CRTC extends CCTS membership requirement for telecoms

The CRTC announced Friday that all telecom service providers (TSPs) that fall under the purview of the Commission for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) will remain CCTS members on an interim basis until final decisions are made as part of its review of the CCTS.

CCTS finds small Alberta telecom breached regulations

The Commissioner for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) said Thursday that VOIS! Inc., an Alberta-based telecom provider, has breached its regulatory obligations towards its customers.

Rogers revenues, profits up

Rogers Communications Inc. announced Thursday in its third quarter results it saw a 40 per cent increase in net income to $464 million, up from $332 million the previous year.

Shaw sees 40% rise in profits in Q4

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Thursday a 43.8 per cent increase in its fourth quarter profits.

Youtube to launch paid video subscription service

Google Inc.’s Youtube announced Wednesday it will launch a new paid video subscription service that will have ad-free original content.

It said in a blog post that the service, called Youtube Red, will be available on all platforms and devices and will be priced at $9.99 US per month. It added that users will be able to save videos and watch them offline and that early next year users will get to watch new original shows from some of Youtube’s content creators.

MTS releases SIP trunking suites for Canadian businesses

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.’s Allstream division announced Wednesday it is making SIP trunking, technology that provides signaling and call handling capacity to make VoIP calls over a carrier’s Internet protocol (IP) backbone network, available to its businesses customers.

It said in the release that the new service, which is installed within a company's telecom infrastructure, is best suitable for businesses with 100 to over 400 employees and will help businesses run data and voice traffic over a single IP service from the Allstream network.

Liberals to be ‘less aggressive’ on 4th-player policy: analyst

Canaccord Genuity analysts Aravinda Galappatthige and Sanford Lee said Tuesday that they expect a Liberal majority government, as elected Monday, to take a “softer pro-wireless new entrant stance.”

They said in a research note that the previous Conservative government had “consistently pursued the idea of a fourth national wireless player” through policies such as spectrum caps and set-asides in spectrum auctions, expecting that more competition would lower prices for consumers.

Few Canadians using mobile-payment apps: survey

Forty per cent of Canadians are aware of mobile-payment methods, up from 35 per cent a year earlier, but only 10 per cent are using their mobile phones to make payments on a weekly basis, according to survey results released Tuesday by consulting firm Accenture Inc.

Liberal government positive for big telecoms: analyst

A telecom-market analyst says incumbent telecommunications-service providers would benefit under a Liberal government.

Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan said in a research note released the Friday before Monday's election: "A Liberal majority could be a fresh and positive change for the incumbents."

He said that while a Liberal government would not want to see less competition in the telecom sector or higher prices, it would likely take an approach "very different from that of a Conservative majority."

Cogeco renames subsidiary to Cogeco Peer 1

Cogeco Cable Inc. announced Monday that its combined subsidiaries Cogeco Data Services and Peer 1 will be renamed Cogeco Peer 1.

It said in the release that combining the two subsidiaries will help grow Cogeco’s enterprise data services sector.

“The new name, Cogeco Peer 1, allows us to combine the strengths of two great companies and deliver uncompromising value and innovation, reinforcing our position as a market leader in the enterprise IT sector,” Cogeco CEO Louis Audet said in the release.

Yellow Pages links Canadian business information to Apple Maps

Yellow Pages Ltd. announced Monday that data from its online digital platform that provides information on Canadian businesses will be directly linked and offered on Apple Inc.’s Apple Maps.

It said in a press release that data provided will include information of about 1.8 million Canadian business' addresses, phone numbers, website URLs, hours of operation, photos, ratings and reviews.

Rogers, Telus on opposing sides of zero-rated music case

An undue-preference complaint against a music streaming service offered by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has Rogers Communications Inc. arguing that zero-rating the service is a net-neutrality violation, while Telus Corp. is supporting Videotron and saying the service does not harm consumers.

Most francophones consume some English media: survey

Most French-speaking Canadians watch some English television and film, and most of those do so at least once a week, according to a newly released survey.

CBC/Radio-Canada's Media Technology Monitor said in a report released Thursday that 60 per cent of francophones in Canada reported viewing English TV or film, and 66 per cent of those who said they consumed English content did so on a weekly basis.

