AWS-1 sale unlikely to set precedent for 700MHz: Canaccord

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. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Government consulting on public safety broadband network

The federal government is pledging $3 million this year and into 2018 to produce an analysis on a potential public safety broadband network (PSBN). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

Shaw best-positioned carrier, regardless of Liberal policy: Barclays

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, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday.

Quebecor in ‘no rush’ to get rid of 700MHz spectrum: Pruneau

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.

Wind hits 1M subscribers in first quarterly report since 2014

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 quarter, as the company assured analysts and shareholders on a conference call that its wireless strategy will take off as it launches an LTE network and obtains low-band spectrum in the future.

Shaw to keep Wind’s current strategy in place: exec

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.

In a wide-ranging phone interview with The Wire Report, Jay Mehr said Shaw plans to keep the same “strategy that Wind has been executing over the course of last year.”

Bell, Telus only winners in residual spectrum auction

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 AWS-3 licences, while the residual 700 MHz spectrum that was up for grabs went unsold — again.

Telus spent $58.3 million on six licences covering Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while Bell is on the hook for $206,063 for nine licences in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut.

Government approves all spectrum-auction applicants

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.

All incumbents sign up for next spectrum auction

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 of 700 MHz spectrum.

Rules set for next spectrum auction, applications due Aug. 6

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.

Set-asides, caps at issue in upcoming auction of unsold spectrum

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 should be kept in place.

Quebecor adds spectrum, still non-committal on national expansion

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 Quebec, in an auction for which results were announced Tuesday.

After Telus Corp., Quebecor was the second-biggest spender in the auction, acquiring 18 licences in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Industry Canada said the purchases increased Quebecor's spectrum holdings by 28 per cent.

More spectrum to be sold in August

The federal government announced Friday evening that it will auction off unsold portions of 700 MHz and AWS-3 spectrum this August.

Public safety spectrum set-aside raises questions: analyst

The federal government’s proposal to set aside more spectrum and spend $3 million next year to plan for a dedicated public-safety wireless broadband network, as detailed in the budget released Tuesday, has come under criticism.

Telecommunications analyst Mark Goldberg said in a phone interview this week that the set-aside of a further 10 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band for a communication network for first responders doesn’t make sense if the government doesn’t yet have a plan for what that network will look like.

Telus to invest $4 billion in B.C. through 2018

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it will spend $4 billion on infrastructure and facilities in its home province of British Columbia over the next four years, including $1 billion this year.

The company said in a press release that the investment will include the expansion of its fibre-optic network, as well as the addition of LTE to every wireless site in the province.

Bell extends LTE network in Ontario, Quebec

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday it has extended its LTE service to 120 rural and remote communities in Ontario and Quebec.

The company said in a release it aims to bring LTE connectivity to 98 per cent of Canada’s population by the end of the year, up from 86 per cent today.

Wind promotion seen as shot against Mobilicity

Wind Mobile's offer of free wireless service to customers of Mobilicity, with unlimited data, text and calls for six months, could be an offensive move to help clear away competition for set-aside spectrum in the upcoming AWS-3 auction, analysts say.

Unlicensed spectrum eyed for easing wireless capacity crunch

As data consumption by smartphone users increases exponentially every year, wireless technology companies are looking to harness the unlicensed spectrum normally used for WiFi connections to improve cellular performance.

AWS-3 auction set for March 3, consultation starts on 600 MHz

Industry Canada on Thursday announced March 3 as the date for the beginning of the AWS-3 auction and proposed policy changes to make 600 MHz, AWS-4 and 3500 MHz spectrum available for mobile use in the near future.

CRTC, spectrum auctions among major wireless issues for 2015: analysts

As the new year approaches, Canadian wireless carriers of all sizes await a CRTC decision on domestic roaming that could, in the words of one analyst, “disrupt” the industry with wide-ranging consequences for two upcoming spectrum auctions and beyond.

‘Foolish’ not to oppose government spectrum policy earlier: Telus lawyers

OTTAWA — Lawyers for Telus Corp. said Thursday they regretted the "foolish" decision to not dispute Industry Canada’s power over so-called deemed spectrum transfers when the department was consulting on what became its 2013 spectrum-policy framework.

Arguing before the Federal Court in Ottawa, Telus lawyer Michael Ryan said the company should never have accepted that a change in ownership for companies that own a spectrum licence is equivalent to one company handing over the licence to another.

