Tories courted Verizon to enter Canada: Rogers

The Conservative government courted Verizon Communications Inc. as a possible new entrant into Canada's mobile wireless market, Rogers Communications Inc. executives told The Toronto Star.

“Everything that they could possibly ask for, they’re doing for Verizon,” Phil Lind, regulatory vice-president and vice-chair of Rogers, told the newspaper during an editorial board meeting on Thursday.

Spectrum prices a key factor in Verizon entry: Analyst

Verizon Communications Inc. will be looking for a good return on investment and "reasonable prices" in Industry Canada's upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction as the company considers an entry into Canada, Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan said.

In a research note released Friday, Fan said Verizon sees its possible Canadian entry as “opportunistic and not 100% strategic,” adding that the company’s decision to expand to Canada could be based on return on investment.

Incumbents pushing for changes to 700 MHz auction cap rule

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. are lobbying for changes to the 700 MHz auction cap rule that permit foreign player Verizon Communications Inc. to purchase more spectrum than each of the three incumbents, said industry sources and Desjardins Securities analyst Maher Yaghi.

Glover the new heritage minister as Moore moves to industry

Canada’s telecom and media companies will be dealing with a familiar face as they plan for next year’s mobile spectrum auction, following former heritage minister James Moore’s move to the federal industry portfolio in a major cabinet shuffle.

Previously responsible for the CRTC and Canada’s broadcasting industry as the heritage Minister, Moore will now take responsibility for Industry Canada and replace outgoing industry minister Christian Paradis, who on Monday was named minister of international development and minister for La Francophonie.

Aziz met with Industry Canada the day Telus deal blocked

Wind-Mobilicity merger increasingly likely as debtholder vote postponed

A merger of Mobilicity and Wind Mobile looks more likely as news reports said Mobilicity delayed a debtholder vote on its recapitalization plan due to acquisition talks with Verizon Communications Inc.

“Verizon is probably one of the negotiating parties,” Macquarie Capital analyst Greg MacDonald said in an interview on BNN Wednesday, after the business news channel reported that Mobilicity, operated by Dave Wireless Inc., delayed its vote due to talks with Verizon.

We will ‘manage through’ conditions on Astral acquisition, Bell says

BCE Inc. will “manage through” conditions the CRTC put on the regulatory approval of the company’s $3.38 billion deal to acquire Astral Media Inc., said Mirko Bibic, BCE’s executive vice-president and chief legal and regulatory officer.

‘Very realistic’ Verizon entry a ‘game changer,’ analysts say

Verizon Communications Inc. is waiting to see Industry Canada’s new rules for spectrum licence transfers and is seeking clarification on the department’s rules for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds said.

In a research note released Thursday, McReynolds said there is an “increasing probability” that Verizon will enter Canada’s wireless market—a move that he said would be a “game changer” due to the company’s “significant resources and scale.”

Government answers more spectrum auction questions

Industry Canada has released additional information about the rules for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, answering three new “clarification questions” on its website Tuesday.

Aziz registers to lobby for Telus deal

One day before Industry Canada denied the deal, Dave Wireless Inc. board member William Aziz registered with the federal lobbying commissioner to lobby for approval of the company's acquisition by Telus Corp. as well as the deadline for companies to submit deposits for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction.

Paradis delays auction, says no set aside spectrum transfers to incumbents

OTTAWA, TORONTO—Industry Canada will block Telus Corp.'s proposed deal for Dave Wireless Inc.’s mobile spectrum, as well as any other proposal from an incumbent to acquire wireless frequencies set aside for new entrants, and will delay the department’s 700 MHz spectrum auction until early next year, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said.

Spectrum auction should protect Canadian jobs: union

Rules for the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction should include “commitments to Canadian workers,” said Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

"The sale of this highly coveted spectrum is a prime opportunity to protect Canadian telecommunications jobs from being moved offshore,” Coles said in a release Friday. "Industry Canada needs to add job guidelines to its list of non-monetary criteria for telecom companies wanting access to these public airwaves.”

Delays in 700 MHz auction process increasingly likely, analysts say

Delays in Industry Canada's spectrum auction process are looking more likely by the day, analysts said.

They said new wireless entrants will need more time to look at consolidation options after Industry Minister Christian Paradis announces changes to the rules for spectrum transfers, expected as early as this month.

Industry Canada clarifies 700 MHz issues

Industry Canada released answers to “clarification questions” the department received about its rules for the upcoming 700 MHz auction.

700 MHz auction rules mean some new entrants not expected to bid

Some new entrant wireless carriers are not expected to file applications to participate in Industry Canada's upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction due to regulatory restrictions on consolidation between auction bidders, industry sources said.

Industry Canada never intended incumbents to get set aside spectrum: Paradis

The federal Industry Department did not intend for incumbent telecom carriers to have access to wireless spectrum that was reserved for new entrants in the 2008 spectrum auction, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said.

U.K. auction of 4G spectrum raises one-third less than forecasted

The United Kingdom's auction of spectrum for fourth-generation mobile wireless services last month raised a total of 2.34 billion pounds, about a third lower than what the government had projected.

Department expected to rule on Shaw-Rogers spectrum transfer before Sept: Analyst

Industry Canada is expected to issue a decision before September on Rogers Communications Inc.'s bid to buy Shaw Communications Inc.'s AWS “set aside” spectrum, Scotia Capital said in a research note.

