TAGGED AS MTS
$43.7M in Connect to Innovate funds allocated for Manitoba
telecom | 01/09/2018 5:06 pm EST
The federal government will spend $38.5 million of its $500 million of Connect to Innovate funding to build backbone networks in rural Manitoba, according to a Tuesday press release.
Those backbone connections will “bring fibre to the majority of the 112 communities,...
Telus closes deal for 100K MTS subscribers
Media | 04/04/2017 3:41 pm EDT
Telus Corp. has finalized a deal it struck as part of BCE Inc.’s acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. to have 100,000 former MTS subscribers, or about one quarter of its postpaid wireless subscriber base, shift to Telus. The approximately $300-million deal closed on April 1, Telus said in a press release Monday. “All customers transitioning to Telus will keep their same phone number, and Telus will make sure that each new customer enjoys plans, rates and features that match or improve upon their existing MTS plan,” the company said in the release....
Bell’s scale advantage widening after MTS deal: Barclays
Media | 03/21/2017 4:18 pm EDT
The acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. expands the scale at which BCE Inc. operates, which is “becoming one of its most important competitive advantages,”...
Bell-MTS acquisition completed
telecom | 03/17/2017 4:12 pm EDT
The purchase of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. has officially closed, Bell said in a press release Friday. “Uniting the local and national strengths of MTS and Bell Canada, the new Bell MTS...
Jay Forbes leaving MTS
Media | 03/03/2017 9:24 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s president and CEO will leave the company following the closing of its acquisition by BCE Inc. MTS said in a press release Friday that Jay Forbes will leave after the deal closes on March 17. The $3.9 billion acquisition received...
Telecoms bond over stirring proposals to shake up call spoofing
telecom | 03/03/2017 7:18 pm EST
Technologies identified by the CRTC as potential tools to combat spoofed and nuisance calls have promise, but barriers to their deployment mean they’re not likely to be put in place any time...
Less government interference not positive for Shaw: Barclays
telecom | 02/27/2017 8:56 pm EST
Greater flexibility allowed by the federal government for market forces to shape the wireless industry would benefit most of the big players but negatively affect Shaw Communications Inc.'s Freedom Mobile, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. “While the Liberal government is maintaining the four-player wireless market structure introduced by the Conservative government a decade ago, it appears to allow greater flexibility for market forces to shape the industry,” Huang said in a Monday note, adding the government “appears less...
Bell-MTS deal receives final approval, includes Xplornet in ‘surprise twist’
Media | 02/15/2017 3:07 pm EST
The introduction of Xplornet Communications Inc. into Manitoba’s wireless market was a “surprise twist” to the story of BCE Inc.’s $3.9-billion acquisition...
CRTC gives go-ahead to Bell-MTS BDU licence transfer
Media | 12/20/2016 5:39 pm EST
The CRTC has granted approval for Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. to transfer its broadcast distribution licences to BCE Inc. as part of an overall $3.9-billion acquisition of the provincial provider. In a...
MTS looking for savings as it awaits Bell takeover
Media | 11/03/2016 8:32 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. will cut about 80 jobs to save about $7 million following a voluntary workforce reduction program “for certain employees who are not in customer-facing roles,” the company announced...
MTS asking to exempt ‘graphic’ channel from TV packaging rules
Media | 10/27/2016 8:20 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is asking the CRTC to exempt a television service from being offered in a package to meet the commission’s basic TV mandate later this year. The telecom...
Telcos unlikely to fully deploy FTTH: Desjardins
telecom | 10/25/2016 10:08 pm EDT
High fibre costs and advancements in technology are among the reasons Canadian telcos are unlikely to expand their fibre-to-the-home [FTTH] footprint beyond 60 per cent coverage, according to Desjardins Capital Markets. In...
CRTC’s lowering of HSA rates means small ISPs ‘free to innovate’: CNOC
telecom | 10/06/2016 8:00 pm EDT
The CRTC has set revised interim wholesale rates for high-speed access (HSA) services, criticizing large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for proposing “unreasonable” rates that were too...
