Brief
The CRTC has told the Competition Bureau it won’t be compelling telecoms to turn over a slew of detailed information the bureau was asking for — though the telecoms will effectively have to answer many of the same questions anyway, since the CRTC issued its own request for information earlier this month that covers much of …
Continue reading "CRTC says no to Competition Bureau request for information"
The CRTC will register a mandatory order with the Federal Court forbidding Quebecor Inc. from withholding the signal for TVA Sports from BCE Inc. subscribers — meaning that if Quebecor chooses to pull the signal again, it would be in contempt of court. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
Continue reading "CRTC issues mandatory order to keep TVA Sports available"
Gatineau, Que. — Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau was unrepentant as he justified his decision to pull the TVA Sports signal from BCE Inc. TV subscribers Wednesday, indicating to CRTC commissioners he wouldn’t rule out doing so again once a court injunction expires next week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
Continue reading "Bell calls for revocation of TVA Sports licence at tense CRTC hearing"
The CRTC’s new, consumer-focused policy direction doesn’t go far enough, according to smaller companies and advocacy groups, who told the government the proposed language is too flimsy, too open to interpretation by the commission, and is liable to be superceded in moments of ambiguity by its 2006 predecessor. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
Continue reading "Small telecoms call for more forceful language in policy direction"
Canada’s four largest wireless providers are asking the government to incorporate references to “investment” and the previous, market-focused policy direction in its proposed new directive, meant to foster affordability and consumer interests. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
Continue reading "Include ‘investment’ in new policy direction: big telecoms"
The Quebec Superior Court on Friday forced Quebecor Inc. to restore a TV signal for customers of BCE Inc. after it was pulled in the midst of a carriage fight, according to a Friday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "Bell gets court injunction on TV signal fight ahead of CRTC hearing"
The CRTC has told Quebecor Inc. executives to appear at a hearing in Gatineau Wednesday to explain why it defied the regulator and pulled the signal to its TVA Sports channel from BCE Inc. TV subscribers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "CRTC orders Quebecor to hearing next week over TVA Sports signal"
Quebecor Inc. has stopped broadcasting its TVA Sports signal following the 7 p.m. deadline the company set in a tense stand-off with BCE Inc. 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 …
Continue reading "Quebecor walks the talk, pulls TVA Sports signal from Bell"
An ad launched over the weekend depicting a fictitious version of the big three incumbent wireless providers gloating about high prices charged to consumers is another effort by Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom to rile up the industry, its president said on Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "Freedom says ads intended to ‘stir the market,’ induce churn"
The CRTC has created a new chief of consumer, research and communications position and named Scott Hutton, its current executive director of broadcasting, to the role. 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 …
Continue reading "Scott Hutton to take on newly-created role at the CRTC"
OTTAWA — Quebecor Inc. president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said Monday that he would yank TVA Sports from BCE Inc.’s TV service over carriage fees — and denied that doing so would violate CRTC rules. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Péladeau willing to pull TVA Sports signal in fight with Bell"
The Competition Bureau is mostly standing firm on its request to the CRTC to compel wireless carriers to turn over detailed, confidential information about their wireless operations, though the bureau said Friday it is willing to compromise on some aspects of the original request. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
Continue reading "Competition Bureau doubles down on wireless carrier info requests"
OTTAWA — Conservative New Brunswick senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen said Thursday the CRTC should require internet service providers (ISPs) to serve rural and remote Canadians — without the need for government money. 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 …
Continue reading "ISPs shouldn’t need government funding for rural builds, senator says"
The CRTC wants to know whether the Vancouver radio market can sustain another radio station, after it received an application from Rogers Communications Inc. for a new broadcasting licence. 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 …
Continue reading "CRTC consulting on Vancouver radio market capacity"
The $10 fees on some customer service calls and chats that have been in the headlines in recent weeks may be against the Wireless Code, according to the CRTC. 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 …
Continue reading "CRTC wants answers on $10 customer service interaction fees"
A request from the Competition Bureau asking the CRTC to require telecoms to disclose detailed, confidential information about their wireless operations is unreasonable, BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. are arguing. 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 …
