president and CEO Samer Bishay says Iristel has already started...

Canada: Moving the mobility evolution forward

telecom | 08/21/2008 3:18 pm EDT

Pretty soon you'll be able to have your GPS system give you walking directions to your dinner date at Yonge and Bloor in downtown Toronto, text the link to a map with directions to your friend who is meeting you there, look up a video review of the restaurant on YouTube and then email the link to your friend in Vancouver - all on your personal mobile...

Shaw appeal for access to Vancouver buildings turned down

telecom | 08/18/2008 6:21 pm EDT

Earlier this month, the CRTC denied an application from Shaw Communications requesting immediate access to certain buildings in downtown Vancouver. The company noted in its appeal that rival provider Novus Entertainment had given itself preference in deploying telecommunications facilities within the Cooper's Quay...

CBC revamps mobile site to sell multi-platform advertising

Media | 08/12/2008 5:47 pm EDT

With mobile penetration on the upswing, the CBC is poised to overhaul its mobile site to optimize a multi-platform approach to selling targeted advertising and offering better user experience with content tailored to local needs.The news was announced at the end of July after the public broadcaster signed a deal with Quattro Wireless, a U.S-based company specializing in mobile advertising and marketing. Bob Kerr, CBC director of business development, says Quattro, through a process called “juicing,” will provide the technical know-how to reach users on mobile devices.“Research shows that people haven’t been using their mobile phones other than for making calls, despite their phones being capable of doing much more,” says Kerr.“We figured the time was right to upgrade the site...

Canadian-made bonded DSL rings throw telcos a lifeline

telecom | 08/12/2008 5:26 pm EDT

A Calgary-based company has hit the market with a technology that can provide telcos with 400 megabits per second over their legacy copper wires. It could be the magic bullet telcos need to compete with the cable industry's much bigger bandwidth pipe, and at one-twentieth the cost of extending fibre closer to the home. A...

Consolidation wave continues in Ontario utelco market

telecom | 08/12/2008 12:15 am EDT

The consolidation wave hitting Ontario's municipal telecom sector continued this month with an Oakville Hydro Corp. subsidiary's s acquisition of its neighbour, Milton Hydro. But don't expect the municipally owned utility telecom (utelco) to move into the residential market anytime soon - if ever.Milton joins the growing number of municipalities who are...

Ottawa fibre-to-the-home experiment hits a snag

telecom | 08/05/2008 4:02 pm EDT

An innovative trial to bring a dedicated fibre optic link to 250 households in downtown Ottawa has failed to sign up any customers, due to a combination of existing regulations and a lack of competitors in the ISP market. But despite the hurdles, a policy analyst with Google says having customers own their own fibre could become a model for the future....

Ottawa’s BelAir Networks digs channel south of the border

telecom | 08/05/2008 1:31 pm EDT

BelAir Networks, an Ottawa-headquartered provider of mobile wireless broadband mesh networking solutions, has opened a significant indirect channel with TESSCO Technologies Inc. in the U.S. And while municipal Wi-Fi hasn't met expectations, it appears demand for industry-specific wireless mesh applications is on the...

Bandwidth constraints not an issue for new entrants: analysts

telecom | 07/31/2008 1:14 am EDT

The winners in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction will be able to compete on services against the country's incumbent wireless players, despite having a fraction of the spectrum, according to two industry analysts. The winners in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction will be able to compete on services against the country's incumbent wireless players, despite having a fraction of the spectrum, according to two industry analysts.Michael Rozender of Rozender Consultants International, and Mark Goldberg of Mark H. Goldberg & Associates, agree new entrants have enough bandwidth to launch services to compete against the larger and well-established operations of Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications and Telus Mobility.Goldberg...

SMEs show lack of concern over security breeches: McAfee

telecom | 07/30/2008 3:26 pm EDT

A new survey from security firm McAfee Inc. has revealed some startling findings regarding the security practices of North American small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): the vast majority invest little on security and take very little precaution to protect their networks against hackers despite believing an online...

CRTC re-org will make application processes faster and easier: Morin

Media | 07/29/2008 7:23 pm EDT

For the second time in three years, advances in technology have pushed the CRTC to realign its organizational structure to keep up with the times. The commission’s secretary general, Robert Morin, says the changes include a revamped policy development and research (PDR) sector with more functions that are common to both...

Apple iPhone hurts Rogers second quarter net additions

telecom | 07/29/2008 3:55 pm EDT

The iPhone hasn't been good for Rogers Communications Inc. in the short-term. Its April announcement of the iPhone's pending arrival "slammed the brakes" on new subscriber additions, Rogers Wireless president Rob Bruce told investors today."The quarter really slowed down when we announced the iPhone,"...

