Distributel waives long-distance calling charges to Haiti, Afghanistan

On the heels of Quebecor Inc.‘s Videotron announcement Wednesday, Distributel Communications Ltd. said Friday that — along with its recently acquired Primus subsidiary — it would be suspending long-distance phone charges for calls to both Haiti and Afghanistan. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Videotron waives long-distance fees to Haiti, Afghanistan in response to international crises

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is suspending its long-distance charges for all calls from Canada to Haiti, where a recent earthquake has left many residents homeless, and to Afghanistan where thousands are trying to flee after the Taliban took control of the country this week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Wireless Code, home Internet, helping with data overage fees: Research

Fewer Canadians are paying for data overage fees and fewer are complaining about their wireless service charges. Whether or not that has to do with the COVID-19 pandemic is to be determined however, according to research commissioned by the CRTC and released Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Iristel to launch low-cost portability service 

Iristel Inc. is launching a service that will allow Canadian phone numbers to be paired with less expensive plans offered by U.S. telecom companies. 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 …

Helped by Fizz, Quebecor reports strong Q4 earnings

Quebecor Inc. has continued to grow its revenues in spite of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, according to the company’s quarterly earnings report, while adding significantly to its dividend price.  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 …

Comp. Bureau signs consent agreement with WESCO over pole line hardware merger

The Competition Bureau has reached a consent agreement with electronics distribution and services company WESCO International Inc., which will see the company divest its utility and datacom businesses in Canada in order to assuage the bureau’s concerns about its acquisition of Anixter International Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Canadians complaining about wireless less, experiencing fewer unexpected charges: research

Canadians are complaining less about their wireless service and fewer consumers are receiving unexpected charges in their monthly wireless bill, according to wireless code research commissioned by 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 …

Telecoms end overage fees suspension

Major Canadian telecoms have ended one of their major relief measures for Canadians who suddenly shifted to working from home due to COVID-19, with the usage of home internet customers on capped data plans again being tracked as of July 1. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

CRTC approves Northwestel’s waiving of overage fees

The CRTC has given interim approval to BCE Inc.’s Northwestel application for urgent relief that will allow to it waive data overage charges for its cable and fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)  internet customers. 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 …

COVID-19 prompts multiple ISPs to suspend data caps

Multiple Canadian internet providers have suspended caps on data usage as they prepare for a huge increase in the amount of customers working from home in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Wireless prices down in Canada in 2019, but still high internationally: ISED report

Mobile wireless prices are lower or have stayed the same across all service “baskets” compared to last year, but the higher data plan prices remain stubbornly higher than most other countries, a new pricing report shows. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Bell offering cheaper unlimited plans in Quebec, Prairies 

BCE Inc. has quietly dropped prices for its new “unlimited” data plans across the country, with residents of Quebec and, to a lesser extent, Saskatchewan and Manitoba seeing even lower prices.  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 …

Three-year financing, if approved, should extend to subsidy model: Péladeau 

Quebecor Inc.’s CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said he’s “happy” that the CRTC is examining the practice of extending device financing options for a 36-month period, but suggested that if it receives the regulator’s blessing, it should be applied “regardless of business model.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Telecoms say speed throttling doesn’t violate net neutrality

The big three telecoms are telling the CRTC that their practice of slowing data speeds down on the new “unlimited” plans after customers reach their data cap is not a violation of the regulator’s policy on internet traffic management practices (ITMPs).  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

‘Unlimited’ plans leading to 50% more data use, Rogers says

Rogers Communications Inc.’s CEO Joe Natale said there has been a 50 per cent increase in data use among the 365,000 customers who’ve adopted its “unlimited” data plans in the six weeks they have been in the market.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Rogers’ no-overage plan about data use, churn, 5G: analyst

Rogers Communications Inc.’s reasons for launching a no-overage-fee wireless plan last week — quickly copied across the industry — included driving up data use by its customers and improving its churn and average revenue per user in the future, according to National Bank analyst Adam Shine. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Ever larger wireless data buckets belying consumption, Rogers says

Rogers Communications Inc. is pointing to higher data availability outstripping consumption as having a “moderating” influence on its average revenue per subscriber metric. 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 …

Wireless subs ‘on-track’ after Black Friday, but no winner: Barclays

There doesn’t appear to be a clear winner among Canadian telecoms after the intense sales period around Black Friday, according to Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang. 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 …

Freedom’s new ad campaign focuses on sharing, data overages

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile will highlight its lack of overage fees and large individual data caps of its plans in its new advertising campaign. 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 …