Netflix profit halved from year ago

Netflix Inc. reported 30 per cent annual growth in quarterly revenue on Wednesday, though its net profit in the third quarter was half of what it was at the same time in 2014.

The over-the-top (OTT) streaming company said in a letter to shareholders posted on its website that revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was $1.58 billion US, up from $1.22 billion US a year before. Net earnings were $29 million US, compared to $59 million US in the third quarter of 2014.

Are apps the future of TV?

In the past 18 months, Ottawa-based TV app-maker You.i TV has grown from 20 employees to 130, and the company expects that kind of expansion to continue in the next year, according to Matt Nelson, You.i TV’s director of marketing.

CMF teams with Screen Australia to fund digital projects

The Canada Media Fund and the Australian government, through the Screen Australia agency, are investing $800,000 into an initiative for digital interactive projects.

“With 50 film and television co-productions between Canada and Australia, it’s a natural fit to build on this relationship and create an incentive for interactive digital media co-production,” CMF president Valerie Creighton said in a joint press release Wednesday.

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.

TPP includes provisions for ISPs to block content: WikiLeaks

Online information leaker WikiLeaks published on Friday what it said were parts of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that reveal provisions for Internet service providers to block access to content subject to copyright restrictions.

AT&T supports WiFi calling

AT&T announced Thursday that its customers can now make WiFi calls from their iPhones while in the U.S.

The company said in a blog post that customers’ phones, once set up, will use the WiFi calling setting where there is limited or no cell signal, such as a home or “office with dense building construction.”

Netflix raises price $1 per month

Netflix Inc. has raised pricing for new Canadian customers signing up for its standard package by $1, to $9.99 a month, according to its website.

The increase applies to the package that includes high-definition content and allows the same account to be viewed on two screens simultaneously. A basic package with no HD content and that can only be viewed on one device at a time remains $7.99 a month, while the premium package that includes 4K content and usage of up to four devices at a time is still $11.99.

NDP gets A-, Conservatives get D+ in OpenMedia ‘report card’

Internet advocacy group OpenMedia released a “report card” Thursday ranking the federal parties’ digital policies ahead of the election, in which the NDP received an overall grade of A- while the Liberals had a C and the Conservatives a D+.

Countdown on for global Internet governance transition

OTTAWA — When people think about the Internet, they often associate it with applications, social networks, streamed video, megabits per second or data caps, without realizing that the structure that lies underneath is overseen by the United States government.

Almost half of small businesses use cloud services: survey

A newly released survey shows 46 per cent of Canadian small businesses polled are using cloud-based services, and most of those that do are seeing benefits.

Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. said in a press release Wednesday that a survey it commissioned found 86 per cent of small businesses that use cloud services have improved their business processes, and 47 per cent have "experienced unexpected positive business changes by moving to the cloud."

TPP ‘consistent’ with Canadian copyright law, government says

Details about provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that could affect Canada’s media and telecom industries remained scant Monday as the government announced the conclusion of the agreement, though officials said the agreement would not put new constraints on the cultural sector and is “fully consistent” with current Canadian copyright law.

SaskTel to construct data centre in Saskatoon

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holdings Corp. announced Monday it has started construction of a new data centre in Saskatoon.

It said in the press release that the data entre has met the Tier III certification requirements from the Uptime Institute, which requires maintainable electrical and mechanical components and multiple independent distribution paths to power IT equipment within the site’s architecture.

Federal election unlikely to change telecom policy: Huang

Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday that, despite the uncertain outcome of this month's federal election, a significant change in policy with regard to telecommunications is unlikely.

Huang noted that polls have indicated a close race between the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP, with a minority government looking likely. He added that "minority governments have historically shied away from pushing any significant/contentious new policy objectives."

Quebecor creates initiative to help YouTube content creators

Quebecor Inc.’s Groupe Média announced Monday it has launched an initiative to help Google Inc.’s YouTube content creators maximize their impact and visibility.

It said in a press release that the initiative, called Goji, will have specialists that work with content creators to help grow their audience, monetization, distribution and media.

Pick-and-pay TV prices could reduce cord cutting, say experts

Prices for TV subscriptions in the coming pick-and-pay era will be one of the main factors determining how over-the-top (OTT) video services are affected, say experts, noting that competitive pricing in TV packages might curb the cord-cutting trend. 

