MTS confused by two CRTC MAA rulings, considering appeal alternatives

telecom | 09/01/2005 4:00 am EDT

 MTS Allstream Inc. says it is confused by two recent CRTC decisions that deny the aligning of municipal access arrangements (MAAs) the company has with the cities of Toronto and Calgary with principles set out in the landmark Ledcor ruling (Decision 2001-23). Describing the recent rulings as "kind of barren of...

Role and responsibilities of Canadian telecom regulator being questioned

telecom | 09/01/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Certain groups and companies question the CRTC’s roles and responsibilities, suggesting the telecom regulator should give up the mantra of economic regulation. The comments come as part of the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel. Launched earlier this year, the panel is studying the current telecommunications...

ROW Update

telecom | 08/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Telus wheels out, flies out and gets pushyTelus Corp. and its mobile network operating arm Telus Mobility are busy in the wireless space these days. Last week saw four announcements from the companies. First Telus Mobility unveiled its Satellite-equipped Radio Cell Sites On Light Truck (SATCOLT – sic) system, a mobile WAN for emergency voice and data links, meant for emergency services like fire and police.  Next...

Canadians aware of parking payment via cell phone, but not interested in doing it

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Approximately one in six Canadians (16%) are aware that it is now possible to pay for parking with a cell phone in some Canadian cities and have the charges billed to their wireless accounts, according to a new survey from Decima Research Inc.  This is a relatively new phenomenon in Canada with the service...

Accidental U.S. roaming increases enterprise communication costs

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A Bell Mobility customer is upset with the way the carrier handles accidental roaming, a phenomenon whereby a U.S. cell phone tower picks up a Canadian cell phone signal in close proximity to the border. This causes extra charges on the customer’s bill.  According to a telecom overseer at Precision Drilling Corp., an oil fields services firm in Calgary, Bell Mobility refuses to remove the questionable charges from its invoices. Janice Vickery, Precision’s telecommunications specialist, suggests Bell’s current policy could jeopardize the business relationship the Calgary firm shares with Bell. Although located in the West, Precision has some employees in Eastern Canada. "I may have considered some more business with Bell in the future, but based on this...

Importance of pre-paid wireless picks up steam in Canadian market; net adds up

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Canada’s mobile wireless industry appears headed toward another stage of accelerated growth as the country’s three national operators reported gaining more than 400,000 new net subscribers in the second quarter alone. Q2 2005 now ranks as one of the quarters with the most net subscriber additions in the history of...

Vancouver firm In Motion deploys mobile Wi-Fi with emergency

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

 In Motion Technology has leveraged its relationship with Lucent Technologies Inc. and Cingular Wireless to secure a showcase application for its onBoard Mobile Gateway (oMG) server with American Medical Response (AMR).  The emergency services transportation company will install the oMG in its ambulances for use...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

CRTC launches consultation into mobile TVCanada’s telecommunications regulator has initiated a consultation seeking input on what is the most appropriate way to regulate mobile TV services, now launched by Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility. The CRTC wants to know whether the services fall under the New Media Exemption Order of 1999 or instead should be regulated under another mechanism. Comments are due September 12 and...

ROW People

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

Richard Zhang, president of CEC Mobile, has been appointed to Contec Innovations’ advisory committee. He will be based in Beijing, China. The announcement comes as Contec inks a memorandum of understanding with the China unit of a major telecommunication infrastructure company to evaluate the potential to market Contec’s Hornet product. CEC Mobile is a unit of CEC Group, a company that designs, assembles and markets...

ROW International Briefs

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wi-Fi to lead in new home deployments: In-StatNew research from In-Stat suggests that new home computer networks will be dominated by wireless local area network technology. The 640 consumers who responded to the survey said they are more likely to use the wireless home network for data-networking applications as opposed to consumer electronics applications. This presents a challenge for consumer electronics vendors, says...

Spectrum licensing deserves special attention from Telecom Policy Review Panel

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Broadband wireless operator TeraGo Networks tells the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel that it should pay special attention to spectrum licensing as a means to stimulate greater competition in the industry. The following is an edited excerpt of TeraGo’s submission to the committee.  From a policy...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 08/25/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  Report on Wireless isn’t normally in the business of making predictions so this editorial marks a departure from the publication’s bread and butter of analyzing public policy moves by the country’s regulators.  Here goes: it’s only a matter of time before we have a private label...

NL Update

telecom | 08/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Big features for the little guyBell Canada has a new IP-based service for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Known as Business IP Voice, this latest addition to the carrier’s IP portfolio provides hosted voice-data applications to help SMBs stay connected. It operates on any high-speed Internet service and offers the usual run of calling features (caller ID, call display, call forwarding and call answer)....

