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.

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.

PIAC asks CRTC to deny Bell’s review-and-vary request

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is telling the CRTC to reject an application by BCE Inc. that asks the commission to amend its wholesale wireline decision.

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.

Liberals’ infrastructure plans could extend to telecom: lawyer

TORONTO — The newly elected Liberal government has indicated infrastructure will be a priority, and that could include telecom infrastructure, said lawyer Chris Tacit during a panel discussion at the Canadian ISP Summit in Toronto on Wednesday.

Tacit, a lawyer for the Canadian Network Operators’ Consortium (CNOC), which organized the conference, said that “there is a likelihood, with this government’s focus on infrastructure, that they might actually turn their focus in a much more meaningful way to broadband infrastructure.”

Bell becomes largest TV provider for Canadians

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday that the popularity of its Fibe TV service has made its the largest TV provider in Canada for the first time with more than 2.7 million customers across the country.

Are stars aligning for Shaw sale to Rogers?

The idea of a merger between Canada's two biggest cable providers — Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. — is on the radar again, with at least two market analysts saying the conditions are right for such a move.

Primus to lobby against Bell’s FTTH access appeal

Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. was set to make its case against BCE Inc.’s appeal of the CRTC’s wholesale wireline decision to officials with Industry Canada on Thursday.

Michael Nowlan, CEO of the independent phone and Internet service provider, said in a phone interview that “the entire competitive industry has to be looking into saying, ‘we have to respond,’ so we do need to get our points of view across within Ottawa.”

Eastlink to launch gigabit Internet

Eastlink said Wednesday that it will begin offering Internet service with gigabit speeds to its residential customers in Halifax next month.

NDP promises review of IoT privacy issues

In full election platforms released last week, the NDP is promising to implement changes to Canadian privacy law and look into Internet of Things (IoT) privacy, the Conservatives are pledging funding for rural broadband and cyber-security, and the Liberals say they would improve access to online government services.

Rogers dives into 4K video, gigabit Internet

Rogers Communications Inc. on Monday announced it is moving forward with two different kinds of technology — 4K video and gigabit-speed Internet — though one commentator says the success of either of these initiatives is uncertain.

Rogers CEO Guy Laurence said during a live-streamed press conference from Rogers Centre in Toronto — home of the Blue Jays baseball team — that 40 per cent of television sets sold in Canada this holiday season will be 4K.

"This is going to be a 4K Christmas," Laurence said.

Bell Aliant launches Gigabit Internet in Atlantic

BCE Inc.’s Bell Aliant announced Tuesday it has enhanced its FibreOP Internet service for Atlantic Canada by increasing download speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Bell Aliant said in a press release that the service, called Gigabit FibreOP, will initially offer customers download speeds of 940 Mbps and will later increase to a full gigabit in 2016.

Axia to build fibre Internet in rural Alberta

Axia NetMedia Corp. announced last week it is building fibre-optic Internet connections in additional rural communities in Alberta, which will be operational next year.

It said in a press release Thursday that construction is underway in "several rural communities in southern Alberta," naming Nanton and Nobleford as examples. It said it is "looking to identify the next forward-thinking communities to invest in."

Where federal parties stand on telecom, media issues

Telecommunications and media have not been prominent issues in this year's federal election campaign, taking a backseat to things such as the Mike Duffy trial, the deficit and Syrian refugees.

The Wire Report has made repeated attempts to talk with the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP about their stances toward telecom and media, but has been largely ignored.

However, here is a look at statements, documents and publicly disclosed initiatives of the three major parties that are indicative of the positions they hold on telecom and media, or have at least held recently.

U.S. city launches 10-gigabit service

Fibrant, a telecom company owned and operated by the City of Salisbury in North Carolina, and Calix Inc., a telecom equipment provider, announced this week that Salisbury, N.C., has become first city in the United States to get 10-gigabit Internet service.

Robert Van Geons, Salisbury's economic development director, said in phone interview Friday that this service is available throughout the city.