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 Media ranks shaken up further

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media has parted ways with more senior employees, a spokesman confirmed Friday.

Bell Media's Scott Henderson said in an email: "I can confirm there have been some director-level departures at Bell Media locations in Toronto, Montreal and local stations across the country. There were also promotions and expanded roles for other leaders. It's part of our ongoing restructuring exercise to ensure Bell Media remains the leader in a fast-changing industry.”

iPhone users more likely to stream: MTM

Apple Inc.’s iPhone owners stream audio and video content more than any other device owners, according to a new report released by Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

The report said that among anglophone iPhone owners, 55 per cent stream audio and 68 per cent stream video. It said that of all anglophones that own any type of smartphone, 37 per cent are audio streamers and 46 per cent are video streamers. 

Blue Ant makes 4K channel available worldwide

Blue Ant Media Inc. announced Thursday that its 4K Love Nature channel content is now available for worldwide distribution.

The content company said in a press release that the 4K content will be available on linear and streaming video-on-demand platforms. It added that the commercial-free programming will include natural history series, as well as documentaries.

TFO launches OTT website

Ontario’s French-language public broadcaster Groupe Média TFO has launched a website that allows viewers to watch its video content.

The catalogue includes “over 9 000 videos and games, 5 600 pieces of educational content for children between two and six years, mobile applications, colouring spaces, light-hearted skits, reports on different topics and musical sessions by francophone artists,” TFO said in a press release Wednesday.

Cogeco announces new cloud-based services for businesses

Cogeco Cable Inc. announced Wednesday it is launching a suite of cloud-based applications, called Online Productivity Tools, to help small- and medium-sized business customers in Quebec and Ontario.

It said in a press release that the product provides business applications to help businesses with better workplace collaboration and productivity, as well as better security and protection for computers. It said this will be available in October. 

MTS seeks another extension on Classic TV alert compliance

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is asking the CRTC to grant its Classic TV customers another exemption from the regulator’s emergency alert rules, which would be in place until MTS is able to migrate all customers to set-top boxes capable of receiving such alerts.

Rogers, Bell start supporting WiFi calling

BCE Inc. and Roger Communications Inc. have begun supporting calls and texts over WiFi networks with the latest iPhone.

"You can call and text wherever you have a Wi-Fi connection in places like basements, condos and tall buildings — places where you may have had trouble getting reception before," Rogers says on its website.

Bell says on its website: "Wi-Fi Calling lets you expand your mobile coverage in locations across Canada where you may not have cell reception."

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.

CRTC merges complaints against Videotron music service

The CRTC has merged two complaints against a service by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron that exempts some music streaming services from counting against mobile customers’ data caps.

Rogers launches first Canadian music radio app for Apple Watch

Rogers Communications Inc. announced Monday that its KiSS 92.5 in Toronto is the first Canadian music radio station to launch an app for Apple Inc.’s Apple Watch.

It said in a press release that the app will allow users to instantly listen to a live stream of the station, along with scrolling through new playlists to see what is trending on the station.

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."

Weekend iPhone sales set new record

Apple Inc. said Monday that more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices have been sold in their first three days of availability, setting a new company record.

“Sales for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first-weekend sales results in Apple’s history,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press release.

Will ad blocking destroy digital advertising?

Technology that’s been around for years, which allows individuals to use services like apps and browser extensions to avoid seeing online advertising, has been causing new controversy in the past few weeks.

According to Randall Rotherberg, president and CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau in the United States, the practice is “robbery, plain and simple.”

Ad blocking is “a potentially existential threat to the industry,” he argued in a Sept. 22 opinion piece in Ad Age.

SSi to invest $75M in Nunavut Internet

SSi Micro Ltd.  announced Wednesday it is investing $75 million toward providing and improving Nunavut’s broadband infrastructure.

TV wholesale code finalized, takes effect in January

The CRTC on Thursday released a final version of its anticipated wholesale code governing the business relationships between TV-service providers and channel operators, which, among other things, bans provisions that would prevent a particular channel from being offered on a stand-alone basis or as part of a package that customers can create themselves.

The rules, which take effect on Jan. 22, will also ban so-called penetration-based rate cards (PBRCs) that require service providers to compensate channel operators when certain thresholds for advertising revenue are not met.

