TAGGED AS SPECTRUM
Spectrum buy to improve Shaw network, but benefits will take time: analysts
telecom | 06/13/2017 5:40 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that it has purchased 700MHz and 2500MHz spectrum from Quebecor Inc. for $430 million, in what Shaw described as “a significant milestone towards improving network coverage and quality across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.” The deal gives the company’s Freedom Mobile access to the low-band spectrum it has lacked until now. Iain Grant, an analyst at the Seaboard Group, said in an email that the deal will make Shaw’s challenge...
AWS-1 sale unlikely to set precedent for 700MHz: Canaccord
telecom | 06/12/2017 1:53 pm EDT
The sale last week of Videotron’s AWS-1 spectrum by Quebecor Inc. to Rogers Communications Inc. isn’t likely to have implications for the company’s 700MHz spectrum, according to Canaccord Genuity analyst Aravinda Galappatthige. Reflecting on the Friday deal, which saw Videotron’s AWS-1 Toronto-area spectrum go to Rogers with no government concessions, Galappatthige said that doesn’t necessarily indicate the same outcome for the company’s “most valuable spectrum block,” which he estimates as worth $561 million or more. The government is unlikely to “see the sale of...
Quebecor spectrum sale has ‘broad implications’: Barclays
telecom | 06/09/2017 11:56 am EDT
Quebecor Inc. has sold Videotron's AWS-1 spectrum in the Greater Toronto...
NGSO framework released
telecom | 06/06/2017 3:36 pm EDT
Applications for non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) systems will be accepted again as of June 26, following the release of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada’s new framework for licensing the low-earth orbit systems. In a decision posted online Monday, the...
ISED lays out 5G consultation paper
telecom | 06/06/2017 12:53 pm EDT
Innovation Canada has opened its consultation on releasing spectrum to support 5G wireless networks, Minister Navdeep Bains announced in Toronto on Monday. In a consultation paper posted on the department’s website, ISED...
ISED to consult on 5G, 600 MHz process to launch in ‘weeks’
telecom | 06/05/2017 4:42 pm EDT
TORONTO — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said Monday the government would launch a public consultation on “releasing spectrum to support the development and deployment of 5G mobile...
5G to be ‘crowded playground,’ conference hears
telecom | 05/31/2017 5:35 pm EDT
GATINEAU, Que. — New entrants and existing service providers that haven’t traditionally delved into the mobile wireless market could find opportunities to take advantage of 5G and available spectrum, participants of the Wireless World Research Forum’s 5G Huddle were...
ISED authorizes HPOD use in 5GHz band
telecom | 05/26/2017 4:41 pm EDT
Innovation, Science and Economic Development has released its decision on a consultation into high-power and outdoor devices (HPODs), which allows their use in the 5GHz band. The department said in a Thursday decision that...
Government consulting on public safety broadband network
telecom | 05/23/2017 3:47 pm EDT
The federal government is pledging $3 million this year and into 2018 to produce an analysis on a potential public safety broadband network (PSBN). The departments of Public Safety and Emergency...
Freedom debuts LTE in Calgary and Edmonton
telecom | 05/18/2017 3:18 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile has expanded its LTE network into Calgary and Edmonton, the company announced Wednesday. “The launch of our powerful new LTE network furthers our commitment to providing Freedom...
Lab to play ‘transformative’ role in wireless spectrum: Bains
Media | 05/08/2017 8:56 pm EDT
OTTAWA — The future of wireless spectrum in Canada won’t be about who holds the largest amount of it, but rather who wields it in the...
Bell touts good relationship with PMO: Barclays
telecom | 05/08/2017 7:58 pm EDT
BCE Inc. believes the company currently has a “good working relationship” with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to a note from Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang, written following meetings...
David McGovern moves to ISED
telecom | 05/08/2017 5:21 pm EDT
The former deputy national security advisor to the prime minister has been appointed to a position in the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), effective Monday. David McGovern will become...
Canadian, int’l satellite providers at odds on NGSO licensing
telecom | 04/24/2017 8:26 pm EDT
Canadian satellite companies are asking Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to ensure a level playing field with their international competition when it comes to the licensing...
CCSA leads March lobbying pack
Media | 04/21/2017 8:39 pm EDT
The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) led the telecom field for lobbying the federal government in March, logging 15 communication reports for the month, according to the federal lobbyists’ registry. Those...