ROW Update

telecom | 08/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Strong subscriber growth figures for national carriersThe country’s three national wireless operators posted solid subscriber growth results for the quarter ended June 30. Rogers Wireless has 124,500 net additions for the second quarter with 8,000 being pre-paid and 116,500 signing up for post-paid plans. Bell Mobility faired better with 146,000 net subscriber additions. There were 29,000 new pre-paid subscribers and 117,000 post-paid subscribers. Telus Mobility recorded 131,100 net subscriber additions with 27,200 pre-paid customers and 113,900 subscribers signing up for post-paid plans.   Competition heating up for country’s youthCompetition for the largely untapped youth market is heating up as both Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility introduce new products. The mobile arm of BCE Inc. re-introduced a revamped Solo Mobile product with distinctly youth and urban flavours. It is targeted at the 13 to 24 age group. But, it wasn’t without controversy as some complained about the inappropriate nature of some ringtones...

NL Editorial

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  Bell Canada, TELUS Corp., SaskTel and Aliant Inc. have missed an important opportunity when it comes to overturning the CRTC’s VoIP ruling. It’s time for the telcos to stop talking about being saddled with too much regulation and shift their messaging to one focused on broadband access...

Industry Canada launches broadband over powerline technology consultation

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

   Industry Canada has launched a consultation into the use and regulation of broadband over powerline (BPL) technology. The department is seeking comment on the “specific industry standards and operational requirements that would be required if BPL systems were deployed. Moreover the department intends to take...

Major ILECs appeal VoIP decision, say economic regulation unwarranted

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The four major incumbent telephone companies launched a joint appeal of the landmark CRTC ruling on Voice over IP – a move that should take no one by surprise. They noted that the CRTC "got it wrong" when it opted to regulate in-territory ILEC VoIP services as traditional circuit-switched voice, while at...

Long distance could become indistinguishable from local: Lemay

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

 While the dropping of the $5-a-month long-distance plan by Bell Canada, and subsequently Rogers Communications Inc. and Vidéotron ltée, potentially signaled that the steady decline of long-distance calling was subsiding, it should be taken more as a delay of the inevitable.  "The long-distance market is...

Telephone directory company YP attacks Bell Canada for unfair practices

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

 YP Corp., a telephone directory company with operations primarily in the United States and which hopes to compete in the Canadian market, is attacking Bell Canada for what it considers unfair and anti-competitive commercial practices. The company, which also operates an online directory in the U.S. at yp.com and in Canada at ypcom.ca, wants the CRTC to order Bell to enter into a relationship similar to that provided to directory rival Yellow Pages Group Co. (YPG).  YP has tried for approximately a year to come to an arrangement with Bell to no avail. YP began negotiating with Bell in July 2004, and by April 2005 talks had stalled when Bell said it wasn’t interested in entering...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

Rogers in the blackRogers Communications Inc. says its revenue is up 29%, its profits are up 27% and it made $565,000 last quarter, which ended June 30. The Toronto-based communication service provider announced its Q2 2005 results late last month, claiming low churn among post-paid wireless phone subscribers, an increasing number of digital cable subscribers and more Internet service subscribers, as well as new local...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

Hosted voice services on the upswingNorth American businesses will boost sales of hosted and managed speech services to 15% year-over-year growth through the next four years, according to the IT industry observers at Datamonitor. In its latest report, entitled Voice as a Service, the New York-based research company says growth will be spurred by two factors: IVR vendors trying to stem sliding revenues by focusing on new...

TELUS’ workers union calls on federal labour minister to impose arbitration

telecom | 08/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

 For more than four years, the Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) has fought with TELUS Corp. over the establishment of a new collective bargaining agreement between the two parties. The dispute heated up earlier this month when TWU workers walked off the job or were locked out, depending on which side you talk to....

Department to issue recommendations on digital roaming in rural Canada

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A decision from Industry Canada on a framework to encourage digital roaming between small rural wireless operators and the larger regional and national carriers is expected to be issued very soon and could come as early as this week, Report on Wireless has learned. The ruling comes about 18 months after the department...

Phantom Fiber taking online gambling mobile with m-commerce software

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The world of online gaming, an industry expected to be worth approximately US$20 billion worldwide by 2010, is getting a major boost from a Toronto-area company untethering casinos, poker rooms and sports books from the Internet.  Phantom Fiber Corp., a three-year-old firm, has been making considerable inroads in...

Industry Canada licensing unassigned or returned PCS spectrum in rural areas

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

 In a move to get more licensed PCS services into rural and remote regions of the country, Industry Canada is now offering unassigned and returned PCS spectrum to all comers (DGRB-002-05).  Announced earlier this month, the department wants to dispose of 31 licences covering primarily unserved and under-served...