Cablecos can deploy gigabit Internet cheaper than telcos: analyst

Cable companies have a steep cost advantage over telephone companies in the race to implement broadband Internet at gigabit speeds, says Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan.

It comes down to cable companies' use of the technology known as DOCSIS (data-over-cable interface specifications) 3.1 for next generation networks versus telephone companies' reliance on fibre-to-the-home, Fan said in a research note issued Monday night.

Harper promises $200M for fibre-based rural Internet

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday that, if re-elected, he will put another $200 million into fibre-based infrastructure for rural and remote locations currently lacking high-speed Internet.

“Quite simply, there is probably no infrastructure more critical than the Internet to ensuring the future prosperity of our vast country,” Harper said in a press release Wednesday. “In today’s digital economy, access to the Internet is essential to create jobs, realize economic opportunities and connect Canadians to online services.”

Bell launches gigabit Internet in Ont., Que.

BCE Inc. announced Monday it has completed the first phase of launching its Gigabit Fibe Internet service, which is now available to about 1.3 million homes across Quebec and Ontario.

Bell said in the release that the new service will be available to its Fibe Internet customers as an upgrade for $10 a month in a bundle. The service is currently available to about 50,000 homes in Ontario and 85,000 homes in Quebec and will be available to Atlantic Canada customers by the end of September, the release said.

Gig speeds mainly about marketing for now: analyst

Canadian companies’ recent embrace of gigabit Internet isn’t meeting a need that exists in the market, but it is setting telecoms up for the day customers start demanding such speeds, according to Greg MacDonald, telecommunications analyst with Macquarie Capital Markets.

“I think a lot of it is marketing to date,” he said in a phone interview. “There are not a lot of households, even, let alone individuals that will use a gigabyte speed. Having said that, if you look at the usage patterns, they’re going up fairly substantially.”

New CRTC wholesale rules won’t change telco FTTH strategies: analysts

A day after the CRTC said it would mandate wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks by small ISPs, financial analysts said the move likely won’t have a significant impact on investments in FTTH networks by large telecoms.

‘Good day’ for small ISPs as CRTC mandates FTTH access

GATINEAU, Que. — Small ISPs and advocacy groups praised a move by the CRTC Wednesday mandating wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks and allowing small Internet service providers (ISPs) to build their own “middle mile” connections.

“We think it’s great,” Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) president Bill Sandiford said in an interview following the release of the CRTC’s decision on its wholesale wireline review.

Wholesale wireline decision coming Wednesday

The CRTC will issue its decision on wireline wholesale services on Wednesday, the CRTC announced Monday.

It will hold a lock-up session for the media at 2 p.m. and the decision will be released at 4 p.m., it said in a press release.

White House announces program to bring broadband to poor

The office of U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced a program to bring broadband Internet to 275,000 low-income households across the country, in partnership with local governments and Internet service providers.

Google Inc. is among the private-sector partners in this program, which will provide its Fiber Internet service at no cost to public housing facilities in Atlanta, Durham, Kansas City and Nashville, with a focus on connecting families with school-age children, the White House said in a press release.

Telcos losing advantage over cablecos in TV: analyst

Cable companies are “poised to level the playing field” against telephone incumbents in the area of TV service as they launch more advanced technological services of their own, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday.

Huang wrote in a research note that in recent years, telcos have “differentiated with their advantage" in IPTV services, "which were successfully marketed to consumers as the sexier next-gen TV vs. legacy cable service.”

Feds fund fibre Internet expansions in Ontario

Industry Canada on Thursday announced that it will provide funding to bring fibre-based Internet services to more than 800 homes in and around Durham, Ont., and 2,500 homes in the area of Kenora, Ont.

A press release said about $1.8 million will be provided to Eccentric Artists Technical Services Ltd., a local Internet service provider, to help install and connect the homes in Durham.

The second release about $2 million will be provided to BCE Inc.’s subsidiary Bell Alliant to install services in Kenora.

