CRTC to forbear from regulating IXPL services on 12 additional routes

The CRTC has added a dozen additional routes to its list of interexchange private line (IXPL) services that it is forbearing from 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 digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

CRTC won’t order Bragg to relocate its TPIA point of interconnection

The commission denied an application by City Wide Communications Inc. requesting it order Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink to move its Nova Scotia third-party Internet access (TPIA) point of interconnection to downtown Halifax, N.S. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Consortium to run fibre network from Europe to Asia through Northwest Passage

An Alaskan company has unveiled a billion-dollar project to run fibre from Europe to Asia. By doing so, it will increase internet connectivity in Canada’s Arctic. 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 …

SaskTel rolling out 5G in Saskatoon, expanding in Regina

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. is rolling out 5G in the City of Saskatoon, Sask., and expanded its network by adding 15 additional towers in the City of Regina, Sask., in its effort to connect the majority of both cities by the end of the year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Gov. allocates $6.6 million in UBF to Saskatchewan

The Canadian government is investing nearly $6.6 million in rural Saskatchewan in its effort to connect 98 per cent Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026. 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 …

Scott must recuse himself from all proceedings involving wholesale-incumbent relations: CNOC

The trade group Competitive Network Operators of Canada has filed an application with the CRTC requesting that its chair, Ian Scott, “recuse himself, or be recused, from deciding all matters affecting service-based competition” pending the outcome of TekSavvy Solutions Inc.‘s court challenge to the CRTC’s reversal of its decision on regulated  wholesale rates.   Scott’s recusal …

Telus, uOttawa launch 5G research partnership

Telus Corp. and the University of Ottawa have announced a new partnership aimed at turning the university’s campus into a “5G-connected innovation hub … to accelerate cutting-edge research and innovation in the heart of our nation’s capital,” according to a Monday release from the company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Canada’s fibre coverage, speeds, growing marginally compared to other countries: Study 

Canada has seen “reasonable fibre coverage” but growth in coverage has been slow over the last year, according to a new fibre development study. 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 …

Arbitrator dismisses Union complaint against Bell Technical Solutions 

An Ontario-based labour arbitrator has dismissed a complaint by Unifor workers against a BCE Inc. subsidiary having found that the company did everything in its power to remedy a situation in which Bell Technical Solutions workers were found infringing on work meant for its Craft and Services employees. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

Scott should recuse himself from MDU in-building access review and vary: TekSavvy

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 …

CRTC approves Rogers new wholesale high-speed access service tier, ignores TekSavvy wholesale customer concerns

The CRTC approved on an interim basis a proposal by Rogers Communications Inc. to introduce a new wholesale high-speed access (HSA) service tier to its access services tariff for third-party internet access service. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

CNOC files review and vary application on CRTC in-building wire access decision 

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 …

Novus wants CRTC to pause access complaint

Novus Entertainment Inc., which is fighting for access to a multi-dwelling unit in Coquitlam, British Columbia, has asked the CRTC to pause its application against the developer while they exchange information and negotiate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Broadband project in rural Manitoba getting $260 million

The federal government’s Canada Infrastructure Bank and DIF Capital Partners have signed an agreement in principle to spend $130 million each to increase rural broadband connectivity through the Southern Manitoba Fibre project.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

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 …

Fibre company Beanfield acquired

U.S.-based investment company Digital Colony has made another major purchase of Canadian telecom-owned assets this year, announcing on Wednesday the acquisition of fibre internet provider Beanfield Technologies 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 …

Wholesale-based ISPs at a ‘critical’ crossroads: CNOC’s Stein

TORONTO — Smaller, wholesale-based internet service providers may be facing a whole new era next year, president of the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) Matt Stein told an industry conference. 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 …

Videotron eliminates gigabit internet service

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has shut down its 1 Gbps internet service, effective Oct. 11. 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 …

Telecoms discussing CRTC wholesale rate appeal: Videotron chief

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is in talks with other telecom companies about potentially appealing the CRTC’s new rates for wholesale internet service, CEO Jean-François Pruneau told The Wire 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 news you …

Feds put $151 million toward new fibre cable for Nunavut

The federal government is spending $151 million to lay some 1,700 kilometers of submarine fibre optic cable that it says will connect over 3,200 households in Nunavut to high speed internet. 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 …

Cloudwifi says Bell court appeal request ‘premature’