CRTC consulting on MTS licence transfer to Bell
telecom | 08/30/2016 8:10 pm EDT
The CRTC said Tuesday that it wants input on Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s application to transfer its broadcast distribution licences to BCE Inc. as part of the proposed acquisition of MTS by...
Bell, MTS announce post-merger plans for Churchill, Man.
telecom | 08/29/2016 7:26 pm EDT
Gigabit-speed Internet will be introduced to Northern Manitoba under a BCE Inc.-owned Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., the companies announced Monday. The improvement in Churchill,...
CRTC allowing off-tariff GSM agreements, for now
telecom | 08/05/2016 8:50 pm EDT
The CRTC has determined that a hands-off approach to regulating roaming rates on GSM networks until it approves a final set of guidelines would not put smaller carriers in a negotiating disadvantage with larger ones. The regulator drew that conclusion in a decision on Friday, stating that negotiations on GSM roaming pricing are optional and if a smaller carrier does not agree with the terms, “ it can use a Commission-approved default tariff that contains rates, terms, and conditions that are just and reasonable.” In the meantime, “allowing off-tariff agreements...
MTS improves wireless churn, but still feeling double-cohort effect
telecom | 08/04/2016 8:26 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said it made improvements to its post-paid wireless churn for the third consecutive quarter, though its total wireless subscribers were still down from a year ago,...
MTS to offer Netflix on set-top box
Media | 07/14/2016 8:40 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecommunications Services Inc. will begin offering Netflix Inc.’s streaming service directly on its set-top box. The company said in a press release Thursday that the move “removes the...
Bell, MTS receive court approval for takeover
telecom | 06/29/2016 5:49 pm EDT
BCE Inc. and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. have cleared yet another hurdle in their quest to combine, as the deal has now received court approval from the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, according to...
MTS shareholders back Bell acquisition
telecom | 06/23/2016 4:25 pm EDT
The shareholders of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. have nearly unanimously approved its acquisition by BCE Inc. Of the just over 43 million votes cast, 99.66 per cent were in favour of the acquisition, according to...
Bell-MTS deal could pose regulatory risk for SaskTel: report
telecom | 06/20/2016 8:43 pm EDT
The biggest risk to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. in the wake of BCE Inc.’s proposed $3.9-billion takeover of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is the potential changing of the regulatory landscape, according to a provincially-commissioned analysis. The risk assessment and subsequent report, released Monday, was completed by Toronto-based Mark H. Goldberg and Associates Inc. and keys in on the reduction of facilities-based carriers, possibly leading to the federal government stepping in and incentivizing new entrants to the wireless market....
Wall prefers SaskTel sale over public offering: report
telecom | 06/15/2016 4:04 pm EDT
Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall told reporters he would rather sell Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. than take the company public and sell shares on the open market, Bloomberg...
Proxy advisors, Manitoba gov’t back Bell-MTS deal
telecom | 06/08/2016 5:50 pm EDT
An independent proxy advisory company has backed the takeover of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc., MTS said in a Tuesday press release. International Shareholder Services (ISS) is recommending...
MTS customers fear bill increases, unlimited data loss under Bell: poll
Media | 06/07/2016 6:48 pm EDT
Current Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. customers are concerned about the future of their bills if the proposed takeover by BCE Inc. is approved, suggest the results of a new poll...
MTS considered SaskTel merger, Telus and Rogers declined to bid
telecom | 06/02/2016 9:07 pm EDT
An information package for Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. shareholders sheds some light on the genesis of the proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of the company by BCE Inc., announced May 2. According...
61% of Manitobans disapprove of Bell-MTS deal: Angus-Reid
telecom | 06/01/2016 3:57 pm EDT
The sale of Manitoba’s largest telecommunications company is not sitting well with Manitobans, with 61 per cent stating they don’t approve of the deal, while only 21 per cent said it would...