Bell claims first launch of quad band LTE-A in North America
telecom | 04/20/2017 4:39 pm EDT
BCE Inc. said it is now the first carrier on the continent to have the capability of delivering quad band LTE-advanced service. “Also known as 4-carrier aggregation, Quad Band technology leverages multiple bands of wireless spectrum to boost top Tri Band LTE-A mobile data speeds” from 335 Mbps (with average download speeds expected to be between 12 to 100 Mbps) to 550 Mbps (expected speeds of 18 to 150 Mbps), the company said in a Thursday press release. Bell also said it has been able to implement an additional network enhancement, known as 256 QAM....
Scant evidence to oppose HPODs in 5GHz: telecoms
telecom | 04/19/2017 9:59 pm EDT
Canada’s largest telecoms said opponents of high-power and outdoor devices (HPODs) in the 5GHz frequency band have failed to provide adequate evidence against the move. Earlier this month, Canada’s major...
ISED releases timeline, allotments for 600 MHz transition
Media | 04/18/2017 8:16 pm EDT
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has released a schedule and details how it plans to shift the use of 600 MHz spectrum from over-the-air (OTA) television to wireless. ISED...
600MHz auction wraps in U.S.
telecom | 04/13/2017 9:21 pm EDT
A year after it began, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has completed its incentive auction of 600 MHz spectrum to be repurposed for wireless use. The auction, which ran March 29, 2016 to March 30, 2017, grossed $19.8...
Open 5GHz to HPODs before 2019: telecoms
Media | 04/04/2017 9:03 pm EDT
Canada should allow high-power and outdoor devices (HPODs) in the 5GHz band before the World Radiocommunications Conference in 2019 (WRC-19), Canada's major telecom companies said in comments to the Ministry of Innovation,...
Rogers adds towers, deploys 700 MHz in Kelowna, B.C.
telecom | 04/04/2017 8:40 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday it has improved its wireless service in the Kelowna, B.C. area. It said in a press release two new towers will provide better wireless coverage, adding it has also deployed its 700 MHz spectrum in the area. “Now, residents in the growing communities around Mount Boucherie and Upper Mission in South Kelowna, as well as people visiting Royal LePage Place, Jim Lind Arena, and West Kelowna City Hall, will have more seamless access to Rogers LTE service,” according to the release....
‘Sense of urgency’ for plan supporting 5G: Innovation Canada
telecom | 03/31/2017 8:48 pm EDT
Targeted funding, flexible spectrum regulations and national testing infrastructure are key elements to an effective rollout of 5G in Canada, Innovation Canada heard from stakeholders last fall....
Government consulting on non-geostationary satellite systems
telecom | 03/03/2017 9:28 pm EST
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) is consulting on licence requirements for non-geostationary satellite orbit systems (NGSO). In a consultation document released Thursday, ISED...
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...
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...
Government help necessary for connected car rollout: ISED
telecom | 02/14/2017 11:15 pm EST
OTTAWA — In order to roll out the infrastructure and technology necessary to make connected cars available across Canada, government funding will be needed, and it could be modeled after the...
Equipment, resources for 600MHz transition available: ISED
telecom | 01/30/2017 9:52 pm EST
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED), has responded to concerns about the availability of equipment and manpower that will be needed as Canada and the United States both...
Lametti, Casey take on Heritage, ISED roles
Media | 01/26/2017 8:23 pm EST
The Ministers of Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Economic Development have new understudies. In a Thursday press release, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a makeover to his roster of parliamentary...
ISED consulting on expanding use of 5GHz spectrum
telecom | 01/20/2017 7:38 pm EST
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is seeking comments on a proposal to allow the use of additional devices on 5GHz spectrum. In a consultation paper released Friday, ISED said the proliferation of...
Freedom to at least quadruple handset offering by mid-2017: Shaw
telecom | 01/12/2017 10:49 pm EST
As Shaw Communications Inc. released its first quarterly earnings report since rebranding its wireless segment to Freedom Mobile, CEO Brad Shaw said the company is looking to have a double-digit number of handsets available by mid-year, after some analysts pegged the company’s small handset roster as a potential limiting factor to its appeal. “I think when you look at the new network, one of the key things is handsets and handset availability,” Shaw said on a conference call with media Thursday. “Right now there are a couple handsets —I think...
