E.U. regulator releases zero-rating guidelines

The body that regulates the telecommunications market in the European Union released draft guidelines Monday to ensure providers steer clear of zero-rating policies unless justified, a move that comes ahead of a CRTC discussion on the matter this fall. 

Zero rating review deadline extended

The CRTC has extended the deadline for comments in its review of “differential pricing practices.”

Canadian support for CanCon doesn’t extend to online media: poll

The majority of Canadians doesn’t believe that online media, such as Netflix Inc.’s over-the-top (OTT) service or music streaming services like Spotify AB's, should fall under the same Canadian content rules as traditional media outlets, suggest the results of a new public opinion poll.

Pick-and-pay drives customer satisfaction: J.D. Power

A new J.D. Power survey has found customers who have a skinny-basic TV package with a pick-and-pay option are more satisfied than TV customers with other types of subscriptions.

Satisfaction among skinny-basic customers was 761 on a 1,000-point scale, as compared to 738 among customers with premium service, 708 among those with “a pre-set expanded basic package” and 700 among those with basic cable, J.D. Power said in a press release Thursday.

Blais can name panels: Attorney general

The attorney general’s office is arguing that the CRTC chairman has the authority to name panels to decide issues in front of the commission, in response to a court case launched by commissioner Raj Shoan challenging his ability to do so.

In a memorandum of fact and law dated May 26, the attorney general’s office, representing the CRTC, said that the chairman has the authority to determine who “hears and determines a matter.”

CRTC issues call for radio station licence renwals

The CRTC has issued a call for radio stations with licences expiring next year to submit their renewal applications.

VMedia sets sights on incumbents as it expands outside Ont.

Ontario Internet service and television provider VMedia Inc. will expand to Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta in the next two weeks — a move the company says will see its services become available to about 75 per cent of Canadian households as it aims to compete with Canada’s largest telecom companies.

“It’s a very substantial effort for us, because … we’re still largely a start-up company in many respects,” VMedia co-founder George Burger said in a phone interview Wednesday.

New area codes coming to 4 provinces

The CRTC said Tuesday it plans to add new area codes in British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The new codes will be in B.C., already served by the 236, 250, 604 and 778 codes, the 418 and 581 regions in Quebec, the 506 area code in New Brunswick and the 709 code in N.L.

“The CRTC is establishing relief planning committees to evaluate various options and make recommendations,” it said in a press release.

CRTC awards three research prizes

The CRTC has named the winners of its prize for excellence in policy research to master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral researchers at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, and York University.

Daniel Mackwood at the University of Toronto’s faculty of information and faculty of law won in the master’s category, for a paper “highlighting the challenges within Canada’s telecommunications regulatory framework,” the commission said in a press release Monday.

CRTC within right to ban Super Bowl simsub, lawyers argue

The CRTC has every right to put measures into place banning simultaneous substation for the Super Bowl, according to new documents filed with the Appeal Court.

Lose focus on CanCon, say think tank authors

Technological changes to the broadcasting and communications landscape require a similar shift in the regulatory environment, according to authors of a pair of new think-tank reports released Wednesday, both of which call for less focus from the CRTC on Canadian content.

Four telecoms singled out for skinny-basic hearing

The CRTC said Tuesday it will hold a hearing on the implementation of skinny basic TV packages, though it only asked four companies — BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron — to appear at the Sept. 7 proceeding.

Since they became available in March, 100,000 Canadians have signed up for the new packages, the commission said in a press release.

Shoan launches second challenge to Blais’ power to name panels

CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan has filed another court challenge regarding the ability of CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais to assign commissioners to panels that make decisions on issues before the regulator.

What does the future hold for WiFi calling?

Despite the fact that large wireless carriers have been offering WiFi calling for months, the emergence of WiFi calling provider Sugar Mobile, and hinted-at-plans by Shaw Communications Inc. to integrate Wind with its WiFi network, experts say the technology is unlikely to take centre stage in the Canadian wireless market.

CRTC quietly looking into MVNO access

The CRTC launched a “fact-finding process” into wholesale access for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) last month, sending a letter to Canadian wireless companies asking for information.

CRTC consulting on TV licence categories

The CRTC is accepting feedback on “standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements” for new, consolidated TV licencing categories.

CRTC launches review of zero-rating, sponsored data

Net neutrality advocates welcomed the CRTC’s launch of a new consultation on “differential pricing practices” for both wireline and wireless data plans Wednesday, a process that will see a public hearing kick off on Oct. 31.

Tamir Israel, a lawyer with the Samuel-Gloshko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, said in a phone interview that having “this broader review that’s going to put in place a more-principled framework and look beyond ad-hoc scenarios that have come up so far is a good step.”