CloudWifi Inc. has asked the federal court of appeal to dismiss a motion from BCE Inc.’s Bell for leave to appeal a June CRTC decision.  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 suspends post-CloudWiFi proceeding deadlines

The CRTC has suspended the deadlines it set for BCE Inc. to file tariffs on access to its fibre wire inside buildings and for other carriers to file interventions in a related proceeding. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Gov’t denies SWIFT request to amend CRTC broadband fund

The federal government has declined an application by SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc. asking for changes to the CRTC’s rural 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. Take a free trial or …

IPTV coming by December, Cogeco says

Cogeco Inc. will launch its new IPTV service in its entire Canadian footprint by the end of the calendar year, CEO Philippe Jetté said on a call with analysts Thursday.  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 …

ISED officials frustrated with competing MB fibre project, emails show

The federal government approved spending on a fibre project in Manitoba because it said it was a technically-sound and cost-effective business case for broadband coverage in the region.  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 …

Iristel complains to CRTC about Bell rate increases

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 …

ISPs can resell wholesale service to other providers: CRTC

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. …

Bell could see $100M benefit from fed tax plan in 2019: analyst

The federal government’s recently-tabled tax strategy allowing telecoms to deduct taxes at a higher rate more quickly on assets may benefit BCE Inc. to the tune of $100 million in 2019, according to analyst Adam Shine of National Bank. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Cogeco wants to put fibre cables in Ottawa River

Part of Cogeco Inc.’s plan to deliver gigabit internet service to its footprint is to put two fibre cables at the base of the Ottawa River, according to a company spokesman. 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 …

Alberta court rules city bylaw lacks jurisdiction over telecom builds

Canada’s major telecoms have succeeded in getting an Alberta court to rule that a municipal access bylaw in Calgary can’t regulate the building of telecommunications 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. …

CRTC to decide if mandated access to inside wire applies to fibre

A small internet service provider (ISP) is asking the CRTC to order BCE Inc. to give it access to Bell’s fibre connections inside a Toronto apartment building in a case that could set a precedent as wireless internet becomes more common in urban areas. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Fibre connections coming to Quebec’s far north

With $125.2 million in funds from the Connect to Innovate program and the Quebec government, the Kativik Regional Government will build some of the most remote fibre internet backbone in the country over the next three years. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Bell targeting more rural markets with fixed wireless expansion

BCE Inc. will grow its presence in the fixed wireless space to 30 additional rural communities after a successful trial earlier this year, CEO George Cope said Thursday in a call with analysts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

New network quality rules will mean more fibre, Canadian IXPs: experts

To meet the CRTC’s basic service standard, internet service providers (ISPs) must provide a service with a latency of 50 milliseconds (ms) between a customer’s modem and an internet exchange point (IXP) in a major Canadian city, and have less than 0.25 per cent packet loss, according to new standards set by the regulator. This …

SWIFT opens first project for bids

The SouthWestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc.(SWIFT) project launched its first request for proposals, it said in a press release 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 …

Bell awarded SuperNet contract, to buy Axia in Alberta

BCE Inc. will take over the operation of the entire SuperNet network in Alberta after being awarded a “multi-year” contract from the provincial government, Bell said in a Tuesday press release. 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 …

ISED funding 777-km fibre line in Northern Canada

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) is putting $30 million from its Connect to Innovate program toward a 777 kilometre-long fibre cable that will improve internet connectivity for residents in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and northern British Columbia. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Bains mum on if telecom concerns led to Aecon takeover denial

OTTAWA — Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wouldn’t say Thursday whether concerns about the security of telecom networks played a part in the reason the federal government decided to block the acquisition of Aecon Group Inc. by a Chinese company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Bell fibre build moves to Oshawa, Ont.