LTE network top priority for new Wind CEO: Lacavera

As Wind Mobile’s chief operating officer, Pietro Cordova, steps into the CEO role vacated by Anthony Lacavera Monday, his top priority will be to put an LTE network in place, the outgoing CEO said in a phone interview.

“That’s obviously the No. 1 mandate for Pietro in the coming two, three, four years, is to roll out that LTE network so we’re offering 4G services to our customer base,” Lacavera said, noting that for that to happen, the company will need more spectrum.

Videotron says national wireless expansion depends on CRTC

GATINEAU, Que. — The CEO of Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron told the CRTC Friday that her company needs the regulator to lower the legislated rate for domestic roaming if it is to build a national alternative to the incumbent wireless carriers.

Manon Brouillette asked the commission to place its own cap on domestic roaming charges below the retail-based cap the government brought into force in June.

Buyout puts Wind on solid ground, says Lacavera

Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera says his $285-million buyout of majority shareholder VimpelCom Ltd., announced Tuesday, brings stability to his company after years of ownership uncertainty.

Lacavera will buy out the majority stake Amsterdam-based VimpelCom had in Wind for $135 million and assume about $150 million in debt thanks to support from a group of investors including Toronto-based investment firm West Face Capital, as well as U.S. investors Tennenbaum Capital Partners and LG Capital Investors.

Incumbents say AWS-3 set-aside unnecessary, bad for taxpayers

In newly released documents Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. all criticize the set-aside for new entrants in the upcoming AWS-3 auction, with Bell is asking the government to delay part of the auction for at least a year.

Videotron cites mobile TV as key in LTE launch

Four years after Videotron flipped the switch on a new wireless network, the carrier is launching an LTE network that president and CEO Manon Brouillette says will help the company deliver TV content to its mobile customers.

Videotron, owned by Quebecor Inc., was one of the companies that picked up set-aside spectrum in the 2008 AWS auction, and has been delivering HSPA service to the province of Quebec and the Ottawa region since September 2010.  

Rogers boss defends big spending on spectrum

Rogers Communications Inc.’s CEO on Tuesday said his competitors underestimate the value of wireless spectrum — something Rogers spent multiple times more money on than any other company in this year’s 700 MHz auction — though he added his company has some “dreadful” customer service that needs to be improved upon.

New technology promises to do more with less spectrum

A new technology that is part of the next generation of LTE could help wireless carriers more than double the speed of their networks and make the most out of their limited spectrum holdings.

Each spectrum band, be it PCS, AWS or 700 MHz, is subdivided into smaller chunks of paired and unpaired spectrum that are used by carriers to deliver wireless services.

One year later, could the wireless wars re-ignite?

Last summer, a conflict between the federal government and Canada’s three biggest wireless carriers, centering over rules around the 700 MHz spectrum auction and the prospect of a large U.S. carrier entering the Canadian market, reached a fever pitch.

Quebecor says it needs regulated roaming to become fourth carrier

Quebecor Inc. said explicitly Wednesday that it intends to become Canada's "fourth wireless competitor," though it needs "a fair and competitive federally regulated roaming policy."

The company made the assertion in a press release that was issued at about the same time as its CEO Pierre Dion was making the closing keynote address to the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto.

Wind seeks LTE spectrum from Shaw, Quebecor

TORONTO — Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera said Tuesday that his company needs access to LTE spectrum, perhaps from unused space held by Quebecor Inc. or Shaw Communications Inc., if his company is to continue to be a viable alternative to the incumbent wireless carriers.

Brian Mulroney nominated as Quebecor chairman

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney has been nominated to be chairman of Quebecor Inc.'s board of directors, according to a corporate filing the company made on Wednesday.

Mulroney would replace Françoise Bertrand, the chairwoman since March 2011, who Quebecor said in its filing has chosen not to seek re-election.

Telus to invest $130M in Manitoba

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it is investing $130 million to upgrade its infrastructure in Manitoba between now and 2016.

Wholesale roaming caps won’t solve problem: Wind

OTTAWA — Proposed federal legislation that caps wholesale wireless prices is a good start but “doesn’t solve the issue,” Wind Mobile co-founder and chief regulatory officer Simon Lockie told a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Lockie said the domestic roaming agreement his upstart carrier signed with Rogers Communications Inc. in 2009 in order to provide Wind’s customers with service outside a few major cities was "absolutely terrible.”

Spotlight on Quebecor after Telus reportedly ends Mobilicity bid

Analysts speculated Wednesday about the possibility of Quebecor Inc. stepping up to purchase Mobilicity following a report that Telus Corp. has withdrawn its offer.

