Brief
The CRTC has changed the deadline for the Canadian Administrator of Video Relay Service Inc. (CAV) to file documents related to funding. This comes as a response to an intervention by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coalition (DHH Coalition) asking that CAV file material in American Sign Language and Langue des signes québécois. This …
Continue reading "CRTC revises deadline for CAV funding procedure"
The CRTC approved an application by its Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) to defer the application of its anti-spoofing technology, the STIR/SHAKEN condition, to all 911 emergency and callback calls to eliminate the risk of emergency calls being misidentified as spoofed calls or being dropped. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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The CRTC has approved four projects that will facilitate broadband rollout in two communities in Nova Scotia and three in Alberta, up to $8.8 million of which will be coming from the Broadband Fund, the regulator announced Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
Continue reading "CRTC approves $8.8 million in broadband rollout in Alberta and Nova Scotia"
Overall, telecommunications companies pulled in some $53.4 billion in 2020, a 1.4 per cent decrease in overall revenues compared to 2019, according to the most recent edition of the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report released Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "Revenues dropped in 2020, EBITDA margins increased in 2020: CRTC CMR report"
The CRTC is calling for comments on the appropriateness of granting licences for several new FM radio stations in Canada and offered an opportunity for other competitors to enter the market. 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 …
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Numerous interveners of the CRTC’s Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. merger hearing told the commission in Monday submissions that the incumbents haven’t presented a good enough case when it comes to the acquisition’s effect on the broadcasting system. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Interveners not swayed by Rogers-Shaw arguments at CRTC merger hearing"
Faced with what it says is increasing competition from Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s Starlink offering, BCE Inc.‘s Northwestel is asking the CRTC to waive the requirement to satisfy the regulator’s price floor test aimed at preventing anti-competitive pricing by incumbents. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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Shaw Communications Inc. was given approval by the CRTC Friday for a new wholesale high-speed access service tier. The commission okayed a 250 Mbps download and 15 Mbps upload system which Shaw will sell for $41.36 per month. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Parliament has established its committees for the new session, with the Industry and Technology committee and the Canadian Heritage committee being among those announced. 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 …
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Clothing giant Gap Inc. has been fined $200,000 for violating Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL), the CRTC announced Wednesday. The company operates several clothing stores, including The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
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The government was taken to task Tuesday over rollout of a dedicated number for mental health and last-mile fibre lays. Two Conservative MPs lashed out at the Trudeau administration over the failings. 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 "Opposition hammers Government on 988, broadband rollout"
In a would-be class-action lawsuit against BCE Inc. and the province of Ontario over what the plaintiffs say are “unconscionable” telephone rates charged to the families of prisoners in Ontario prisons while Bell held the contract, lawyers representing the plaintiffs are seeking to have a portions of Bell’s affidavit stricken from the record. This content …
Continue reading "Class action lawyers seek to have Bell affidavit stricken in prison phones case"
The CRTC fined an Ontario firm $42,000 for violating the Do Not Call List (DNCL) regulations, according to a Thursday decision released by the commission. 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 fines telemarketer $42,000 for repeated violations"
The CRTC has granted Base Technology Ltd. up to $750,000 Wednesday to roll out broadband in rural British Columbia. The money comes from the commission’s Broadband Fund. 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. …
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The CRTC approved the implementation of an overlay for area code 468 for the western Quebec region currently served by the 819 and 873 area codes. 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 …
