CRTC consulting on NG911 network efficiency

The CRTC said Monday it is asking for input on next-generation 911 (NG911) network design efficiencies recommended by telcos. 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 …

In telecoms’ year-end, cord-cutting slows, wireline grows

Canada’s publicly-traded telecoms lost fewer TV subscribers in 2017 than in each of the previous two years, while they added enough wireless customers to beat last year’s record high of new wireless adds. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

LTE open to numerous security flaws: paper

Researchers at American universities have found a number of security vulnerabilities on the 4G LTE network, which could expose citizens to tracking, impersonation and fake text messages. 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. …

4G will continue to dominate global connects in 2025: GSMA

Despite indications deployment of 5G is being accelerated, a report from GSMA says 4G connections will still dwarf those of 5G into 2025. 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 …

Start date for wireless emergency alert system still not set: CRTC

OTTAWA — Following a wireless emergency alert in the United States that falsely warned of a ballistic missile attack, representatives from the CRTC and Pelmorex Corp. told a Senate committee that alert issuers will be responsible for such incidents once Canada’s alerting system gets started, at a date that is still up in the air. …

Bell successfully tests gigabit speeds on LTE-A network

BCE Inc. said Friday it has achieved gigabit-per-second mobile network speeds during tests near Mississauga, Ont., according to a release on 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 digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …

Wireless coverage improvements coming to site of G7 summit

In anticipation of the G7 summit in June, the federal government will have 13 cell towers built to increase coverage for the area near host Charlevoix, Que, a release on Monday revealed. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

FCC investigating false wireless emergency alert in Hawaii

A false wireless emergency alert that saw residents of Hawaii receive a warning over the weekend that a ballistic missile attack was imminent was “unacceptable,” Ajit Pai, chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said in a statement. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Bell’s low-cost Lucky Mobile a hit with government

BCE Inc’s move to open a low-cost, prepaid carrier is “well-timed” and positioned to support the government’s direction for consumer-friendly mobile options, according to analysts. 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 …

Xplornet turns on LTE in Newfoundland communities

Rural internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. has expanded its fixed wireless network in Newfoundland to support faster download and upload speeds, according to a press release on 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 you …

Videotron reaches 1M wireless subscribers as it reports Q3 results

Quebecor Inc. said its wireless division has eclipsed one million subscribers since posting higher revenues and profits in its third-quarter earnings 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 to The Wire …

Bell launches first pilot project on LTE-M network

BCE Inc.’s first pilot project to run on its recently-announced LTE-M network will power the internet of things (IoT) for the monitoring of a vineyard in Ontario, in what the company is calling an “important step forward” for the development of the technology in agriculture. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Broadcom puts up $130B US offer for chip maker Qualcomm

Networking giant Broadcom Ltd. announced a proposal to purchase all outstanding shares of mobile chip maker Qualcomm Inc. on Monday morning. 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 needs to do more with ad tech, CEO says

BCE Inc. CEO George Cope said the company needs to do a better job of finding opportunities in emerging advertising technology, as the company seeks additional revenue growth for its media division. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

4G speeds plateau globally: OpenSignal

Around the world, speeds of 4G connections have stopped increasing, according to a new report from OpenSignal. 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 …

Rogers launches LTE-A service in Manitoba

Rogers Communications Inc. has enabled LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network access in “many” Manitoban communities, the company announced on 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. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

Rogers expands LTE coverage in Manitoba

Rogers Communications Inc. is growing its wireless service and making improvements to its networks in parts of Manitoba. 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 …

Bell ‘heartened’ by CRTC chair statements, CEO says

BCE Inc.’s top man George Cope said the company likes new CRTC head Ian Scott’s approach to balancing consumer and business interests. 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 …

Telus almost hits gig speeds on LTE-A test

Telus Corp. has achieved nearly 1 Gbps speeds on LTE as part of a test, it said in a press release 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 …