B.C. wireless industry hits $1 billion in revenue, shows signs of maturing: PwC

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

 British Columbia’s wireless industry has matured more quickly than many had expected, according to a new survey. The study reveals the province’s wireless sector has evolved over the past two years from one focused on product development to one in which making money and growing market penetration is key....

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

RIM reportedly in talks with chip-maker IntelResearch in Motion Ltd. is reportedly in talks with chip-maker Intel Corp. about a potential deal that would see RIM use Intel chips in future generations of its wireless email devices. According to reports, the deal would allow RIM to power its devices so that users could check emails and surf the Internet in hotspots. RIM is already testing a Wi-Fi-enabled BlackBerry, the...

ROW People

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

Rajiv Pancholy has stepped down as president and CEO of Mitec Telecom Inc. He joined the Montreal-based company in October 2002 and led a major restructuring of the firm that included the sale of Swedish operations. Despite the Pancholy-led reorganization, the company continued to suffer heavy financial losses. Long-time CFO Keith Findlay will take over as CEO on an interim basis. The company also announced that Stefano Bazzacchi has been appointed acting CFO. He joined Mitec in April 2005 as director of financial services.  SR Telecom Inc. has announced that Pierre St-Arnaud has resigned as president and CEO. He will continue to sit on the company’s board of directors. St-Arnaud joined the company as president and COO in 2000 and took on CEO responsibilities in April 2001. Under his leadership, SR Telecom diversified its product portfolio through the acquisition of Netro Corp. and the purchase of assets from Lucent Technologies. These acquisitions now account for two-thirds of the company’s overall revenue. He also played a key...

ROW International Briefs

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

Mobile TV to take years to become widespreadTwo major research firms doubt that mobile TV services will become popular among wireless subscribers. A new report from Forrester Research indicates that it will take a number of years for mobile TV services to become a reality in the United States and Europe. The research firm says that lack of consumer demand, combined with technical, handset pricing and usability issues will...

Canadian wireless industry group questions implementation of 511 system

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) raises some concerns with respect to an application from the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada requesting use of the 511 three-digit dialing code. ITS Canada wants to use the N11 number to provide weather and traffic information to the...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 07/28/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  With Industry Canada set to announce new rules governing digital roaming between rural wireless operators and their larger national counterparts, the small carriers can begin to invest in digital infrastructure without the fear of lost costs. That is, if they are able to sign agreements with...

NL Update

telecom | 07/27/2005 4:00 am EDT

Bell subsidiary rises to take Microsoft awardBell Canada’s recently acquired ERP integrator CSB Systems is Microsoft Corp.’s Outstanding Partner of the Year, so named during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference held earlier this month in Minneapolis. According to Bell, the manufacturing- and distribution-sector focused CSB won the award for its "comprehensive" telecom and IT service packages for...

Aastra Tech expands PBX business through acquisition of German company

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Toronto-based Aastra Technologies Inc. has inked an agreement to acquire the enterprise telecommunications business of German-based DeTeWe Deutsche Telephonwerks AG & Co. KG. The $51-million acquisition will allow Aastra, a relative newcomer to the PBX market, to strengthen current German operations, and to bolster business in France and in other parts of the European market.  This is the third acquisition Aastra has made to bolster its presence in the PBX market in the past two years. In September 2003, the company finalized a $35-million agreement to acquire the enterprise communications division of Ascom Holding AG, giving Aastra a footprint in the European market....

Telcos, wireless association question details of weather, travel info hotline

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Telecommunications service providers (TSPs) believe that they, and their customers, should not bear the brunt of the rollout and operating costs should the CRTC approve the Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada’s (ITS Canada) application to use access code 511 to provide weather and travel information...

Competitive providers continue to take share from U.S. incumbents carriers

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and wireless service providers in the United States continue to steal market share away from the incumbent telephone companies, recent figures from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal.  The FCC’s semi-annual local telephone competition report, released...

Bell to extend fibre network to Chapleau as test case for broadband connectivity

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Bell Canada and Nortel Networks Corp. are working together to bring broadband connectivity to Chapleau, a small community located about 320 northeast of Sault St. Marie ON. Announced earlier this month, the two companies in conjunction with the Town of Chapleau will study the benefits of broadband access over the next...