Fibre Internet customers more satisfied, says market study

The proportion of Canadians connected to the Internet by fibre is rising and these people are more satisfied with their Internet service than others, according to market research data released Thursday.

J.D. Power and Associates said in press release that its most recent study of Internet service satisfaction in the country showed 18 per cent of Canadians reporting a fibre-optic connection, up from 15 per cent a year earlier.

Telus to expand fibre network in Edmonton

Telus Corp. said Friday it will be expanding its fibre-optic network in Edmonton to connect directly to more than 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the city over the next six years.

The company said in a press release that it will invest $1 billion to expand the network to create better social and economic opportunities. Darren Entwistle, executive chairman of Telus, said in the release that the expansion will connect homes, hospitals, clinics, doctors, pharmacists, businesses, schools, libraries and municipal governments to the network.

TekSavvy’s Abramson takes on incumbents at Telecom Summit

TORONTO — With a key decision from the CRTC on smaller service providers’ access to wireline telecommunications networks expected soon, three incumbents’ regulatory bosses took on their counterpart at TekSavvy Solutions Inc. over the issue at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday.

CRTC should not mandate access to FTTH: report

The CRTC should not give small Internet service providers the right to buy wholesale space on fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute says.

Chinese fibre optics company sets up shop in Vancouver

A subsidiary of a Chinese fibre-optics company said Friday it has established Vancouver as its North American headquarters.

F-Pacific, a division of China Fiber Optic Network System Group Ltd., had already been manufacturing equipment meant for export to China in nearby Richmond, B.C., since last June. It has plans to open another manufacturing facility in Surrey, B.C., while the North American headquarters are in downtown Vancouver.

SaskTel brings fibre to Swift Current

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Tuesday that it has officially launched its fibre-to-the-home Internet service in Swift Current, Sask.

SaskTel said in a press release that some customers have already been hooked up to the new network, and that all of its existing high-speed Internet and IPTV customers would be given the option of signing up once their neighbourhoods are converted.

Small Toronto ISP to provide fibre link for Pan Am athletes

Athletes from across two continents competing in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto this summer will be able to connect with family and friends back home via high-speed fibre Internet connections provided by Beanfield Technologies Inc.

The company, the official communications services supplier for the games, has a fibre network in downtown Toronto that links commercial and residential buildings all along the waterfront to the Internet at speeds of 100 Mbps and more.

Rogers condo connection could be cut off without Bell access

The CRTC said Thursday that unless a developer provides BCE Inc. "timely access" to a Toronto condominium building about to accept new occupants, the other service providers that have been given access to the building, including Rogers Communications Inc., will not be permitted to provide services there.

Telus to invest $4 billion in B.C. through 2018

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it will spend $4 billion on infrastructure and facilities in its home province of British Columbia over the next four years, including $1 billion this year.

The company said in a press release that the investment will include the expansion of its fibre-optic network, as well as the addition of LTE to every wireless site in the province.

SaskTel plans $313M in capital spending this year

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday it plans to make about $313 million in capital expenditures in its home province this year, including $177 million on what it calls its "core Saskatchewan network."

Some of the priorities SaskTel highlighted in a press release included spending $45 million on its fibre-to-the-premises network, $37.8 million on upgrades to its wireless network and $79.9 million for "basis network growth and other enhancements."

Telus to make $4.2B investment in Alberta

Telus Corp. said Monday it will spend $4.2 billion on infrastructure and facilities in Alberta between now and the end of 2018, including $1 billion in the current year.

The company said in a press release that, when combined with operational spending, its total investment in Alberta over four years will amount to more than $11 billion.

Small ISPs take the lead on gigabit Internet in Canada

Small Internet service providers are taking the lead on providing gigabit Internet service in Canada, in contrast to the United States where Internet giant Google Inc. is pioneering efforts to bring this type of ultra-fast web connection to the masses.

ISP claims first residential gigabit service in Canada

Urban Communications Inc. said Thursday it has launched the first gigabit Internet service for Canadian residential users.