Bell asks gov’t for 600 MHz revenue fund for OTA
telecom | 01/03/2017 6:15 pm EST
BCE Inc. is asking the federal government to use part of the proceeds from its upcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction for a revenue fund to support local television. In a submission filed in response to...
Compensate broadcasters for 600 MHz transition: RABC
telecom | 12/12/2016 10:21 pm EST
The Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) says broadcasters should be compensated for the cost of changing channels due to the repurposing of 600 MHz spectrum for wireless use. In a reply filed in response to...
‘Similar hurdles’ as U.S. possible in 600 MHz auction: Desjardins
Media | 12/12/2016 8:54 pm EST
The 600 MHz spectrum auction in the United States has again been delayed after bidders failed to meet minimum prices for spectrum, and Canada could see similar problems in its own upcoming auction,...
RuralCom becomes part of TNW with Investel acquisition
Media | 12/08/2016 7:41 pm EST
Investel Capital Corp., the investment fund that owns Téliphone Navigata Westel Communications Inc. (TNW), has acquired RuralCom Capital Corp., which it said is a “significant...
Canadians must be swayed first for gov’t to get on board 5G: panel
telecom | 11/30/2016 12:44 am EST
OTTAWA — Canadians need to see the value of, and get behind, 5G technologies before politicians can be persuaded to take action on helping launch the technology on a broad scale, a conference on the future of 5G in Canada heard on Tuesday. “There is very little trust of governments in IT projects…for politicians to get behind large-scale IT projects or large-scale adoption initiatives by governments on technology,” Scott Bradley, vice-president of...
Ontario approves self-driving car pilot
telecom | 11/28/2016 9:19 pm EST
Ontario is launching a pilot project to test self-driving cars, the provincial government said Monday. It noted in a press release that the province was the first in Canada to launch a regulatory framework allowing...
Robert Ghiz to lead CWTA
telecom | 11/28/2016 6:18 pm EST
Robert Ghiz, the former premier of Prince Edward Island, has been named president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), the organization announced Monday. Ghiz will officially take the helm Jan. 1. He has nearly 20 years of experience in government...
Limited handsets a concern as Wind rebrands: analyst
Media | 11/21/2016 9:41 pm EST
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Wind Mobile will be rebranded as Freedom Mobile and its LTE roll-out will come sooner than expected in two cities, the company’s CEO said Monday. The move comes despite some analyst...
Infrastructure, spectrum key to competition, lower prices: Bains
telecom | 11/17/2016 10:16 pm EST
OTTAWA — The quality of Canada’s wireless and wireline networks is a “significant strength,” but the country can’t rest on its laurels while others catch up, Innovation...
Wireless service for eastern regions with no cellular coverage launching
telecom | 11/08/2016 7:19 pm EST
Small Quebec telecom Télécommunications de l’Est says it is launching a first-of-its kind wireless service in remote regions of Quebec and New Brunswick that aren’t...
Wind won’t be as disruptive as T-Mobile, Krstajic says
telecom | 11/03/2016 12:02 am EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. reported revenues of $1.31 billion for the three months ended Aug. 31, an increase from $1.13 billion from the same quarter a year earlier, due to the addition of...
Wind’s reduced Ont. focus message to government: Huang
telecom | 10/24/2016 5:24 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. is putting less emphasis on growing subscribers for Wind in Ontario in favour of boosting its wireless network in Western Canada, according to Barclays analyst...
Shaw best-positioned carrier, regardless of Liberal policy: Barclays
telecom | 09/26/2016 6:47 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc. is “the one player in the industry who is very well positioned” regardless of the direction the Liberal government takes on wireless policy,...
Quebecor in ‘no rush’ to get rid of 700MHz spectrum: Pruneau
telecom | 09/22/2016 10:26 pm EDT
Quebecor Inc.’s chief financial officer Jean-François Pruneau said Thursday the company is content to wait to sell the 700 MHz spectrum it picked up in 2014 and never deployed, given its value continues to grow with time. He said he’s been in “discussions with all the parties,” both incumbents and new entrants, about the seven licences in Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia on which the company spent $233.3 million in 2014. It has since declined to expand into those areas. “My job is to create as deep a...