Primus makes good on Magma acquisition

telecom | 07/28/2008 7:28 pm EDT

In its ongoing quest to re-invent itself out of the ashes of long-distance reselling, Primus Telecommunications Canada has leveraged its 2004 acquisition of Magma Communications to deepen its business relationship with the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). The question is: will infrastructure/hosting deals like the one with CREA, as well as the...

CyberSurf battles ILECs over ADSL service parity

telecom | 07/28/2008 6:19 pm EDT

CyberSurf Corp. wants the CRTC to stop incumbent telcos from continuing to offer their retail Internet service at faster speeds than wholesalers.The Calgary-based ISP is challenging telcos over the issue of service parity, which would ensure that all consumers receive the same Internet speeds, regardless if they buy the service from a telco or a...

Analysts divided on market opportunities for new entrants

telecom | 07/24/2008 6:06 pm EDT

There haven't any formal announcements yet on what the winners from Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) auction will bring to market, but industry analysts say they have a good idea where the low hanging fruit lies. They can't agree, however, on what markets new players should pursue.A recent report from UBS...

Telus beats out Mitel for strategic healthcare contract

telecom | 07/21/2008 7:48 pm EDT

Telus Corp.'s new contract with CritiCall Ontario, the province's 24-hour-a-day emergency referral service for hospital-based physicians, is a big win for the western-based telco, which is targeting the healthcare vertical as a key growth sector. It follows Telus' acquisition in January of Emergis Inc., an IT company...

Auction Day 39: AWS auction comes to an end

telecom | 07/21/2008 3:39 pm EDT

After nearly eight weeks of bidding, Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction came to a close on Monday morning. It generated more than $4.25 billion in revenue for the federal government and opened the Canadian wireless market to more competitors including cable companies Shaw Communications and Bragg Communications as well...

Auction Day 38: Close but no cigar – auction nearly ends on Friday

telecom | 07/21/2008 1:27 pm EDT

Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction almost came to a close on Friday when participants didn't place a bid in Round 318. But after a proactive waiver was submitted - something that has to be done over the phone - the auction continued, albeit at a snail's pace.Bidding picked up earlier in the day, however, as rivals continued their battles for some remaining bands of spectrum in Ontario. Telus Mobility and Globalive Communications, for example, sparred over 10 MHz E-band properties such as Cornwall, Kingston and Belleville.After the zero-bid round, activity slowed quite considerably with the majority of rounds receiving only one new bid. Most the activity...

Auction Day 37: SaskTel and Bragg on track to control home territories

telecom | 07/18/2008 1:34 pm EDT

SaskTel and Bragg Communications may want to start chilling that Champaign. Yesterday, the two companies gained solid control over their home territories of Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada, following a surprisingly active day of bidding in a spectrum auction that has turned into an endurance competition for its remaining...

Tech issues delay Visa, RBC mobile payments trial; still aiming for 2008 launch

telecom | 07/17/2008 6:12 pm EDT

Visa Canada and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) say they're still on track to launch a mobile payments trial with southern Ontario merchants by year end, despite a few technical glitches. Visa Canada and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) say they're still on track to launch a mobile payments trial with southern Ontario...

Auction Day 36: New fights break out between Bragg and Globalive

telecom | 07/17/2008 11:16 am EDT

Just when we thought Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction might be coming to close, for real, Bragg Communications and Globalive Communications renew hostilities for spectrum in Atlantic Canada.In Round 290, the EastLink owner launched a foray into New Brunswick, bidding on the 10 MHz C-band...

Bell’s fights back against claims its network isn’t congested

telecom | 07/16/2008 3:13 pm EDT

Bell Canada has refuted allegations that its network isn't congested and therefore doesn't need traffic management software to slow down peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic. In a submission to the CRTC filed last week, the company says its congestion numbers taken on their own don't tell the whole story.The incumbent telephone...

Auction Day 35: SaskTel gives up additional spectrum in Moose Jaw

telecom | 07/16/2008 11:00 am EDT

It seems $2.4 million was too much for SaskTel to pay for a 10 MHz licence in Moose Jaw SK. Yesterday, the provincial Crown corp let go of its bid to acquire either the 10 MHz D- or E-band licence, relinquishing control of the property to Shaw Communications after two days of aggressive bidding.At the end of round 286, SaskTel has standing high bids on a 20 MHz provincial licence (B-band), a 10 MHz provincial licence (G-band), and an additional 20 MHz of bandwidth covering Saskatoon. As well, the company has 10 MHz in each of the southern New Brunswick and western New Brunswick licences - properties it will likely look to sell after the auction.Meanwhile Globalive Communications is still...