The company said in a news release the service will cost $49 a month for speeds of 1,000 Mbps over its fibre lines in Vancouver.

Urban said its fibre-optic network connects 24 residential buildings in Vancouver, representing 1,800 units, and it has signed access agreements with a further 28 buildings representing 3,000 units. CEO John Farlinger said in an email that its Internet service comes with unlimited data.

Telus announces $100M for fibre connections in B.C.

Telus Corp. is spending $100 million to provide access to a fibre optic network to 90 per cent of the homes and businesses in the British Columbia communities of Kelowna and West Kelowna, it said Tuesday.

It said in a press release that work began on the project in the fall and it expects the final premises to be connected by the spring of 2016. Telus said the connections will provide Internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

Bell launches restart feature for Fibe TV customers

BCE Inc. announced Monday that the latest upgrade to the software for its Fibe TV service adds the ability to rewind and restart programs already in progress.

The new Restart feature, which functions even if a user has not previously chosen to record a show, works on “thousands of shows,” the company said in a news release.

Bell claims this is the first time such a service has been available in Canada.

Montreal to build public WiFi, promote FTTH

Montreal will support public WiFi and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connections in a three-year plan.

The document, presented by the municipal government Thursday, said the city plans to develop “ultra high speed multiservice telecom infrastructure,” including free public WiFi across the island of Montreal. The plan also said the city will support “access to ultra high speed last mile telecom services for homes and businesses,” which it defined as “Internet service generally provided over fibre optic lines.”

Obama supports more government investment in broadband

U.S. President Barack Obama this week called for measures that would facilitate more investment from various levels of government to improve broadband Internet performance.

He made a speech Wednesday in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where there is a municipally built Internet network that provides speed 100 times faster than the national U.S. average, according to a report in USA Today.

Enterprise to assume bigger role in technology adoption: Deloitte

After a decade of consumers being the trendsetters in the adoption of emerging technology, the enterprise sector will take on a bigger role in 2015 as leaders in the use of cutting-edge IT products, according to a new report from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

CRTC urged to look toward future on wireline regulation

GATINEAU, Que. — On Wednesday, the first day of replies in the CRTC’s wholesale wireline hearing, the regulator was consistently asked to look to the future in determining how best to regulate Canada's fibre and copper connections. Yet the groups presenting before the commission differed on what that future entails.

No FTTP wholesale without CRTC action: PIAC

GATINEAU, Que. — Three consumer groups opened the second week of the CRTC hearing into wholesale wireline connections by telling the regulator to expand its wholesale access regulations to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks, while one of Canada’s biggest telecom companies demanded just the opposite.

Mandated wholesale access to FTTP wouldn’t deter investment: Shaw

GATINEAU, Que. — Shaw Communications Inc. on Friday took a different tack than other large Internet service providers that have spoken before the CRTC’s wholesale wireline hearing this week, endorsing mandated wholesale access for fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connections.

Bell Aliant FTTH reaches 1 million premises

BCE Inc.’s Bell Aliant division has passed one million homes and businesses with its fibre-to-the-home network, the company said in a press release Friday.

“Customers can continue to expect more as Bell is committed to continue its momentum for broadband and wireless growth with a $2.1-billion investment over the next five years to extend broadband services in the region. Bell's fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) footprint is now the largest in Canada,” the press release said.

Cogeco, SaskTel warn against mandatory wholesale on fibre connections

GATINEAU, Que. — Two Canadian Internet service providers told the CRTC on Thursday that opening up fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks to wholesale access could hurt the “fragile” case for spending money to build such networks.

Small ISPs tell CRTC they want to invest in ‘middle mile’

GATINEAU, Que. — Representatives from Canada’s small Internet service providers on Tuesday asked the CRTC to open up more of the incumbents’ broadband networks, mandating wholesale access for fibre-to-the-premises connections and giving the ISPs the ability to build so-called “middle-mile” connections.

Infrastructure investment was the main issue as more than a dozen executives, lawyers and experts representing the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) spoke at the CRTC’s hearing into its wholesale regulations for wireline networks.