SaskTel expands wireless service in northern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Thursday two new cell towers serving the communities of Wollaston Lake and Fond-du-Lac First Nation, both located in northern Saskatchewan, are now operational.

File sharing down due to popularity of OTT: Sandvine

The proportion of Internet traffic taken up by peer-to-peer file sharing is down in Canada due to the ongoing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) services, according to Sandvine Inc., a network management provider.

It said in a blog post Thursday that Netflix Inc. continues to be the leading OTT service in Canada, accounting for 34 per cent of download traffic during peak evening hours, up from 13.5 per cent four years ago.

Rogers introduces new IT service for businesses

Rogers Communications Inc. announced Thursday that it has introduced a cloud-network service for businesses to manage their IT technology and infrastructure.

Incognito makes Chris Busch chief innovation officer

Incognito Software Solutions said Thursday it has hired Chris Busch as its chief innovation officer.

It said in a press release that Busch had previously worked seven years at Incognito, a Vancouver-based company focussed on helping telecommunications service providers understand what is happening on their networks.

Most recently, Busch was a director of product architecture for Arris Group Inc., a maker of telecommunications equipment.

Kik adds Jae Kim, Alim Dhanji

Kik Interactive Inc., the Waterloo, Ont.-based mobile messaging company, said Tuesday it has added two new executives.

One is Jae Kim, who will be head of strategy and partnerships, Kik said in a press release. Kim was formerly head of strategy and operations at the U.S headquarters of Line Corp., another messaging company.

Mobile messaging grows, monetization remains the challenge

Mobile-messaging through apps in Canada and globally is on the rise as it attracts users wanting a convenient interface that can help them be included in social circles, though the steep growth in users is not yet being matched in dollars generated.

BlackBerry completes acquisition of AtHoc

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Wednesday it has completed its acquisition of AtHoc Inc., a software provider for secure networked crisis communication.

It said in the press release that AtHoc will operate as a division of BlackBerry under the leadership of AtHoc's current CEO, Guy Miasnik. The release noted that AtHoc’s software will help people, devices and organizations exchanging confidential and critical documents securely and in real time. 

Trudeau promises $150M in new CBC funding

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that he would provide $150 million in new annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada if the Liberals win the federal election in October.

That will reverse cuts made to CBC by the Conservative government and go “even further to ensure that our national broadcaster is able to fulfill its mandate — promoting Canadian culture, identity, bilingualism and minority voices across the country,” a party press release said.

Corus releases two kids’ TV-everywhere apps

Corus Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it is launching the YTVGo and NickGO TV-everywhere apps, which will be available to subscribers of its YTV and Nickelodeon channels.

“These apps give kids and families access to live YTV and Nickelodeon network streams along with an extensive offering of their favourite on-demand episodes,” the company said in a press release Tuesday.

Almost three-quarters of companies using or deploying IoT: IDC

International Data Corp. said Tuesday that 73 per cent of enterprises it polled in a recent survey are using Internet of Things (IoT) technology or plan to do so over the next year.

“IoT awareness is gaining traction in the retail and manufacturing industries with 56% and 53% of respondents (respectively) showing high awareness of the IoT,” the company said in a press release.

In comparison, the government sector “lags behind in overall awareness and often needs clarification around the IoT basics,” it added.

Canada 47th in mobile-broadband subscriptions: ITU

A new report from ITU, the United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, says Canada’s rate of individuals with subscriptions to wireless Internet service is 47^th in the world.

A report released Monday showed Canada’s rate of 59.8 per cent is the same as Uruguay, Kazakhstan and Ghana.

The United States ranked 19^th with a rate of 97.9 per cent, while the United Kingdom ranked 18^th with a rate of 98.7 per cent.

CRTC merges CNOC application with Internet tariff review

The CRTC will consider a Part 1 application filed by the Canadian Networks Operators Consortium (CNOC) regarding usage-sensitive rates as part of a wider review of Internet tariff rates.

BBC to launch OTT service in North America

The BBC says it is planning to launch an over-the-top (OTT) video subscription service in North America next year.

“Next year, we’re launching a new OTT video service in America, offering BBC fans programs they wouldn’t otherwise get, showcasing British actors, our program makers and celebrating our culture,” BBC director Tony Hall said Thursday at the Royal Television Society Convention in Cambridge, England, according to an email from network spokeswoman Christine Black on Friday.