Videotron announces testing as 5G gains momentum in Canada
telecom | 09/20/2016 9:46 pm EDT
MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said Tuesday it will begin to test 5G technologies as part of a new project, in a move that appears to be part of an increasing push...
Shaw primed for Western success with Wind: RBC
telecom | 09/09/2016 4:32 pm EDT
Shaw Communications Inc.’s acquisition of Wind has potential for wireless success in Western Canada similar to that of Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron in Quebec, according to RBC Capital Markets’ Drew McReynolds....
Ice Wireless boosting northern LTE network
telecom | 08/23/2016 9:01 pm EDT
Ice Wireless, a subsidiary of Iristel Inc., said it is rolling out a HSPA/LTE network in 14 northern Quebec communities. A Tuesday press release from Tecore Networks, which supplies mobile network infrastructure,...
Appeal may follow dismissal of suit over Wind confidentiality breach: Catalyst
telecom | 08/22/2016 9:30 pm EDT
The Ontario Superior Court last week threw out a lawsuit involving allegations that an analyst tipped off a competing fund manager about the strategy behind its Wind Mobile acquisition. On...
Federal gov’t facing second legal battle over wireless wipeout
telecom | 08/05/2016 7:11 pm EDT
The Canadian government could end up fighting a war on two fronts over the previous government’s drive to have four national wireless carriers. According to a notice on the Global Affairs Canada website, on June 6 the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes registered an arbitration request from Egyptian telecom company Global Telecom Holdings S.A.E. (GTH) that “concerns GTH’s investment in Wind Mobile, over the period of 2008-2014.” GTH is claiming damages of “at least $1.32 billion CAD,” the notice said, over...
First Canadian 5G trial wraps up
telecom | 07/29/2016 2:56 pm EDT
BCE Inc. and Nokia Corp. have completed a trial of 5G technology, which they say is the first such initiative in Canada. “Conducted at Bell's Wireless Innovation Centre in Mississauga, the trial...
Wind hits 1M subscribers in first quarterly report since 2014
telecom | 07/15/2016 10:46 pm EDT
On Friday, Shaw Communications Inc. released Wind Mobile’s first quarterly results since it acquired the wireless company earlier this year, which showed revenues of $132 million for the...
FCC opens up spectrum for 5G
telecom | 07/15/2016 3:46 pm EDT
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened up 10.85 GHz of spectrum for the next generation of wireless networks, or 5G, the United States regulator said Thursday. That includes 3.85 GHz of licenced spectrum and...
Infrastructure, spectrum among obstacles for connected cars
telecom | 07/12/2016 8:41 pm EDT
Traffic on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to skyrocket over the coming years, and though vehicles will be part of that network, there are still a number of challenges, including...
SaskTel phasing out CDMA network next summer
telecom | 07/05/2016 7:27 pm EDT
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Tuesday that its Code division multiple access (CDMA) network is entering its last year. In a press release, SaskTel said CDMA-reliant devices would no longer...
First round of 600 MHz auction wraps up in U.S.
telecom | 06/30/2016 7:22 pm EDT
The first round of an auction in the United States to convert spectrum in the 600 MHz band from TV to wireless use has wrapped up, setting a price of $86.4 billion for 126 MHz of the frequency, the Federal Communications...
‘Separate silo’ approach to regulation wrong-footed in Internet age: report
telecom | 06/23/2016 7:08 pm EDT
Adjusting the existing legislation governing the telecommunications and broadcasting industries and putting more power in the hands of the CRTC could help address issues in Canada’s concentrated...
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...
ISED puts hold on licensing non-geostationary satellite spectrum
telecom | 06/16/2016 7:52 pm EDT
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has put a moratorium on the licensing of satellite spectrum used by commercial non-geostationary satellites. It said in a notice on its website Tuesday that the moratorium is effective immediately, and will last for at least six months, pending a review of current licensing procedures. Those procedures, it noted, “were developed prior to the increased global interest in large, complex [non-geostationary satellite orbit] systems.” The Wire Report reported last year that companies...
SCC decision backs Rogers, federal jurisdiction in telecom
telecom | 06/16/2016 5:39 pm EDT
A nearly nine-year spat between Rogers Communications Inc. and a Quebec municipality over the location of a wireless tower came to an end Thursday, with the Supreme Court of Canada handing the company...