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Rogers Communications Inc. has declined to adjust its calculation of the value of the acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. to include in its application to the CRTC the value of any consulting fee paid to ousted CEO Joe Natale, a week after the regulator asked it to do so in a hearing into the transaction. …
Continue reading "Rogers keeps mum on post-ouster Natale consultation fee"
Canada’s telecommunications companies have begun implementing the STIR/SHAKEN technology in the CRTC’s effort to combat spoof and fraudulent calls which mask the identity of callers. 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 "STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay"
Submissions to a CRTC proceeding about a three-digit dialing code for mental health crises and suicide prevention will be accepted through video to make the process accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing, the commission announced Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
Continue reading "CRTC makes three-digit submissions accessible for deaf"
An Ontario-based independent service provider argued to the CRTC that chair Ian Scott “is in violation of the commission’s own internal standards of conduct” and should recuse himself from a review and vary application on a decision — which states that firms must negotiate with BCE Inc. for multi-dwelling unit (MDU) fibre — because he …
Continue reading "Scott should recuse himself from MDU in-building access review and vary: TekSavvy"
The Government has not yet made a decision on whether or not it will implement recommendations for a more transparent and accountable CRTC — as well as the reappointment process for its chair — contained in the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) report from January 2020. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
Continue reading "Gov. declines to answer question on CRTC reform, petitions in Senate "
No amount of proposed remedies will undo the damage of Rogers Communications Inc. gaining 47 per cent of the English-language broadcast distribution undertaking (BDU) market, according to representatives of BCE Inc., who Thursday asked CRTC commissioners not to approve their chief competitor’s proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
Continue reading "Safeguards can’t justify Rogers-Shaw merger: Bell to CRTC"
On the third day of CRTC hearings into the proposed takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. by Rogers Communications Inc., Cogeco Inc.’s Paul Beaudry quoted from a Rogers intervention during BCE Inc.’s application to take over Astral Media in 2012. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
Continue reading "At CRTC, Cogeco cites Rogers opposition to Bell-Astral merger"
Lobby group OpenMedia is disappointed that Tuesday’s Speech from the Throne promised to reintroduce bill C-10, reforming the Broadcasting Act. 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 "OpenMedia denounces government plan to reintroduce C-10"
Canadian Heritage minister Pablo Rodriguez says revisions to the Broadcasting Act will be reintroduced as soon as possible. Any new legislation would replace Bill C-10 from the last Parliament, which died on the order paper when the election was called. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Successor bill to C-10 “absolute priority”, Rodriguez says"
Top brass from Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. sought to convince CRTC officials that a merger of their two companies would be a boon for Canadian television programming in the face of increased competition from U.S.-based over-the-top streaming services like Netflix Inc., Amazon Inc.‘s Prime, and Walt Disney Co.’s Disney+. This content is …
Continue reading "Rogers needs Shaw to sell CanCon alongside OTT services "
The CRTC is fining a Toronto-based window manufacturing and repair company for making telemarketing calls to consumers registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). 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 "CRTC fines Toronto company $59,000 for violating unsolicited telecoms rules"
BH Telecom Corp. has had its proposed statement of work for a Saskatchewan fibre project approved by the CRTC. In a Friday order, the commission said it will provide the approval in confidence to the firm. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "CRTC okays statement of work for BH Telecom’s Saskatchewan fibre lay"
The Tuesday night announcement of the departure of Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Joe Natale and the appointment of once-ousted chief financial officer Tony Staffieri as interim CEO adds an “extra element of intrigue” to the CRTC hearing on the broadcasting assets of the merger with Shaw Communications Inc., according to a financial analyst. This content …
Continue reading "Rogers-Shaw CRTC hearing now has ‘extra element of intrigue’: analyst"
The CRTC is permitting Cogeco Connexion Inc. to provide telephony services to Lambton, Que. 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 TRIAL …
Continue reading "Cogeco given permission to provide telephony service Lambton, Que."
