Rogers takes on troubleshooting with introduction of IoT as a service

Rogers Communications Inc.’s introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) management as a service removes the need for its business enterprise customers to troubleshoot their various applications and devices themselves, allowing them to focus on customer service, the company said.

Ignacio Paz, Rogers’ general manager of IoT, said in a phone interview that “to drive that adoption of IoT solutions, we as an industry … need to make it simple for our customers."

Sale of Primus’ Canadian assets to U.S. company completed

Atlanta-based Birch Communications Inc. said Monday it has completed the Canadian component of its acquisition of Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc.

“Birch plans to continue to use the Primus brand for its consumer business and will expand the Birch brand into Canada for business customers,” the company said in a press release.

FCC to subsidize broadband for low-income customers

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will provide subsidies of $9.95 towards Internet service for low-income individuals.

The FCC said in a press release Thursday it has modernized its Lifeline program, which previously focused on affordable phone access.

“Today, consumers need Internet access for full and meaningful participation in society.  Yet 43 [per cent] of nation’s poorest households say they can’t afford modern broadband service,” the release said.

Internet speeds beating benchmarks: CRTC

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

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

CRTC to reconsider current wholesale Internet rates

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

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

Basic Internet service standards should be joint responsibility: CRTC survey

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

Rogers customer complaints down by 65%: CCTS

Rogers Communications Inc. experienced a nearly 65-per-cent drop in complaints accepted by the Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), according to the commissioner's mid-year report.

Released Wednesday morning, the report said Rogers was the subject of 437 complaints during the six-month period of Aug. 1, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016, down from 1,240 complaints during the same period a year earlier.

Post budget, Liberal telecom policy remains unclear

The budget didn't offer many clues about the Liberals' telecommunications strategy, but that might in itself be a hint as to where the new government will go, according to experts.

Unlike budgets from the previous Conservative government, which contained explicit references to increasing wireless competition and pushing for a fourth national carrier, Tuesday's financial plan didn't go much farther than highlighting a rural broadband program.

Rural broadband, CBC funding in 2016 federal budget

In its first budget, the new Liberal government is continuing the previous Conservative government’s practice of setting aside funds for broadband service in underserved areas, cyber security and research frameworks, according to the financial plan released Tuesday, but isn’t shedding much light on its own telecommunications strategy.

Budget documents highlighted a five-year investment of $500 million, starting with $6 million in 2016-17, for a new program to “extend and enhance broadband service in rural and remote communities.”

CRTC closes PIAC undue preference complaint against Shomi

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

Air Canada to offer WiFi on international flights

Gogo Inc., a Chicago-based provider of in-flight Internet service and entertainment, announced Monday it has partnered with Air Canada provide in-flight WiFi services on international flights.

ISED releases more fixed wireless spectrum

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is currently accepting applications for fixed wireless access (FWA) spectrum in 23 Tier 4 service areas across the country.

T-Mobile adds more providers to Binge On service

T-Mobile U.S. Inc. announced Thursday it has added more video providers to its unlimited mobile video streaming service, Binge On, including Google Inc.’s Youtube, Google Play Movies and Discovery GO.

It said in a press release that Binge On will now have more than 50 video services that customers can stream for free without cutting into their wireless data, which represent more than 70 per cent of “of all video T-Mobile customers watch on their phones and tablets each month.”

One-fifth left in Connecting Canadians: ISED

Parliament's finance committee has recommended a rural broadband program be included in next week's federal budget, but there's still money available from the previous attempt to increase rural access, the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development confirmed.

Marketers to spend 3.5% less on TV in 2016: ACA study

The portion of advertising budgets dedicated to TV is expected to fall 3.5 per cent in 2016, as Canadian marketing companies plan to allocate more of their budgets to advertising on digital platforms, according to a new study released Thursday by the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) in collaboration with Nielsen Co.

Shopify now available on WordPress

Shopify Inc. announced Tuesday its merchants will now be able to sell products using WordPress, a free open-source content management system that is used predominantly to host blog content.

The Ottawa-based company said in a blog post that its customers will be able to choose from three templates in order to create their shop on WordPress and that customers who already have an existing WordPress theme can use the “Shopify Ecommerce Plugin” that can be added on any WordPress page or blog post.

Tax changes, rural investment should be in new budget: committee

The federal government should incorporate an industry suggestion to spur telecom investment by making changes to the tax system into the upcoming 2016 budget, according to the House of Commons standing committee on finance.