ClearConnect unveils VoIP bundle for business, promises major savings

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Last month Complete Technology Implementers (CTI) and newcomer ClearConnect International VoIP Services introduced the CTI VoIP Business Bundle. Reseller CTI, which is looking to expand its services across Canada and around the world, is banking that businesses will be enticed by the savings and the warranty offered by...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Bell, TELUS union battles go in opposite directionsThe seemingly unending collective bargaining battle between TELUS Corp. and the Telecommunications Workers Union continues to unfold. There doesn’t appear to be a resolution in sight with the only possible outcome being a strike by union workers. It could all come to a head on July 22, the date that TELUS has set to impose its most recent contract offer. The TWU has...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Global consumer VoIP usage doubles: Point TopicNew estimates from U.K. research firm Point Topic indicate that consumer usage of retail Voice over IP services has more than doubled in the past nine months. The company pegs the total number of global users at more than 11 million people, and that number jumps to 17.5 million when consumers using soft clients from companies such as Skype and VoiceGlo are added to the total....

NL Editorial

telecom | 07/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Project Chapleau, a broadband initiative between Bell Canada and Nortel Networks, isn’t a big leap forward in bringing high-speed Internet connectivity to rural Ontario communities (see story on page 5). It’s a big deal to the residents of the small town, 320 kilometres northeast of Sault Ste....

ROW Update

telecom | 07/19/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada announces availability of PCS spectrumIndustry Canada is now accepting applications for unassigned or returned PCS spectrum. The bandwidth covers primarily rural areas of Canada. The department has set aside the next year to license the spectrum with the first assessment date being September 16. It is expected that Industry Canada will only need to license the spectrum on a first-come first-serve...

TV-to-the-handset ranks lower than weather, traffic information in U.S.

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Americans don’t seem to be that interested in using their cell phones to watch television, according to figures released by TNS Telecoms. The research firm notes that cell phone TV service ranked lower than other wireless services such as weather and traffic information by a margin of two to one. According to the data, about 10% of Americans are interested in accessing television programming over their cell phones. Receiving weather and traffic alerts via text messaging rather than video came in as desirable by 20% of the survey respondents.   Households wireless features, service interests • 20% receive local weather and/or traffic alerts via SMS  • 18% download...

Bell Canada, Nortel team up on mesh network deployment in rural Ontario

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A partnership between Bell Canada and Nortel Networks Corp. to deploy and operate a broadband wireless mesh network is expected to enable residents, small businesses and government users in the rural community of Chapleau to benefit from the Internet economy. Announced on July 14, the two companies, along with the...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

BlackBerry under fire from rival software firmsResearch in Motion’s BlackBerry mobile email service is under attack from a number of competitors with the most recent assault coming from Good Technology Inc. and Seven Networks Inc. The two companies recently inked agreements with Sprint Corp. Good signed a deal with Cingular Wireless last month to sell the service. Good also has plans to adapt its mobile email software...

ROW People

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

Effective June 28, Bill Davidson, CTO of SAMSys Technologies Inc., will provide consulting services to the company on an outsourced basis and will no longer directly work for SAMSys. He will continue to assist the company on specific solutions and integration projects. Davidson will retain his seat on the board of directors. Mike Koch, VP of engineering, will take over Davidson’s RFID reader development...

ROW International Brief

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

Nokia to launch mobile TV trial in SpainNokia, the Finnish handset maker and wireless network infrastructure provider, is broadening the reach of its mobile TV trials to Spain. The pilot project, scheduled to begin in September, will use DVB-H technology. The trial is expected to be completed by February 2006. There will be 500 users in the trial all equipped with Nokia 7700 smartphones. Users will have access to a number...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  Industry Canada’s move to share spectrum in the 700 MHz band with the United States along the border is certainly a step in the right direction in providing critical resources to first responders and other public safety agencies. But as it stands today the spectrum is virtually useless until broadcasters on both sides of the border vacant the frequencies in question.  Canada and, in particular, Industry Canada has done little to encourage broadcasters to vacate this band. Sure, it’s not the Canadian way to force strict deadlines as the United States has done, but we’re talking about public safety. The recent bombings in London should serve as notice that American-friendly nations will be targeted.  Life changed after 9/11, and so should the way the Canadian government views national security and public safety.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hasn’t enjoyed any greater...

Industry Canada inks spectrum sharing agreement with FCC on public safety

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada has signed an agreement with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that calls for 24 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band (764-776 MHz paired with 794-806 MHz) to be used by public safety organizations on both sides of the border. The set-aside will only be for spectrum along the Canada-U.S....

Cell phone payment for parking first step to more use of handheld device as wallet

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Near field communication (NFC), an RFID-based development appears poised to revolutize the use of cell phones to pay for goods and services – an activity that has long been talked about, but has only just begun in North America. With NFC, handsets with an embedded RFID chip allow the transaction to be completed with...

Technical and channel lineup issues affect MobiTV’s Canadian launch

telecom | 07/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The delay in Rogers Wireless Inc. and Bell Mobility launching MobiTV’s video-to-the-cell phone service is being attributed to "technical" matters, but content issues also appear to be slowing things down. While MobiTV owner Idetic Inc. calls the delay primarily technical, an intervention by the Canadian...