Bell warns about some Apple Watch 911 capabilities

BCE Inc. issued a press release Friday to let customers with Apple Inc.’s new Apple Watch know that “their longitude and latitude location may not be supplied to 9-1-1 operators when the device is not paired with their iPhone via Bluetooth.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Bell Apple Watch advantage unknown: experts

Wearable use in Canada and around the world is trending up, but the numbers for smartwatches are still too low to suggest BCE Inc. can see any real gain as it prepares to be the first Canadian carrier to deliver Apple Inc.’s first cellular-enabled watch. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Recent LTE advances could affect demand for 5G: experts

Even with an accelerated arrival date for the next generation of wireless technology, companies haven’t stopped working on wringing out more from the current 4G standard, and the unexpected advances they’ve made could lessen the appeal of 5G, according to some experts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Videotron latest to announce X1-based IPTV

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron will launch its IPTV service using the X1 platform from Comcast Corp., the company said in a press release 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 you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

Rogers boosts wireless service in Alberta

Rogers Communications Inc. has expanded its LTE service in Alberta, improving wireless connectivity in Lethbridge and between Banff and Calgary. 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 …

mmWave ‘new frontier’ as 5G arrives: report

Networks operating on 5G will require much more spectrum than current 4G wireless technology, and part of the solution will be using higher-frequency spectrum, despite its limitations, according to a new 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 …

Bell quad-band LTE-A network live in nearly 40 cities

BCE Inc.’s new quad band LTE-advanced (LTE-A) service is now live in nearly 40 cities in eight provinces, the company 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 …

TNW Wireless files Part 1 over roaming agreements

A Northern mobile wireless provider is asking the CRTC to compel a pair of incumbents to strike roaming agreements with it, arguing that its proposed national Wi-Fi based service is substantially different from one kiboshed by the regulator earlier this year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

LTE still has ‘untapped potential’: Desjardins

While 5G is expected to arrive in a couple of years, the LTE standard still has some room for growth, according to Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Maher Yaghi. 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 …

Spectrum buy to improve Shaw network, but benefits will take time: analysts

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that it has purchased 700MHz and 2500MHz spectrum from Quebecor Inc. for $430 million, in what Shaw described as  “a significant milestone towards improving network coverage and quality across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Bell launching mobile network for IoT in 2018

BCE Inc. said Thursday it will launch a new mobile network aimed at improving the use of the Internet of Things (IoT). 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 …

Telus to offer WiFi in Montreal’s Old Port

Telus Corp. said Thursday it will provide free WiFi in Montreal’s Old Port as part of a 20-year agreement “to equip the historic site with the latest next-generation wireless technology.”

The company said in a press release that the area “will become a location of choice for rolling out the latest technology.” The free WiFi zone will be three kilometres wide, Telus said.

Bell claims first launch of quad band LTE-A in North America

BCE Inc. said it is now the first carrier on the continent to have the capability of delivering quad band LTE-advanced service. 

“Also known as 4-carrier aggregation, Quad Band technology leverages multiple bands of wireless spectrum to boost top Tri Band LTE-A mobile data speeds” from 335 Mbps (with average download speeds expected to be between 12 to 100 Mbps) to 550 Mbps (expected speeds of 18 to 150 Mbps), the company said in a Thursday press release.

Wireless emergency alerts to be mandatory by April 2018

The CRTC has ordered wireless service providers to implement a system for the sending of emergency alerts over LTE networks that will be operational in a year’s time.

SaskTel completes LTE expansion

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday that it has finished its LTE expansion project.

In the province, 99 per cent of residents are now served by its LTE network, SaskTel said in a Thursday press release.

“Since announcing this project in June of 2016, we have worked diligently to expand LTE to more than 400 towers that serve rural Saskatchewan making our LTE network the largest in Saskatchewan by a wide margin,” SaskTel president and CEO Ron Styles said in the release.

Bell-MTS acquisition completed

The purchase of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. has officially closed, Bell said in a press release Friday.