Federal government’s approach to wireless has failed: study

The federal government’s meddling in the wireless market over the past seven years and its focus on bringing a fourth carrier into every region has failed to bring about meaningful competition, according to a new study from the Montreal Economic Institute.

The report’s authors, Martin Masse and Paul Beaudry, wrote that, in trying to promote competition, Industry Canada and the CRTC have ignored market realities and “lost sight of the ultimate goal of promoting the development of a dynamic, efficient industry.”

Government wireless policy blasted at telecom conference

OTTAWA — Participants at a conference discussion about the wireless industry on Thursday blasted the federal government for its approach in trying to bring more competition to the sector, and a consensus emerged that there is too much overlap between Industry Canada, the CRTC and the Competition Bureau in regulating the mobile-services industry.

Telus-Mobilicity deal to test government powers: expert

The $350-million bid by Telus Corp. for Mobilicity could set up a test of Industry Canada’s regulatory power over the sale of wireless spectrum and competition within the wireless industry, according to one expert.

Rogers gets going on 700 MHz deployment

Rogers Communications Inc. said Thursday it has deployed its new 700 MHz spectrum in parts of Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

Rogers said the launch of the spectrum means customers in these locations will have an easier time accessing the Internet and streaming video in spots that have typically had bad reception, such as elevators, basements and buildings with thick concrete walls.

Telus closes financing to repay auction debt

Telus Corp. said Friday it has closed a $1-billion offering of senior unsecured notes, which it said in a press release “will be used to repay bank indebtedness incurred to pay for the 700 MHz spectrum licences and for general corporate purposes.”

Wednesday was the deadline for payment for spectrum licences bought in the 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction, which began Jan. 14 and for which results were announced Feb. 19.

Use spectrum auction proceeds to improve Net access: OpenMedia

A group that promotes open access to the Internet said the federal government should use funds from the 700 MHz spectrum auction to improve accessibility to high-speed Internet in Canada.

In a press release issued Wednesday, OpenMedia.ca called on Industry Minister James Moore to use the $5.27 billion raised in that auction to counter what it called Canada’s “growing digital divide.”

Telus expands LTE network in Ontario, New Brunswick

Telus Corp. said Tuesday it has extended its LTE network to new communities in Ontario and New Brunswick.

It said in separate news releases that customers in Bradford, Ont., and Bathurst, N.B., would now be able to enjoy data speeds for downloads and uploads that are two to three times faster than the previous technology .

It said its LTE network now covers more than 30 million people, or about 85 per cent of Canada’s population.

Development on Mobilicity sale expected in ‘near term’

Mobilicity, the startup wireless carrier in bankruptcy protection, will have information to share on its efforts to find a buyer in the “near term,” according to a court document filed this week.

Industry Canada lobbied AT&T, too

It will go down in history as the great telecom lobby of 2013. BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. lobbied Industry Canada to change the spectrum auction rules favouring a foreign entrant, while Industry Canada lobbied for U.S. telecom giants to come into Canada.

Péladeau’s PQ affiliation could affect Quebecor’s fortunes: experts

Pierre Karl Péladeau’s decision to run for the sovereigntist Parti Québécois in the upcoming Quebec election could cause problems for the company he used to lead and of which he is still the controlling shareholder, marketing and government relations experts said.

Rogers closes $2.1B in financing for spectrum purchases

Rogers Communications Inc. said Monday that it closed about $2.1 billion in financing transactions, which it will use to fund its recent purchases of 700 MHz spectrum licences.

The company said in a release that the proceeds of the financing will be used to help “fund the 'beachfront property' — 20 year licenses for two contiguous, paired blocks of lower band spectrum — acquired in the recent 700 MHz spectrum auction."

Wind Mobile worth ‘more than zero’: Lacavera

Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera said it’s “business as usual” at his company following the decision by majority owner VimpelCom Ltd. to write down the value of its $768-million US stake in the Canadian wireless carrier.

In a financial filing on Thursday, Amsterdam-based VimpelCom said it had written down the full value of its 65 per cent stake in Wind, leading analyst Dvai Ghose of Canaccord Genuity to declare the company “all but dead” in a note to investors.

‘Undesirable’ spectrum now key to Rogers mobile-video plans

Rogers Communications Inc. shelled out billions in this year’s 700 MHz spectrum auction for what was once “second-class” spectrum and what could now be the most coveted wireless real estate in the country, according to Nordicity analyst Stephan Meyer.

