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TAGGED AS INTERNET
Telus gets $5.4 million for high-speed internet in rural Alberta
Telus Corp. will receive more than $5 million in funding through the Rapid Response Stream of the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund for projects bringing high-speed Internet to rural areas in northern, central and southern Alberta. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Focus on competition at ‘day of action’ following Rogers-Shaw deal
As news of Roger’s Communications Inc.’s deal to acquire Shaw Communications Inc. sparks discussions on what it may mean for the wireless market in Canada, advocates say competition and other considerations will be important for the public’s best interests in the future. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Regulatory approval of Rogers-Shaw deal will hinge on wireless: Execs, analysts
From the perspective of Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Joe Natale, regulatory approval of his company’s $26.2 billion acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. will come down to the views of the various regulators on how the deal impacts the wireless market in western Canada. The wireless business, Natale pointed out on a Monday morning conference call …
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Iristel wants court order blocking CRA from offsetting tax returns
Iristel Inc. is once again elevating its fight with the Canada Revenue Agency by asking a federal court for a new order against the CRA as they continue to duke it out over more than $60 million in tax returns the company says it has not been paid. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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Telesat inks deal for high-speed modem chip for satellite broadband
Telesat Holdings Inc. announced a new agreement with satellite communications technology developer SatixFy Israel Ltd. Wednesday morning, as Telesat moves towards launching its Lightspeed satellite broadband service in Canada. 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 …
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Focus turns back to CRTC as SCC rejects incumbent wholesale challenge
As the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an incumbent challenge to an 18-month old CRTC decision to slash wholesale access rates for independent internet service providers on Thursday morning, eyes are back on the CRTC, where an outstanding review and vary application is the last of the incumbents’ challenges to the lower rates. The court …
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Facebook’s Australian news blockade won’t deter us: Guilbeault
The day after Facebook Inc. made good on its threat to block all news from being shared on its platform within Australia, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault denounced the move and said he would press ahead. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
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Court allows Iristel judicial review against CRA to stand in tax fight
A Federal Court judge has rejected a request from the government to throw out an application for judicial review from Iristel Inc., in which the company sought a review of the Canada Revenue Agency’s conduct in a pair of audits into the company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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Distributel’s Primus acquisition ‘just fits,’ CEO says
Distributel Communications Ltd. has acquired telecom service provider Primus from Fusion Connect Inc. in what Distributel CEO Matt Stein said Tuesday was a “major acquisition” for the company. 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 …
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PIAC calls for $50 internet subsidy for lower-income Canadians during pandemic
Canada should follow the lead of the United States and put in place a $50 “broadband benefit” throughout the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) says. 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 …
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Rogers pandemic ITMP policy ‘vague’ but does not discriminate, CRTC says
There is insufficient evidence Rogers Communications Inc.‘s pandemic-driven internet traffic management policy (ITMP) disproportionally affects wholesale end users, but at the same time the company must disclose more information about the practice in order to comply with regulatory requirements, the CRTC rules in a decision released Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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CRTC to track wholesale quality of service in 2022
The CRTC is giving incumbent telecom companies that provide wholesale high speed internet access a year to implement a new quality of service (QoS) regime, which will require incumbents to track and report how well they provide service to wholesale customers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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CNOC, advocates push gov’t to be tougher on affordability
The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) and advocacy group OpenMedia told MPs the federal government needs to demonstrate more political will to bring lower internet and wireless prices to Canada, two days after Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains told the same committee there needs to be a “balance” between affordability and investment. This content is …
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Gov’t tables PIPEDA reform, new consumer privacy legislation
The federal government introduced sweeping private-sector privacy law reform Tuesday, giving the privacy commissioner long-asked for order-making powers and creating new legislation and a new administrative tribunal to govern online privacy. 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 …
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Bell’s Bibic gives a ‘tip of the hat’ on Broadcast Act update
BCE Inc. CEO Mirko Bibic praised the updates to the Broadcasting Act proposed earlier this week by Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, saying the legislative changes fulfill some of Bell’s longtime goals. 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 …
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Google $1B news initiative won’t stop new legislation, gov’t says
An announcement Thursday from Alphabet Inc.‘s Google that it would put aside $1 billion to spend on news publishers around the world — including two in Canada — has not dissuaded the Liberal government from its plan to require web giants to compensate Canadian news producers for their content. This content is available to wirereport.ca …