Bell-MTS deal raised in Manitoba legislature
telecom | 05/27/2016 6:51 pm EDT
The proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. dominated question period in the Manitoba legislature this week, with the opposition NDP peppering the governing Conservatives...
SaskTel chooses company to conduct review
telecom | 05/27/2016 6:13 pm EDT
Toronto-based consulting company Mark H. Goldberg and Associates Inc. will conduct the third-party review of Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp., the company announced Friday. The review, launched in...
Bell-MTS deal weakens Rogers’ ability to compete: academics
telecom | 05/26/2016 9:27 pm EDT
In a submission to the Competition Bureau arguing that allowing BCE Inc. to acquire Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. would weaken wireless competition in the province, Carleton...
Bell, MTS announce Manitoban service improvement
telecom | 05/20/2016 7:36 pm EDT
BCE Inc. and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. made a high-profile overture Friday in their bid to join forces, announcing plans for a proposed merged operation to fill gaps in wireless coverage along a major north-south highway in the prairie province. The two companies, which announced earlier this month they had struck a deal for Bell to purchase MTS for $3.9 billion, said in a press release the acquisition would include an investment to “ensure continuous broadband wireless coverage along Highway 75, Manitoba’s main transportation corridor linking...
MTS Q1 revenues down on landline, wireless voice
telecom | 05/12/2016 8:43 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. reported a two-per-cent loss in revenues, earning $250.7 million in the three months ended March 31, compared to $255.9 million in the same period a year earlier. The company...
Competition Bureau wants input on Bell-MTS deal
telecom | 05/10/2016 4:32 pm EDT
The Competition Bureau is asking for comment on BCE Inc.’s $3.9-billion bid to buy Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., it said in a press release Tuesday. It made a form available on its website that both consumers and...
SaskTel embarking on review in wake of Bell-MTS deal
telecom | 05/06/2016 8:00 pm EDT
Faced with the prospect of becoming “an island in Western Canada” at the conclusion of the proposed Manitoba Telcom Services Inc. sale, Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. is...
Don’t ‘rubber-stamp’ Bell-MTS deal: NDP
Media | 05/05/2016 6:58 pm EDT
NDP MPs pushed the innovation minister to closely scrutinize BCE Inc.’s proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in the House of Commons Wednesday. Manitoba MP Niki Ashton...
Telus revenues up, profits shrink in Q1
telecom | 05/05/2016 6:42 pm EDT
Telus Corp. revenues increased by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, rising to $3.1 billion compared to $3.03 billion during the same period a year earlier, the company said Thursday. In a press release outlining earnings for the three months ended March 31, the company attributed the increase to continued growth in its wireless and wireline operations, which saw revenues grow by 2.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively. Telus also posted a profit of $378 million in the first quarter, though the net earnings were 9.1 per cent less than the same period a year...
Bell’s MTS purchase to boost competition: MEI
telecom | 05/04/2016 6:22 pm EDT
The $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. would increase competition in Manitoba’s wireless market, according to the authors of a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI)....
Bell Media reps face grilling on MTS at House committee
Media | 05/03/2016 6:40 pm EDT
OTTAWA — Parliamentarians hoping for answers to outstanding questions about Monday’s news that BCE Inc. had struck a deal to acquire Manitoba Telecom Services...
Experts say approval of Bell’s MTS acquisition likely
telecom | 05/02/2016 2:12 pm EDT
BCE Inc. announced Monday morning that it will purchase Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in a $3.9 billion transaction that, if approved, will see the number of players in Manitoba’s telecom...
Redirect voice subsidy to broadband, CRTC panel hears
telecom | 04/21/2016 9:37 pm EDT
GATINEAU, Que. — With the use of landlines declining across the country, the money collected for the provision of universal phone service should be reallocated to cover areas of the country underserved by broadband...
Deferral account-funded broadband expansion complete
telecom | 02/25/2016 10:12 pm EST
A $422 million expansion of broadband Internet services to underserved communities has been completed, the CRTC confirmed Thursday. In 2010, the regulator approved plans by BCE Inc., Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and Telus Corp....