Auction Day 34: Bidders focus on small town Canada, RoW analyzes licence costs

telecom | 07/15/2008 2:02 pm EDT

With the major markets all snapped up in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction, it has now come down to who will control the airwaves in some of Canada's smallest towns and cities.After eight weeks of bidding, battles continue for only a handful of properties: Moose Jaw SK, Dawson Creek BC and...

Barnes instrumental in diversifying CWTA

telecom | 07/14/2008 5:30 pm EDT

That the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association continues to exist today could be summed up as one of Peter Barnes biggest accomplishments. The telephone alliance (Stentor) was the first to go, followed more recently by the Canadian Cable Television Association.Yet despite some bitter battles between CWTA members, their outgoing president...

Net neutrality debate hammers Sandvine

telecom | 07/14/2008 2:54 pm EDT

The debate over Net Neutrality is beginning to have a real impact on the telecommunications market and Sandvine Inc., the acknowledged leader in providing technology traffic shaping technology to ISPs, is beginning to feel the pinch. The company's stock price has been pummelled after the Waterloo ON-based company posted disappointing quarterly revenue...

University of Waterloo cuts landlines for student residences

telecom | 07/14/2008 2:48 pm EDT

Here's yet more evidence that landlines are kaput: The University of Waterloo (UW) is cutting its Bell Canada service for 5,000 landlines in student residences this fall.Charges for landlines are typically bundled into the flat fee UW charges students in residence, explains Sean Van Koughnett, director of new media, adding...

Auction Day 33: The never ending auction, total haul surpassed $4.2 billion

telecom | 07/14/2008 1:34 pm EDT

Saskatchewan and Ontario remain a stubborn battlegrounds as the seventh week of Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction draws to a close. Generally, the early rounds on Friday there were between one and three new bids, but by the middle of the day activity rose to between six and eight new...

Auction Day 32: Rogers begins outbidding itself

telecom | 07/11/2008 12:00 pm EDT

Some might have thought that with new bids per round dropping to a single bid several times yesterday that the auction was very close to coming to an end. Almost, but not quite. Yesterday Rogers Communications used the final round of the day to place five new bids on properties it already held - this is referred to in auction parlance as a jump bid.It's...

Commentary: Tory government seems intent on interfering with market forces

telecom | 07/10/2008 12:56 pm EDT

Two announcements yesterday had me shaking my head as the theme song from the Twilight Zone played in the background. First, Rogers Communications announced that it was actually lowering the price of a data package for the highly anticipated iPhone, set to launch on Friday. Second, Industry Minister Jim Prentice requested a...

More top executives leaving Bell family

telecom | 07/10/2008 12:25 pm EDT

The house cleaning at Bell Canada continues as two more executives have announced their intentions to leave the company. This is the second time in two weeks that top brass departures have been announced.Lawson Hunter, executive VP and chief corporate officer, is leaving the incumbent telephone company to take on a new role as counsel at Stikeman...

Auction Day 31: Two companies hold up end of auction

telecom | 07/10/2008 11:55 am EDT

Globalive Communications and Rich Telecom, still in the hunt for licences, are the two companies holding up the auction.The Yak Communications owner was able to push SaskTel off the Far North property on Wednesday, but the result was the Crown corp's move into Atlantic Canada. Globalive, in turn responded with bids on the D-band Moose Jaw licence, which the company ultimately gained control of yesterday.Late in the day, Globalive executed two withdrawals: the D-band licence in Eastern New Brunswick and the 20 MHz A-band in Huntsville ON. In Wednesday's last round, the company then bid on the 10 MHz C-band licence for New Brunswick, demonstrating its desire to maintain blanket coverage over Atlantic Canada. Globalive also bid on the E-band 10 MHz Cobourg ON licence after withdrawing from...

Bell can invest in network upgrades to solve congestion problems: independent ISPs

telecom | 07/09/2008 7:45 pm EDT

Bell Canada is grossly overstating its network congestion problem and where there is congestion, the company can easily afford to fix it by investing in newer equipment, according to documents filed by some independent ISPs with the CRTC this month.Acanac Inc., an independent ISP offering services in parts of southern...