Oshawa, Ont. will be the next target for BCE Inc.’s fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network buildout, the company said in a press release 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 a free trial or …

No slow-down for increases in data usage: telecoms

Executives from Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. don’t see demand for wireless data slowing down, they told an investors conference earlier this week. 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 …

Fibre backbone, last mile projects in rural B.C. getting $38M in funding

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada announced an additional $38 million of funding for rural broadband in British Columbia in a release 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 and digital media news you need. Take a …

Bell, Huawei test 5G tech for fixed wireless in rural Ontario

BCE Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. have successfully tested fixed wireless technology that uses Huawei’s 5G tech in rural parts of Southwestern Ontario, according to a Tuesday press release. 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 …

Bell offering steep discounts for Toronto condo dwellers: analyst

BCE Inc. is advertising unusually low-priced promotional offers in downtown Toronto apartment buildings and condos in a bid to gain market share, according to a research note from Barclays 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 …

Bell buys regional telecom Maskatel

BCE Inc. kicked off the new year by acquiring Quebec telecom Groupe Maskatel LP, furthering its fibre expansion in the province. 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 …

Hamilton eyeing fiber infrastructure along LRT

A motion to investigate the prospect of installing fiber infrastructure simultaneously with its light rail construction, was passed by Hamilton city council on Wednesday, according to documents from the city council. 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 …

Government launches Smart Cities challenge in select cities

The federal government officially kicked off its Smart Cities Challenge Thursday, calling for the creation of community projects that leverage data and connected technology to benefit citizens in their communities. 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 …

FCC grants access to U.S. market for Telesat LEO satellite service

Telesat Holdings Inc. will be allowed to offer internet service based on its low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites in the United States market, the company said in a press release 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 …

Facilities ownership key to competition, ISP conference hears

TORONTO — Owning fibre facilities is the primary way to drive competition, panelists told a conference on the first day of the annual ISP Summit in Toronto, and having to lease those last mile facilities would put competitors at a disadvantage. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

Connect to Innovate allocates another $4M for Northern Ontario

Six Northern Ontario communities will receive $4.03 million under the federal government’s Connect to Innovate fund, according to a Tuesday press release. 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 …

Bell ‘heartened’ by CRTC chair statements, CEO says

BCE Inc.’s top man George Cope said the company likes new CRTC head Ian Scott’s approach to balancing consumer and business 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 free trial or …

N. America to be fast 5G adopter: GSMA

North American adoption of 5G will be as swift as 4G adoption, with about 100 million 5G connections predicted on the continent by 2023, four years after it launches, according to a recent GSMA report. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Axia rolling out gigabit service in rural Alberta

Rural Albertans will have access to gigabit internet following an upgrade by Axia NetMedia Corp., the company 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 to The Wire Report …

Small ISPs welcome rollout of disaggregated wholesale regime

The CRTC kickstarted the industry’s move to a disaggregated wholesale wireline regime Tuesday, setting interim rates and giving wholesale fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) access to smaller providers in Ontario and Quebec, a decision that those companies say will allow them to keep pace with bigger competitors and increasing consumer demands. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Northwestel applications for fee deregulation denied

Two applications by Northwestel Inc. asking the CRTC to exempt two services from regulation in the area it covers have been denied by the regulator. 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 …

Canadian fibre connections grow to 10 per cent: OECD

The increase in Canadian fibre broadband subscriptions slowed in 2016, slipping to ninth in growth among 35 Organization for Co-operation and Economic Development (OECD) countries. 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 …

Cogeco expands 1GB service

Cogeco Inc. has launched its 1GB Internet service in Quebec for the first time, making gigabit speeds available in Trois-Rivières. 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 …

New exchange point launched for research, education

Montreal will be home to what’s being touted as the country’s first global exchange point for research and education, Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network (CANARIE) 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 …

Cable no substitute in wholesale service gap areas: CNOC

The presence of cable infrastructure in locations where there is no telco option for wholesale Internet service is not a sufficient alternative, small Internet service providers (ISPS) are arguing in a proceeding in front of the CRTC. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Use of AI will bring benefits to telecoms, but also risks

Artificial intelligence is a tool telecoms will increasingly use to manage networks and enhance various products, but its susceptibility to hacking will also pose big security-related concerns, especially if used for critical infrastructure, according to experts.

AI, which is software programmed to think and operate like humans, is a fast-growing technology that will help automate functions in the economy previously done by humans. It’s also a technology that’s been drawing government attention.

CNOC asks for CRTC action on growing wholesale wireline ‘service gaps’

As large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) push on with the build of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, small providers say they are encountering an increasing number of areas where they have no access to wholesale Internet service from telcos.

Such service gaps are “becoming increasingly large and prevalent,” the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) said in a Part 1 application dated Thursday, in which it asked the regulator to provide expedited wholesale access to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) facilities.

Hydro One expands fibre network

Hydro One Telecom Inc. — a subsidiary of Ontario electricity provider Hydro One Networks Inc. — has expanded its fibre network to connect to 30 data centres in Ontario and Quebec.