In a report presented Friday, the committee added to that suggestion by recommending the money that results from those changes be used for rural broadband.

Home Internet penetration at 92%: MTM

Internet use is nearly universal by English-speaking Canadians and the amount of time adults spend online is continuing to grow, suggested a new report on Internet penetration by the Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

Results from the MTM survey suggest 92 per cent of anglophones have a home Internet connection, with the average user spending 22.6 hours online in a typical week in 2015, rising from 21.5 hours in the previous year.

Telus expanding FTTH network in northern B.C.

UPDATED — Telus Corp. is expanding its fibre-to-the-home rollout to the northeastern B.C. communities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Charlie Lake, the company announced in a pair of press releases.

Telus will spend $10 million to connect more than 90 per cent of the homes and businesses in Dawson Creek by the end of the year, Telus said in a press release Thursday. It will also spend $18 million to connect 90 per cent of Fort St. John and Charlie Lake, it said in a press release Friday.

Telecoms’ TV customer losses up five-fold in 2015

The number of subscribers leaving the Canadian TV system appears to be accelerating, as Canada’s publicly traded telecom companies lost five times more TV subscribers in 2015 than a year earlier.

Canada needs digital skills to harness IoT opportunities: report

OTTAWA — If Canada is to reap the benefits of the global digital shift, it needs to stack its skilled labour deck or risk falling behind, said a new report by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).

In its national digital talent strategy released Wednesday, ICTC outlined a series of recommendations aimed at "strengthening Canada's competitiveness, creating jobs and growing the digital economy."

CRTC schedules basic service hearing for April 11-28

The CRTC’s basic telecom services hearing will take place between April 11 and April 28, lasting almost three weeks.

Verizon fined $1.35M US for targeted advertising practices

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Monday it has fined Verizon Communications Inc. $1.35 million US for inserting unique identifier headers (UIDH) without customers’ consent in order to deliver targeted ads.

The FCC said in a press release it found Verizon had been inserting “unique, undeletable identifiers,” known as UIDHs or “supercookies,” which it “inserted into web traffic and used to identify customers in order to deliver targeted ads from Verizon and other third parties.”  

With no network infrastructure, towns opting to build their own

Among the arguments from BCE Inc. and those supporting its appeal to federal cabinet of the CRTC decision mandating wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks is that the ruling will slow development of high-speed Internet infrastructure in outlying areas.

But the high costs involved with getting that infrastructure into rural and more-remote communities means they already weren't high on the priority list, which leaves it up to smaller, home-grown companies and government to fill the void, said independent telecom analyst Bill St. Arnaud.

SaskTel says 1,000 customers hit by phishing scam

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said in a release Friday that it was recently the target of a “large phishing attack.”

It said it estimates the attack affected about 1,000 customers.

The company added that it would “be proactively resetting the password for impacted email accounts.”

25,000 respond to basic services survey: CRTC

The CRTC said Friday that more than 25,000 Canadians have completed a questionnaire on the future of broadband as part of its basic telecom services review.

The deadline to complete the survey, which includes topics like availability of broadband and pricing of services, is Feb. 29, it added.

Deferral account-funded broadband expansion complete

A $422 million expansion of broadband Internet services to underserved communities has been completed, the CRTC confirmed Thursday.

In 2010, the regulator approved plans by BCE Inc., Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and Telus Corp. to connect more than 280 rural and remote communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, the regulator said in a press release.

Government to consult on impact of ‘digital shift’ on media sector

The federal government will hold a consultation on the Internet's effect on Canada’s media industry.

According to a transcript, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said in question period Wednesday that the government would “launch a public consultation on the digital shift in order to… really understand the impact the Internet may have on users and creators in general.”

CRTC launches telecommunications database

The CRTC has a new online tool to help people find phone, mobile, Internet and television services in their area.

Google can appeal B.C. court’s worldwide injuction: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it has granted Google Inc. leave to appeal a B.C. court decision that issued an injuction stopping Google from linking to a company in its search results.

The case began when the plaintiffs, Equustek Solutions Inc. and Robert Angus of Clarma Enterprises Inc., sued their former distributor for “unlawful appropriation of trade secrets, alleging that the distributors designed and sold counterfeit versions of their products,” according to a summary on the Supreme Court website.

Tax changes would spur telecom investment: industry groups

OTTAWA — Changing the tax system could increase the level of investment in wireless network infrastructure, the House of Commons standing committee on finance heard Wednesday night as part of the 2016 pre-budget consultations.