Telecoms to feel economic headwinds: analyst
Media | 01/18/2016 7:33 pm EST
Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday that providers of telecommunications services in Canada will feel the effects of the struggling economy. He said in a research note that most of repercussions from things such as...
Forbes downplays potential MTS selloff after Allstream deal
telecom | 11/23/2015 9:38 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. CEO Jay Forbes on Monday downplayed the likelihood that the whole company could be sold in the wake of a deal to unload its business communications division, Allstream....
MTS revenue, profits down in Q3
telecom | 11/04/2015 9:58 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower revenue and profits compared to a year earlier. It said in a press release that revenue was down one per cent to $398.4 million for the three months ended Sept. 30. Net...
Liberals to be ‘less aggressive’ on 4th-player policy: analyst
Media | 10/20/2015 8:21 pm EDT
Canaccord Genuity analysts Aravinda Galappatthige and Sanford Lee said Tuesday that they expect a Liberal majority government, as elected Monday, to take a “softer pro-wireless new entrant stance.” They said in a research note that the previous Conservative government had “consistently pursued the idea of a fourth national wireless player” through policies such as spectrum caps and set-asides in spectrum auctions, expecting that more competition would lower prices for...
MTS seeks another extension on Classic TV alert compliance
telecom | 09/30/2015 5:30 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is asking the CRTC to grant its Classic TV customers another exemption from the regulator’s emergency alert rules, which would be in place until MTS is able to...
MTS puts LTE in 2 more rural communities
telecom | 09/16/2015 2:59 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Wednesday it has brought LTE to two more rural communities, making for 30 non-urban areas that have received this level of service so far this year. MTS said in a press release that the two new...
MTS seen as acquisition target for Bell
Media | 09/02/2015 9:26 pm EDT
A stock market analyst has speculated that an acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. is likely next year. A research note Wednesday from TD Securities analyst Vince Valentini said that with MTS set to sell off...
Kelvin Shepherd stepping down from MTS
telecom | 06/29/2015 8:59 pm EDT
Kelvin Shepherd is retiring as president of Manitoba Telecom Service Inc., paving the way for Jay Forbes to take on the roles of both chief executive and president, the company said Monday. Forbes became CEO at the start of this...
Competition Bureau seeks info on iPhone pricing from carriers
telecom | 06/15/2015 9:01 pm EDT
The Competition Bureau has filed applications in Federal Court seeking information from wireless carriers about how they set prices for Apple Inc.’s devices. The applications involve BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., Eastlink, Quebecor Inc., TBayTel Inc., Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp., Competition Bureau spokeswoman Gabrielle Tasse said in an email. They were filed “to provide written returns of information to the Bureau,” she said. In December, the Federal Court ordered Apple’s Canadian subsidiary...
MTS chops operations at Allstream
telecom | 05/07/2015 3:06 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Thursday that, following a strategic review, it will make cuts to staff and capital spending at its Allstream division. MTS's Allstream, which provides business communications services...
MTS lobbies senior federal officials
telecom | 03/10/2015 7:35 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. CEO Jay Forbes met with three cabinet ministers and the head of Canada’s telecommunications regulatory body over the last five weeks, according the federal lobbying registry. MTS chief...
Business market growth elusive for some telecoms
telecom | 02/03/2015 9:31 pm EST
Canadian telecommunications providers are looking to the business market to pick up the slack from the increasingly competitive consumer space, yet financial data from the incumbent service providers shows, in the opinion of one...
Enterprise customers ‘more demanding’: Allstream head
telecom | 11/25/2014 6:38 pm EST
MONTREAL — Business customers have become more knowledgeable about technology and more specific about their telecommunications needs, said Michael Strople, president of Manitoba Telecom Services...
Jay Forbes to become MTS chief executive
telecom | 11/17/2014 3:25 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Monday that Jay Forbes will replace Pierre Blouin as chief executive. It said in a press release that Forbes will assume the role on Jan. 1, one day after Blouin retires. Blouin's pending...