Shopify merchants can now use Amazon platform

Shopify Inc. announced Thursday it has partnered with Amazon.com Inc. to allow Amazon Webstore owners to migrate their online stores onto the Shopify platform.

Altice buys Cablevision for $17.7B US

Altice SA, a France-based telecom and cable company, announced Thursday it has acquired Cablevision Systems Corp. for $17.7 billion US, making it the fourth largest cable operator in the U.S. market.

Altice said in a press release that after buying Cablevision and its acquisition of Suddenlink Communications earlier this year, it will serve 4.6 million customers in 20 states and noted that both companies will benefit from the national platform as well as “additional international operational expertise.”

Videotron to build $40M data centre

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Wednesday it is spending $40 million to build a data centre in Montreal.

Videotron said in the release this will be the only facility located in Technoparc Montreal that is built specifically for data hosting, and is the company’s latest step towards expanding “robust, reliable, competitive products and services for the business community.”

AT&T increases throttling threshold to 22GB

AT&T recently announced on its website smartphone customers on unlimited data plans can now use up to 22 GB a month before throttling kicks in.

Several reports indicated that the threshold was previously 5 MB before AT&T would slow down the rate of transmission.

AT&T said customers will be notified when they have used up 75 per cent of their 22 GB, or 16.5 GB.

AdGear scores ad-tech contract with federal government

Montreal and Toronto-based AdGear Technologies Inc. announced Wednesday it will become the first official advertising-technology provider for the federal government.

AdGear said in a press release that it will be responsible for providing the advertising technology platform to help with cross-channel media buying for government departments.

Regulators will eventually embrace MVNOs: Audet

Cogeco Cable Inc. CEO Louis Audet said Tuesday he believes Canada's telecommunications regulators will come around to mandating access for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), notwithstanding the CRTC's decision on the wholesale wireless market this year that featured few new provisions for this kind of operation.

Audet was addressing the company's ongoing expansion of WiFi hotspots at the Bank of Montreal's media and telecom conference in Toronto, when the idea of using these facilities to provide mobile service came up.

Smartphones owned by 73% of anglo Canadians: MTM

Smartphone penetration among anglophone Canadians was at 73 per cent this spring, according to a new report by Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

MTM said in a report Tuesday that the proportion of anglos with smartphones has grown from 69 per cent in 2014, 66 per cent in 2013 and was as low as 10 per cent in 2008.

The report showed that 86 per cent of anglophone Canadians report owning a cellphone of some kind, which was unchanged from the previous two years.

Battery life top complaint of Apple Watch owners: survey

A new survey from research company 451 Research LLC. indicates high consumer satisfaction ratings with Apple Inc.’s Apple Watch, noting 54 per cent of consumers studied were very satisfied.

451 Research said in a press release Tuesday that, of those studied, 49 per cent said they liked the notifications best, followed by 41 per cent liking its health and fitness monitoring capabilities, and 30 per cent liking the esthetics and design.

Rover to power mobile app for Pittsburgh Penguins

Rover Labs Inc., a Toronto-based maker of mobile engagement technology, announced Tuesday it is partnering with the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring fans exclusive content to their mobile devices at games through a new app.

The company said in a press release that fans attending games at Consol Energy Centre in Pittsburgh will be greeted with content such as concession offers and discounts to enhance “the fan experience.”

You.i TV gets $15M in funding

You.i TV, an Ottawa-based company making software for video applications, said Monday it has secured $15 million in funding, led by Los Angeles-based private-equity group Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP.

Tyson Parker to run music relations at Bell Media

Tyson Parker has been named head of artist and music industry relations at BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division, the company said Monday.

FCC commish blames net-neutrality policy for spending dip

Ajit Pai, a commissioner with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has blamed his own organization's new net-neutrality rules for a decline in capital spending among Internet service providers this year.

Production sector must understand telecom: new CMPA boss

As the telecommunications and media industries continue to converge, the production sector must pay more attention to what were traditionally considered telecom issues, according to Reynolds Mastin, the new CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).

Google rolls out Android Pay

Google Inc. announced Thursday on its official Android blog it has launched Android Pay.

