CRTC further extends deadline for block pooling comments

The CRTC has again extended its deadline for comments and replies on a proposal to implement thousand-block pooling. The recommendation is to reduce block pools to 1,000 phone numbers, slashed from the current level of 10,000. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Public safety authorities want lower thresholds for network outage reporting requirements

Provincial public safety agencies are requesting to the CRTC that they be included on the list of authorities that must be notified by carriers when a major network outage occurs and that the threshold which would trigger such an event be lowered.   This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Ottawa police caution about misusing 911 calls

To mark National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, the Ottawa Police Service issued a news release outlining some of the more outrageous calls the 911 system has received. In 2021, the service handled 667,000 calls. As the pandemic wanes, those numbers are expected to increase. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

CCTS complaints up for Rogers and Telus, down for Bell

The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) found that complaints were up 12 per cent for the six months ending Jan. 31, according to its report released Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

CRTC to look at limiting number pools to 1000

The CRTC is worried about telephone number depletion and is suggesting that number pools be reduced to 1,000 from the current 10,000. It is launching a consultation so interested stakeholders may comment on the proposal. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

10 digit dialing coming to Yellowknife, northern Ontario, and Newfoundland next month

Ten-digit dialing is coming to a number of different areas of the country starting Apr. 1, a body representing Canada’s major telecommunications service providers announced Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Bell presses pause on NG911 onboarding

BCE Inc. is implementing a temporary embargo for next-generation 911 (NG911) onboarding and go-live activities for all originating network providers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Maritime provinces experience brief 911 outage

The provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were briefly without 911 service Tuesday. Authorities report service was restored after roughly an hour. 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 …

Ten-digit dialing comes to New Brunswick

Starting Friday, callers across New Brunswick will have to begin using 10-digit dialing, and will have to add the 506 area code to all local numbers.  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 …

CRTC delays Telus credit card ruling until later this fall

The CRTC has missed a deadline for ruling if Telus Corp. can impose a 1.5 per cent service charge on customers who pay with credit cards. The telecom applied for the measure back in August. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

CRTC allows for use of hosted call handling solutions sites in the NG911 networks

The CRTC determined that 911 governing authorities can designate demarcation points at hosted call handling solutions (CHS) sites in the NG911 networks, subject to certain conditions in order to protect law enforcement from being surveilled by third parties, according to its decision released Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Telus’ credit card fee proposal violates Telecommunications Act: PIAC

Telus Corp.‘s plan to introduce a 1.5 per cent surcharge for new and existing customers who pay their bills with a credit card is a “facial case of unjust discrimination” and the CRTC must reject the incumbent’s application on that basis, according to an intervention on the proceeding from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and …

PIAC calls for suspension of Telus credit card charge application 

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation are calling on the CRTC to suspend Telus Corp.‘s  effort to put a 1.5 per cent surcharge on any retail bills paid for using a credit card.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

NorthwesTel details NWT outage

In response to a CRTC request for information from BCE Inc.-subsidiary NorthwesTel, the company detailed a brief territory-wide outage, followed by substantially longer localized outages around the Fort Liard area.  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 …

CRTC denies Bell’s review and vary on toll-trunk tariff language

The CRTC has denied a request from BCE Inc. to stay a 2021 commission order mandating that the incumbent change its tariff  language to include all competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), finding that “there is no substantial doubt as to the correctness” of its previous decision. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Telus’s application to reclassify small ILECs for NG911 service 5 years too late, harms public: ITPA 

The Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA) is arguing to the CRTC that an application by Telus Corp.  to reclassify small incumbent local exchange carriers (SILECs)  as originating network providers (ONPs) within its next-generation 911 (NG911) ecosystem is “five years too late” because negotiations have already begun, it will harm the public interest, and “make a …

Hydro Ottawa reenters telecom market with Hiboo Networks

Hydro Ottawa is returning to the telecom market with the launch of Hiboo Networks, a telecom that will offer service to businesses and eventually residents of the national capital.The company is expecting to roll out service as of next January. Hiboo will be controlled by Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. This content is available to wirereport.ca …