MTS Classic TV phase-out hastened by CRTC rules
telecom | 11/14/2014 9:07 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s first generation of IPTV service was already on the way out, pushed aside by a more technologically advanced alternative the carrier started in 2009, but CRTC requirements for participation in...
MTS financial numbers down despite more subs
telecom | 11/05/2014 9:51 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower third-quarter earnings and revenue, despite adding subscribers to its main retail categories. The company said in a press release that its revenue in the quarter was down...
Rogers ranked fastest Canadian ISP by PCMag.com
telecom | 10/10/2014 7:47 pm EDT
For the second year in a row, PCMag.com has named Rogers Communications Inc. the fastest Internet service provider in Canada. The online technology publication gave Rogers a score of 30.3, which is based on a compilation of...
MTS opens new network monitoring facility
telecom | 10/09/2014 3:38 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. has opened a new Winnipeg facility for monitoring and managing its network infrastructure, the company said in a press release Thursday. The Manitoba Network Operations Centre will also “act as a hub for innovation, knowledge and communications for MTS’s network operations personnel,” it said, adding that about 50 staff will work on the site. The facility will monitor network components including cellular sites, backbone fibre networks and routers, servers and firewalls, it said....
MTS announces agreement on pensions
telecom | 09/25/2014 6:05 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Wednesday it has reached an agreement with its unions and retirees regarding a pension plan that was in dispute following its 1997 privatization and was subject to a Supreme Court decision early...
BlackBerry launches Passport, new app
telecom | 09/24/2014 3:49 pm EDT
BlackBerry Ltd. launched a new smartphone, the Passport, on Wednesday, as well as an app that brings content from BlackBerry smartphones to computers and tablets. The Passport, revealed at a launch event in Toronto that featured...
MTS, SaskTel to carry iPhone 6
telecom | 09/15/2014 5:26 pm EDT
Two regional wireless carriers from the Prairie provinces announced Monday they will carry Apple Inc.'s new iPhone 6. when it becomes available on Sept. 19. Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and Saskatchewan...
Bell says rural broadband commitment fulfilled
telecom | 09/02/2014 7:06 pm EDT
BCE Inc. says it has held up its end of a 2006 deal with the CRTC by hooking up 112 rural communities to broadband Internet by Aug. 29. “Bell completed broadband service rollouts to all 112 communities in our deferral...
DiversityCanada granted fraction of costs claimed in CRTC proceeding
telecom | 08/15/2014 6:29 pm EDT
The CRTC said that four telecommunications companies must pay a portion of the costs incurred by the DiversityCanada Foundation during the CRTC’s consultation on the removal of a last payphone in a community, though less than half of what DiversityCanada was asking for will be covered. The organization had asked for costs of $11,512.44, “consisting entirely of external consultant fees,” the CRTC said on its website Friday. Telus Corp. filed an intervention in which...
Analysts, carrier question policy on AWS-3 set-asides
telecom | 08/06/2014 7:21 pm EDT
Analysts are split on the wisdom of Industry Canada’s rules for the upcoming AWS-3 auction, which appear to put valuable spectrum in two provinces out of reach for any carrier. The spectrum rules, detailed on July 28, set...
MTS posts lower profit on wireless weakness
telecom | 07/31/2014 2:19 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Thursday posted slightly lower profits in the second quarter of 2014 from the same period last year, with growth in broadband Internet and Internet protocol TV (IPTV) revenues offset by declines...
MTS expands LTE network in Manitoba
telecom | 07/21/2014 4:45 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Monday it has expanded its LTE network to Swan River, Man., which is about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. MTS said in a press release the service will provide download speeds of up to...
CRTC warns companies as rural broadband deadline looms
telecom | 06/06/2014 8:45 pm EDT
This week the CRTC warned three companies — Telus Corp., BCE Inc. and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. — about missing a late-August deadline for expanding broadband service to rural...