CBC applies for advertising extension on Radio 2, ICI Musique

CBC/Radio-Canada has applied to the CRTC to continue broadcasting ads on its ICI Musique and Radio 2 networks and stations, according to a notice posted by the regulator Wednesday.

DiversityCanada, National Pensioners Foundation denied costs

The CRTC has denied a pair of applications from the DiversityCanada Foundation and the National Pensioners Federation to have Telus Corp. pick up their costs for participating in a pair of proceedings to review and vary the Wireless Code with respect to its prepaid balance policy.

CRTC to launch consultation on skinny basic rollout

The CRTC will issue a notice of consultation on how telecom companies carried out its skinny basic TV package rules later this month.

Spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said in an email Friday the commission had asked TV providers, as part of a broadcast licence review process launched last month, to answer a number of questions about skinny basic.

The CRTC will launch a consultation on those responses before the end of May, she confirmed.

Small ISPs laud government denial of Bell’s FTTH appeal

Independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and advocacy groups said Wednesday they’re encouraged by the federal government’s rejection of BCE Inc.’s appeal of the CRTC decision mandating wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, which could be the first glimpse into the new Liberal government’s telecom policy.

Small telecoms lobby for access to federal broadband funding

OTTAWA — Representatives from smaller telecommunications companies descended on Parliament Hill Tuesday, pushing for lawmakers to consult with them in the design of the new federal rural broadband program.

“We found in the past, although our members have been able to access some funds, very often there’s a great deal of red tape involved,” Alyson Townsend, Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) president and CEO, said at a morning press conference.

Heritage’s CanCon review could take a decade to play out, panel hears

OTTAWA — The results of the sweeping review of Canadian content in a digital age announced by Heritage Canada last week could take 10 years to materialize, University of Ottawa law professor Jeremy deBeer said Thursday during a panel discussion at the New Developments in Communications Law and Policy conference.

No charging after cancellation, CRTC reminds service providers

The CRTC issued a clarification Thursday reminding telecommunications service providers that they can’t charge for services once they’ve been cancelled.

“Furthermore, service providers must offer individuals and small business customers a refund upon cancellation, based on the number of days remaining in the billing cycle, if the service fees are billed in advance,” the commission said in a press release.

OTA revenues continue to fall: CRTC

Private conventional TV station revenues fell another 2.6 per cent in 2015, continuing a five-year downward trend, according to new data released Wednesday by the CRTC.

The 93 over-the-air (OTA) stations brought in $1.76 billion in the year ending Aug. 31, 2015, down from $1.8 billion in 2014, said the CRTC’s annual report on conventional television stations’ financial results, adding that total revenues have fallen 17.9 per cent ($381.9 million) between 2011 and 2015.

Bell’s MTS purchase to boost competition: MEI

The $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. would increase competition in Manitoba’s wireless market, according to the authors of a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).

CRTC approves Canal Q for distribution

The CRTC said Monday it has approved the addition of Canal Q to its list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution.

CRTC finds no problems with 911 service

The CRTC said Monday that a proceeding looking into 911 networks has found that they are “reliable and resilient” overall, and that very few outages affecting the delivery of 911 calls have occurred in the last five years.

Experts say approval of Bell’s MTS acquisition likely

BCE Inc. announced Monday morning that it will purchase Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in a $3.9 billion transaction that, if approved, will see the number of players in Manitoba’s telecom market fall from four to three.

CRTC consulting on Quebec City radio market

The CRTC is asking for input on whether the Quebec City market has the capacity to support an additional radio station and on whether it should issue a call for applications.

It said in a notice Thursday it has received applications for new radio licences in Quebec City.

Mandarin-language channel approved for distribution

The CRTC said in a decision Thursday that it has added Charming China Entertainment to its list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution in Canada.

Keep broadband funding status quo: Quebecor

GATINEAU, Que. — When it comes to funding broadband improvements, don’t “reinvent the wheel,” representatives from Quebecor Inc. told CRTC commissioners Thursday.

“In our opinion, nothing would be more effective than a recommendation from the commission to the federal government to use additional funds for an immediate relaunch of Connecting Canadians,” Videotron president and CEO Manon Brouillette said, referring to the $500 million rural broadband spending announced in last month’s federal budget.

Commission hears data cap debate

CRTC commissioners presiding over the basic services hearing continued to hear conflicting opinions over the effectiveness and necessity of including data caps in Internet packages Wednesday.

The idea of enshrining a minimum usage limit into a basic service objective should be approached with caution, representatives from Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink said on the penultimate day of a three-week proceeding.