Videotron’s Brouillette asks Liberals to keep 4th player policy for 600 MHz
telecom | 06/08/2016 6:20 pm EDT
TORONTO — The Liberal government should continue the previous Conservative government’s push for more competition in the wireless market in the upcoming 600 MHz auction, Manon Brouillette,...
Regulatory approval clause at centre of Catalyst lawsuit
telecom | 06/03/2016 8:33 pm EDT
The consortium of investors that bought VimpelCom Ltd.’s stake in Wind Mobile didn’t make the deal contingent on regulatory approval, a clause it was able to include because...
Innovation OKs Hunstsville, Ont. spectrum licence transfer
telecom | 05/13/2016 8:22 pm EDT
Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada has approved the transfer of an AWS licence in Huntsville, Ont., to BCE Inc. The department said Thursday that it approved the...
Wind upgrades Calgary network
telecom | 04/27/2016 8:36 pm EDT
Wind Mobile has completed a Calgary-area network infrastructure upgrade, the Shaw Communications Inc.-owned company said in a Wednesday press release. The “additional wireless spectrum now means better, faster network” for Wind customers, the release said, noting the Calgary work was the company’s second major western network upgrade. Upgrades to the Vancouver area were announced last year. Similar enhancements have now started in Edmonton, Wind said....
ISED approves spectrum transfers
telecom | 04/22/2016 7:17 pm EDT
Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada has approved the transfer of 83 WCS spectrum licences from Xplornet Communications Inc. to Telus Corp. ISED said in a decision Thursday that though the transfer means...
Opposition names new ISED critics
telecom | 04/08/2016 6:16 pm EDT
The Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development has a new Opposition critic after interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose shuffled her shadow cabinet Friday. According to a press release, Diane Finley, formerly...
ISED releases more fixed wireless spectrum
telecom | 03/18/2016 4:56 pm EDT
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is currently accepting applications for fixed wireless access (FWA) spectrum in 23 Tier 4 service areas across the country. According to an updated list the department...
Ministry was shooting for telecom spending status quo: report
telecom | 03/08/2016 9:32 pm EST
The new government's first financial plan is set to be revealed March 22, but a Treasury Board report tabled this week in the House of Commons gives a glimpse at where the government...
Satellite spectrum fees changing
telecom | 02/22/2016 10:17 pm EST
Lower fees for spectrum used for satellite communication will go into effect on April 1. According to a notice from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development published in last week's Canada Gazette and...
Shaw to keep Wind’s current strategy in place: exec
telecom | 02/09/2016 9:51 pm EST
As it takes ownership of Wind Mobile, Shaw Communications Inc. will continue positioning Wind as a cheaper option compared to the big three national wireless carriers, according to the company’s chief operating officer....
Shaw-Wind deal cleared by Competition Bureau
telecom | 02/05/2016 2:40 pm EST
The Competition Bureau said it wouldn’t stand in the way of Shaw Communication Inc.'s purchase of Wind Mobile. Shaw announced its plans for the $1.6 billion acquisition in December and on Thursday,...
Wind completes Vancouver expansion, begins Calgary work
telecom | 02/04/2016 5:30 pm EST
Wind Mobile announced Thursday it has completed its network infrastructure upgrades in Vancouver and has begun a similar expansion in Calgary. The company said in a press release that...
Shaw-Wind deal means no Rogers merger on horizon: analysts
Media | 12/17/2015 11:00 pm EST
Financial analysts said Thursday that the surprising move by Shaw Communications Inc. to buy Wind Mobile means any potential merger between Shaw and Rogers Communications Inc. won’t happen any time soon, though some maintained it’s possible in the longer term if the government is on board. Shaw announced Wednesday that it plans to enter the wireless market by buying Wind for $1.6 billion, with executives arguing that strategy was a better bet than if it had bought and deployed spectrum by itself at an earlier date. Canaccord Genuity analyst Aravinda Galappatthige said in a note...
Shaw says timing, current market dynamics made Wind deal attractive
Media | 12/17/2015 3:43 pm EST
The economics of entering Canada’s wireless market through the acquisition of Wind Mobile today are better than past opportunities Shaw Communications Inc. has had to enter the mobile sector,...