CRTC asks carriers for lower-priced data-only plan proposals

The CRTC wants the Big Three to submit options for lower-priced data plans than those they suggested themselves, and is asking for opinions about changing its policy on wireless retail rate regulation. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Bell MTS increasing wireless rates, axing unlimited data for new customers

BCE Inc.’s Bell MTS in Manitoba is dropping its province-wide wireless unlimited data plan option and increasing prices for upgrading or new customers, it announced Tuesday. 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 …

Don’t opt for alternative low-cost plans, carriers warn CRTC

The big three wireless providers doubled down on their proposed low-cost, data-only plans this week, telling the CRTC that alternative proposals from other parties in the proceeding could lead to a jurisdictional challenge and harm the wireless industry if implemented. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Internet satisfaction high, but 27% don’t know their data caps: CIRA

Just over a quarter of Canadians surveyed by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) said they don’t know how much broadband data they have, a concern a CIRA spokeswoman said could be attributed to digital literacy. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Low-cost data plans need higher caps, lower prices, CRTC hears

The Competition Bureau is among those who are telling the CRTC that mandated low-cost, data-only plans should have more data on offer, in a move that raises the stakes of the regulator’s proceeding on the plans, according to a Desjardins Capital analyst. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

‘Technical issue’ hurt Rogers churn during Dec. wireless promos: CEO

Rogers Communications Inc.’s systems had a technical glitch that negatively affected the company as it dealt with a high number of customer requests during an industry-wide promotional frenzy in December, executives said Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Big Three launch $60, 10 GB plans in Freedom territory

Following the launch of a 10 GB wireless plan for $50 by Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile this fall, Canada’s biggest telecoms have introduced similarly priced plans in Freedom’s operating territory. 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 …

Basic wireless plans cheaper, bigger data buckets more expensive: report

While Canadians saw prices for basic mobile phone subscriptions fall, data released by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada on Tuesday indicated that high-end mobile phone plan prices remained the same or increased between 2016 and 2017, bucking the overall the global trend. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Telus joins Rogers in Wireless Code extension ask

Several telecoms are backing Rogers Communications Inc.’s request for an extension to implement certain requirements of the Wireless Code, suggesting some processes required by the code will take longer than the CRTC initially thought. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Rogers requests extension for Wireless Code changes

Rogers Communications Inc. is asking for more time to implement updates to its bill management systems in order to fulfill requirements in the Wireless Code. 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 …

Freedom Mobile launches 10 GB for $50 ‘intro offer’

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile has announced a new set of wireless offerings in what the company is dubbing a “Big Gig” marketing campaign to begin Oct. 19. 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 …

Rogers expands wireless data controls

Rogers Communications Inc. said it will begin allowing the manager of shared wireless plans to control the quality of video streamed by members of the share plan. 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 …

Bell Apple Watch advantage unknown: experts

Wearable use in Canada and around the world is trending up, but the numbers for smartwatches are still too low to suggest BCE Inc. can see any real gain as it prepares to be the first Canadian carrier to deliver Apple Inc.’s first cellular-enabled watch. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

TBayTel asks for 1-year extension for Wireless Code changes

The CRTC is seeking comment on whether it should grant regional telecom TBayTel Inc. an extension to implement aspects of the new Wireless Code that will be required by Dec. 1. 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 …

Roaming revenues to fall 11% after EU ban: Juniper

The European Union’s elimination of roaming charges has pushed global mobile roaming revenue numbers down, according to a new report by Juniper Research. 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 …

Five free data hours for Fido customers

Customers of Rogers Communications Inc.’s flanker brand, Fido, are being offered free wireless data five times per month under a new feature called Data Bytes, the company announced 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. …

Rogers increases data overage fees

Rogers Communications Inc. has increased its mobile data overage rates to a cost per gigabyte of $70 for new 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 …

Videotron offering extra data to Unlimited Music subscribers

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is increasing the data limits of wireless customers affected by the upcoming shutdown of its Unlimited Music service. 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 …

Extension request for Unlimited Music shutdown denied

The CRTC said Thursday it won’t give Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron extra time to shut down its Unlimited Music program. 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. …

CRTC eliminates locked phones in Canada by December

As part of a decision on its review of the Wireless Code, the CRTC has eliminated unlocking fees for smartphones and mandated that all newly purchased devices must be provided unlocked as of Dec. 1, 2017. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Videotron ‘author’ of own misfortune: consumer advocates

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron made its bed and now it has to lie in it, according to consumer and digital rights advocates who opposed the company’s request for a delay in complying with the CRTC’s decision rendering its Unlimited Music service was offside. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Netflix to have Ont. ‘download zones’ for cottage season: CP

Netflix Inc. is setting up “download zones” in certain areas in Ontario to help the data starved pre-load movies and TV shows onto their devices, according to a Canadian Press 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 …

Telecoms to compete on service after zero-rating decision: analysts

The CRTC’s decision Thursday to ban most forms of zero-rating means telecoms will have to rely on service in order to stand out from the competition, analysts said.