CRTC’s fast, flexible response on Bell tariff shows VoIP framework workable: CCTA

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The recent quick approval of Bell Canda’s proposed tariff for its Digital Voice service bodes well for the incumbent telcos’ ability to compete flexibly for local telephone service, says the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association (CCTA).  On June 29, the commission approved Bell’s June 16 proposed...

Saskatchewan government appeals CRTC’s VoIP decision to federal Cabinet

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The Saskatchewan government on July 6 launched the first of what is expected to become many more appeals to the federal Cabinet of the CRTC’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) decision.  Maynard Sonntag, the provincial minister responsible for provincial government owned Saskatchewan Telecommunications...

Regulatory framework needed before local service deregulated: CLECs

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 CLECs urged the CRTC to adopt appropriate market criteria and institute a framework for the future before proceeding with any forbearance from regulation of local exchange services. While the Competition Bureau insists that forbearance is "critical to the development of competitive local phone services in...

TELUS spearheads opposition to CRTC plan to extend price regulation regime

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 TELUS Corp. is spearheading opposition to the CRTC’s plan to extend the current price regulation regime for a period of two years with a comprehensive and sometimes acerbic submission to the commission released last week. Already a vocal opponent of the extension, TELUS set out its objections to the decision in four...

Number portability not available across all VoIP providers’ operating territories

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Voice over IP providers, rushing to steal market share away from the incumbent telephone service providers, have found themselves a step behind their facilities-based competitors in offering local number portability (LNP). The ability to port an existing telephone number to a VoIP service provider is seen as one of...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

Alberta given 811 number for non-urgent health triageThe CRTC has approved an application by Alberta Health and Wellness to use the 811 number for a non-urgent health care triage phone line (Telecom Decision 2005-39). Many of the phone companies currently use the 811 number for customer service. MTS Allstream said it could stop using the number within 30 days notice of a similar service being established, and Bell Mobility and TELUS stated they needed six months from the date of the CRTC decision.  TBayTel indicated it could vacate the number in the fourth quarter of 2005, Northwestel Inc. by mid-2006, Aliant by the end of 2006, and SaskTel within 18-24 months of the decision. "The commission notes that the requested time frames to vacate the 811 resource vary from 30 days to approximately two years, with the average in the range of six to nine months," notes the CRTC in its decision.  "The commission considers that waiting for the (phone) directories to be updated and placing an intercept on 811, justify the...

NL People

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

Canadian cable TV and wireless telephony boss Ted Rogers has confirmed that he will definitely step down in 2008 as CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. But he said that he will remain with the company in some capacity. Rogers, 72, had previously delayed his retirement after saying he would pack it in when he reached 70. His contract was extened to 2006 and then 2008.  Brigadier General Glynne Hines has been appointed...

FCC commissioner Abernathy calls for lighter regulation of U.S. telecommunications industry

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner Kathleen Abernathy presented her thoughts on the proper role of federal regulation in the age of digital convergence on June 21 at the Progress and Freedom Foundation Digital Age Communications Act Workshop in Washington D.C. Below are...

NL Editorial

telecom | 07/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association (CCTA) is right to point to the interim approval granted by the CRTC for Bell’s Digital Voice tariff as a landscape-changing decision. More than a regulatory decision, the approval should signal to the industry that the focus must now shift...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

BelAir provides Wi-Fi access at Mexican resortBelAir Networks has partnered with Viasys Network Services to deploy the infrastructure necessary to provide Wi-Fi Internet access for guests and employees. The wide area wireless network infrastructure supplied by BelAir was ideally suited for this type of deployment, said the CEO of Viasys. "The company’s multi-radio, multi-service mesh architecture enabled us to...

ROW People

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wireless remote computing company Route1 Inc. has announced changes to its board of directors. Ian Currie becomes chair of the board, and Michael Doolan will head the board’s audit committee. Currie sits on the board of several Canadian firms and was previously managing partner and CEO of the law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain. Doolan is currently senior VP and CFO of Falconbridge Ltd., the world’s third largest producer of nickel. He has also held positions at other mineral producers. Doolan is joined on the audit committee by Stephen Koles, VP and GM of AOL Canada and Edward Boyd, an independent consultant.  Former head of Bell Mobility Michael Neuman has been appointed president and COO of EchoStar Communications Corp. Neuman fills the position at the U.S. number two direct-to-home satellite provider which has been vacant for more than a year. He will oversee day-to-day operations, focusing on financial and strategic initiatives. Neuman also previously served as BCE Inc.’s DTH arm Bell ExpressVU LP.  Greg Maffei, former...