MISSISSAUGA – Even at the earliest stages of the CRTC’s new mobile virtual network operator regime, incumbents are already obstructing the goals of the decision, according to the CEO of one of the companies tipped to be the biggest beneficiary of the new regime. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
Continue reading "Cogeco’s Jetté concerned about MVNO tariff negotiations"
The CRTC has approved an application by Pattison Media Ltd. to acquire the broadcasting assets of Merritt Broadcasting Ltd. and the partners in Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Limited Partnership as part of a multi-step reorganization by the western Canadian radio and television company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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The CRTC has denied a request by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation (PIAC-NPF) to delay the hearings into the acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. by Rogers Communications Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Cogeco Inc.’s CEO said it is a multi-step process it has to follow before it can enter the mobile market — with its 38 new spectrum licences, purchased for $295 million, from the 3500 MHz spectrum auction — and expects to enter into negotiations over wireless rates with incumbents by spring/summer 2022 at the earliest, …
Continue reading "Cogeco expects to enter mobile rate negotiations by spring, summer 2022 earliest"
The CRTC is calling for comments on a series of FM radio applications in smaller markets across the country. It is also inviting other competitors to submit rival bids if they see fit. 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 solicits comments on FM radio applications"
The CRTC has approved a new area code for the region surrounding Montreal. In a decision issued Friday the commission said area code 354 would be added to the 450/579 area code complex. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Canada’s incumbent telecoms made another plea for deferral of the application of the STIR/SHAKEN condition. In a Nov. 9 letter to the CRTC, the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) and the Network Working Group (NTWG), augmented by BCE Inc., Telus Corp., and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holdings Corp., noted that only two filings have been made regarding …
Continue reading "Telecoms renew call for delay of STIR/SHAKEN"
Ottawa and the surrounding eastern Ontario area will be getting a third area code within the five months, and central Ontario will get a third code by Spring, the CRTC said in two separate Wednesday decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Ottawa, northeastern – central Ontario, getting new area codes: CRTC"
Shaw Communications Inc. has added its voice to those calling for deferral of the implementation of the STIR/SHAKEN condition. 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 "Shaw backs delay of STIR/SHAKEN implementation"
The CRTC released its semi-annual report on Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) on Tuesday. The commission had over 154,406 complaints from Apr. 1 to Sept. 30 this year. That works out to an average of 5,939 per week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "Spam calls complaints high in September, CRTC finds"
Rogers Communications Inc. says there is no reason to delay the CRTC on its merger with Shaw Communications Inc., after a Supreme Court of British Columbia judge ruled Friday that formerly ousted now-reinstated chairman, Edward Rogers,’ reconvening of the board was legitimate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "CRTC should proceed with Rogers-Shaw hearing: Rogers, analyst"
A municipally-owned small incumbent local exchange carrier (SILEC) in northwest British Columbia is requesting that the CRTC relieve it of its next-generation 911 (NG911) network requirements claiming it needs a few years to put the necessary infrastructure in place to properly transition from its basic 911 (B911) network. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
Continue reading "Municipally-owned B.C. SILEC asks CRTC for relief from NG911 requirements "
The CRTC approved applications by Quebecor Media Inc.’s Videotron and Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink, to amend their on-demand broadcasting licences after the companies considered removing locally-relevant programming to avoid having to comply with burdensome local expression requirements. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "CRTC lifts local expression conditions for Quebecor, Bragg on-demand services"
A Quebec-based company that specializes in the sale of wellness products to seniors was penalized for sending millions of unsolicited calls to Canadians, some of which were registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Quebec company fined $200k for violating telemarketing rules"
Canadian content should be better defined as we advance to a greater reliance on digital programming, according to a prominent communications lawyer. Ken Engelhart, the former regulatory head at Rogers Communications Inc. currently in private practice, made the remarks at a web conference in Ottawa on Nov. 3. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
Continue reading "CanCon rules need to be updated for new media landscape, conference hears"
The Canadian government is “expanding the scope of licenced speech” as it updates Canada’s broadcasting policy even though its “has never even asked itself whether this is the right course of action” in the digital age, according to a former CRTC commissioner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "C-10 creates ‘false battle’ amongst broadcasters: former CRTC commissioner"