CanOps argues for broader standard adoption for NG911

As the CRTC is considering the funding structures for the planned rollout of so-called next generation 911 service (NG911) the non-profit Canadian Public Safety Operations Organization (CanOps) is asking the regulator to mandate that telecommunications service providers adopt a universal service protocol that would allow for a level of centrally coordinated emergency service delivery.  This …

Telecom complaints down by 26 per cent according to CCTS report

Telecom complaints fell by 26 percent in six months while disclosure issues and incorrect charges topped the top consumer grievances in the wireless sector, according to a mid-year report from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Court rejects Iristel attempt to overturn CRTC decision in traffic stimulation case

The Federal Court of Appeal rejected an application by Iristel Inc. to appeal a CRTC decision in which the commission slashed Iristel’s long distance call termination rate by 74 per cent. 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 …

Appeal court dismisses Iristel application to release $21.85m in tax refunds

The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an application by Iristel Inc. to appeal a decision by the Federal Court which rejected its motion to release $21.85 million in tax refunds which it claimed for the 2019-2020 reporting period pending the conclusion of an on-going audit and assessment. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Telecom companies waive fees for calls to the Ukraine

Several Canadian telecom companies have responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by temporarily waiving long distance calling fees to Ukraine. 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 …

Bell acquires Quebec-based provider Ebox

BCE Inc. has acquired Quebec-based internet, telephone and television provider Ebox Inc., the incumbent announced in a Thursday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

CRTC seeks comments on telecom fees amendments

The CRTC is calling for comments on proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, it announced Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …

CRTC relaxes phone fraud reporting requirements

The CRTC has relaxed its rules for the reporting of the telephone frauds known as number porting and SIM swaps. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Quebec court authorizes class-action against Bell’s Télébec, Câblevision

A Superior Court of Quebec judge has authorized a class-action lawsuit against BCE Inc.’s  Télébec or Câblevision du Nord du Québec for imposing changes of rates which the plaintiff claims are unenforceable, in a French-language decision issued by  Justice Sylvain Lussier on Feb. 3. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Ontario judge keeps Bell evidence on record in prison class-action lawsuit against incumbent

An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that evidence by BCE. Inc. should remain on the record in a would-be class-action lawsuit against the incumbent and the province of Ontario over what the plaintiffs say are “unconscionable” telephone rates charged to the families of prisoners. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Iristel takes CRTC traffic stimulation decision to Federal Court of Appeal

While it is asking the CRTC for guidelines on how to comply with a recent decision aimed at stopping traffic stimulation to its numbers in the 867 numbering area, Iristel Inc. is also asking the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn the regulator’s decision. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

CRTC suspends application of STIR/SHAKEN for 911 calls

The CRTC approved an application by its Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) to defer the application of its anti-spoofing technology, the STIR/SHAKEN condition, to all 911 emergency and callback calls to eliminate the risk of emergency calls being misidentified as spoofed calls or being dropped. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Bell says CRTC should leave dispute with competitive pay-telephone service provider to the courts

BCE Inc. is arguing to the CRTC that it has correctly implemented a 2019 decision which stipulated that the incumbent must pay an Ontario-based pay-telephone owner and competitive pay-telephone service provider (CPTSP) $0.25 per toll-free call made over Bell Canada-provided business lines to support retail pay telephone service, and therefore, it does not owe any …

PIAC says CRTC’s Internet Code has “no real protections,” CCTS research shows uptick in complaints

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said that the CRTC’s Internet Code provides consumers with a false sense of protection after a new report found there were only 18 violations under the code this year with nearly 13,000 complaints. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

CRTC fines telemarketer $42,000 for repeated violations

The CRTC fined an Ontario firm $42,000 for violating the Do Not Call List (DNCL) regulations, according to a Thursday decision released by the commission. 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 …

Western Quebec to get new area code overlay

The CRTC approved the implementation of an overlay for area code 468 for the western Quebec region currently served by the 819 and 873 area codes. 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 …

STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay

Canada’s telecommunications companies have begun implementing the STIR/SHAKEN technology in the CRTC’s effort to combat spoof and fraudulent calls which mask the identity of callers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Bell subsidiary says resources to implement local competition in Que. area scarce, even for incumbent, justifying 5-month delay