Toronto city council adopts motion on unlimited data

Toronto city council voted last week to ask the CRTC to force wireless providers to offer unlimited data plans.

The motion, brought forward by councillor Michelle Holland, directs the city manager to convey a request to the CRTC  “that major telecommunications providers across Canada be required, as part of their licensing arrangements, to provide consumers with options for reasonably priced unlimited data packages that would be part of the cellular packages they offer.”

Ice Wireless offering unlimited data, roaming plans

Iristel Inc.’s Ice Wireless is now selling plans with unlimited data and roaming in the United States and Mexico, the company said in a press release Wednesday.

The plans “include unlimited calls, texts and roaming throughout Canada, United States and Mexico starting from $59,” it said.

The company is also offering an unlimited data plan for $89 per month, which is available on a promotional basis.

85% say account holder should approve wireless overages: survey

Nearly 85 per cent of Canadians believe approval for additional costs in family phone plans should be made by those who pay the bills, not those who use the phone, according to a survey commissioned by the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC).

Results from the survey, conducted by Access Research, were released Friday and highlights answers to areas of concern with the Wireless Code, established in 2013, and the focus of a recent CRTC review.

Highlight data as ‘key contract term’ in Wireless Code: CCTS

The Wireless Code should be amended so that it codifies data as a “key contract term” in wireless contracts, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) argued on the final day of the CRTC’s public hearing examining the three-year-old regulations, since that wouldn’t change a customer’s ability to adjust their allotment.

EU on verge of eliminating roaming charges

The European Union is set to eliminate mobile roaming charges within its 28-member bloc by this summer, as EU negotiators came to an agreement Wednesday on wholesale prices that would eliminate the charges by June 15, 2017.

Dubbed “roam-like-at-home,” the initiative will allow consumers travelling within the EU to “call, send SMS or surf on their mobile at the same price they pay at home,” according to a press release on the European Commission website.

Rogers expands availability of Roam Like Home

Rogers Communications Inc. has made its Roam Like Home plan available to “most customers on a consumer plan,” the company said Monday.

Shoan drops second case on Blais’ power to name panels

CRTC hears opposite takes on social benefits of zero-rating

GATINEAU, Que. — The question of whether differential pricing practices (DPPs) can be used for socially beneficial purposes came up on the fourth day of the CRTC’s hearing on DPPs Thursday, where accessibility advocates argued against zero-rating while Telus Corp. representatives said it could be used to promote cultural content.

No proven harm from differential pricing: Bell

GATINEAU — The CRTC shouldn’t take the non-participation in this week’s hearing by content providers who might eventually benefit from zero-rating and other differential pricing practices as non-interest, a five-commissioner panel studying the issue heard Tuesday.

T-Mobile dinged $48M for ‘unlimited’ data claims

T-Mobile US Inc. has been ordered to pay a $48-million settlement following an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) into its advertised “unlimited” data plans.

In press release Wednesday, the FCC’s enforcement bureau said T-Mobile’s policy allowed “it to slow down data speeds when T-Mobile or [flanker brand] MetroPCS customers on so-called ‘unlimited’ pans exceed a monthly data threshold.”

Analysts optimistic about Natale at Rogers after Laurence’s surprise exit

In an unexpected move, Rogers Communications Inc. has announced Guy Laurence is no longer CEO of the company and will be replaced by former Telus Corp. CEO Joe Natale, a choice analysts responded to positively Monday.

Indie ISPs have less restrictive data caps: OpenMedia report

A new report from OpenMedia says that when it comes to residential wireline Internet service, small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) “have less restrictive data caps and more regions with unlimited data across all packages than their national competitors.”

Rogers intros wireless data controls ahead of Wireless Code review

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Guy Laurence said Thursday the company will eliminate an “irritant” among its customers by giving them the ability to manage their wireless data, but said such services shouldn’t be mandated by the Wireless Code.