It said in a press release Thursday that it has further plans for expansion later this year. Hydro One Telecom’s fibre network offers high-speed data networking services to “data centre operators, tenants, cloud providers and companies who want to access the services that are provided within these data centres,” the release said.

Bell’s scale advantage widening after MTS deal: Barclays

The acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. expands the scale at which BCE Inc. operates, which is “becoming one of its most important competitive advantages,” according to Barclays Capital.

Are provinces filling the federal broadband strategy gap?

Nova Scotia may not be formulating its provincial broadband plan as a direct response to federal inaction, but that doesn’t mean the provincial government isn’t acting out of a need to fill a void affecting its residents.

“It’s like a lot of things in that the provincial government is closer to the people than the federal government is, in certain respects,” David MacNeil, senior advisor in the Nova Scotia department of business, said in a phone interview.

Canadian fibre could be up for grabs if Zayo sold: analyst

An American acquisition could create an opening in the Canadian fibre market, according to Desjardins Capital Markets.

In a Thursday note, analyst Maher Yaghi highlighted the recent acquisition of a fibre network company in the U.S. and the overall activity of the mergers and acquisition market south of the border.

Mandating co-location would be a barrier to competition: CNOC

An application by BCE Inc. asking the CRTC not to require the implementation of meet-me points through which smaller companies could connect to the telco’s network, if granted, would harm competition, small ISPs are arguing.

“Bell’s application is an attempt to slow competition that would also generate an unnecessary windfall for Bell at the expense of competitors and consumers,” the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) said in a Jan. 23 intervention.

Two rural Ontario areas receive $2.53M to improve connectivity

The federal and Ontario governments are making available $2.53 million in funding to improve Internet service in two areas of the province, the federal government announced in a press release Monday.

“In King Township, the project will expand the fibre optic broadband network to rural residents. In Huron County, the project will provide high-speed broadband service to 929 homes, dozens of small businesses and a school,” the press release said.

Rural broadband program aims to bring 300 communities up to speed

WAKEFIELD, Que. — The federal government’s new rural broadband program will focus on making high-speed connections, as opposed to simply forging Internet connections for rural and remote communities, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said Thursday, in announcing some of the long-awaited details to the Liberal commitment outlined in this spring’s budget.

Bell asks CRTC to reconsider aspects of disaggregated regime

BCE Inc. is asking the CRTC to hold off on requiring the company to build new infrastructure as part of the regulator’s new disaggregated wholesale wireline regime, something small Internet Service Providers (ISPs) say they are concerned could further delay the implementation of a system the CRTC decided to establish in 2015.

Rogers ordered to keep serving new TekSavvy customers on FTTP

The CRTC has told Rogers Communications Inc. it has to keep providing wholesale service for new customers of TekSavvy Solutions Inc. in a building with fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure.

Last year, Rogers upgraded its network in a Toronto condo building from a hybrid fibre-coaxial cable to an “an optical-fibre-based solution,” and removed the coaxial cable at the request of the property manager, the CRTC said in a decision Wednesday.

Google halting fibre rollout amid changes

Alphabet Inc. announced it will pause its fibre rollout to potential cities amid changes that have claimed its broadband division’s CEO. 

Craig Barratt, CEO of Google Access, announced on the company’s fibre blog Tuesday that Google is undergoing changes to “refine our approaches” and will be pausing the rollout to additional cities. He said work will continue where they’ve already launched fibre or where it’s still under construction. 

FTTH access plan ‘consistent’ but ‘disappointing’: indie ISPs

The CRTC has missed an opportunity to foster innovation among telecom competitors as it moves forward in the implementation of mandated wholesale access by smaller Internet service providers (ISPs) to incumbents’ fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, according to independent ISPs and consumer advocates.

Bell, MTS announce post-merger plans for Churchill, Man.

Gigabit-speed Internet will be introduced to Northern Manitoba under a BCE Inc.-owned Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., the companies announced Monday.

The improvement in Churchill, Man., would be part of the $1-billion-over-five-years investment Bell pledged to make as part of the acquisition proposal for MTS, said a press release.

Ontario fibre project gets federal-provincial boost

The federal and Ontario governments are investing up to $180 million into a new fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network designed to connect about 300 southwestern Ontario communities to high-speed Internet, officials announced Tuesday, bolstering a municipally driven project to bridge the region’s broadband gap.