“Uniting the local and national strengths of MTS and Bell Canada, the new Bell MTS will bring unprecedented investment and innovation in broadband communications to Manitoba, including the rollout of next-generation Fibe services and Canada's fastest-ranked wireless network,” the release said.

VoLTE to overtake OTT voice apps by 2021: Juniper

The number of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) subscribers on 4G LTE mobile connections is expected to increase significantly and overtake over-the-top (OTT) applications over the next four years, according to Juniper Research.

The expected number of VoLTE users worldwide will increase to three billion in 2021 from 488 million in 2016 to, “as operators reap the benefits from widespread 4G infrastructure roll-outs,” according to a white paper examining how operators can use voice to retain market share and make new revenues, published Tuesday.

Iristel to launch VoLTE

Iristel Inc. plans to launch Voice over LTE (VoLTE) service in about two months, Iristel president Samer Bishay said in an email.

The company will use technology from software company Metaswitch Networks Ltd., Metaswitch said in a press release Wednesday.

Videotron offering ‘no downtime’ Internet for businesses

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has launched an Internet service for its business customers that it says guarantees continuity of service 99.9 per cent of the time by combining its wireline and wireless networks.

Big three show similar wireless performance: OpenSignal

A new report has found that BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc. are essentially tied when it comes to the performance of their wireless networks, concluding that the big three “all have more in common than not.”

Thursday’s report from OpenSignal said that all three “are fast and offer excellent access to LTE signals to the point that no single operator dominated any of OpenSignal’s metrics.”

Pricing for 5G unclear, but cost per GB could drop: Deloitte expert

There are still many unknowns as wireless carriers move to 5G networks in the coming years, including questions about how much companies will charge for service, though prices have the potential to drop and carriers are unlikely to charge a premium, according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.’s Duncan Stewart.

Telus, Huawei closer to 5G with network deployment

Telus Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., who have been collaborating to help develop 5G technology, said they have achieved another step toward its deployment. 

Limited handsets a concern as Wind rebrands: analyst

Shaw Communications Inc.’s Wind Mobile will be rebranded as Freedom Mobile and its LTE roll-out will come sooner than expected in two cities, the company’s CEO said Monday. The move comes despite some analyst concern about the availability of handsets compatible with its spectrum.  

Half a billion subscribers will be on 5G by 2022: Ericsson

An Ericsson AB report is projecting that more than 550 million subscribers will be on 5G networks by 2022.  

The latest Ericsson Mobility Report, released Tuesday, said that two years after it becomes available in 2020, 5G will cover 10 per cent of the world’s population.

Sasktel ties for fastest LTE speeds in the world: OpenSignal

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp.’s LTE download speeds are among the fastest in the world, according to a new OpenSignal Inc. report.

“In the fourth quarter, Singapore had the fastest networks by far, averaging 37 Mbps, and two of its operators [Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.] and [StarHub Ltd.] joined Canada’s SaskTel in vying for the title of world’s fastest operator,” the report, released Nov. 10, said.

Wind won’t be as disruptive as T-Mobile, Krstajic says

Shaw Communications Inc. reported revenues of $1.31 billion for the three months ended Aug. 31, an increase from $1.13 billion from the same quarter a year earlier, due to the addition of wireless revenues following its acquisition of Wind Mobile.

Wind’s reduced Ont. focus message to government: Huang

Shaw Communications Inc. is putting less emphasis on growing subscribers for Wind in Ontario in favour of boosting its wireless network in Western Canada, according to Barclays analyst Phillip Huang.

Shaw best-positioned carrier, regardless of Liberal policy: Barclays

Shaw Communications Inc. is “the one player in the industry who is very well positioned” regardless of the direction the Liberal government takes on wireless policy, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday.

Videotron announces testing as 5G gains momentum in Canada

MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said Tuesday it will begin to test 5G technologies as part of a new project, in a move that appears to be part of an increasing push toward the next generation of wireless in recent months.  