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Production sector to receive $50M in gov’t insurance support
Independent producers will be able to access a $50 million insurance backstop to help get TV and film productions off the ground despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said 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 …
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Google not shielded by journalistic protections, OPC tells court
Privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien has urged Federal Court to find the country’s private sector privacy law applies to the indexing of online content conducted by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, in a reference case seeking to determine if the law applies to search engine de-indexing and delisting. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Federal Court dismisses incumbents’ wholesale rates appeal
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Thursday the large telecom companies’ appeal of the CRTC’s Aug. 2019 decision lowering wholesale rates. The appeal is part of a long-running dispute between incumbent telecoms including BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc., and smaller providers that buy wholesale service from them, like those …
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Canadian internet users almost universally getting ISP’s advertised speeds
In almost all cases, Canadian internet consumers are receiving service at speeds which either match or exceed those advertised, according to a report released Tuesday by the CRTC. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …
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Conservatives name new innovation, heritage critics
New Conservative leader Erin O’Toole shuffled his shadow cabinet Tuesday, with new faces appointed to both the innovation and heritage files. 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 …
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Videotron accuses Bell subsidiary of delaying access to infrastructure
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has filed another complaint with the CRTC over wholesale access in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Que., this time accusing BCE Inc. subsidiary Cablevision du Nord de Québec of “manoeuvring for months to unduly delay Videotron’s arrival in Abitibi.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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CNOC argues Cabinet’s wholesale decision has no bearing on court appeal
BCE Inc.‘s submission to the Federal Court of Appeal — in which it argued the federal Cabinet’s decision that the wholesale internet rates set by the CRTC were low enough to stifle network investment “validated” the company’s concerns — is “inappropriate” and should be dismissed, according to the Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC). This …
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TekSavvy argues court should ignore cabinet’s wholesale rates decision
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has asked the Federal Court of Appeal to ignore the language of a recent cabinet decision declaring that the CRTC’s wholesale rates were too low to encourage network investment, arguing that the Cabinet decision “has no bearing on this Court’s decision on the appeal.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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Network outage impacts services in Ontario, Quebec
A network outage left wireless, internet and TV customers in Ontario and Quebec without service for about 45 minutes on 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 news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …
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U.K. government-led consortium scuppers Telesat’s reported bid for OneWeb
A reported bid by Ottawa-headquartered satellite service provider Telesat Holdings Inc. to acquire competitor OneWeb has been unsuccessful, with a consortium including the U.K. government and Indian mobile network operator Bharti Global Limited acquiring a combined 90 per cent stake in the company in Thursday’s auction. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Court has jurisdiction to overturn wholesale rates, big telecoms argue
The CRTC’s wholesale rates ruling from last August ignored the intentions of a 2006 Maxime Bernier-era policy directive, and the decision to slash wholesale rates for third-party internet service providers must be set aside, lawyers representing the incumbent cable carriers and telecom companies sought to convince the Federal Court of Appeal’s three judge panel Thursday. …
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Rights holders, advocacy groups can intervene in site-blocking case
In a closely-watched appeal of Canada’s first-ever site-blocking court order, the Federal Court of Appeal will allow six different sets of intervenors to file three different interventions, according to a decision issued Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Rogers, University of Calgary create Internet of Things partnership
Rogers Communications Inc. has signed a five year agreement with the University of Calgary to further Internet of Things research, the company announced in a Thursday media 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 …
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Bell to argue retroactivity of wholesale rate appeal is unconstitutional
BCE Inc. has signalled its intention to argue in the upcoming Federal Court of Appeal hearing on the CRTC’s Wholesale internet rates that the CRTC’s decision to apply the rates retroactively constitutes an unconstitutional tax. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
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Gov’t to introduce web giant, CanCon, news legislation in fall: Guilbeault
Legislation modernizing Canada’s Broadcasting Act is “pretty much ready” and will be tabled in Parliament in the fall, when the Liberal government also intends to introduce legislation requiring Alphabet Inc. and Facebook Inc. to compensate news organizations for using their content, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault told Tuesday’s Banff World Media Festival. Guilbeault had originally intended …
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CRTC considering changes to disaggregated wholesale regime
Five years after it announced a move to a new system for wholesale internet access, the CRTC is consulting on how it should change that regime. 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 …
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Indigenous communities will be left behind without funding overhaul: ISP