Auction Day 30: Industry Canada pushing for end to auction as battles continue

telecom | 07/09/2008 2:06 pm EDT

Industry Canada appears anxious to hasten the end of its spectrum auction, now in its seventh week of bidding, by allowing more daily rounds and higher bids."The percentage bid increment will be changed to 6% beginning with round 218 at 9:00 on July 9, 2008. The absolute increment will remain at $2000/point," read...

Auction Day 29: Four licences hold up auction end, more competitors coming

telecom | 07/08/2008 1:36 pm EDT

What do the set-aside licences in Far North, Pembroke ON, Chatham ON and Red Deer AB have in common? They are the four licences preventing the auction from coming to an end.At the end of Round 205, SaskTel and Globalive Communications continued to battle for the rights to 20 MHz of spectrum (the B-band) covering Canada's...

Auction Day 28: AWS auction claims two more victims

telecom | 07/07/2008 1:56 pm EDT

The high price of bandwidth in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction has claimed two more casualties.A day after RuralCom Corp. decided to give up its hope of acquiring spectrum, SSI Micro Ltd. and Ontario numbered company 768812 Ontario Inc. did the same.SSI Micro was singularly focused on acquiring bandwidth for the Far...

Changing Telecom Act to safeguard consumer telecom body unnecessary: CCTS head

telecom | 07/04/2008 3:43 pm EDT

A private member's bill designed to give Canada's new telecom consumer complaints agency legislative muscle has come under fire from the head of the agency. David McKendry, interim commissioner of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), says Conservative Senator Donald Oliver's bill is "unnecessary" and "redundant", given that all the appeals against it have been dealt with and the agency is now up and running.The CCTS recently appointed a seven-person independent board (see list below), is searching for permanent office space in Ottawa and expects to have a full-time commissioner in place by September."So things are really moving...

Auction Day 27: RuralCom drops out of auction

telecom | 07/04/2008 2:20 pm EDT

There are now 18 bidders remaining in Canada's biggest spectrum auction. RuralCom Corp., an upstart from Vancouver, finally reached price exhaustion in Round 182 on Thursday and called it quits.In ownership documents filed with Industry Canada at the application to participate stage, Robert Hillman, chair and CEO, held nearly 69% of the common shares in...

Auction Day 26: Auction end rapidly approaching; bids hit $4.19 billion

telecom | 07/03/2008 2:32 pm EDT

Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction is rapidly approaching its end with new bids dipping below 20 on Wednesday and falling to just 11 in rounds 173 and 174.With the number of battles dropping by the round, the big markets appear largely settled. Some smaller contests continue by bidders...

GSMA award offers glimpse into the future

telecom | 07/03/2008 1:23 pm EDT

Software keyboards for mobile devices, better device management and more efficient mobile device power management are three potential new technologies that could be soon hitting the Canadian market, and in some cases are already here.The GSM Association (GSMA) wound up its regional tournament of top innovators in June - the GSMA Mobile Innovation Global...

Toronto’s One Zone municipal Wi-Fi up in the air

telecom | 07/02/2008 2:06 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc.'s plan to acquire Toronto Hydro Telecom (THT) as of July 31 adds more uncertainty to the future of the utility's One Zone municipal Wi-Fi network. Despite the slower than anticipated growth, however, its president is still bullish on its long-term relevance."I still think municipal Wi-Fi is a viable...

Auction Day 25: SaskTel moves into Ontario and Alberta

telecom | 07/02/2008 1:06 pm EDT

SaskTel made an unexpected play for spectrum in Ontario and Alberta on Monday after battling hard to secure up to 40 MHz of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bandwidth in its home province.In Round 158, the provincial Crown corporation bid on the 10 MHz E-band licences in Kingston, Belleville, Barrie, Guelph/Kitchener and...

Consumer, business markets to spend $4.46 billion more on wireless over next four years: IDC forecast

telecom | 06/30/2008 8:13 pm EDT

Canada's wireless market is no where near saturated, it seems. Research firm IDC has released bullish predictions for the next four years, with consumer wireless services forecast to generate $3.26 billion in new revenue, followed by $1.2 billion in growth for the Canadian business sector.With...

Is Cogeco’s Jan Peeter’s on the prowl for Atria Networks?

telecom | 06/30/2008 3:17 pm EDT

Cogeco Cable Inc.'s acquisition of Toronto Hydro Telecom (THT) for $200 million has analysts speculating that the company is thinking much bigger than Canada's largest city. It could also signal something of a comeback for Cogeco Inc. and Cogeco Cable chair Jan Peeters, who got badly burned in the CallNet takeover of...