CRTC asks about ‘skinny Internet,’ undue disadvantage rules

The CRTC sent a letter to participants in its review of basic telecom services asking for comment on whether undue disadvantage rules should apply to the speeds a company makes available to customers.

It asked about cases where carriers offer 5 Mpbs download and 1 Mbps upload speeds in some, but not all, of their operating territory, directing respondents to “explain why this does not amount to unjust discrimination or undue disadvantage pursuant to subsection 27(2)” of the Telecom Act.

Shaw recommends industry contribution to rural broadband

Shaw Communications Inc. broke rank with most of its industry colleagues Tuesday, stating its support for an industry-funded subsidy to help enhance broadband transport.

Sweeping government review to include CRTC, Broadcast Act, CanCon

Industry insiders and observers are calling Canadian Heritage’s impending study of Canadian content in the digital age — which could potentially affect CBC/Radio-Canada, legislation like the broadcasting, telecom and CRTC acts, and Canadian content rules for TV and radio — long overdue.

Commercial radio revenue fell 0.7% last year: CRTC

Canadian commercial radio stations earned $1.6 billion in revenue in 2015, a 0.7 per cent decrease from a year earlier, according to new data from the CRTC.

“Ethnic radio services’ total revenues have recorded an average 1.3 [per cent] growth per year since 2011, while French- and English-language services have reported declines” averaging 0.1 and 0.3 per cent a year during that time, the commission said Monday in a press release.

It noted that advertising revenues in radio “have remained relatively stable since 2011.”

Redirect voice subsidy to broadband, CRTC panel hears

GATINEAU, Que. — With the use of landlines declining across the country, the money collected for the provision of universal phone service should be reallocated to cover areas of the country underserved by broadband connectivity, CRTC commissioners heard Thursday.

On the ninth day of a three-week basic services hearing, the five-member panel was encouraged to stay away from the idea of creating new subsidies to fund the gaps in Internet service.

CRTC starts renewal process for TV provider licences

The CRTC issued a call for Thursday for IPTV and cable providers whose broadcast licences will expire in 2016 and 2017 to submit licence renewal applications.

Simsub legal action not premature: Bell, NFL

Lawyers for BCE Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) fired back at the claim their legal action against the CRTC’s simultaneous substitution decision is premature in new legal documents filed with the Appeal Court.

CRTC approves one Ontario radio station, denies another

The CRTC has approved an application for a radio broadcasting licence in St. Catharines, Ont., while denying a licence for a developmental community station in Mississauga, Ont.

CRTC revokes unused Shaw licences

The CRTC granted Tuesday Shaw Communications Inc.’s request to revoke broadcasting licences for Fox Sports World Canada and Global Reality Channel.

In ‘unusual’ move, Blais calls for national digital strategy

GATINEAU, Que. — The ongoing basic services hearing may be the “last, best chance” for the CRTC and the stakeholders appearing before its five-person panel to formulate some sort of national broadband strategy, commission chair Jean-Pierre Blais said Monday.

Blais, taking the unusual step of making a formal statement partway through a public hearing that outlined “preliminary conclusions,” said he spent the weekend reflecting on what the panel heard during the first week of the three-week proceeding.

Advocacy groups ask CRTC for subsidies, to ‘champion’ Internet access

GATINEAU, Que. — CRTC commissioners drilled into what should constitute a need versus a want when it comes to access to broadband Internet Thursday, during the fourth day of a three-week hearing into basic telecom services.

The majority of Thursday’s session was consumed by members of the Affordable Access Coalition as they faced questions from the five-person panel.

Canadians unaware of MVNO decision: survey

A new Angus-Reid Institute survey suggests two-thirds of Canadians were unaware of a recent CRTC decision that advocates said could affect wireless rates and competition.

New satellites to improve Internet access in North, companies say

As-yet-unlaunched satellites will make more Internet capacity available at a lower cost in rural and remote areas, satellite providers told the CRTC Wednesday, on the third day of its three-week hearing into what basic telecom services should be available to all Canadians.

Speeds ‘red herring’ when North needs backbone builds, panel hears

GATINEAU, Que. — Setting a basic speed requirement doesn’t do the North any good when it comes to improving Internet access, unless there’s necessary backbone infrastructure in place, a CRTC panel on basic telecom services heard Tuesday.

On the second day of the three-week proceeding, commissioners heard from a variety of witnesses who operate in the northern territories.

The focus on download and upload speeds is a red herring, Jeff Philipp, CEO of SSi Micro Ltd., which is headquartered in Yellowknife, N.W.T.

Basic service should include wholesale rates: TekSavvy

GATINEAU, Que. — On the first day of the CRTC’s hearing on what basic telecom services should be available to all Canadians, small ISP TekSavvy Solutions Inc. asked the CRTC to include wholesale access in its definition of basic service.