Rogers spent $3.2 billion in the auction, the majority of which went to snapping up 20-year licences for contiguous A and B paired blocks of 700 MHz spectrum in every major wireless market in the country.

NextWave spectrum could revert to government after blocked sale

Industry Minister James Moore blocked a spectrum-transfer request on Thursday between NextWave Wireless Inc. and a joint venture between two of Canada’s incumbent carriers, a decision that could see ownership of the spectrum revert back to the government.

Companies bid for more than $7B in 700 MHz auction: report

Bids in Industry Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum auction topped $7 billion, according a report in the Globe and Mail.

Extension of creditor protection approved for Mobilicity

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Tuesday said it has approved Mobilicity’s request for an extension of its creditor protection until March 31.

Mobilicity seeks creditor protection until March 31

Mobilicity is seeking to extend its creditor protection until March 31, according to a report on the website of its court-appointed monitor, Ernst & Young.

The report from Ernst & Young, dated Feb. 20, recommends that the court approve this extension of the stay period, currently set to expire Feb. 26.  The document said the request is being made “in order to provide the Applicants with time to complete the Sale Process and bring forward a transaction or transactions for this Court’s approval.”

700 MHz auction ‘biased against regional carriers’: SaskTel

Ron Styles, president of Saskatchewan telecom services provider SaskTel, said Thursday that the 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction’s format was “clearly biased against regional carriers.”

A release from SaskTel noted that the company walked away from the auction that wrapped up Wednesday with one licence in the C1 band in Saskatchewan, for which it paid $7.6 million.  It said this will not allow it to expand LTE services to rural parts of its home province until devices for this band of spectrum become available in Canada.

Rogers spends billions on spectrum, focuses on A, B pairings

OTTAWA — More than half the money raised in the government’s 700 MHz auction of wireless spectrum came from Rogers Communications Inc., which invested heavily in two key blocks in regions across the country.

The company, which spent nearly $3.3 billion in the auction, avoided most of the prime C, C1, and C2 blocks of the 700 MHz spectrum to spend heavily on 18 licences for A and B blocks paired together regionally.

All told, the company walked away with 22 licences for spectrum blocks across the country.

700 MHz auction results coming Wednesday

Industry Minister James Moore will announce the results of the government’s 700 MHz spectrum auction Wednesday afternoon in Ottawa, the federal government said Tuesday.

The auction opened Jan. 14 and was a chance for wireless incumbents and new entrants to get access to new airwaves that would allow them to deliver the latest gadgets at the fastest speeds.

Moore backs down from four-carrier policy: CP

The Canadian Press reported that Industry Minister James Moore has backed off on the government’s commitment to having a fourth strong wireless carrier in every region of the country.

In an interview Wednesday, Moore said: “Whatever dynamic emerges that the marketplace can support, the marketplace will decide that.”

Former Quebecor exec registers to lobby on wireless

Former Quebecor Inc. executive Luc Lavoie registered in December to lobby the federal government on mobile broadband licensing, the federal lobby registry shows.

In a French-language registration filed with the lobby commissioner’s office on Dec. 12, Lavoie registered to lobby Industry Canada and the Prime Minister’s Office with respect to “Policy: Framework for licensing mobile broadband services.”

Bruce Telecom bid could hint at Eastlink’s spectrum intentions: analyst

Eastlink’s purchase of a small municipally-owned telecom provider in southwestern Ontario might indicate it intends to buy spectrum there in the 700 MHz auction that got underway last week, said Troy Crandall, an analyst with MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier.

Bragg Communications Inc., operator of Eastlink, has agreed to purchase Bruce Telecom for about $26.5 million, the company’s owner, the Municipality of Kincardine, said in press release issued Wednesday.

Rogers asks court to dismiss Telus challenge of spectrum-transfer rules

Rogers Communications Inc. is urging the Federal Court to dismiss Telus Corp.’s request for a review of Industry Canada’s new spectrum transfer rules and how they would apply to the potential acquisition of new-entrant wireless carriers, court documents show.

Wind auction withdrawal good for Feenix: experts

John Bitove’s Feenix Wireless Inc. could have access to prime spectrum at lower prices following the withdrawal of Globalive Wireless Management Corp., owner of Wind Mobile, from the 700 MHz auction that starts Tuesday, industry experts said.