Rogers Communications Inc.‘s regulatory team can present the company’s position to the CRTC commissioners and to the public at the upcoming hearing into the company’s proposed acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc., no matter who is sitting around the board table. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Please don’t delay merger hearing: Rogers to CRTC"
A group representing Francophone and Acadian musicians outside Quebec has lost its court fight against 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 news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …
Continue reading "Francophone music group loses CanCon case against CRTC"
Canada’s incumbent telecoms are asking the CRTC to delay the start date of an anti-call spoofing technology. In an Oct. 28 filing to the commission, BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. say that the STIR/SHAKEN Condition does not have an exemption for 9-1-1 calls and emergency callbacks. The system is scheduled to …
Continue reading "Telecoms ask for delay of STIR/SHAKEN roll-out"
The CRTC is ordering two telecommunications companies to cough up Canadian programming contribution payments after both companies’ broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) were found to be in non-compliance with commission regulations for the past several years. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "CRTC orders Sogetel, Comwave to pay Cancon shortfalls"
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has asked the CRTC to delay a hearing on the proposed Shaw Communications Inc. merger with Rogers Communications Inc. until it becomes clear who has authority over Rogers, according to a letter sent to the regulator Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
Continue reading "Delay Rogers-Shaw CRTC hearing until its clear who controls Rogers: PIAC "
Montreal will be getting a third area code within the next year, the CRTC said in a Monday decision. The commission agreed that the threat of exhaustion of the 438 and 514 codes necessitated the adoption of the 263 code as of Oct. 22, 2022. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
Continue reading "263 area code coming to Montreal next year"
The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) has filed a review and vary application with the CRTC, in which the trade group representing smaller independent and wholesale-based Internet Service Providers is asking the regulator to reassess its July decision on access to in-building wire (IBW) in multi-dwelling units (MDUs). This content is available to wirereport.ca …
Continue reading "CNOC files review and vary application on CRTC in-building wire access decision "
OTTAWA — MP Pablo Rodriguez is back in familiar territory as he is once again appointed the Minister of Canadian Heritage. 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 "UPDATED – Rodriguez back as Heritage minister, Champagne remains in Innovation"
Ontario’s Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Telus Corp. in a class-action lawsuit, ruling that a now-defunct provincial wireless consumer bill was constitutional when it was operative during the class period of the lawsuit. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "Ontario Court of Appeal says provincial bill stands in Telus class-action suit"
The Federal Court has rejected a Telus Corp. request to stop the department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) from issuing licenses for set-aside spectrum won at auction by Quebecor Inc.’s Vidéotron in this past summer’s 3,500 MHz auction. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Court dismisses Telus request for injunction against Quebecor’s 3500 MHz licenses"
Two telecom companies can start work on their Broadband Fund projects now that the commission has approved their plans. 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 approves work on Cogeco, Columbia Basin, Broadband Fund projects"
Albertans will be introduced to a new area code in six months as part of a CRTC effort to meet the continuously growing demand for new telephone numbers. 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 "368 area code to be introduced in Alberta"
BCE Inc.’s subsidiary Maskatel Monday filed a plan for establishing local competition in Upton district, Que., with the CRTC after CoopTel notified the company it intends to compete in the area. 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 "Maskatel submits local competition plan to CRTC "
The CRTC has approved a number of adjustments to the upcoming Quality of Service (QoS) regime that will govern the way incumbent telecom companies track and report how well they provide service to their wholesale-based high speed access (HSA) customers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "CRTC tweaks Quality of Service regime rules "
The CRTC denied Rogers Communications Inc.’s request for several third-party interveners to appear at an upcoming Nov. 22 hearing into the company’s acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc., because the company cannot file a procedural request on behalf of third parties unless it provides proof of authorization. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
Continue reading "CRTC rejects Rogers request for interveners at Shaw merger hearing"
The CRTC has granted Cable Public Affairs Channel Inc. — more widely known as CPAC — the right to appear at the regulator’s hearings into the proposed merger between Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., scheduled for Nov. 22. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "CRTC to allow CPAC to participate in Rogers-Shaw hearing "