ROW International Briefs

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Location-based services beginning to gather steam Two new research reports indicate that location-based services (LBS) are set to take off. Juniper Research notes that Asia Pacific will generate the lion’s share of revenue with Europe and North America coming in second and third, respectively. Juniper projects that mobile LBS (MLBS) will grow from US$1 billion by the end of this year to more than US$8.5 billion by the...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  Hearings into a proposed tariff on ringtones got underway this month with a coalition of wireless industry stakeholders and the Canadian record labels arguing that supplying ringtones to subscribers does not constitute a communication to the public by telecommunications. The coalition...

Mint expanding cashless payment options through use of RFID technology

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Toronto-based electronic transaction system developer Mint Inc. is about to launch the second stage of a massive three-phase pilot project involving 1,000 people using a wireless payment solution based on RFID technology. The first phase of the trial, says Frank Maduri , president of Mint, involved a card-based...

Ringtone tariff proceeding gets underway; opposition raises questions

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Hearings at the Copyright Board of Canada on a proposed levy against ringtone downloads began last week with a coalition of wireless interests and the record labels questioning the rationale behind Tariff 24. Wireless operators and other ringtone suppliers could be faced with lost revenue resulting from additional expenses...

Airborne Entertainment to benefit from acquisition by Japanese suitor Cybird

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Mobile phone content provider Airborne Entertainment has agreed to a $90-million acquisition by Japan-based Cybird Co. Ltd., a deal that was announced on June 21. Financial aspects aside, which were an important part of the deal for management and for the company’s venture capital partners, the deal-breaker, says...

Canadian Telecom Hall of Fame to honour heros

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Canada’s unsung telecommunications industry pioneers and heroes are finally going to get their due. Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame was established by Lorne Abugov, a noted telecom lawyer and senior partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and officially announced at the Telecom Summit on May 30 in Toronto.  "The Hall of...

Predicting the future of mobile phones in Canada: where are we headed?

telecom | 06/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The wireless industry in Canada gathered in Ottawa on June 8 to celebrate the first 20 years of mobile telephony in the country. Speakers reflected on the past, but also presented opinions on what the future might look like. Some mused about mobile telephony predictions expressed by key industry leaders in the early...

NL Update

telecom | 06/27/2005 4:00 am EDT

CRTC seeks opinion on using 911 information for Community Notification ServiceThe CRTC wants to know whether it is appropriate to permit “the use of information contained in the incumbent local exchange carriers’ emergency 911 databases for the purpose of providing a community notification service, and if so, under what circumstances and with what safeguards.” The commission issued Telecom Public Notice 2005-7 on...

Do-Not-Call list legislation to receive third reading in Parliament this week

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Despite public assertions to the contrary, there are strong indications that the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) may try to disrupt the smooth passage of Bill C-37 when it reaches the Senate committee stage. The CNA denies that it has any intention of stirring up trouble for the legislation, but a spokesperson for the lobby group is keeping details of its plans close to his chest.Proposed changes to the Telecommunications Act that would create a national Do-Not-Call registry for organizations and businesses using telemarketing have been tabled in the House of Commons, and according to sources will go to third reading without debate before the House rises. The Standing Committee on...

Canadian Telecom Hall of Fame to honour heros

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Canada’s unsung telecommunications industry pioneers and heroes are finally going to get their due. Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame was established by Lorne Abugov, a noted telecom lawyer and senior partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and officially announced at the Telecom Summit on May 30 in Toronto.  "The Hall of...

Utelcos to be treated like dominant carriers; result is greater competition

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Utility telecom companies say a decision by the CRTC granting them the same rights to inside wiring as dominant carriers will result in greater competition in the multiple dwelling unit (MDU) market. They are also praising the ruling as a step forward in facilities-based competition, though difficulties remain...

ILECs up effort to overturn 12-month no-contact provision in winback rules

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

The constitutionality of incumbent telco winback restrictions has come under heavy fire in recent weeks as a flurry of activity at the commission culminated last week in a Federal Court of Appeals (FCA) case filed by the ILECs. On June 13, TELUS Corp., Bell Canada and SaskTel filed for leave to appeal the matter to the FCA...

ITS Canada trying to harmonize 511 traffic/weather service with U.S.