Reddit reaction to differential pricing overwhelmingly critical

Users of Reddit Inc.’s website have largely railed against differential pricing in a discussion initated by the CRTC, with an overwhelming number of comments on the social platform expressing concern about the practice, which allows providers to exempt some services from counting towards a customer’s data allotment.

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

Quebecor Inc.’s chief financial officer Jean-François Pruneau said Thursday the company is content to wait to sell the 700 MHz spectrum it picked up in 2014 and never deployed, given its value continues to grow with time.

Wireline data caps have no legitimate purpose, Netflix tells FCC

Netflix Inc. argued that data caps are an “unnecessary constraint on advanced telecommunications capability” in a filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Extra data promos to drive upgrades: Barclays

Promotions offering customers extra data as part of back-to-school promotions by Canada’s largest three wireless carriers will help drive upgrades by customers, according to a research note by Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang.

TV still golden in multi-platform Olympic coverage: experts

While digital and mobile options for watching the Summer Olympics are gaining in popularity and engagement, television continues to own the podium for the Canadian outlet broadcasting the two-week multi-sport tournament happening now in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Canada outranks peers in wireless prices: report

Canadians continue to pay among the highest prices internationally for wireless and broadband Internet services, according to a new report comparing telecom service prices released Thursday by the CRTC.

The ninth annual study was completed in January and February of this year by Nordicity and ranks Canadian prices among those offered by carriers in the G7 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Italy, Germany and France) and Australia.

Pokémon Go not augmenting wireless data reality

Though the success of Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s Pokémon Go mobile game could be the tip of the iceberg for augmented-reality applications, experts said they don’t expect wireless companies to make any major shifts in the way they offer data.

“In terms of the wireless data, it’s still video that’s driving most of the growth and consumption,” Desmond Lau, an analyst with Veritas, said in a phone interview.

Complaints, bill shock fell after Wireless Code: study

The Wireless Code has proved effective in the two years since its implementation, suggest the results of a CRTC-commissioned study, which reported a decline in wireless complaints as well as incidences of “bill shock.”

In the report, produced at the end of March, market research company TNS Canada outlined the results of a more-than $48,500 contract to “determine how consumers understand their wireless service contracts and their related rights and how that has changed over time.”

Facebook, AT&T defend differential pricing in CRTC review

Facebook Inc. and AT&T Inc. have waded into the CRTC’s review of differential pricing practices, arguing that the commission should allow carriers to offer zero-rated services and sponsored data.

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. 

5G key to future wireless profitability, Ericsson’s CTO says

TORONTO — With customers’ usage of data increasing exponentially, and carriers limited in how much they can charge for that data, telecoms will have to turn to 5G networks, Ericsson Canada’s Dragan Nerandzic said at the Canadian Telecom Summit Monday.

Canadian publishers adopt new Google platform

Three Canadian media outlets will be able to display their pages faster on smartphones while using less data after adopting a new platform developed by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, according news articles by Corus Entertainment Inc.’s Global News, the Toronto Star and Postmedia Network Inc.

The three companies reported separately that they are adopting Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) platform in recent days.

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.

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.”

Effect of zero-rating on competition under debate

OTTAWA — A panel discussion on net neutrality Friday dug into whether zero-rating can help or harm market competition, with Ted Woodhead, senior vice-president of regulatory affairs at Telus Corp. taking issue with the argument that innovation could be harmed if rules prohibiting such content are eliminated.

Netflix introduces wireless data controls

Netflix Inc. subscribers can now regulate how much wireless data they use in the newest version of the company’s Android and iOS application.

As of May 5, the mobile app users could take advantage of “added controls to help you manage streaming data usage on cellular networks,” said the Netflix app update’s release notes.

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

As it takes ownership of Wind Mobile, Shaw Communications Inc. will continue positioning Wind as a cheaper option compared to the big three national wireless carriers, according to the company’s chief operating officer.

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

Verizon allows companies to cover data costs for consumer access

Verizon Communication Inc. announced Tuesday it is introducing a new sponsored data service, called FreeBee Data, to help businesses drive better consumer engagement without cutting into customers' mobile data allotments. 

Mobile prices on the rise

All major mobile carriers in Canada are raising their prices, according to analysts.

Drew McReynolds, an analyst with RBC Dominion Security, detailed in a research note last week how BCE Inc. had recently raised its prices on share plans for premium smartphones by $5 to $65 a month, its plans for other smartphones by $5 to $55 and bring-your-own device plans by $10 to $55. Those rates are before data plans are added.