Too early to decide on fibre-network regulation: Competition Bureau

GATINEAU, Que. — CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said during the first day of the CRTC’s hearing into its wholesale wireline regulations that his commission needs to be a “doctor” rather than a “coroner” for the telecom industry.

In an exchange with Patrick Hughes, a senior economist at the Competition Bureau, Blais said the commission must anticipate changes in the telecom industry in order to enact effective regulation.

OTT expected to cause Internet capacity crunch

Netflix isn’t the only game in town anymore.

BCE completes acquisition of Bell Aliant

BCE Inc. said Monday that its acquisition of Bell Aliant Inc. is complete.

It said that on Friday, it gained control through compulsory acquisition of the last 12 million shares of Bell Aliant that had not been tendered.

Wireline wholesale hearing to put focus on ISP access

The CRTC faces another major policy hearing next month, and this one has the potential to affect independent Internet service providers that depend on major telecom companies to connect them to customers.

In September, the commission held separate hearings on the future of the television industry and wholesale wireless access. On Nov. 24, the CRTC begins up to nine days of public proceedings into wireline wholesale services.

Bell Aliant expands N.B. fibre network

Bell Aliant Inc. said in a press release Thursday that it will extend its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network to another 4,177 premises in three communities in New Brunswick.

It added that it has invested $122 million since 2009 to bring its FibreOP network  “to 230,000 homes and businesses” in N.B., adding that the service is now available in “almost every part” of the province.

Bell Aliant makes concession on Ontera purchase

The Competition Bureau said Wednesday that Bell Aliant Inc. has responded to the bureau's concerns surrounding its purchase of an Ontario-government-owned telecommunications provider.

The bureau said in a press release Bell Aliant has agreed to lease a "significant portion" of Ontera's fibre network in northern Ontario to Eastlink.

Bell Aliant brings fibre-to-the-home to Quebec

Bell Aliant Inc. said Monday that fibre-to-the-home connections are now available in Quebec, with three communities on its FibreOP network immediately and four more to be connected before the end of the year.

Bell Aliant said in a press release that its FibreOP service, which it uses to deliver Internet download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, along with TV and home-phone services, is now available in Alma, Saguenay and Victoriaville.

Wireless broadband penetration falls short in Canada: OECD

Data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Tuesday shows Canada falls well short of the average of economically advanced countries in terms of wireless-broadband penetration.

Figures on the OECD's website showed an average penetration rate of 72.4 per cent for wireless broadband among 34 countries in this group at the end of last year, meaning there is about three subscriptions for every four people.

Bell Aliant expands fibre network in Quebec

Bell Aliant Inc. is expanding its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network to seven Quebec communities, the company said Tuesday.

The company will spend about $70 million to extend its FibreOP service to Alma, Saint-Félicien, Thetford Mines, Victoriaville and the Saguenay area, which includes Chicoutimi, Jonquière and La Baie, it said in a press release. It added service would also be available in other Quebec communities, including Rivière-du-Loup and Roberval, by the end of the year.

Bell Labs creates 10-Gbps connection on copper lines

Bell Labs, the research arm of French telecom hardware maker Alcatel-Lucent, announced on Wednesday that it has set a new broadband speed record of 10 gigabits per second over traditional copper telephone lines.

In a press release, the company said its technology, XG-Fast, could allow existing copper networks to attain speeds previously only possible on fibre-optic lines.

Bell rolling out FTTH in Kingston

BCE Inc. is rolling out a city-wide fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Kingston, Ont.

The company said in a press release Thursday that it would invest $40 million in building the network.

Kingston is the second municipality in Canada in which Bell is building a FTTH network that covers the whole city, following Quebec City.

Bell spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis confirmed in an email that the project would have a June 2015 completion date.

Telus to invest $1.3B in Quebec through 2016

Telus Corp. said Tuesday it will invest more than $1.3 billion in new infrastructure and facilities across Quebec between now and 2016.