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A consortium of public sector environment and transportation agencies led by Intelligent Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada) has asked the CRTC for permission to use the 511 three-digit access code to provide traffic and weather information, similar to what has been proposed for the N11 code in the...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

CRTC estimates cost of regulating telecomThe CRTC has estimated that it will cost approximately $24 million to regulate the telecommunications industry in 2005-2006. There were a couple of minor adjustments in the 2004-2005 period, which slightly affected the overall cost for the subsequent period. The commission notes that it will have to recover $24.1 million to regulate the telecom industry this fiscal year.   TELUS adjusts offer to TWU in ongoing battleTELUS Corp. has offered an addendum to the Telecommunications Workers Union in their long-standing collective bargaining dispute. Key parts of the addendum include a $10-million payment to the TWU pension plan; $8,000 lump-sum payments to Alberta-based technicians; variable pay increases to unionized employees in British Columbia; a commitment to reinvest savings resulting from the contracting out of non-core functions in the province where the savings originated. "Our offer is generous, provides job security, is affordable for shareholders, and gives the flexibility we...

NL People

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

Emergis Inc. has appointed Robert Comeau to the position of CFO, effective June 27. He is a chartered accountant with more than 24 years of financial and information systems experience in the technology industry. Comeau, who will be responsible for overseeing all of the company’s financial functions, is described as having a solid track record in strategic planning and corporate reporting, treasury and financing,...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

DSL providers catch 10 million new subscribers New data from Point Tropic indicates that DSL providers around the world captured 10 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2005. The figures were provided for the DSL Forum. There are now approximately 107 million DSL subscribers globally and this figure is expected to reach 115 million by the end of June 2005. In the quarter, the United States added more than 1.37...

NL Editorial

telecom | 06/23/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The 12-month no-contact period that the CRTC mandated with respect to winback rules needs to be revisited, not only with respect to traditional telephone services but also for emerging Voice over IP services. Four incumbent telephone companies – TELUS, Bell, SaskTel and Aliant – have all...

ROW Update

telecom | 06/20/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Tariff 24 hearing on TuesdayThe Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) will finally present its case calling for the implementation of tariffs on ringtones (Tariff 24) at the Copyright Board of Canada on Tuesday, June 21. SOCAN wants 10% of a ringtone supplier’s revenue, namely the wireless carriers, or at least 20 cents for each ringtone downloaded. A hearing was to have taken place...

UWB technology usage sparks opposition from Canada interests

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada could find itself in a difficult situation deciding on the technical rules governing the introduction of devices using ultra wideband (UWB) technology to the Canadian market. A consultation on the potential use of UWB communications devices in Canada has sparked considerable opposition from a number of...

Broadcasters question legality of mobile TV services under current framework

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

Plans by Rogers Wireless Inc., Bell Mobility and Look Communications Inc. to introduce mobile TV services could be scuttled if the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) gets its way. The three companies announced plans to introduce mobile TV services earlier this year.  In all three cases, the CAB is asking the...

SuperNet opening up opportunities for small WISPs looking to expand reach

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

 With the completion of the Alberta pan-provincial SuperNet project scheduled for completion this fall, significant opportunities have opened up for smaller wireless Internet service providers to expand their market reach without having to spend substantial amounts of money to reach multiple communities. Despite some...

Fatbanana stirring up competitive landscape with compelling offering

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Fatbanana Broadband Inc., a one-year-old wireless Internet service provider, is setting itself apart from the competition in Alberta. Not only is the Calgary-based firm building on its recent successes of providing broadband access to rural and urban customers, Fatbanana is about to embark on a wholesale business...

Pathcom Wireless, a 3.5 GHz spectrum licensee, begins network rollout in AB

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Cochrane AB-based Pathcom Wireless Inc., a winner in the 2004 spectrum auction of 3.5 GHz bandwidth, is now beginning to roll out its network and hopes to have a significant chunk of its licensed territories up and running within the next few years. In an interview with Report on Wireless, Pathcom president Chet Perry says getting out of the chaos band and obtaining some clean air was key for the company to move forward.  "We started in the Internet business (using unlicensed bands) back in 2000. Things went along swimmingly for a while, but as different consumer products started to show up on the scene, it, of course, became a nightmare. Then even the Wi-Fi that people liked...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

Inter-carrier MMS to launch on July 1: CWTAThe Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (PwC) announced on June 8 that inter-carrier multi-media messaging will go live on July 1. The announcement was made at the CWTA’s conference celebrating the first 20 years of mobile telephony in Canada. It was also announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been chosen to study and set the timelines for wireless number...

ROW People

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

Kasia Majewski has joined the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association as director of government affairs. Majewski was most recently a policy analyst at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.   Navigata Communications Inc. has named James Pitt as its president and CEO, effective July 18. Pitt joins the company from GT Group Telecom where he was most recently VP and GM of the eastern and Atlantic regions’...