A BCE Inc. subsidiary told the CRTC that approving a five-month period for it to implement local competition in the low-density market of Upton, Que., is reasonable, considering the commission approved the same time frame for the company three years ago when Telus Corp. also requested to enter one of its markets. This content is …

CRTC fines Toronto company $59,000 for violating unsolicited telecoms rules

The CRTC is fining a Toronto-based window manufacturing and repair company for making telemarketing calls to consumers registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). 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 …

CRTC approves final 2021 rates, interim 2022 rates, for for high-cost serving areas

The CRTC approved the 2021 subsidy amounts for telecom providers operating in high-cost serving areas (HCSA), set at 0.44 per cent, and the  approved, on an interim basis a 2022 contribution collection revenue-percent charge of 0.46 per cent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

CRTC approves new area code for Montreal area

The CRTC has approved a new area code for the region surrounding Montreal. In a decision issued Friday the commission said area code 354 would be added to the 450/579 area code complex. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Ottawa, northeastern – central Ontario, getting new area codes: CRTC

Ottawa and the surrounding eastern Ontario area will be getting a third area code within the five months, and central Ontario will get a third code by Spring, the CRTC said in two separate Wednesday decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

368 area code to be introduced in Alberta

Albertans will be introduced to a new area code in six months as part of a CRTC effort to meet the continuously growing demand for new telephone numbers. 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 …

CRTC approves Cochrane Telecom application for forbearance 

The CRTC has approved an application from the Cochrane Telecom Services for the CRTC to refrain from regulating its residential services in Cochrane, Ont. 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 …

Cochrane Telecom requests CRTC forbearance

Cochrane Telecom Services has submitted an application to the CRTC requesting that the commission refrain from regulating its residential services in Cochrane, Ontario.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

CRTC grants Fibernetics access to Bell facilities

The CRTC is directing BCE Inc. to allow Ontario-based home phone and internet provider Fibernetics Corp. access to its facilities after the company claimed Bell disagreed.  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 …

Bell rate increases for Primus would hurt low-income consumers: interventions

A BCE Inc. price increase on the unbundled local loop (ULL) service it sells to Fusion Connect Inc.‘s Primus will have an undue impact on low-income customers who rely on the service, according to several interveners in a Part 1 application on the rate increases, which is currently before the CRTC.  This content is available …

Bell’s prison phone rates violated telecom act, lawsuit argues

An updated version of a class action lawsuit against BCE Inc. and the province of Ontario alleges that in failing to provide clear information on rates charged to prisoners, the contract between the company and the province’s prison system violates the Telecommunications Act.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Force Bell to sign IXPL lease agreement, CRTC urged

Ontario-based home phone and internet provider Fibernetics Corp. is calling on the CRTC to compel BCE Inc. to allow it to lease facilities so it can expand its landline phone service to eight new areas. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Ontario prisons waive phone fees for inmates

Ontario prisons are now allowing prisoners to call cell phones as well as landlines for free in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  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 …

CRTC approves Northwestel’s waiving of overage fees

The CRTC has given interim approval to BCE Inc.’s Northwestel application for urgent relief that will allow to it waive data overage charges for its cable and fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)  internet customers. 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 …

Federal prisons waiving inmate phone fees

The Correctional Service of Canada is temporarily making calls free of charge for prisoners in Canada’s federal corrections institutions in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. 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 …

CRTC says no to delay, compensation for ending landline subsidy

The CRTC has upheld its decision to phase out a subsidy for landlines through 2021, and in a pair of decisions today rejected requests to maintain the subsidy for at least 10 years and to compensate providers for eliminating it. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

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. …

Telecom prices down, household spending up: CRTC

Prices for communications services are on a downward trend, according to new data from the CRTC, but spending on those goods are also on the rise.  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 …

StatCan data shows higher telecom spending than CRTC pricing numbers

The average Canadian household spent $233 a month on communication services in 2017, a $10.17 or 4.6 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Canada released late last year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