Rogers program raises pre-hearing questions about affordability

OTTAWA — Other major Internet service providers may be compelled to follow in the footsteps of Rogers Communications Inc. and offer cheap Internet packages for low-income earners, according to experts looking ahead to next week’s CRTC basic telecom services hearing.

New map of broadband coverage in Canada released

The CRTC has launched a map that shows where broadband Internet connections are available in Canada.

CRTC approves France 24 Arabic for distribution

The CRTC said Tuesday it has approved the France 24 Arabic TV channel for distribution in Canada.

The channel is an Arabic-language news service originating in France, it said.

QVC can’t be distributed in Canada: CRTC

The CRTC denied Monday an application by VMedia Inc. to add the U.S. TV shopping service QVC to the list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution.

The CRTC said that “if authorized, QVC would be carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada,” which would require a licence. It cannot issue broadcasting licences to non-Canadians, it said.

CRTC revokes licences of 42 telecoms

The CRTC said Friday 42 companies providing basic international telecommunications services can no longer operate in Canada.

It revoked their licences after they failed to comply with licence conditions requiring them to file information with the regulator.

Corus closes Shaw Media deal, announces new exec slate

Corus Entertainment Inc. has closed its $2.65-billion acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division and appointed a team of executive vice-presidents for the combined company.

Barbara Williams, formerly president of Shaw Media, is now chief revenue officer at Corus and will “oversee all strategic and operational aspects of generating audience growth and engagement across Corus’ platforms,” the company said in a press release Friday.

Internet speeds beating benchmarks: CRTC

The majority of broadband wireline Internet services sold to Canadian homes meet or exceed their advertised speeds, suggest the preliminary findings of a CRTC-commissioned study on broadband Internet performance.

"Based on the preliminary findings, Canadians are receiving the broadband speeds they are paying for," CRTC chairperson Jean-Pierre Blais said in a press release, adding that the project provided the regulator with "information that will help improve broadband policy."

CRTC to reconsider current wholesale Internet rates

The CRTC issued Thursday a new approach to how the rates small companies pay large telecoms for wholesale Internet services are set, stating that “current wholesale [high-speed access] service rates are likely not just and reasonable.”

It directed large telecoms to file new cost studies relating to the rates they charge for wholesale high-speed Internet access. The new prices that come out of that costing process will apply to all wholesale high-speed access (HAS) rates, which the CRTC made interim “as of the date of this decision.”

Basic Internet service standards should be joint responsibility: CRTC survey

A combination of government intervention, market forces and use of a CRTC-established fund should be used to provide a minimum standard of Internet access across the country, according to results of a CRTC-commissioned study.

CRTC to hold hearing on next-generation 911

The CRTC has started a public consultation on the evolution of more technologically advanced 911 services.

In a Tuesday press release, the regulator said it is now accepting comments on new ways for people to contact emergency services — such as via text message or by sending videos or photos to 911 operators — and how these services should be paid for.

CRTC launches consultation on wireless emergency alerts

The CRTC is calling for input on the potential participation of wireless service providers in the country's National Public Alerting System to allow Canadians to receive emergency alert messages on their mobile devices.

CRTC approves distribution of Nautical Channel

CRTC approves Shaw-Corus deal, with no tangible benefits

The CRTC has approved the acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division by Corus Entertainment Inc., and decided not to require Corus to pay any tangible benefits, a contribution which could have amounted to $265 million had the regulator decided otherwise.

The commission said in a press release Wednesday afternoon that both Shaw and Corus have “been effectively controlled by the same person, Mr. JR Shaw,” since Corus was founded in 1999.

CRTC closes PIAC undue preference complaint against Shomi

The CRTC said in a letter Tuesday it closed the “moot” Part 1 complaint by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) against Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Shomi, which argued the companies were giving themselves an undue preference by tying the subscription service to an affiliated Internet service provider or TV provider.

I’m not your adversary, Blais tells marketers

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a speech to the Canadian Marketing Association in Toronto Tuesday that “legitimate marketers” should welcome anti-spam rules.

“They’re not going anywhere. They’re very likely here to stay. If anything, laws and rules of this kind will get tougher, not more lenient,” Blais said, according to a copy of his speech posted on the CRTC website.

Sugar Mobile model threatens facilities-based competition: Telus, Quebecor

Allowing Sugar Mobile to continue roaming on Rogers Communications Inc.’s network would be a “backdoor means” to mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access, and “a recipe to destroy any appetite for facilities-based competition,” Telus Corp. said.

Long-distance payphone call rules open for comment

The CRTC is asking payphone service providers to weigh in on how Canadians should be informed about charges associated with long-distance calls.