Allstream gets certified for Ethernet service
telecom | 05/26/2014 6:11 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Monday said its business-networking arm, Allstream, had achieved a level of certification for its Ethernet services to enterprises, and is the first national carrier in Canada to receive this...
MTS plans network upgrade for six communities
telecom | 03/07/2014 7:17 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said it will be launching a 4G HSPA+ mobile network in six rural Manitoba communities this year, giving around 4,000 residents wireless speeds that are up to five times faster than their current CDMA...
Dean Prevost leaving Allstream
telecom | 01/07/2014 7:46 pm EST
Dean Prevost, president of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s MTS Allstream business unit, will leave the company on Jan. 17. MTS said in a release Tuesday he would step down “in order to pursue other interests.”...
MTS expands fibre to Lorette
telecom | 11/15/2013 8:08 pm EST
MTS Inc. has extended its fibre-to-the-home service to Lorette, Man. The company said in a release Friday the rollout will give residents access to its IPTV service, MTS Ultimate TV, as well as its high-speed Internet plans. The...
MTS to provide WiFi to Winnipeg public facilities
telecom | 11/04/2013 10:03 pm EST
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. will provide WiFi to Winnipeg’s libraries, arenas, and other community facilities, the company said Monday. MTS said in a release it would invest approximately $2 million “to bring Wi-Fi to 350 City of Winnipeg locations.” It added the company currently has over 400 Wi-Fi hotspots in the province....
Allstream no longer for sale as Accelero deal the first blocked for national security
telecom | 10/09/2013 8:51 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is removing the “for sale” sign from its Allstream division following the Conservative government's decision to block its sale...
MTS expands DSL service in rural Manitoba
telecom | 08/02/2013 6:59 pm EDT
MTS Inc., a subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., expanded its DSL Internet service to Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, Fisher River Cree Nation, Brunkild, and Seven Sisters Falls, Man. The company plans to bring the...
MTS reports $52.9m loss in second quarter
telecom | 08/02/2013 6:55 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. reported a loss of $52.9 million in the second quarter of 2013 that ended June 30, mostly related to the discontinued operations of its Allstream business division. "After announcing the sale...
Strople joins Metro Ethernet Forum board
telecom | 07/29/2013 9:05 pm EDT
Mike Strople, chief operating officer of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s Allstream subsidiary, was elected to the board of international industry group the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), Allstream said. In a release Monday,...
MTS workers reach tentative agreement
telecom | 07/18/2013 9:37 pm EDT
The Telecommunications Employees Association of Manitoba (TEAM) Local 161 reached a tentative agreement on a revised collective agreement with Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., a release said. The union voted to authorize a strike in late June. TEAM members include MTS managers, sales team and other support staff, and its more than 1,000 members represent about one-third of MTS’ Manitoba-based workforce. Details on the ratification vote on the three-year agreement will follow, the union said in a memo on its website....
MTS workers authorize strike
telecom | 07/03/2013 9:14 pm EDT
About one-third of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s (MTS) Manitoba-based workforce voted to authorize a strike and could walk off the job in two weeks, the Telecommunications Employees Association of Manitoba (TEAM) Local...
Rogers looking for more wireless spectrum sharing deals to compete with Telus, BCE
telecom | 06/13/2013 8:04 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. said it aims to improve its competitive position against BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. through more wireless network sharing agreements, though analysts do not yet see potential...
Sawiris re-enters Canadian market with deal for Allstream
telecom | 05/24/2013 6:40 pm EDT
Former Wind Mobile backer Naguib Sawiris said he is re-entering the Canadian telecom market with a “long-term commitment” and the purchase of Allstream from Manitoba Telecom Services Inc....
Ontario communities look at repurposing broadcast towers for mobile services
telecom | 05/22/2013 5:53 pm EDT
Six Ontario communities are looking for partnerships with wireless carriers to launch or improve local mobile services using repurposed radio and TV broadcast towers, which could mean cellphone...