CRTC denies Iristel complaint about Bell rate increases

Iristel Inc. hasn’t provided enough evidence in a dispute with BCE Inc. to compel the CRTC to re-regulate some transport services, the commission said Wednesday.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Ontario court presses pause on Iristel-Telus case

The Ontario Superior Court has put a lawsuit launched by Iristel Inc. against Telus Corp. on hold while the CRTC settles a related dispute. 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 …

Cogeco offering no details on MVNO strategy

Cogeco Inc. has long been a vocal proponent of mandated mobile virtual operators in Canada, so it’s no surprise CEO Philippe Jetté indicated the company plans to take advantage of the CRTC’s new position regarding MVNOs on a call with analysts Wednesday, though he declined to elaborate on how the company might take advantage of …

Forbearance means CRTC has no place in rate dispute: Bell

The CRTC has no jurisdiction to determine the outcome of a disagreement over the rates BCE Inc. charges Iristel Inc. for wholesale access, because it chose to forebear from regulating legacy services, Bell is arguing. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Iristel complains to CRTC about Bell rate increases

Iristel Inc. says BCE Inc. has put in place “massive and unprecedented rate increases” for access to some of its infrastructure and is asking the CRTC to intervene. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

CRTC orders telecoms to block calls with ‘illegitimate’ IDs

Telecoms will have to start blocking phone calls from numbers that don’t conform to “established numbering plans,” the CRTC said Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

More than half of the world will be online by year-end: ITU

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) says for the first time ever, more than half the world’s population will be online by the end of the year. 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 …

Cogeco’s transition to new customer system drags down Q4

Cogeco Inc.’s implementation of a new customer management system, which CEO Philippe Jetté said in a press release proved to be “more challenging than initially anticipated,” affected its Canadian subscriber counts in the fourth quarter. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Shaw feels the competitive heat on wireline

Shaw Communications Inc. reported wireline results for the fourth quarter that analysts characterized as disappointing and the company said were the result of fierce competition from rival Telus Corp. 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 …

ITPA asks CRTC to reconsider ending voice subsidy

The Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA) has filed a review-and-vary application with the CRTC, asking the regulator to bring back its landline subsidy. 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 …

Household spending on telecom services up 2%: CRTC

Canadian households spent an average of $222.83 a month on communications services in 2016, the CRTC said in a report released 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 …

Traffic stimulation in front of CRTC again with Iristel, Telus fight

Iristel Inc. and Telus Corp. are sparring in a pair of Part 1 applications this week, stemming from new allegations by Telus that Iristel resumed traffic stimulation activities shortly after a previous CRTC decision on the issue. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Wholesale payphone service no longer mandated: CRTC

Canada’s biggest telcos will be able to stop providing wholesale service for payphones, the CRTC has determined. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …

Spike in complaints causing delays at CCTS, mid-year report outlines

Complaints by Canadians about their telecom services increased so much in the second half of 2017 that the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) is experiencing delays in handling some of the files as a result of the increased workload. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

CRTC calls out Iristel, but says no new regs in traffic stimulation case

In separate decisions on Wednesday, the CRTC ordered Iristel Inc. to cease the use of 867 area code numbers to connect callers to a Toronto-area radio station audio stream, but deemed BCE Inc.’s request for new regulations covering the practice of traffic stimulation unnecessary.   This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

CRTC consulting on new nuisance call blocking proposals

The CRTC launched a consultation Thursday requesting comment on new proposals for how its order to telecoms to block some nuisance calls should be implemented. 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 …

Telus revenue, profit up 4 per cent each

Telus Corp. reported revenue of $3.36 billion, up four per cent from the same quarter last year, in its third-quarter results released Thursday, while net income also increased 4.2 per cent to $370 million over that time. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Cogeco revenue up, profits dip in Q4

In its quarterly results released on Friday, Cogeco Inc. reported overall revenues for the three-month period ending Aug. 31, 2017 that totalled $578.5 million, up 1.1 per cent from a year earlier, though overall profit was down 11 per cent, to $71.1 million from $80.7 million. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Cell phone only households predict modern behaviour: MTM