As the question of how to connect rural communities across Canada to increasingly essential high-speed broadband internet continues to occupy the minds of policy makers and telecom companies, one Indigenous-owned internet service provider says there needs to be a separate stream of funding for companies devoted to indigenous communities. This content is available to wirereport.ca …
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Universal Broadband Fund applications to open in ‘coming days’: Monsef
The federal government will open applications for its $1.7 billion Universal Broadband Fund in the “coming days,” according to Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef. 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 …
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SaskTel to resume charging overage fees on June 9
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. will become the second Canadian telecom to resume charging overage fees to home internet customers who go over their data caps, with the company announcing it will end the COVID-19 relief measure on June 8. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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‘Public outreach’ needed for ‘progress’ on encryption backdoors: gov’t doc
In order to make “progress” on the issue of access to encrypted communications, the federal government will have to reach out to the public and try to bring stakeholders onside, according to briefing documents prepared for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. “One of the main difficulties that impedes governmental efforts to change lawful access policies, …
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IBW access is unnecessary if small ISPs can install their own: Bell
Two small internet service providers who install their own fibre in-building wire in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) have been used by BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. to justify their argument that mandating third party access is not necessary. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Companies behind site-blocking order want interventions limited
In an ongoing appeal of Canada’s first-ever site-blocking order, BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., and Quebecor Inc. are asking a judge to either throw out or limit the scope of submissions from a collection of organizations seeking to intervene in the proceeding. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Incumbents ask court for delay of wholesale rate appeal
Incumbent cable companies have asked a Federal Court of Appeal judge to delay their appeal of the CRTC’s wholesale rates decision until the proceeding can be conducted in person. 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 …
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Wholesale debate moves to transport in CRTC rural broadband consult
The familiar argument over wholesale access has made its way to a CRTC consultation on how to remove barriers to rural broadband rollouts, with smaller providers arguing the regulator should mandate and regulate access to transport networks. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Premier League and Dazn support site blocking order
A consortium of rights holders — including the top tier of English soccer, the Premier League, sports streaming service Dazn and industry trade groups for book publishers — wants the Federal Court of Appeal to uphold Canada’s first ever site blocking order. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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Bell calls for delayed payments in 3.5 GHz spectrum auction
While BCE Inc.‘s first quarter results showed a decline in profits and essentially flat revenue — and the expected withdrawal of fiscal year 2020 guidance — the company will continue to pay out dividends to shareholders, CEO Mirko Bibic told analysts on a first quarterly earnings call Thursday morning. This content is available to wirereport.ca …
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Provinces also looking at speeding up rural broadband rollouts
As the federal government and individual companies work on accelerating funding for and deployments of rural broadband in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of provinces are trying to do the same with their own programs. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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CRTC denies Bell’s request to suspend in-building wire consultation
A request by BCE Inc. to freeze the process to create an access regime for in-building wire in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) has been denied by the CRTC, in the latest development of Bell’s long-running dispute with Cloudwifi Inc. over use of its wiring. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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Cogeco to bring back overage fees as of May 1
Cogeco Inc. will again start charging overage fees to its home internet customers who exceed their data limits as of Friday, with the company instead focusing on other measures it considers to “be more essential” to its customers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Federal government to accelerate rural broadband funds: Monsef
The federal government will speed up its rural broadband funding in response to COVID-19, with details to be announced shortly, according to Maryam Monsef, minister for women and gender equality and rural economic development. Monsef told The Wire Report in an interview Wednesday that she has been hearing from rural municipalities about “how we can …
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‘Work together,’ CRTC tells wholesale-based ISPs, incumbents
The CRTC has responded to a letter from The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) and TekSavvy Solutions Inc. taking issue with changes to incumbent installation and repair procedures, saying it won’t require the filing of additional information in response to the complaint. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Bell calls for new in-building wire tariff to be put on ice
A process to create a tariff for access to in-building wire in multi-dwelling units should be put on hold until after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended, or until BCE Inc. has been given sufficient time to check every existing connection, Bell has argued in a Part 1 application lodged with the CRTC. This content is …
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38% of Canadians say COVID-19 slowed internet service: CIRA survey
Almost four in ten Canadians say their home internet speeds are slower than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey conducted for the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA). 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 …