Submissions from two industry groups asked lawmakers to consider increasing the capital cost allowance (CCA) — which businesses can claim for depreciable expenses — for classes of machinery and equipment used to build and operate network infrastructure.

Cogeco launches 400 new WiFi hotspots in Ontario

Cogeco Inc. announced Wednesday it has launched 400 WiFi hotspots across Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Georgetown, all located in the surrounding area of Toronto.  

It said in a press release that Cogeco has been working towards expanding its public WiFi network for the past year. The coverage will be available at different locations such as retail shops, restaurants and professional services offices, among others, it added.

TekSavvy asks customers to push for service level agreements

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is asking its customers to push both regulators and lawmakers to give incumbents greater incentive to collaborate with independent telecommunications companies when problems arise.

After a series of outages in its cable Internet service last week, TekSavvy posted an open letter from CEO Marc Gaudrault on its website Thursday apologizing to customers for the lapse in service and explaining the cause behind the interruptions. As of Tuesday, it had been removed from the website.

How could the Netflix proxy ban affect Canadian OTT?

The Netflix Inc. crackdown on virtual-private-network (VPN) use could provide an opportunity for Canadian providers to carve out more of the over-the-top (OTT) market, though a lack of firm figures makes predictions difficult.

TVA, Bell Media take down illegal sports streaming website

Quebecor Inc.’s TVA division and BCE Inc.’s media subsidiary have shut down a website that was pirating the TVA Sports and RDS sports channels.

The companies said in a press release Friday that they seized computer equipment from those that were operating an illegal streaming site whose pirated streams included content from the two channels.

Toronto council stands with CRTC on FTTH decision

Toronto city council is backing the CRTC's decision to mandate wholesale access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, breaking with Toronto mayor John Tory who has already registered his support of BCE Inc.'s appeal of the ruling to the federal cabinet.

TV advertising needs better metrics, execs say

While advertising will remain a key part of the TV ecosystem, the television industry will have to provide better audience data in order to keep up with digital competition, said Barbara Williams, president of Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division.

“The future is not ad-free,” Williams said during a panel discussion on Thursday at the annual conference of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), formerly known as the Canadian Media Production Association.

Bell profits down 8.8 per cent in Q4

BCE Inc. reported net earnings of $542 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, down 8.8 per cent from the same time a year earlier.

It said Thursday that final quarter revenues were up 1.4 per cent to $5.60 billion, up from $5.53 billion a year earlier.

Bell added that profits fell because of higher severance payouts, acquisitions and other costs, "of which $120 million related mainly to workforce restructuring initiatives.”

Online-only TV viewing on rise: MTM

The majority of anglophone Canadians still subscribe to traditional television services, but an increasing number are taking an online-only approach, according to a new report on media technology adoption by the Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

Global wearable device sales to grow 18.4% in 2016: Gartner

Gartner Inc. is forecasting that global wearable device sales will increase 18.4 per cent this year to 274.6 million units, up from 232 million units the previous year.

The research company said in a press release Tuesday that sales of wearables will generate revenues of $28.7 billion US this year, of which $11.5 billion US will be from smartwatches. It also forecast that 50.4 million smartwatches will sell in 2016, up from 30.3 million units the previous year.

Mobile data traffic to jump six-fold by 2020: Cisco

A rise in the number of wireless devices accessing mobile networks will lead to six times more mobile data traffic by 2020 in North America, according to new projections from Cisco Systems Inc.

In its 10th annual Visual Networking Index focusing on consumer and business mobile data traffic and its key drivers released Wednesday, Cisco said North America will see an increase from 557,237 terabytes of mobile data traffic per month in 2015 to 3,208,203 terabytes per month in 2020.

Advocacy group asks for $10 Internet for low-income households

A low-income advocacy group is calling for a $10-per-month Internet plan to help make high-speed Internet more accessible for low-income households.

On Tuesday, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Canada released the results of a survey that suggested high-speed Internet is too expensive for low-income earners to access at home, leading to unnecessary hardship.

CRTC needs technological guidance: former commissioner

The CRTC should have more commissioners with a background in engineering, and fewer with backgrounds in law, broadcasting and news, former commissioner Timothy Denton said in a blog post.

Denton – who served on the CRTC from 2008-2013 – argued that the CRTC should appoint a chief technology officer in the same style of that employed by the Federal Communications Commission in the post, dated Jan. 28.

“Commissioners and staff need to have some other source of guidance as to the technologies,” he said the blog post.

Cogeco expands FTTH network in Quebec