Auction 2014 — What to expect

The long-anticipated 700 MHz spectrum auction begins Tuesday, Jan 14. Among the rules set out by Industry Canada, each of the three incumbents, Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc., are each only allowed to acquire one of the four prime blocks of spectrum in each of 14 designated regions across the country, which leaves at least one block open to another bidder.

Wireless sector facing ‘transition year’ in 2014

Carriers still finding their way under the CRTC’s wireless code will face the rollout of 700 MHz spectrum, potential new-entrant consolidation and the recalibration of domestic roaming rates in 2014, in what is poised to be a year of change, challenges and opportunities for the industry, analysts said.

“We expect 2014 to be a transition year for wireless,” RBC Dominion Securities analyst Drew McReynolds said in a note to clients in late December.

Telus loses bid to quash spectrum auction caps

Telus Corp. has lost its legal battle to overturn Industry Canada rules that limit large mobile providers to acquiring a single block of the most coveted airwaves in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction.

How scarce is wireless spectrum, really?

The auction for 700 MHz spectrum — for years the focus of much anticipation within telecommunications circles — is almost upon us.

In an age when wireless waves are a key part of the infrastructure that allows people to use the latest gadgets and services, spectrum has become an increasingly sought-after resource.

The wireless airwaves are the oxygen of the wireless industry, but some believe a perceived scarcity exists because of the way governments have managed it.

U.S. Senate committee mulls 600 MHz auction issues

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must do more to entice broadcasters to take part in an “incentive auction” of their broadcast airwaves if it wants to reallocate that spectrum for mobile use, the head of a U.S. broadcast coalition told American senators Tuesday.

Wind gains edge following Catalyst auction withdrawal: experts

Wind Mobile is the “big winner” of Catalyst Capital Groups Inc.’s decision to drop out of the 700 MHz auction in the absence of other potential bidders for the much-coveted airwaves in Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia, industry experts said.

“Wind should be opening bottles of Ontario wine this morning,” Iain Grant, a Montreal-based telecom industry analyst with the Seaboard Group, said in a telephone interview Thursday. “I think it’s very good news for Wind.”

Catalyst withdraws from 700 MHz auction

Catalyst Capital Group Inc. has withdrawn its application to take part in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, Industry Canada said.

In an updated list of auction participants posted on the department's website Wednesday night, Industry Canada said the private equity firm has withdrawn from the auction, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 14.

Telus fights 700 MHz spectrum cap at Federal Court

The federal industry minister has no right to determine the “eligibility criteria” for companies to participate in spectrum auctions in the absence of formal rules from cabinet, lawyers representing Telus Corp. argued in Federal Court on Tuesday.

Spectrum caps a ‘reasonable’ exercise of minister’s powers: government

Industry Canada’s decision to limit incumbent wireless providers’ access to the best airwaves in the upcoming 700 MHz auction was a “pure policy decision” and should not be subject to judicial review, government lawyers argued in documents filed in Federal Court this week.

Telcos should invest in think-tanks to help influence policy debates, Hunter says

Canada’s telecom companies should find new ways to invest in shaping public policy since they can no longer donate to political parties directly, said Lawson Hunter, counsel at Stikeman Elliott and a former head of the federal Competition Bureau.

Vecima, Corridor withdraw from 700 MHz auction

Two of the three small telecom companies who registered to bid in Industry Canada’s 700 MHz auction have now withdrawn from the auction.

Victoria-based broadband equipment manufacturer Vecima Networks Inc. and rural Alberta broadband provider Corridor Communications Inc. withdrew from the auction process, according to a list of fully qualified bidders posted on Industry Canada’s website Friday.

Unfettered access to 700 MHz necessary to meet spectrum crunch, Telus tells court

Telus Corp. continues to challenge the federal industry minister's power to impose caps in January's 700 MHz spectrum auction, arguing in court documents that there is no “viable alternative” to using the coveted wireless frequencies to ease wireless network congestion.

Applicants qualify for 700 MHz auction

Fourteen companies have been provisionally qualified to take part in Industry Canada’s auction of 700 MHz spectrum next year, the federal department said.

Who will step in to bid on a fourth prime block in Ontario, Alberta, or B.C.?

It’s been described as the most valuable wireless spectrum the federal government has ever auctioned off, yet few—if any—bidders are expected to try to acquire those airwaves in three of Canada’s most lucrative wireless markets.

Birch Hill withdraws from 700 MHz auction

Toronto-based private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners Management Inc. withdrew its application to take part in Industry Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum auction, Industry Canada said.