ROW International Briefs

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

Nokia presents technology roadmap, new handsetsNokia, at its Nokia Connection events held in Helsinki and Singapore, presented highlights of its technology roadmap, introducing a vision of mobility that emphasizes human technology. During the two-day event, the company illustrated a common theme of delivering optimized user experience through new product introductions, and applications and services demonstrations. Nokia...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 06/16/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.  The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) should turn their attention to finding out how to make money for their members from mobile TV service rather than fight its introduction. Mobile TV has the potential to generate significant revenue for not only the wireless operator, which can...

NL Update

telecom | 06/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Two Nortel execs leaveNortel Networks Corp. has lost two key executives who were supposed to help rejuvenate the company after the telecom equipment supplier suffered through a protracted accounting scandal. President and COO Gary Daichendt and CTO Gary Kunis stepped down from their positions on Friday, June 10. Both Kunis and Daichendt were formerly with Cisco Systems Inc. during the company’s rise to become the world’s largest supplier of Internet equipment. Industry observers speculated in the days following the news that Daichendt wanted to divest of certain assets that Owens is in favour of keeping. PIAC seeks extension in price cap proceedingThe Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) wants the CRTC to grant an extension to file comments in the proceeding studying a proposed extension of the current price cap regime. PIAC says, among other things, that the current proceeding needs to address the issue of rebasing consumer prices. The consumer group notes in a brief filed with the commission that consumers are supposed to...

Bell responds to ISP concerns over surcharge associated with naked DSL

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Bell Canada is fighting back against claims that it doesn’t have the right to charge independent ISPs an additional fee per month for using loops to offer DSL services.  Mirko Bibic, chief of regulatory affairs at the telco, tells Network Letter that the company does in fact have the right to use the surcharge...

TELUS offering new security product to help secure enterprise customers

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 TELUS Corp. is touting a new security product as a competitive advantage in pursuing enterprise customers nationally, as well as an example of how it approaches threat protection in a more integrated fashion than its biggest rival, Bell Canada.  On May 26, TELUS announced the availability of its End Point...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

Position Paper PublishedThe Telecom Review Panel released its position paper this week and, as was expected, the panel has opened the debate on a very wide variety of issues.  Here are a few questions:  C.1 Is the allocation of governance and operational functions outlined above (i.e. policy development and law making, regulation, and network operation and service provision) appropriate for Canada? If so, is it...

NL People

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

Telehop Communications Inc. has appointed Ruth Batholomeusz as president and CEO of the company. Batholomeusz has been serving as president of the company since 2000. Also at Telehop, Barry Dixon has been appointed to the board following senior positions at Bell Canada, Bell Canada International and as senior VP of wholesale services for BCE Enterprises.  David Lloyd has joined micro-payments company Dexit Inc.,...

Regulating based on today’s reality, not on tomorrow’s promise

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 CRTC chair Charles Dalfen gave the closing address at the Telecom Summit held in Toronto at the end of May and the beginning of June. In his keynote, he talked about the importance of regulating based on reality, not based on the promise of tomorrow. The following is an edited excerpt of his presentation....

NL Editorial

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The battle being waged by a coalition of independent ISPs in Quebec and the ISP association stirs up connotations of a David and Goliath fight – the small under-financed ISP duking it out in a competitive market with a well-financed, deep-pocketed incumbent telco. Setting emotions aside, the...

Significant challenges lie ahead for Bell and TELUS to overturn VoIP decision

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Bell Canada and TELUS Corp. will face numerous hurdles in convincing Ottawa to overturn the CRTC’s recent decision on Voice over IP services, but a politically charged environment on the Hill around communications policy could provide the incumbent telcos a lucky break. Both companies announced their intention in...

Commission proposal to extend price cap regime upsets TELUS

telecom | 06/09/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The CRTC has proposed extending the current price cap regime an additional two years, saying the telecommunications services market hasn’t changed to enough to warrant a review. "The commission considers that the current regime is achieving the objectives set out in Decision 2002-34 and, as such, current...

ROW Update

telecom | 06/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

Bell deploys broadband wireless in AlbertaBell Canada is deploying AirPair Flex products from DragonWave over its fixed wireless network in Alberta. Benefits of the IP services include interoperability of communications devices, simpler provisioning, and greater serviceability, according to a news release. “Bell Canada is deploying an innovative network solution to strengthen and expand our existing IP broadband network in Western Canada. DragonWave’s products give Bell the flexibility to deliver services to our customers when and where they need them,” Stephen Wetmore, group president, national markets for Bell, said.Virgin lowers price of text messagingVirgin Mobile Canada is beefing up its competitive offers in the marketplace, introducing new text messaging pricing for its subscribers. Late last month, the mobile virtual network operator announced that Virgin-to-Virgin (V2V) text messages would cost only 5 cents. “Canadians are inexperienced at textual relations compared to other parts of the world, but there are still many who...