Continue reading "Competition Bureau attempting to ‘hijack’ CRTC process, telecoms say"
There should be a mechanism in place to help resolve disputes between small ISPs and incumbents, an organization representing wireless internet service providers told the panel in charge of reviewing Canada’s broadcasting and telecommunications legislation. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "CanWISP asks BTLR for help solving disagreements with incumbents"
The CRTC wants to update both its Canadian Programming Expenditure policy and its annual broadcasting survey to reflect the growth of streaming and other digital options and is asking for input on how to do so. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "CRTC asks whether streaming spending should count toward CPE"
GATINEAU, Que. — The CRTC is looking at a “late spring, early summer” timeframe to ask for applications for its $750-million Broadband Fund, its executive director of telecom said on Wednesday. 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 …
Continue reading "Broadband Fund applications call expected for late spring or early summer"
BCE Inc.’s media division is asking the CRTC to allow it to shutter 28 of its rebroadcasting transmitters that it says “generate no incremental revenue and attract little to no viewership.” 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 …
Continue reading "Bell asks to shut down 28 rebroadcasting transmitters"
The Liberal government should expect some amount of industry opposition against the wording of the government’s new, consumer-focused CRTC policy direction and the regulator’s new pro-MVNO stance, according to some industry-watchers and insiders. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "Expect industry pushback on new CRTC directive, MVNOs: experts"
The CRTC has quietly informed wholesale-based internet service providers they will be able to continue offering speeds faster than 100 Mbps under the old aggregated wholesale regime, a measure small ISPs have been clamouring for months. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "CRTC lifts 100 Mbps wholesale internet speed cap – for now"
The CRTC has decided the Timmins, Ontario commercial radio market can’t sustain another station, rejecting an application by Vista Radio Ltd. for another broadcasting licence. 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 …
Continue reading "CRTC rejects Vista’s bid for a new radio station in Timmins"
As the Liberal government unveils its last budget before the upcoming federal election, companies and industry groups will be watching to see if this is the year they’re finally granted some of the requests they’ve been making for years. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
Continue reading "Rural broadband, new tax rules among industry pre-budget asks"
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has hired a new consultant lobbyist to raise awareness on Parliament Hill about internet speed caps wrought by the disaggregated regime that small providers say will hinder their ability to compete. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
Continue reading "TekSavvy to lobby feds on speed caps in disaggregated regime"
The British Columbia Broadband Association (BCBA) says a new legal framework for the telecom sector should simplify regulations and facilitate more regulatory participation by small operators. 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 …
Continue reading "Small players out-flanked at ‘policy-shaping,’ BCBA tells panel"
Quebecor Inc. has filed a complaint with the CRTC against BCE Inc., alleging undue preference against its sports channel because it’s been excluded from a popular Bell TV package in Quebec. 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 …
Continue reading "Quebecor asks CRTC to make Bell include TVA Sports in its Bon TV package"
The CRTC said it has improved the timely release of data it siphons through its communications monitoring report (CMR) and will continue to pursue shortening those timelines, according to a letter addressed to TekSavvy Solutions Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "CRTC defends CMR practices in letter to TekSavvy"
The government of Northwest Territories says the Telecommunications Act should aim to ensure telecom services of the same quality and at the same prices are available across the country. 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 …
Continue reading "Telecom act should equalize prices across Canada: NWT gov’t"
The Liberal government has appointed Matthew Boswell on a full five-year term as Competition Bureau commissioner, according to an administrative order by cabinet. 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 trial …
Continue reading "Boswell gets full term as Competition Bureau commissioner"
As the CRTC signals it’s ready to make an about-face on its approach to mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) network access, prospective MVNOs are eyeing the regulator’s proposal with mixed levels of enthusiasm. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "MVNO access proposal ‘burst of oxygen’ to some potential entrants"
The CRTC has reversed its long-held position that mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) aren’t entitled to wholesale access to wireless providers’ networks. 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 trial or …
Continue reading "CRTC changes position on MVNOs, proposes mandated access"
There is “general interest” at Innovation Canada in releasing more detailed mapping for broadband coverage than the current 25-square kilometre zones, including the possibility of using smaller hexagons, The Wire Report has learned. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "ISED confirms work on releasing more specific broadband mapping data"