Axia looks south for fibre expansion

Axia NetMedia Corp. said it is looking to see if there is enough interest in the United States to extend its fibre network south.

The Calgary-based company said in a Monday press release that it’s gathering expressions of interest to determine which American cities are “interested in a 100% privately funded, Gbps enabled FTTP network,” with the potential for gigabit downloads speeds and unlimited data usage.

Arctic Fibre sold to American partner

Arctic Fibre Inc., a Canadian company deploying fibre-optic cable in the North, has been purchased by its Alaskan affiliate.

Cogeco Connexion expanding FTTH network in Quebec

Cogeco Inc. said Friday it is investing about $250,000 to expand its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network to residents in Quebec’s Orford Township.

The expansion will serve “several homes in the residential area surrounding the 13e Rang road” in the Eastern Townships municipality, located about 90 minutes east of Montreal, the company said in a press release.

SaskTel upgrades networks in northeast

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said in a press release Monday it plans to complete, by the end of June, a three-year, $30-million project to rebuild the backhaul network in the northeastern part of the province.

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.

Videotron buys Fibrenoire

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Thursday it has acquired Fibrenoire, a company that provides fibre-optic connectivity services to businesses, for $125 million.

It said in a press release that acquiring the company would help “meet the growing demand from business customers for fibre-optic connectivity.” Videotron said it bought all shares that were held by the founding shareholders and that Fibrenoire will now become an independent subsidiary of Videotron.

Bell’s claim FTTH investment at risk is ‘fear-mongering’: CNOC

Small Internet service providers (ISPs) are asking the government to reject an appeal, filed by BCE Inc., of a CRTC decision that mandated access by smaller competitors to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, stating Bell’s arguments in the case contradict statements it has made to investors.

Toronto telecom provider seeks condo access

Beanfield Technologies Inc., an independent provider of fibre-based Internet, TV and phone services in Toronto, is asking the CRTC to help it gain access to one of the few condominium buildings it isn't already connected to in the city's Liberty Village neighbourhood.

CRTC denies TekSavvy relief in Toronto wholesale issue

The CRTC has denied TekSavvy Solutions Inc.'s request for interim relief in a situation where Rogers Communications Inc. is slated to replace some legacy cable in a Toronto neighbourhood with fibre, leaving a certain number of households, for the time being, unable to become customers of TekSavvy or any other small Internet service provider (ISP) renting capacity on the local cable network.

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.

B.C. community temporarily without Internet service

Onewayout.net Society, the only Internet service provider in Stewart, B.C., has shut down its services as it awaits the provision of new connections, courtesy of Telus Corp. and another small British Columbia-based ISP.

In a notice posted on the company’s website, Onewayout said: “Onewayout.net has made the decision to discontinue internet service on or before November 30, 2015. It is not our intention to stand in the way of progress. We wish to thank all our customers for your patronage over the last twenty plus years.”

Rogers acquires Internetworking Atlantic

Rogers Communications Inc. announced Tuesday it has acquired Internetworking Atlantic Inc., a Halifax based communications technology company that offers a range of IT products and solutions to government agencies, institutions and businesses.

It said in the press release that the acquisition will help Rogers offer local expertise in areas such as cloud computing, data centre services, fibre networking and professional services, such as IT and network solutions.

SaskTel expands fibre-to-the-home

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Friday it will be deploying its InfiNet fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in residential areas of two cities in Saskatchewan by next year.

SaskTel said in a press release that construction will begin March 2016 and customers in Estevan and Weyburn, both located south of Regina, will begin having InfiNet by June 2016. It added that customers will have Internet download speeds of up to 260 Mbps.

FTTH to cover 90% of Bell footprint in 10 years: Cope

BCE Inc. will cover about 90 per cent of its wireline footprint with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) in a little less or a little more than a decade, though the issue of whether smaller Internet service providers will get mandated access to such networks will affect the build-out in an unspecified fashion, Bell CEO George Cope said Thursday.

Huawei, Telus to create 5G lab in Vancouver

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. said Friday that it has partnered with Telus Corp. to create a lab to help develop 5G technology.

It said in a press release that the project, called the 5G Living Lab, will design, test and deploy new technology in order to “deliver a next-generation converged fibre-wireless network in downtown Vancouver.”