Spectrum auctions should focus on policy, not profits: PIAC

Efforts to maximize revenues should take a back seat to concerns about competition and other policy objectives during wireless spectrum auctions, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said.

Department consulting on rules for spectrum transfers, applies to Rogers-Shaw deal

OTTAWA—Industry Canada will consult on proposed new rules to regulate the transfer of spectrum licences in advance of a Nov. 19 auction of 700 MHz spectrum, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said.

Paradis meets with telcos in advance of final 700 MHz rules

Industry Minister Christian Paradis held a series of meetings with telecom companies over the past two months to discuss the 700 MHz auction rules and other industry issues.

According to interviews and records in the federal lobbyist registry, officials from Telus Corp., Rogers Communications Inc., Quebecor Media Inc., Wind Mobile, Sasktel, Public Mobile Inc., BlackBerry, and MTS Allstream Inc., have met with the minister since the new year.

700 MHz auction by end of 2013: Paradis

The federal government is committed to holding an auction for 700 MHz spectrum licences by the end of the year, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said in a television interview on CBC Wednesday.

“We are committed to go ahead with an auction by the end of 2013,” Paradis said on CBC’s Power & Politics with Evan Solomon. He said the government would announce its final decision on the auction’s rules and format “soon.”

Ofcom releases mobile spectrum results

Everything Everywhere Ltd. (EE), Telefónica S.A., Vodafone Ltd., Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., and a BT Group plc subsidiary will pay a combined 2.34 billion pounds for 250 MHz of airwaves following a U.K. mobile spectrum auction, Ofcom said.

In a release Wednesday, the U.K. regulator said Vodafone will pay 790 million pounds, or about $1.23 billion, for two 10 MHz blocks of 800 MHz spectrum and 65 MHz of 2.6 GHz spectrum following 50 rounds of auction bidding that began on Jan. 23.

Incumbents will be winners in 700 MHz auction: BMO

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. will be the “winners” of next year’s 700 MHz auction, beating new entrant carriers Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile for the most prized mobile spectrum, BMO Capital Markets analyst Tim Casey said in a research note.

New entrants not likely to carry iPhone before 2014, analyst says

Canada’s new entrant carriers are not likely to carry Apple Inc.’s popular iPhone smartphone before 2014 after their network configurations were shut out of Apple’s newly released iPhone 5, said Johanne Lemay, co-president of media and telecom consultancy Lemay-Yates Associates.

Industry Canada consulting on public safety 700 MHz framework

Allow regional carriers to share 700 MHz networks, bid separately in auction, Quebecor says

Industry Canada should allow regional wireless carriers operating in different parts of the country to share network infrastructure and bid in next year's 700 MHz auction as separate players, Quebecor Media Inc. said.

In reply comments filed with the department for its final consultation on the auction rules, Quebecor said Industry Canada must ensure the auction regulations avoid “a double standard whereby it encourages alliances among national players to the detriment of alliances involving regional players.”

March 2013 deadline to clear 700 MHz band: Industry Canada

Low-powered radio devices licensed to operate in the 700 MHz band must clear the frequency by March 31, 2013, Industry Canada said in a bulletin posted on its website Friday.

Telcos object to Industry Department’s ‘lawful intercept’ proposal for 700 MHz band

Canada’s wireless carriers and the national organization that represents them are raising objections to Industry Canada’s efforts to impose “lawful intercept” requirements on 700 MHz wireless networks as broader proposals for controversial lawful access legislation remain on hold in Parliament.

In a notice of consultation posted on Industry Canada’s website in April, the department proposed changing the intercept requirements for wireless networks that will use the coveted 700 MHz band the department intends to licence in an auction next year.

Telus-Bell spectrum sharing unfair, leads to larger, superior 700 MHz blocks: Rogers

Telus Corp. and BCE Inc.'s spectrum sharing agreement will allow the companies to combine their 700 MHz spectrum licensed in next year's auction and build superior 20 MHz blocks supporting fourth-generation wireless technologies, leaving Rogers Communications Inc. and other carriers at a competitive disadvantage, Rogers said in comments filed with the department.

Mobile operators need 300-500 MHz of spectrum by 2015: Report

Canadian mobile operators will need between 300 MHz and 500 MHz of mobile spectrum by 2015 to accommodate Canadians’ increasing use of mobile broadband devices and services, RedMobile Consulting said in a new report released by Industry Canada.

Public Safety asks for seamless roaming requirements

Wireless carriers should be required to provide seamless roaming handoffs for first responders who use wireless devices on public safety networks, Public Safety Canada said in comments filed with Industry Canada.

700 MHz cap regime lowers government auction revenues: Analyst

Industry Canada rules that cap each incumbent wireless carrier to a single block of “prime” 700 MHz spectrum will lower the federal government's proceeds from the auction to $2.6 billion, Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan forecasted in a research note to clients.

Paradis defends 700 MHz buildout requirements as ‘pretty aggressive’

Licence conditions requiring wireless carriers to build out some of the spectrum they acquire in next year's 700 MHz auction are “pretty aggressive” and companies that don’t meet the conditions will “just lose it,” Industry Minister Christian Paradis said at a Senate committee meeting Tuesday.

Caps on ‘prime’ 700 MHz spectrum, no foreign ownership rules for small players, Industry Canada says

RUSSELL, Ont.—The Conservative government will remove the foreign investment restrictions for small wireless carriers and cap the amount of “prime” spectrum licences that incumbent telcos can purchase in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction, Industry Canada said Wednesday.