Auction Day 24: Bidding slows down, Globalive places 30% of new bids

telecom | 06/29/2008 4:50 pm EDT

Bidding in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) slowed considerably on Friday, with new bids dipping into the low 20s, but not before heavy bidding by Globalive Communications during the middle part of the day. In fact, in Rounds 149 and 151, the company placed more than 30% of the new bids in both rounds.In...

Auction Day 23: Vidéotron withdraws bids as spectrum auction nears end

telecom | 06/27/2008 1:38 pm EDT

Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction appears to be taking its toll with bidding slowing down considerably over the past two days and withdrawals leaving some contenders on the hook for hefty sums of money.Vidéotron withdrew its standing high bids on the 10 MHz E-band licences of Quebec City and Chicoutimi/Jonquière yesterday, but without any takers, the company now finds itself having to a pay penalty. According to the auction rules, a party that withdraws its standing high bid for a licence will have to pay the difference to Industry Canada if that licence sells for less than the withdrawn standing high bid."If a bid is withdrawn from a licence that...

Let foreign telecom firms in, says Competition Review Panel

Media | 06/26/2008 6:37 pm EDT

The Competition Policy Review Panel (CPRP) says Canada should allow foreign telecommunications firms to establish Canadian beachheads or acquire smaller service providers - those with less than 10% market share - as a first step to easing restrictions on foreign direct investment in Canada's communications sector.In its...

Has the time come to abandon Canada’s legacy telecom rules?

telecom | 06/26/2008 6:28 pm EDT

Canada's incumbent telephone companies have renewed their call for less legacy regulation and greater reliance on market forces - just as the number of regulatory challenges reaches new heights and the chair of the CRTC calls for stronger enforcement powers. Canada's incumbent telephone companies have renewed their...

Silverback Media partners with Toronto retailers to create a mobile-enabled downtown

Media | 06/26/2008 2:08 pm EDT

Silverback Media and the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area have embarked on an ambitious plan to create a mobile-enabled downtown core, where customers use their mobile phones to choose a favourite restaurant, view menus, access coupons and follow an onscreen map to their destination. The first 25 retailers are...

Auction Day 22: Bragg pulls back; Globalive still very much alive

telecom | 06/26/2008 12:08 pm EDT

The prospect of long and expensive battles with incumbent telcos and Globalive Communications appears to have been too much for Bragg Communications. Today's bidding saw a significant shift in the company's strategy for Atlantic Canada.In Round 126, Bragg withdrew all its bids on the set-aside 10 MHz tier three D-band...

Auction Day 21: DAVE done bidding; Vidéotron makes unexpected move

telecom | 06/25/2008 11:32 am EDT

John Bitove's Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless (DAVE) appears to have locked up bandwidth in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction.The company, which also has the financial backing of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, hasn't placed a bid since Round 81 last Wednesday and has standing high bids on 10 properties worth $238 million. Some of its bigger and more important properties include Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, but DAVE also has southern and eastern Ontario covered as well as additional licences in parts of the Golden Horseshoe.The drawback for DAVE will be that it only has 10 MHz in all but three of its markets: Guelph/Kitchener, Niagara-St....

Auction Day 20: Vidéotron and Shaw fight for last pieces of puzzle; bidding tops $4 billion

telecom | 06/24/2008 3:04 pm EDT

Shaw Communications and Vidéotron were among the most active in the early stages of Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) auction, bidding on a wide range of properties in a number of markets. But as the bidding war approaches its end, the two companies appear to be going in opposite...

Auction Day 19: Globalive pushes auction windfall to $4 billion brink

telecom | 06/23/2008 6:19 pm EDT

Globalive Communications’ aggressive bid to become a near national competitor is pushing airwave licences to record highs in what has turned into Canada’s most expensive spectrum auction.At the end of Round 105, the Yak Communications owner had committed $457 million for 30 licences. And while the company has held...

Auction Day 18: MTS Allstream may be nearing the end of the road

telecom | 06/20/2008 11:09 am EDT

It appears as though MTS Allstream has reached price exhaustion for the 10 MHz D-band set aside licences covering Winnipeg and Brandon as the company relinquished 24 eligibility points yesterday, enough to cover those two properties. MTS used its final waiver in Round 90, leaving the company without any flexibility for the...

Auction Day 17: No end to auction in sight

telecom | 06/19/2008 11:51 am EDT

It’s time for a new prediction. Despite suggestions from some commentators that Industry Canada’s Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction could end this week, bidding looks ready to continue well into next week – if not longer. Based on activity and the level of intensity that new entrants are displaying against the incumbent wireless...