Cell phone only households, meaning those that use only mobile phones and no landline, are growing across Canada and are a good indication of a series of modern habits, said a report published Thursday from the Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Freedom set to support older iPhones with spectrum rejig, deployment

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Thursday that it would move to redeploy existing spectrum in addition to deploying new spectrum to allow it to support older Apple Inc. iPhones — addressing a shortcoming analysts have pointed to as a limiting factor for the company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Rogers unfazed by Freedom ‘Big Gig’ offer: CEO

Joe Natale isn’t worried about Shaw Communications Inc.’s move to offer its Freedom customers 10 gigabytes for $50, effectively turning away the idea that the move is a game changer in the industry. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Telus gets $176M gov’t contract for landlines

OTTAWA — The federal government will pay Telus Corp. $176 million over seven years to replace 80,000 legacy landlines, the two parties announced at an event in Ottawa 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 …

U.S. cloud-based office phone provider coming to Canada

United States cloud-based phone company Dialpad Inc. has launched in Canada, aiming to take over Canadians’ office desk phones, the company said in a press release Monday. 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. …

Service restored after cut cable cripples Bell, Telus network

A cut cable crippled the shared network of BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. in Atlantic Canada Friday, according to the carriers, whose customers across eastern portions of the country were left without wireless services for roughly five hours. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Bell subs feel impact of ‘aggressive’ cable competition in Q2

BCE Inc. is hoping the second half of the year results in a boost for its internet business, after a second quarter that analysts called “surprisingly weak” and “softer than expected.” 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 …

Quebec class action over Bell rate increases to proceed

The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class-action lawsuit against BCE Inc. for unilaterally changing the terms of contracts for its internet, landline, wireless and telephone services. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Cogeco expands U.S. biz with MetroCast buy

Cogeco Inc. is again expanding its U.S. footprint, with the announcement Monday that it would purchase the remaining cable assets from Harron Communications LP’s MetroCast. 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 …

Give four days’ notice before service disconnection, CRTC says

Telecommunications service providers must give customers a heads up of at least four business days before disconnecting or suspending a service to end users or another service provider, the CRTC said in a Thursday decision, imposing new regulations following an inter-company dispute that left thousands without phone service last year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

Consumer advocates request basic services rejig for affordability fund

A trio of consumer advocacy groups are asking the CRTC to revise December’s basic telecom services decision, stating in a review-and-vary application filed Wednesday that the regulator should have included a tool by which to fund making telecom services affordable for low-income households.

Telecoms bond over stirring proposals to shake up call spoofing

Technologies identified by the CRTC as potential tools to combat spoofed and nuisance calls have promise, but barriers to their deployment mean they’re not likely to be put in place any time soon, companies told the regulator.

CRTC consulting on competitor quality of service regime

The CRTC is asking for input on its competitor quality of service regime, used to monitor the services provided by incumbent telcos to smaller providers and ensure their quality is sufficient to enable the smaller companies to compete in the marketplace.

SaskTel says it’s ‘concerned’ by end of local voice subsidy

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Monday that it is concerned about the CRTC’s December decision to eliminate the local voice subsidy in favour of a broadband fund.

“The reduction in subsidy could potentially result in rate increases for SaskTel’s rural telephone customers, less investment by the Corporation in infrastructure as a result of the lost subsidy and a reduced net income affecting dividends to the Government of Saskatchewan,” SaskTel said in a press release.

New area codes determined for Nfld, QC

Ten-digit dialling will officially roll out in Newfoundland and Labrador next summer after the CRTC approved a new area code for the province.

Already served by 709, the province will add the 879 area code as of Nov. 24, 2018. Ten-digit dialling will begin Aug. 17, 2018, the CRTC said in a decision Thursday.

Nuisance call deadline extended

The CRTC has changed the deadline for interventions in its consultation on measures to reduce caller ID spoofing and other ways of managing nuisance calls.

National 911 operator could disrupt regional relationships: PSAP

Forming a national consortium for the development of next-generation 911 (NG911) services would disrupt relationships formed under the current ILEC model, a British Columbia public-safety answer point (PSAP) argued on the second day of the CRTC’s week-long hearing on NG911.