Internet-based video services generated enough revenue in Canada in 2017 to rival the total revenues of private and CBC conventional television stations combined, according to the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report. 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 …
Continue reading "OTT video revenues comparable to conventional TV in 2017: CMR"
The new policy direction for the CRTC announced by the federal government Tuesday is a blunt message to the regulator to make some changes, but the extent to which it will lead to changes in policy depends on how “competition” is ultimately defined, according to former CRTC commissioners and a former chairman. This content …
Continue reading "‘Competition’ definition key to impact of new CRTC directive: experts"
The Liberal government is proposing a significant departure from Ottawa’s past policy direction to the CRTC, changing the focus from market forces to affordability and consumer interests. 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 …
Continue reading "Ottawa proposes new consumer-focused policy direction for CRTC"
A group representing the Canadian community TV sector is asking the panel reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts to beef up focus on community TV at the CRTC and Canadian Heritage and create a new secretariat and ombudsperson’s office, along with a new funding framework for the sector. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
Continue reading "CACTUS asks BTLR for $150M community TV framework"
CRTC Chairman Ian Scott defended the eligibility speeds for the commission’s new $750 million rural broadband fund at a parliamentary hearing Thursday, where he faced criticism from an Opposition MP that accused the commission of lowering its standards. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
Continue reading "‘We did not cut it’: Scott defends broadband fund speed target to MPs"
Canada’s telecommunications industry suffers from an “unacceptable degree” of misleading and aggressive retail sales practices that are “harming consumers” and vulnerable Canadians, the CRTC concluded in a report released Wednesday, following hearings on sales practices last fall. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "Onus is on telecoms to fix misleading sales practices: CRTC chairman"
The CRTC has released an application guide for its $750-million rural broadband fund and is asking for comments on the preliminary document. 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 trial or …
Continue reading "CRTC consulting on broadband fund application guide"
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has filed a complaint with the CRTC flagging a concern that the regulator’s latest data report doesn’t provide a clear picture of the industry, which could make it more difficult for ISPs to present accurate info in future proceedings and to the panel reviewing Canada’s communications laws, according to companies and an …
Continue reading "Lack of clear CRTC industry data is an obstacle: small ISPs"
An application to relax eligibility requirements for the CRTC’s $750-million rural broadband fund is drawing support from a number of rural municipalities and opposition from telecoms, while a consumer group says keeping the original criteria would help target areas that need help the most. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
Continue reading "Stick to hexagons for broadband fund, PIAC and telecoms tell CRTC"
The CRTC has finally set a threshold for a metric it said will improve the quality of service (QoS) for applications reliant on the rapid transmission of data. 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 …
Continue reading "CRTC sets 5 ms threshold for ‘jitter’ in basic service standard"
Better representation at the CRTC of official language minority communities is a concern a number of francophone groups have raised to the panel reviewing Canada’s communications framework. 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. …
Continue reading "Language representation at CRTC raised to Yale panel"
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains weighed sending back the CRTC’s decision not to mandate wholesale access by WiFi-based mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) for a second time, according to a letter from BCE Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "Bell urged Bains not to send back MVNO decision a second time"
Rogers Communications Inc. said it was surprised to see two motions for disclosure of subscriber information filed by two movie studios late last year and challenged them because they did not include how it would be compensated for retrieving the information, according to court documents. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
Continue reading "Rogers challenged disclosure motions after SCC ruling: court docs"
The majority of Canadian wireless providers who weighed in on a proposal to harmonize emergency alert tests told the CRTC that they shouldn’t be required to send text messages to users warning them of upcoming tests. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Don’t mandate text message warning for emergency alerts: telecoms"
Novus Entertainment Inc. has filed an application to the CRTC alleging a developer of a multi-dwelling unit in British Columbia is not responding to its telecom access proposal. 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 …
Continue reading "Novus files another Part 1 for condo access in B.C."