Shaw looks to enter wireless market with $1.6B deal for Wind
telecom | 12/17/2015 1:45 am EST
The Big Three may have just become the Big Four, as Shaw Communications Inc. announced Wednesday it is attempting to become a wireless provider by acquiring Wind Mobile. Shaw said in a press release...
Wind Mobile upgrades Vancouver area coverage
telecom | 12/15/2015 6:25 pm EST
Wind Mobile announced Tuesday that it is adding antennas and deploying new spectrum in the Vancouver area as an initial step in a cross-Canada network upgrade. "Wind customers in the greater Vancouver area are already...
Wind to launch LTE by end of 2016 with new financing
telecom | 12/10/2015 10:46 pm EST
Wind Mobile is looking to make LTE service available to at least some of its customers by the end of next year, after announcing it has borrowed $425 million to help it do so. On Thursday, Wind issued a press release that...
James Moore named UNBC chancellor
Media | 11/26/2015 6:16 pm EST
The University of Northern British Columbia said Thursday that former industry minister James Moore has been named its next chancellor. The Prince George, B.C.-based school said in a press release that Moore, who was industry minister for the Conservative government from 2013 until the new Liberal government was elected this year, and heritage minister between 2008 and 2013, will be sworn in as chancellor in May. Moore did not run for re-election in this year's federal election. The position makes him the ceremonial head of the school, with responsibilities that include handing out degrees at annual convocation ceremonies. The UNBC said Moore graduated from the school with a bachelor's degree in political science in 2001. The release follows an announcement from multinational law firm Dentons earlier this month stating that...
Trudeau tells Bains to boost broadband coverage
Media | 11/13/2015 9:34 pm EST
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has directed Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains to increase “high-speed broadband coverage and work to support competition, choice and availability of...
Industry Canada changes name
telecom | 11/06/2015 6:49 pm EST
Industry Canada will be known as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada under the new Liberal government, a notice on the Privy Council Office website indicates. The change matches that name given to the cabinet...
No more industry minister, Bains becomes innovation minister
Media | 11/04/2015 10:30 pm EST
Navdeep Bains, MP for the Ontario riding of Mississauga-Malton, was named minister of innovation, science and economic development on Wednesday, a post intended to replace what was previously the...
SaskTel deploys AWS-1 spectrum, increases LTE capacity
telecom | 10/19/2015 4:13 pm EDT
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Monday that it has successfully deployed a block of AWS-1 spectrum, increasing the capacity and speed of its 4G LTE network in nine locations in...
Bell, Telus only winners in residual spectrum auction
telecom | 08/27/2015 10:19 pm EDT
BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. were the only companies that successfully bid for wireless spectrum in an auction that finished Thursday for licences that went unsold in previous competitions. Bell and Telus split the available...
As OTA leaves 600 MHz, stations set for ‘difficult transition’: expert
Media | 08/18/2015 8:34 pm EDT
Industry Canada will repurpose the 600 MHz spectrum band for mobile use and collaborate with the United States on the move, which means at least some over-the-air (OTA) television stations will have...
Government approves all spectrum-auction applicants
telecom | 08/14/2015 2:20 pm EDT
Industry Canada has approved all six companies applying to take part in this month's residual spectrum auction, which deals with licences that went unsold in last year's 700 MHz sale and this year's AWS-3 auction. The...
All incumbents sign up for next spectrum auction
telecom | 08/12/2015 4:34 pm EDT
Canada's three national wireless carriers and regional players have applied to be part of the next spectrum auction, one intended to deal with licences that went unsold in this year's AWS-3 auction and last year's sale...
FCC expands unlicensed use of spectrum
telecom | 08/06/2015 7:27 pm EDT
The FCC announced Thursday it is adopting new rules to accommodate unlicensed use of devices in the 600 MHz spectrum bandwidth and TV broadcast bands, while protecting interruptions or interference it may cause with licensed TV services. The U.S. regulator said in a press release that unlicensed uses, including the use of garage door openers, cordless phones, products related to the Internet of Things (IoT), and others operating on WiFi or Bluetooth signals, were added to rules regarding these spectrum categories. FCC noted in the release that there might be less of what's known as TV...
Wind sells Manitoba, Sask. AWS spectrum
telecom | 07/31/2015 7:37 pm EDT
Wind Mobile has sold its AWS spectrum in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., stating the company plans to focus on the Ontario, B.C. and Alberta...