MTS to spend $40m on 2013 upgrades, expansion
telecom | 05/08/2013 8:03 pm EDT
MTS Inc. will invest $40 million this year to upgrade and enhance its telecom infrastructure in rural Manitoba, the company said. In a release Wednesday, MTS said the investment, which comes in addition to “normal operating...
MTS to expand fibre to Stonewall
Media | 04/25/2013 6:26 pm EDT
MTS Inc. will begin deploying its fibre-to-the-home FiON network in Stonewall, Man., this summer and expects the service to be available in the area later this year, the company said. In a release Thursday, MTS said its rollout...
MTS union objects to conciliation officer
telecom | 04/16/2013 8:19 pm EDT
Team-IFPTE Local 161, representing more than 1,200 managers working for MTS Inc. is “shocked” that the company’s chief negotiator asked the federal government to appoint a conciliation officer, the union said...
MTS wins contract from federal government
telecom | 12/21/2012 5:00 pm EST
MTS Allstream Inc. signed a “multi-year contract” to provide business IP and switched Ethernet services to the federal government through Shared Services Canada, the company said Friday. Shared Services is the...
MTS profits rise, reports larger customer base
telecom | 11/08/2012 10:15 pm EST
MTS Allstream Inc.’s profits reached $40.8 million in the third quarter of 2012, the company said Thursday. In a release, MTS said profits for the three-month period ended Sept. 30, 2012, was up from $37 million in the same quarter a year earlier. The company said earnings per share rose 8.9 per cent over the same quarter of 2011 to reach 61 cents. MTS said its postpaid wireless subscribers reached 400,442 in the third quarter, up 3.5 per cent from the previous year’s quarter. “At September 30, 2012, 53.5% of all postpaid wireless subscribers had data plans—up from...
MTS and SaskTel reach roaming agreement
telecom | 11/07/2012 10:07 pm EST
MTS Allstream Inc. reached a roaming agreement with SaskTel that “immediately” improves its HSPA+ wireless coverage in Saskatchewan, the company said Wednesday. In a release, MTS said its customers now have access to...
MTS rolls out fibre-to-the-home service
Media | 11/06/2012 8:45 pm EST
MTS Allstream Inc. launched its MTS Fion fibre-to-the-home network in Neepawa, Man., the company said Monday. MTS said in a release the new fibre optic network will bring high-speed Internet and MTS' IPTV service, Ultimate...
MTS turns on LTE in Manitoba
telecom | 09/25/2012 8:21 pm EDT
MTS Allstream Inc. turned on its fourth-generation LTE network in Winnipeg and Brandon, Man. at the end of August, the company said Tuesday. In a release, MTS said its new LTE network offers download speeds of up to 75 Mbps and...
MTS undertakes strategic review
telecom | 09/14/2012 9:25 pm EDT
MTS Allstream Inc. is undertaking a “wide-ranging strategic review” of its Allstream telecom business with an eye on appealing to potential foreign investors, the company said Thursday. In a release, MTS said the...
MTS grows bundled customers
telecom | 08/03/2012 6:53 pm EDT
MTS Allstream Inc. reported profits of $44.5 million in the three-month period ending June 30, down from $49.8 million in the same quarter a year earlier. In a release Thursday, MTS said earnings per share in the second quarter of 2012 rose 4.7 per cent to reach $0.67. The company said consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 1.8 per cent in the quarter, reaching $153.5 million. Operating revenues for the company’s MTS segment, which provides telecommunications services, reached $246.8 million in the second quarter of 2012, up from $243 million in the same period last year. “Wireless data revenues grew 24.8% in the second quarter of 2012, driving a 3.9% increase in year-to-date wireless average revenue per user (ARPU), to $60.34,” MTS said in the release. MTS said...
Telus, MTS so far met 30-60% of rural broadband obligations, Bell lagging, Katz says
telecom | 06/05/2012 7:04 pm EDT
TORONTO—MTS Allstream Inc. and Telus Corp. are leading in the rollout of broadband for remote communities under a 2010 CRTC directive while BCE Inc. subsidiaries Bell Canada and Bell Aliant...