Use spectrum windfall to subsidize broadband for low income families: Goldberg

telecom | 06/17/2008 9:27 pm EDT

With revenue poised to hit a record $4 billion from Canada's AWS spectrum auction, more than twice as much as many had projected, the federal government should consider using part of this unexpected windfall to expand broadband Internet access through a tax subsidy to low income Canadians, the organizer of Canada's biggest...

CRTC chair supports moving spectrum licensing out of Industry Canada

telecom | 06/17/2008 8:26 pm EDT

The chair of the CRTC says the federal government should move on a two-year old recommendation by a blue ribbon telecom panel to transfer spectrum regulation from Industry Canada to the commission. The chair of the CRTC says the federal government should move on a two-year old recommendation by a blue ribbon telecom...

Auction Day 16: Bragg and Globalive change strategies

telecom | 06/17/2008 7:50 pm EDT

Atlantic cableco Bragg Communications and Globalive Communications seemed to shift strategies in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction. Bragg moved its 20 MHz target from the upper AWS band to the lower and Globalive withdrew bids on a couple of properties. The EastLink owner, which had been bidding heavily on the seven 20...

Auction Day 15: Pesky competitors not giving up

telecom | 06/16/2008 11:46 pm EDT

Canada's new entrant wannabe wireless operators aren't yet ready to throw in the towel in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless (AWS) services spectrum auction. Bragg Communications, Shaw Communications, Globalive Communications and Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless (DAVE) are still battling the incumbent wireless operators for bandwidth in...

Auction Day 14: SaskTel and MTS struggle to hit their auction target

telecom | 06/15/2008 6:40 pm EDT

Industry Canada's decision last year to give SaskTel and MTS Allstream new entrant status - and all the competitive benefits that go with that - hasn't give the former monopoly telcos the advantages they were likely hoping for in the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction. Even battles in their home territories have proven more difficult than anticipated.Despite being able to get control of the 20 MHz set-aside B-band licences in their respective provinces earlier this week, their fight to get this initial swath of AWS spectrum has been anything but easy. Their toughest foes have been other new entrants, Tough competition from other new entrants, particularly Shaw Communications...

Auction Day 13: Vidéotron stepping back from 40 MHz set-aside goal

telecom | 06/13/2008 1:46 pm EDT

It appears as though Vidéotron has given up hope on trying to acquire the 40 MHz of set-aside spectrum in its home province of Quebec. After several rounds of swapping standing high bidder status with Globalive Communications on the 10 MHz D-band properties of Bas du fleuve/Gaspésie, Quebec City, Chicoutimi-Jonquière,...

Weighing the pros and cons of a single Communications Act

Media | 06/12/2008 4:47 pm EDT

A former CRTC vice-chair and a veteran communications lawyer agree that Canada should consider the merits of merging current broadcasting and telecom legislation into a single, unified Communications Act. But they caution that such a move will require some serious soul searching in terms of policy objectives, and a...

Auction Day 12: Battles for small town spectrum take centre stage; auction revenue tops $3.5 billion

telecom | 06/12/2008 1:27 pm EDT

With the seesaw competition for Canada's biggest cities winding down, the final battle is underway for control of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum in small town Canada. While some fights still wage on for larger centres such as Quebec City, Montreal Ottawa/Outaouais, Winnipeg, Calgary and...

Auction Day 11: Industry Canada hastening auction end

telecom | 06/11/2008 11:22 am EDT

It appears as though Industry Canada is trying to bring about a quick end to its Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction with yesterday's decision to move to the third stage. Bidders will have to remain active on 100% of their eligibility points or  lose them. The move, which could see the bandwidth sale end this week, comes only two days...

Auction Day 10: Bidding activity picks up

telecom | 06/10/2008 11:09 am EDT

As expected, bidding in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction picked up speed on Day 10 with the change to second stage activity rules. The upswing in bidding, combined with the apparent attempt by many bidders to grab significant chunks of Canadian ariwaves, suggests we are heading for a last person standing scenario. The increase to 90% in the activity rule helped spark a flurry of bids with properties changing hands several times during Monday's bidding. Most notably was the action between Rogers Communications and several parties, including Bragg Communications over the 20 MHz A-band licences in Atlantic Canada, and then Shaw Communications, Telus Mobility and SaskTel in the West. Bragg, the owner of Atlantic cableco EastLink, also had multiple dance...

Increasing deregulation fuels rise in customer discontent, claims consumer advocacy groups

telecom | 06/09/2008 4:54 pm EDT

Two consumer advocacy groups say the increasing number of actions against the country's telecommunications service providers demonstrates they are losing touch with their customers. One of those groups - the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Centre (CIPPIC) - goes so far to suggest...