Canada’s largest cable companies said they already have existing provisions that allow providers to buy and resell their services to other providers. 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 trial or …
Continue reading "ISPs can already resell incumbent internet to other providers, cablecos say"
Canada’s private radio broadcasters are fighting against a push to keep online services out of Canada’s broadcast laws, according to a submission sent to the Liberal government’s expert panel review of the future of Canada’s communications laws. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "Don’t exclude online services from Broadcasting Act: Private radio"
The CRTC has launched consultations on the radio market capacity of Vernon, B.C., Grande Prairie, Alta., and Scarborough, Ont. 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 trial or subscribe to The …
Continue reading "CRTC reviewing capacity of three radio markets"
The CRTC has denied a requested licence amendment by Telus Corp., citing concerns over its community TV operations. 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 trial or subscribe to The Wire …
Continue reading "CRTC says no Telus licence amendment over community TV"
The CRTC has denied an application by the City of Calgary asking the CRTC to approve its municipal rights-of-way bylaw, which governs the telecoms’ access to “city structures, service corridors, and other public places in Calgary,” it said in a decision Friday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "CRTC orders telecoms, Calgary to negotiate some bylaw terms"
As a rule, when Canadians search keywords on the internet, they should be presented with Canadian content related to those searches, argues the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications. 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 …
Continue reading "FRPC wants CanCon visibility on search engines"
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) wants the government to immediately launch a review of the CRTC’s enforcement powers when it comes to regulating over-the-top (OTT) streaming services like Netflix Inc., according to its submission to a government-appointed blue-ribbon panel reviewing Canada’s communications laws. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
Continue reading "Fast-track OTT review, clock ticking on CMF ‘top-up’: CMPA"
Small, wholesale-based internet service providers could be forced out of business within the next few years due to the CRTC’s disaggregated wholesale regime, the Canadian Network Operators’ Consortium (CNOC) is telling the panel in charge of reviewing Canada’s broadcasting and telecom laws. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "‘Many’ ISPs could shut down due to wholesale regime: CNOC"
Some of Canada’s biggest telecom companies rejected calls to force ISPs to contribute to Canadian programming in their submissions to the Liberal government’s panel reviewing the country’s communications laws, warning it would make internet access more expensive for Canadians. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
Continue reading "Big telecoms fight calls for an ‘ISP tax’, pitch new OTT rules"
Electrical utilities and municipalities have arched their backs over various proposals to streamline or adjust regulatory jurisdiction when it comes to resolving disputes over use of “passive infrastructure” in Canada. 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 …
Continue reading "Utilities, cities clash with telecoms over infrastructure jurisdiction"
The CRTC has approved Quebecor Inc.‘s purchase of Groupe Serdy and its Évasion and Zeste specialty channels. 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 trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE …
Continue reading "CRTC OKs Quebecor’s Groupe Serdy acquisition"
The CRTC is formally asking the federal government to make one regulatory body the ultimate decider on disputes over access to infrastructure like utility poles and water towers, expressing worries that overlapping jurisdictions and a “growing resistance” from communities who think certain installations are a blight could lead to delays in telecom build-outs. This content …
Continue reading "CRTC asks Ottawa for single regulator on passive infrastructure"
The CRTC has no jurisdiction to determine the outcome of a disagreement over the rates BCE Inc. charges Iristel Inc. for wholesale access, because it chose to forebear from regulating legacy services, Bell is arguing. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "Forbearance means CRTC has no place in rate dispute: Bell"
Canada’s large internet service providers say granting the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) request to lift the CRTC’s speed cap of 100 Mbps for wholesale internet would eliminate the motivation for providers to adopt its disaggregated wholesale regime. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
Continue reading "Don’t lift 100 Mbps wholesale speed cap: big telecoms"
The CRTC has dismissed in part a complaint lodged against BCE Inc.’s Bell Fund earlier this year by a coalition of media producers including CBC/Radio Canada and Blue Ant Media Inc., which alleged bias in how it decides on distributing funding. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
Continue reading "CRTC dismisses bias complaint against Bell Fund"
Iristel Inc. says BCE Inc. has put in place “massive and unprecedented rate increases” for access to some of its infrastructure and is asking the CRTC to intervene. 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 …
Continue reading "Iristel complains to CRTC about Bell rate increases"
The current requirements for emergency alert tests, which specify a different schedule for tests on wireless devices and broadcast platforms, could cause public confusion and should be harmonized, according to emergency management officials across the country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
Continue reading "Harmonize all emergency alert tests: officials"
The CRTC plans to soon start measuring the participation of women in television production and how much big TV broadcasters spend on production of Indigenous and official language minority programming. 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 …
Continue reading "CRTC to require big broadcasters to report on women in production"
As the new year begins, the months ahead promise a new spectrum auction, new CRTC announcements on high-profile files like telecom sales practices, and even potentially a new federal government — to be determined in an election in which the danger of hacking and social media manipulation will itself be a key story. This content …