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Incumbents using COVID-19 to tamper with procedures, CNOC, TekSavvy claim
The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) and TekSavvy Solutions Inc. are alleging that the incumbent telecoms from whom they purchase wholesale high-speed internet access are making changes to their installation and repair procedures in the wake of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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Rempel Garner calls on Bains, CRTC to enforce wholesale rates
Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner has called on Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and the CRTC to issue an emergency directive forcing the big telecom companies to abide by the terms of the regulator’s August 2019 decision on wholesale rates. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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ISPs using Bell’s in-building wire ordered to identify customers
All internet service providers who were accessing BCE Inc.’s in-building wire as of Dec. 16, 2019 must give Bell a list of all buildings in which they were accessing Bell’s wires to provide service to customers, the CRTC has ruled. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Bains says he’s in ‘constant contact’ with telecoms over network capacity
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains says the strength of Canada’s telecommunications networks has been on “full display” during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they have coped with large increases in residential internet consumption. 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 …
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CNOC calls for gov’t funding to keep Canadians connected
The federal government should guarantee internet service providers payments for “basic residential connectivity needs” so Canadians can remain connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) president Matt Stein says. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
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Networks coping, but future traffic impossible to predict
Experts say Canada’s telecommunications networks are currently handling a spike in residential data consumption caused by the working from home surge, but a lack of certainty around how the COVID-19 pandemic will develop means it’s almost impossible to project whether usage will continue to grow. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Financial analysts say telecoms ‘resilient’ to impact of COVID-19
Canada’s telecommunications sector is a “constructive place to hide” for financial investors as markets continue to feel the impact of COVID-19, RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds says. 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 …
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COVID-19 prompts multiple ISPs to suspend data caps
Multiple Canadian internet providers have suspended caps on data usage as they prepare for a huge increase in the amount of customers working from home in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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Site-blocking further expanded in GoldTV case
BCE Inc., Quebecor Inc.‘s Groupe TVA, and Rogers Communications Inc. — the trio of companies behind Canada’s first ever website-blocking order — have submitted a draft order adding new domains to the Federal Court. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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Quebecor ‘not worried’ about COVID-19 impact on capacity
Quebecor Inc. says COVID-19 is not expected to have a “material financial impact” on the company and is not worried about its impact on network consumption and capacity. 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 …
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Court must consider Charter rights in site-blocking case: BCCLA
Court mandated website-blocking is an “extraordinary” remedy and should only be granted sparingly, according to a court filing from the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. 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 …
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Liberal government’s ‘free ride’ on industry file to end: Rempel Garner
Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner is calling on both the Liberal government and her own party to develop a big-picture vision when it comes to telecom issues. 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 …
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CIPPIC, CIRA to challenge court authority in site-blocking case
Both the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) at the University of Ottawa are set to argue that the only the CRTC, and not Federal Court, is authorized to direct third-party internet service providers to block websites. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Gov’t should move on passive infrastructure ‘yesterday’: Yale
OTTAWA — The recommendations on passive infrastructure from the expert panel reviewing Canada’s communication laws should be enacted as soon as possible, panel chair Janet Yale said Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …
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Guilbeault promises BTLR legislation in ‘months’
OTTAWA — Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says his government will introduce legislation to implement some of the recommendations from the expert panel reviewing Canada’s communications legislation in the coming months, and could order the CRTC to take action on new rules for streaming services even sooner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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BTLR reaction mixed, no clarity on gov’t implementation
OTTAWA — A broadcasting and telecommunications legislative review report recommendation that would task a renamed CRTC with regulating online news sites is the “ok, boomer” approach to the internet, according to Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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CNOC asks CRTC to stop Eastlink from axing modems
The Canadian Network Operators Consortium has asked the CRTC to prevent Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink from effectively requiring a number of its third-party internet access customers to remove a particular type of modem from customers’ premises and use modems from a different manufacturer. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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Cogeco’s IPTV service in beta testing, but no start date