The blog post said that, after downloading the app onto any NFC-enabled Android device, users can use it for payments at more than a million locations across the United States. It added that Android Pay will store gift cards, loyalty cards, special offers, as well as credit and debit cards from American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

Telus among first to use new Ericsson TV interface

Ericsson AB announced on Thursday that its cloud-based TV platform, MediaFirst, is now commercially available to operators and content providers, noting that Telus Corp. will be utilizing the service to enhance service for its TV subscribers.

Incognito says it can save ISPs millions

Incognito Software Systems, a Vancouver-based provider of Internet account management services, announced Thursday a new line of services it says can save broadband providers millions of dollars by preventing fraud and finding mistakes.

New version of Apple TV will include Siri

The newest version of Apple Inc.’s Apple TV will include its voice-recognition program, Siri, which users can access to search for content across apps, the company said Wednesday.

Finney gets VP role at Bell Media, among other changes

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division announced Wednesday it has appointed Mark Finney to the newly created position of vice-president of strategic sales, and several other changes in the executive ranks were announced internally.

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.

Telus IoT platform goes global

Telus Corp. announced Wednesday it is expanding its Internet of Things (IoT) platform globally to nearly every country around the world.

It said in a press release that the new platform, called Telus Global IoT Connectivity Platform, has partnered with more than 70 carriers and offers a global SIM card for simplified billing across more than 200 networks.

Quebecor Media buys shares from CDPQ

Quebecor Inc. announced Wednesday that its Quebecor Media unit has bought 28.6 per cent of the stake in that division held by for Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).

It said in a press release that Quebecor Media purchased about 7.3 million common shares of Quebecor Media from CDPQ for $500 million. The shares were then cancelled. CDPQ is left with an 18.93 per cent interest in Quebecor Media, the company said.

Location tracking needs more oversight: PIAC

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said in a new report that the CRTC and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner should do more research on the practice of tracking the location of individuals through their mobile devices.

The report, released publicly Tuesday, concluded that “it is not clear if Canada’s privacy regime is sufficiently responsive to Canadians’ concerns with location-based informational privacy.”

AT&T announces first plug-in WiFi hotspot device for vehicles

U.S. wireless carrier AT&T said Tuesday that it has partnered with ZTE Corp.’s U.S. division to offer the first plug-in vehicle WiFi hotspot device.

The device, called ZTE Mobley, can be plugged into a car’s on-board diagnostics II port and once the vehicle is turned on it will power the device and create a WiFi connection, AT&T said in a press release. It also noted that ZTE Mobley is compatible with most vehicles 1996 and newer, and will allow up to five devices to connect to the Internet and use the hotspot data plan.

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.

Visually attractive equipment prioritized in WiFi deployment

WiFi hardware is increasingly being designed to blend in with the surrounding environment or be more esthetically pleasing, and the providers of such technology say they are able to do so without compromising on the quality of network connections.

Rogers Radio teams with YouTube

Rogers Communications Inc. said Friday that its radio division will team with Google Inc.'s YouTube for a weekly show that will look at the hottest trends in music, fashion, entertainment and gaming.

Rogers said in a press release that this marks YouTube's first partnership with radio operations in Canada.

Data costs limit mobile-video consumption: Ericsson

A new report from Ericsson AB shows that while people are increasingly consuming video on mobile devices, the cost of data limits many from taking advantage of what the technology makes possible.

The report released Thursday from Ericsson's ConsumerLab division — based on research involving more than 22,500 people in 20 countries including Canada and the United States — said there has been a 71 per cent increase in the number of people viewing video on smartphones since 2011.

MTS seen as acquisition target for Bell

A stock market analyst has speculated that an acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. is likely next year.

A research note Wednesday from TD Securities analyst Vince Valentini said that with MTS set to sell off its Allstream division in the coming months, “we believe that the stage will be set for a sale of the remaining Manitoba operations to one of the larger telcos in Canada by mid-2016.”

CBS to live-stream first regular-season NFL game

CBS Corp.’s sports division said Tuesday that next month it will live-stream a regular-season National Football League game for the first time.

Sony unveils first 4K smartphone

Sony Corp. announced Wednesday at IFA Berlin, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade shows in Europe, the release of the world’s first 4K smartphone.

Sony said in a press release that the Xperia Z5 Premium’s 4K display has “four times the resolution of full HD,” and will allow users to watch any 4K content, including from Netflix Inc. and Google Inc.'s YouTube.