Continue reading "Top telecom and media stories to watch for in 2019"
Canadians are increasingly signing up for home internet services that meet the CRTC’s basic service standards of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload, with 36 per cent of high-speed residential subscriptions meeting that target in 2017, compared to 23 per cent a year earlier. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
Continue reading "More subscribing to basic service speeds, but availability unchanged"
The SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc. (SWIFT) project is calling on the CRTC to relax eligibility requirements for the commission’s new rural broadband fund, arguing that the mapping criteria it uses will exclude too many poorly serviced communities from applying. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "SWIFT asks CRTC to review rural broadband fund eligibility"
Telecoms will have to start blocking phone calls from numbers that don’t conform to “established numbering plans,” the CRTC said Wednesday. 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 trial or subscribe …
Continue reading "CRTC orders telecoms to block calls with ‘illegitimate’ IDs"
Increases in how long the CRTC takes to pay public interest groups to participate in proceedings not only represent an existential crisis for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) but also a wider problem that could harm the involvement of other consumer organizations, groups are warning. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
Continue reading "Growing CRTC cost awards delays ‘problem for everybody’"
The CRTC has dismissed an appeal by BCE Inc. and ordered it to pay nearly half a million dollars in tangible benefits an audit found was ineligible for a music festival headlined by a non-Canadian singer four years ago. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "Bell must pay $433k in ‘ineligible’ tangible benefits"
The CRTC has chosen not to make changes to lower-cost data plans suggested by telecoms, accepting the plans as envisioned by the companies, in a decision that angered consumer advocates — whose proposals for cheaper alternatives went unheeded. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
Continue reading "CRTC approves telecoms’ proposed low-cost data plans"
Wireless operators will have to begin offering message relay services (MRS) by June 2019, the CRTC said Friday. 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 trial or subscribe to The Wire …
Continue reading "CRTC tells wireless providers to offer message relay services"
An application by BCE Inc.’s Northwestel arguing the CRTC’s basic service standards are impossible to meet in the North is finding support from telecoms and the governments of Yukon and Northwest Territories. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
Continue reading "Lower CRTC latency standards, say large telecoms, northern gov’ts"
The CRTC has sided with a small telecom that was reselling wholesale internet service from Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink to other internet service providers, despite Eastlink’s objections. 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. …
Continue reading "ISPs can resell wholesale service to other providers: CRTC"
A proposal by Corus Entertainment Inc. to shut down 44 television rebroadcasting transmitters in small rural markets hasn’t found support among intervenors, though content-production industry groups were opposed to the requested exemption to the CRTC’s tangible benefits policy, not the shutdown. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
Continue reading "Don’t give Corus tangible benefits exemption: CanCon groups"
NDP MP Brian Masse is asking Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains to force the CRTC to extend the deadline of its submission period for an internet code of conduct after a number of consumer groups said they won’t be participating due to time constraints. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
Continue reading "MP asks ISED to force CRTC internet code extension"
The CRTC has rejected two warring bidders who wanted to set up commercial radio stations in Quebec City on one of the last available frequencies, ruling that the central Quebec market is already saturated and not doing well enough to support another station. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
Continue reading "CRTC says Quebec City radio market can’t sustain another station"
OTTAWA — The CRTC can’t decide what commercials broadcasters can show on individual programs, as that authority lies beyond the jurisdictional boundaries the commission is confined to, the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "CRTC has no jurisdiction over content on single programs, SCC hears"
In a trio of decisions Monday, the CRTC approved a broadcast licence application for a new station in Cochrane, Alta., and declined both an application for a new station in Lachute, Que. and to renew a defunct community station’s existing licence. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
Continue reading "CRTC says yes to new Alta. radio station, no to two Quebec applications"
The list of consumer groups that say they won’t take part in the CRTC’s internet code proceeding is growing, as more come forward saying they don’t have enough time or resources to participate effectively. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
Continue reading "More consumer groups say they won’t participate in CRTC internet code proceeding"
The CRTC is asking telecoms and satellite broadband providers for feedback on broadband maps and data sets it compiled from information they gave the commission, in light of criticism from the auditor general that current mapping methods aren’t specific enough to determine internet gaps. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
Continue reading "CRTC requests advice on broadband data, maps"
The CRTC has approved a budget increase for a service that allows hearing-impaired Canadians to communicate with others over video. 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 trial or subscribe to …
Continue reading "CRTC approves $22.5M budget increase for video relay service"
GATINEAU, QUE. — Telus Corp. and Shaw Communications Inc. say their customers largely have not expressed much interest in OMNI, and instead choose to purchase select ethnic discretionary channels. 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 …
Continue reading "Telus and Shaw say their customers largely aren’t watching OMNI"