There’s no firm timeframe for when Cogeco Inc. will roll out its new IPTV service, despite the cableco previously telling investors it would become available in 2019. 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. …
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CloudWifi says other small ISPs need access to in-building fibre
CloudWifi Inc. has gone to bat for other small internet service providers as it continues to fight with BCE Inc. over access to in-building fibre wiring, arguing companies should be allowed to access it in buildings where there is no other infrastructure. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Court docs detail expansion of Canadian website-blocking order
Fresh documents are shedding light on how Canada’s first piracy case involving court-ordered website-blocking is playing out — revealing methods used by BCE Inc. to keep up with an expanding list of sites, and that Bell, Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc. sent a letter asking third-party ISPs to keep mum about their request for …
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$1.7B broadband fund to launch in 2020, no formal consultation: ISED
The federal government won’t hold a formal consultation on the development of its $1.7-billion Universal Broadband Fund for rural connectivity, as it aims to wrap up the application phase of the project by the end of the year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Home internet speeds nearly doubled year-over-year: CRTC
The average Canadian home internet speed soared to 126 Mbps in 2018, a 88.9 per cent increase on 2017’s average speed of 66.7 Mbps, according to the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring 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 …
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Bell subsidiary must provide TPIA service to Videotron: CRTC
The CRTC has denied an application by BCE Inc. subsidiary Cablevision du Nord de Québec to eliminate its wholesale internet service, and ordered the company to sell that service to Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Telecom in the spotlight in new Bains mandate letter
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a greatly expanded set of telecom and internet-related authorities to returning Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains in this year’s mandate letter. 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 …
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Conservatives name Michelle Rempel industry critic
The Conservative Party has announced its shadow cabinet ahead of the Dec. 5 return of the House of Commons, with MP Michelle Rempel taking on the telecom file. 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 …
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Telecoms find silver lining in unprecedented number of CCTS complaints
Despite improvements in customer service that have lowered customer defections, the country’s telecom complaints watchdog said it still accepted 35 per cent more issues from subscribers over the year — but the telecoms are pointing to improved figures. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Rogers seeks extension for select provisions of the Internet Code
Rogers Communications Inc. is asking the CRTC if it can delay the implementation of several sections of the newly minted Internet Code, scheduled to come into effect in January of 2020. 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 …
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Videotron ‘diving’ like a soccer player over gigabit internet: TekSavvy
Quebecor Inc.’s cancellation of its gigabit internet service is akin to a soccer player diving, or feigning injury to draw a penalty, TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is arguing in an intervention to the CRTC. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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TekSavvy files appeal against site-blocking order
Internet service provider TekSavvy Solutions Inc. has appealed a Federal Court order requiring ISPs to block a pair of websites selling allegedly pirated content. 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 …
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Blair says ‘no timeline’ on Huawei ban; Bains promises ‘more’ on prices
OTTAWA — New Public Safety Minister Bill Blair indicated Wednesday he is open to talking to telecoms about whether to ban Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd equipment from 5G networks, while returning Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains promised “additional measures” to lower wireless prices. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Court orders Canadian ISPs to block pirate website for the first time
In a precedent-setting decision, a Federal Court judge has ordered internet service providers to block specific websites hosting copyright-infringing TV content. 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 …
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U.S. trade organizations upset over proposed digital tax
In a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic and foreign affairs teams, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and 14 other organizations have told the American government that they are concerned about the prospect of a three-per-cent sales tax for some digital giants proposed by the Liberal Party during the election campaign. This content is …
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Cablecos, Telus join Bell in petition to government on wholesale rate cut
Wednesday saw a flurry of legal moves to overturn a CRTC decision that cut the rates wholesale internet resellers pay for bandwidth from the incumbents, as BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and the country’s major cable companies filed three separate petitions to the governor-in-council asking it to reverse the decision, and Telus doubled up by also filing …
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CRTC has sole jurisdiction over in-building wire: Ontario court
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ruled against BCE Inc. in favour of Internet service provider CloudWifi Inc. in a dispute over whether the issue of the ISP accessing Bell wires in multi-dwelling units is a property dispute or a regulatory matter. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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Internet code will make it too hard to cut off non-payers: Xplornet
The forthcoming Internet code from the CRTC would make it far too hard for Xplornet Communications Inc. to disconnect customers that haven’t paid, the company argues in a filing to the regulator from October 29. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
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