Auction Day 9: Bitove’s DAVE scales back ambitions

telecom | 06/09/2008 12:50 pm EDT

John Bitove and his money man Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen took a hit in eligibility points on Friday as Data and Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc. dropped 146 in Round 31 or about 30% of its remaining bidding eligibility. And it's only going to get harder for DAVE and the other new entrants as the auction heads into its second stage and bidders...

Auction Day 8: Shaw steps up fight for the West

telecom | 06/06/2008 11:25 am EDT

Shaw Communications Inc. is pushing hard to get as much spectrum as possible in the West and it's willing to take on provincial powerhouses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to do it. In Saskatchewan where the Roughriders are in a bit of a rebuilding phase after reaching the pinnacle of football in Canada and then losing their star quarterback, Shaw seems to...

Nortel partners with giant US cableco to expand SMB sales in North America

telecom | 06/05/2008 5:09 pm EDT

Nortel Networks is teaming up with Cox Communications as part of a new strategy that will see cablecos reselling Nortel products and services to their business customers.  The agreement, announced at the 2008 NCTA Cable Show, will establish Nortel's first Small Business Center in North America, opening new channels to...

Auction Day 7: Canada’s big three take the lead as more competitors drop out

telecom | 06/05/2008 11:06 am EDT

As bidding in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction works its way through week two, the country's Big Three wireless carriers - Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications and Telus Mobility - have risen to the top of the bidders list both in terms of money committed and numbers of standing high bids....

Auction Day 6: Bragg makes its move

telecom | 06/04/2008 11:11 am EDT

Round 19 saw a major development today in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction with Bragg Communications making the jump from the big properties to Atlantic Canada and small town Ontario. Report on Wireless had previously predicted that the parent company of EastLink was bidding on properties such as Vancouver, Toronto and...

Nortel’s carriers solutions VP sits down with Report on Wireless

telecom | 06/03/2008 8:40 pm EDT

Telecom industry analyst and consultant Mark Goldberg succinctly summed up last month's Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association's WiMAX conference in his closing remarks when he asked, "Why WiMAX? Why not?" Much has been written about the battle between LTE and WiMAX with proponents on both sides pushing...

Auction Day 5: New entrants stay in the race for ILEC spectrum

telecom | 06/03/2008 1:53 pm EDT

There is some speculation that new entrants bidding on incumbent wireless spectrum are only doing it to retain eligibility points for later battles, and if that is true, they aren't giving any hints and don't seem ready to launch forays for their intended targets.  Some have speculated that they are only doing this to...

VoIP, VPN not affected by DPI: Bell

telecom | 06/02/2008 5:19 pm EDT

Bell Canada has dismissed claims that its traffic management practices are negatively affecting other Internet-based applications such as Voice over IP and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). In response to several interrogatories from the CRTC relating to a Part VII filed by the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) in April, Bell explained that its use of deep packet inspection (DPI) technology is part of a larger network management initiative aimed at improving the network for end-users. The company acknowledged that its traffic management may have affected some applications, but noted that "most of these problems have been determined not to be related to the deployment of DPI."For VoIP and other Internet-telephony applications such as Skype, Bell explained that its...

Auction Day 4: Setting new records in auction haul, no signs of slowing down

telecom | 06/02/2008 4:08 pm EDT

The first week of bidding in Industry Canada's Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction has produced some early surprises, particularly the decision by MTS Allstream on Day Three to give up on becoming a national wireless providers and the resolve of other WSP wannabes Shaw Communications, Vidéotron ltée and...

Auction Day 3: MTS packing it in

telecom | 05/30/2008 11:24 am EDT

It's all over but the crying for MTS Allstream Inc. The Manitoba-based provider is now a two-bit player in the auction after dropping another 60% of its eligibility points during the seventh round of the auction. At the end of the third day of bidding, the company has only 309 eligibility points remaining, down from the 2,643 it started with, but...

Telecom Hall of Fame ramps up efforts to tackle telecom skills shortage

telecom | 05/29/2008 5:39 pm EDT

Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame is launching new initiatives over the next two years to encourage more university students to consider a career in telecommunications and information technology - one of Canada's largest industrial sectors. The efforts come at a critical time for the industry as the number of...

Auction Day 2: Pieces of the puzzle falling into place

telecom | 05/29/2008 11:20 am EDT

After four rounds and only two days, bidding strategies are starting to reveal themselves with new entrant wannabes seemingly conserving precious eligibility points by bidding on non-reserved spectrum. MTS Allstream, Shaw Communications, Vidéotron ltée among other wireless hopefuls are locked in a battle with the Big...