In an updated list of auction applicants posted on the federal Industry Department’s website Tuesday, Industry Canada said BH Wave Acquisitions Corp., a Birch Hill subsidiary, has withdrawn its application to take part in the January auction.

Smaller players to seek spectrum for mobile, fixed wireless services

Rural Internet service provider Corridor Communications Inc. will attempt to make the jump into mobile wireless if it can secure wireless airwaves during Industry Canada’s 700 MHz spectrum auction in January, the company’s chief executive said.

“What we are trying to do with 700 MHz is beyond fixed wireless,” Amir Bigloo, CEO of the Calgary-based company, said in a telephone interview. “Essentially that spectrum is for mobile.”

Bitove, Birch Hill and Catalyst register for 700 MHz auction

Companies owned by Mobilicity executive chairman John Bitove, as well as two private equity firms, registered for Industry Canada’s auction of coveted 700 MHz wireless spectrum, along with most of Canada’s mobile providers and three smaller telecom companies, Industry Canada said.

No foreign-owned companies registered.

None of U.S. big four registered for 700 auction: analyst

None of the four largest wireless providers in the United States has submitted applications to participate in Canada's 700 MHz auction, Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan said in a note to clients Wednesday.

Fewer speculators to bid in 700 MHz auction: analysts

Analysts expect to see fewer speculators participating in Industry Canada's 700 MHz auction following the passage of the deadline for deposits to participate.

"Unlike in the 2008 auction, where you might have gotten some speculation, I don't think you're likely to get a lot of speculators in this auction. The risk profile is now higher, given that you can't sell to an incumbent," Macquarie Capital analyst Greg MacDonald said in a phone interview. 

Telus ramps down campaign after busy August

Telus Corp. employees consulted federal public office holders 65 times in August, at the height of the company’s public relations battle with the government over the rules for Industry Canada’s upcoming wireless spectrum auction.

In registrations posted on the federal lobbying commissioner’s website, Telus said its representatives met with MPs, government ministers, senior bureaucrats and political staffers to discuss “Consumer Issues, Industry, [and] Telecommunications,” in a series of meetings in August.

Liberals hold wireless roundtable

Mobile providers and advocacy groups met at a Liberal party roundtable on Parliament Hill Monday to discuss the future of Canada’s wireless industry, one day before the deadline to apply to take part in a key auction of wireless airwaves.

Report urges more reliance on market forces for wireless

A new report commissioned by Telus Corp. said the federal government should relax its regulation of the mobile wireless sector to avoid harming investment in Canada’s wireless networks.

Four wireless competitors one too many for Canada’s market: report

New entrants to Canada’s wireless industry are doomed to fail due to a “natural limit” on the number of competitors the market can support, said a report by a University of Calgary researcher. 

Jeffrey Church, a professor in the university’s school of public policy, said in the report released Thursday that Canada’s wireless industry is not facing a “competition problem” and studies that suggest otherwise are looking at the wrong statistics.

Rogers’ new CEO coming from U.K. market to familiar auction territory

Guy Laurence, the head of Vodafone Group plc's U.K. division, will be in familiar territory in December when he becomes the new CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., a role that will involve dealing with a Canadian federal government unwavering in its pursuit of more wireless competition.

Laurence, 51, will become chief executive of Rogers on Dec. 2, replacing outgoing CEO Nadir Mohamed and bringing in 30 years of international experience in telecom, media, and pay TV, Rogers said in a release Thursday.

OpenMedia, executives urge Moore to help wireless startups

A group of 35 executives and digital entrepreneurs are joining with advocacy group OpenMedia.ca to pressure the federal government to provide more support for small mobile providers.

Tories respond, push wireless policy with departmental website

Wireless incumbents and the Conservative government continue to trade punches as the Industry Department pressed ahead with more public information about its wireless policy, putting a new interactive page on the Industry Canada website that aims to better explain its policy.

Telus launches court challenge of 700 MHz auction ‘eligibility criteria’

Telus Corp. has launched a second court challenge of the industry minister’s authority to regulate the wireless industry, this time aiming at the minister’s ability to impose bidding restrictions for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, court records show.

Analysts split on Verizon-Vodafone talks’ impact on Canadian market

Verizon Communications Inc. has resumed talks with Vodafone Group Plc to acquire a full stake in the companies’ joint wireless company in a move that industry analysts said could either assist or deter Verizon’s potential Canadian expansion.