It said in a press release that it would invest $640 million across the province as part of the final year of a three-year plan launched in 2012. Telus said it would spend another $700 million in 2015 and 2016 to build infrastructure.

John Lawlor rejoins DragonWave

DragonWave Inc. announced Monday that John Lawlor has rejoined the company to head its investor relations operations.

The company said in a press release Lawlor was its vice-president of investor relations between 2009 and 2013. Lawlor’s LinkedIn profile indicates he left DragonWave in April of last year and became vice-president of investor relations in March of this year at technology-focused investment firm Wesley Clover International Corp.

MTS to add another location to fibre network

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Thursday it will expand its fibre-to-the-home network to Oakbank, Man., about 30 kilometres east of downtown Winnipeg, later this year.

Expanding its MTS FiON network will give residents of Oakbank access this its Ultimate TV service and “ultra fast” Internet service with download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, the company said in a press release.

Since 2010 MTS has brought fibre-to-the-home to parts of Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as 12 smaller communities in Manitoba, the company said.

Bell Aliant extends fibre network in Newfoundland

Bell Aliant Inc. said Wednesday it is expanding its fibre-optic network to three towns in Newfoundland, making its FibreOP service available to an additional 8,100 homes and businesses.

Harbour Grace, Deer Lake and Stephenville will now have access to Bell Aliant’s FibreOp network, which the company said in a press release represents an investment of $4.8 million. Bell Aliant said it has spent a total of $65 million since 2011 on bringing the number of premises in Newfoundland and Labrador for which fibre-to-the-home is available to 139,000.

SaskTel to spend $55M on fibre-to-home this year

SaskTel said it plans to spend $55 million on its fibre-to-the-home program this year, with a focus on adding 18,000 customers to its fibre-optic network service, known as InfiNet.

The $55 million is part of plans to spend about $322 million on capital expenditures in 2014, announced in a release Thursday.

Also among its spending plans this year, SaskTel said it will spend $36.8 million on upgrades to its wireless network, including $1.8 million to expand its LTE network.

Canada falls short in broadband upload speed ranking

A lack of competition is behind slow upload speeds for Canadian broadband Internet customers, according to analyst Alan Breznick, and only the entry of a disruptive force like Google Inc. will bring the country up to speed.

Despite the rollout of new technologies, Canada ranks 55^th out of 172 countries when it comes to broadband upload speeds, stuck behind places such as Cambodia, Kenya and Mexico, according to American broadband testing and web diagnostics company Ookla.

CRTC decision on condo access could be ‘warning’: analyst

Unless BCE Inc. is allowed to install its infrastructure in a Toronto condo building, as of March 31, Rogers Communications Inc. will not be allowed to provide services to its residents either, the CRTC said Wednesday.

Big ISPs warn against mandatory wholesale for all-fibre networks

Canada’s largest Internet providers are launching an early offensive against potential new rules that could require them to give their smaller competitors access to their fibre-to-the-home network infrastructure, regulatory documents show.

Fibre-to-the-home rollout ramps up in Canada

The average Canadian is currently less likely to have access to the fast Internet speeds offered by fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology than the average American, but Canada is catching up.

The companies building FTTH networks in Canada are now doing so faster than their U.S. counterparts, according to Heather Burnett Gold, president of the Fiber-to-the-Home Council North America.

“The growth in Canada has been quite strong, passing more new households per capita than the U.S. from 2010 to 2013,” she said.

MTS expands fibre-optic network to Stonewall, Man.

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Friday it has expanded its fibre-optic network to Stonewall, Man., which is about 35 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

The company said bringing its MTS FiON network to Stonewall will allow residents there to access its MTS Ultimate TV services and “ultra-fast” Internet.

MTS said this latest expansion is part of its multi-year program to bring fibre-to-the-home to more than 20 communities in Manitoba.

Bell Aliant expanding FibreOp to Sturgeon Falls, Ont.

Bell Aliant Inc. is expanding its FibreOp fibre-to-the-home network to Sturgeon Falls, Ont., the company said.