Craig Wireless expects Industry Canada to greenlight mobile WiMAX spectrum for BC

telecom | 05/28/2008 2:18 pm EDT

Craig Wireless Systems Ltd. expects final approval this summer from Industry Canada to use 2.5 GHz spectrum to launch a new mobile service in British Columbia, the company's top executive revealed at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association's WiMAX conference in Toronto last week. If approved, Craig Wireless could become the first in Canada to rollout a WiMAX network for mobile services in Canada. "We hope that within the next couple of months we can have that spectrum authorized for mobile and we'll figure out our launch plans from there," newly minted Craig Wireless CEO David Lazzarato tells Report on Wireless. Industry Canada had previously licensed this...

Auction Day 1: MTS bleeds eligibility points; Shaw goes head-to-head with wireless ILECs

telecom | 05/28/2008 11:57 am EDT

It didn't take long for AWS auction participants to reveal their strategies with two new entrant hopefuls going in opposite directions. MTS Allstream Inc. could be downsizing or adjusting its aspiration for new spectrum acquisitions, while Shaw Communications Inc. (1380057 Alberta Ltd.) appears...

AWS spectrum auction starts tomorrow: RoW to provide daily coverage

telecom | 05/26/2008 3:52 pm EDT

Industry Canada will kick off its Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum auction tomorrow and even before the bidding is scheduled to start, major developments are potentially affecting the outcome of the airwaves sell-off. Perhaps the most significant announcement came from MTS Allstream Inc., the Canada Pension...

Look to Fredericton for right approach to Muni-Wi-Fi: US analyst

telecom | 05/26/2008 3:42 pm EDT

The municipal wireless market has been rocked by recent decisions from EarthLink to shutter several high-profile muni-Wi-Fi deployments, including Philadelphia. But a wireless industry expert in the US says supporters should look to the City of Fredericton in New Brunswick for how a project can be successful....

Canada lags globally in offering hyperconnectivity

telecom | 05/22/2008 11:04 am EDT

Canada's slow pace in embracing hyperconnectivity - despite having solid wired and wireless communications infrastructures - means it is ill-equipped to serve a younger workforce accustomed to using multiple devices, multiple applications and a seamless network. That's the warning from Nortel Networks Corp. in a new study that should serve as a...

CAIP wants Bell to lift veil of secrecy surrounding traffic throttling

telecom | 05/21/2008 7:58 pm EDT

The Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) is calling for greater transparency in exactly how Bell Canada Enterprises is throttling bandwidth to wholesale customers.  Is the carrier only targeting music and movie downloads; are open-source peer-to-peer downloads affected; is Bell giving priority speeds to its...

“10 GbE is the nail in the coffin for fibre channel”

telecom | 05/21/2008 5:22 pm EDT

Storage networking is heading for change with fibre channel - the reigning king of gigabit-speed storage networking - going the way of the dodo bird. Why? Because 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is a far more compelling storage networking technology. High-speed storage networking allows organizations to better manage and...

Is AT&T crying wolf?

telecom | 05/20/2008 11:30 am EDT

Last month AT&T Inc. came out with a dire prediction: without substantial investment the Internet's current infrastructure will hit full capacity by 2010. It's no surprise that such warnings promote AT&T's corporate agenda: favourable regulation to ensure the revenue that could support such investment. From a Canadian perspective, however, the US operator's worries appear to be over-stated. "We are on...

CAIP says deal with Bell throttling separate from new media consultation

telecom | 05/15/2008 3:01 pm EDT

Still stinging from a defeat handed down by the CRTC yesterday, the Canadian Association of Internet Providers says the commission should settle its claim against Bell Canada separately from the larger issue of Net Neutrality and new regulations for new media. Tom Copeland, chair of CAIP and president of eagle.ca,...

BREAKING NEWS: CAIP loses first round of Bell throttling case

telecom | 05/14/2008 3:34 pm EDT

Small ISPs reselling Bell Canada's high-speed Internet service, under its Gateway Access Service (GAS) tariff, will have to live with the ILEC's traffic shaping practices for the time being. The CRTC denied a request from the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP) to force Bell to immediately stop throttling the Internet traffic of its wholesale high-speed ISP customers.  But the fight is not over and CAIP will have another round to turn the tide. In its ruling, the commission determined that the issue is considered serious and has outlined the process through which it will deal with CAIP's broader application requesting Bell cease and desist its traffic management practices. This process is to be made public tomorrow.   "Based on the record, the commission...