MTS revenue, profits down
telecom | 07/30/2015 2:56 pm EDT
Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. announced in its quarterly results a decrease in revenues, which totalled $398.3 million, compared to $403.3 the previous year. Net income was $10.4 million for the three months ending June 30, down from $28.8 million for the same period a year earlier. The...
Rogers deploys spectrum it bought from Shaw
telecom | 07/21/2015 8:48 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday that it is now using the AWS spectrum it purchased from Shaw Communications Inc. a month ago. The company said in a press release that the deployment is allowing Rogers to double the speed...
Government plans Spectrum Analytics Centre
telecom | 07/15/2015 6:57 pm EDT
The federal government is planning to create a Spectrum Analytics Centre by 2017, according to a new document on Industry Canada's website. The online document, titled Digital Canada 150 2.0, is intended to be an update of...
Rules set for next spectrum auction, applications due Aug. 6
telecom | 07/13/2015 7:53 pm EDT
Industry Canada's finalized rules for the next wireless spectrum auction have been published, as four unclaimed licences left over from last year's 700 MHz auction and this year's AWS-3 auction have been divvied up to create 18 licences up for grabs. The auction, which was first announced on the evening of Friday, May 1, deals with one licence for the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut that went unsold in last year's 700 MHz auction, and three unclaimed licences from this year's AWS-3 auction for that same northern region, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The final...
Rogers buyout of Mobilicity closes
Media | 07/02/2015 10:43 pm EDT
Rogers Communications Inc. said in a press release late Thursday afternoon that its acquisitions of Mobilicity and wireless spectrum from Shaw Communications Inc. have received all necessary approvals and are now closed. Both...
Rogers-Mobilicity deal sign of ‘benign’ regulatory environment: analyst
telecom | 06/24/2015 11:47 am EDT
Industry Canada’s approval of Rogers Communications Inc.’s bid to buy Mobilicity, as well a deal for Rogers to acquire spectrum from Shaw Communications Inc., signals an improvement in the...
Is government easing off on spectrum-transfer policy?
telecom | 06/22/2015 8:59 pm EDT
Speculation that the federal government is poised to approve the acquisition of Mobilicity and its spectrum by Telus Corp. or Rogers Communications Inc. has some observers disagreeing whether this would represent a major departure...
Set-asides, caps at issue in upcoming auction of unsold spectrum
telecom | 06/22/2015 8:41 pm EDT
Large wireless carriers are arguing for the elimination of set-asides and spectrum caps in the upcoming auction of unsold AWS-3 and 700 MHz spectrum, while smaller competitors say those measures...
Industry Minister James Moore leaving Ottawa
Media | 06/19/2015 5:53 pm EDT
Industry Minister James Moore said Friday that he will not run in this fall's federal election. Moore said in a statement posted to his personal website that he will finish his term as MP before "going home to British...
Who to lobby on spectrum: Policy Map
telecom | 06/12/2015 2:33 pm EDT
With demand for wireless spectrum on the rise, policy around the finite natural resource in Canada has emerged as a major government file over the last decade. Two spectrum auctions have already taken place this year, so far...
Xplornet CEO calls for 100% Internet penetration by 2020
telecom | 06/03/2015 5:24 pm EDT
TORONTO — Different government branches have their own goals for how many Canadians should have certain Internet speeds by certain dates; Xplornet Communications Inc. CEO Allison Lenehan raised...
Quebecor adds spectrum, still non-committal on national expansion
telecom | 05/12/2015 2:43 pm EDT
Quebecor Inc. is still publicly sitting on the fence when it comes to expanding its wireless service throughout Canada despite bidding $187 million on 2500 MHz spectrum, including for licences outside...
More spectrum to be sold in August
telecom | 05/01/2015 11:35 pm EDT
The federal government announced Friday evening that it will auction off unsold portions of 700 MHz and AWS-3 spectrum this August. According to a document posted on Industry Canada’s website, a sealed-bid auction is proposed for Aug. 25 with results being announced two days later. Industry Canada said in a news release that the auction will deal with one licence in the North that went unsold in the 700 MHz auction last year, and three licences that remained unallocated after the AWS-3 auction in March this year in the North, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It proposed removing the...