CRTC consults on off-tariff roaming agreements

The CRTC on Wednesday started a consultation that asks whether it should refrain from regulating some arrangements between incumbent wireless carriers and smaller operators regarding domestic roaming where the terms or conditions might differ from regulations that are in place.

Netflix says new process will waste less bandwidth

Netflix Inc. is re-encoding its entire library of content in order to provide customers with a better experience for watching content while using less bandwidth to process it. 

The company said in a blog Monday that the process is called per-title encoding, in which an analysis of every title that is available was conducted in order to determine the quality and the amount of bandwidth required for it to be streamed.

Bell adds Netflix link to IPTV services

BCE Inc. announced Monday that subscribers of Bell’s Fibe TV and Bell Alliant’s FibreOP TV will have access to their Netflix Inc. account directly from their TV receivers.

It said in the release that all Fibe TV receivers have been upgraded to access the video streaming service, and added that customers have to press the apps button on their Fibe or Fibre OP TV remote.

Relevance trumps affordability in reasons to forgo Internet: Ipsos

Newly released survey results show that almost 10 per cent of Canadians still do not have Internet access at home, and more people cite its relevance to their personal lives than affordability as a reason why.

Data released by Ipsos Public Affairs on Friday showed that 91 per cent of respondents to a survey reported getting the Internet at home. Among the nine per cent without home Internet, two per cent said they had it on a mobile subscription only, another two per cent used it outside of their homes and five per cent did not use it at all.

Wind to launch LTE by end of 2016 with new financing

Wind Mobile is looking to make LTE service available to at least some of its customers by the end of next year, after announcing it has borrowed $425 million to help it do so.

On Thursday, Wind issued a press release that indicated it has secured a new financing package worth $425 million that involves backing from Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Also involved is Finnverva, the export credit agency of Finland, where the technology provider for Wind's network upgrade, Nokia Corp., is based.

Bell ranked highest in mobile network performance

BCE Inc. was tops in RootMetric’s 2015 Canadian mobile network performance review that was released Wednesday, with Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. not far behind.

Old domestic roaming charges still being worked out

The CRTC has asked Canadian wireless carriers that provided roaming access to other domestic carriers — when legislation was in effect that capped domestic roaming prices to retail rates — to file new information, based on a number of clarifications about the legislation, to ensure proper amounts of money were paid.

Otono to launch prepaid wireless service for parents in U.S.

Otono Networks Inc. announced Wednesday it is launching next year in the U.S. a new prepaid wireless mobile service specifically for parents that will include two free lines for their kids.

It said in a press release that the service, called Krew Mobile, will include one main line designated to the parent that will be in charge of the two separate lines, all costing $39 US per month.

Roam Mobility offers SIM cards for vistors to Canada

Otono Networks Inc.’s Roam Mobility, a provider of SIM cards for out-of-Canada mobile usage, announced Friday it is launching a new SIM card for visitors to Canada.

The Vancouver-based company said in a press release that the Canada Travel SIM card can be inserted into any unlocked phone and customers can start using the plan as soon as they arrive into the country.

Final domestic-roaming tariffs approved, for now

The CRTC has accepted, for the time being, tariffs proposed by the wireless incumbents for what smaller carriers in Canada have to pay to have their customers roam on the bigger companies' networks.

Major mobile providers offer extra gigabyte

The three incumbent mobile-service providers and their flanker brands were all offering Black Friday specials, lasting until the Sunday, Nov. 30, that included an extra gigabyte per month on select plans.

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp and their discount arms — Virgin Mobile, Fido and Koodo, respectively — all said on their websites Friday certain wireless plans would feature this bonus for new customers and those upgrading before the end of the weekend.

Incumbents seek little change in domestic data roaming tariffs

The domestic roaming rates for voice and text services BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. have asked the CRTC to implement are significantly lower than what they currently charge smaller carriers, while the prices the incumbents suggested for data roaming are largely in line with tariffs that are already in effect, and even slightly higher in the case of Bell and Rogers.

SaskTel reduces roaming rates

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Tuesday it is introducing new roaming rates and five new roaming add-on plans for customers traveling outside of Canada.

It said in a press release that the new rates, part of the Roam and Relax Travel plan, will take effect Nov. 26 and will automatically be added to customers’ plans when they travel across the border.

Rogers launches Fido Internet service

Rogers Communications Inc. announced on Thursday a new Internet service for Ontario under its Fido brand.

Information provided by the company by email said customers of its discount mobile service Fido have been asking for "quality home Internet at a great price."