All carriers will eventually get to 5G, Videotron CEO Manon Brouillette said in an interview following a lunchtime speech at the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

Wireline competition, pick-and-pay could pressure telecoms in 2017: Canaccord

Certain events leading into 2017 could spell increased pressure on telecommunications companies, but there’s “not much to be excited about” otherwise, according to Canaccord Genuity.

In a note Monday, Canaccord analyst Aravinda Galappatthige said “apart from the fact that the impact of the double cohort should ease,” he does “not see many catalysts that can significantly improve the fundamentals” in the telecom sector.  

Telus to offer free WiFi in some Toronto cabs

Telus Corp. will offer free WiFi to customers of Toronto taxi company Associated Toronto Taxicab Co-operative Ltd., following a similar partnership with a cab company in Vancouver established last year.

Telus said in a press release that Co-op Cabs will begin offering free WiFi Monday, and that the service will be available in all of its cars by the end of the year.

Bell has fastest wireless network again: report

BCE Inc. owns the country’s fastest mobile speeds for a second consecutive year, helped by partnerships agreements with other companies, according to a report released Wednesday by PCMag.com.

With an average of 59.72 Mbps, Bell’s mobile speeds dwarf those of its American counterparts like Verizon Communications Inc., which won PCMag’s fastest mobile network in the U.S. with an average of 27.8 Mbps. This is the fourth year PCMag has done this survey.

Ice Wireless boosting northern LTE network

Ice Wireless, a subsidiary of Iristel Inc., said it is rolling out a HSPA/LTE network in 14 northern Quebec communities.

A Tuesday press release from Tecore Networks, which supplies mobile network infrastructure, said the U.S.-based company’s Network-in-a-Box platform was picked by Iristel for the rollout.

Wind hits 1M subscribers in first quarterly report since 2014

On Friday, Shaw Communications Inc. released Wind Mobile’s first quarterly results since it acquired the wireless company earlier this year, which showed revenues of $132 million for the quarter, as the company assured analysts and shareholders on a conference call that its wireless strategy will take off as it launches an LTE network and obtains low-band spectrum in the future.

Bell extends enterprise VoIP service to small business

BCE Inc.’s Total Connect VoIP service for enterprises is now available to small businesses in Ontario and Quebec.

The company said Tuesday that previously, only large businesses and government enterprises could sign up for the service, which offers a “suite of advanced messaging and unified communications services on Canada's largest broadband fibre and mobile LTE networks.”

Shaw to keep Wind’s current strategy in place: exec

As it takes ownership of Wind Mobile, Shaw Communications Inc. will continue positioning Wind as a cheaper option compared to the big three national wireless carriers, according to the company’s chief operating officer.

In a wide-ranging phone interview with The Wire Report, Jay Mehr said Shaw plans to keep the same “strategy that Wind has been executing over the course of last year.”

MTS expands HSPA, LTE network in Manitoba

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. announced Wednesday it has expanded its HSPA and LTE network to Piney, Man., which is located about two hours driving south of Winnipeg.

MTS CEO Jay Forbes said in a press release that the expansion was part of its $1-billion investment done over the past five years to ensure Manitoba has access to communication and information technology services.

Bell top in wireless speeds, Rogers in LTE: OpenSignal

A new report analyzing wireless network performance among Canada’s biggest three players says BCE Inc. has the fastest speeds, while Rogers Communications Inc. has the best LTE coverage.

OpenSignal, a U.K.-based company that analyzes mobile performance, said in a report released Monday that Rogers had LTE coverage 80.25 per cent of the time, compared to Bell’s 70.38 per cent and Telus Corp.’s 71.84.

Shaw-Wind deal means no Rogers merger on horizon: analysts

Financial analysts said Thursday that the surprising move by Shaw Communications Inc. to buy Wind Mobile means any potential merger between Shaw and Rogers Communications Inc. won’t happen any time soon, though some maintained it’s possible in the longer term if the government is on board.

Ericsson renews contract with Eastlink for 3 years

Ericsson AB announced Thursday that it has renewed its agreement with Eastlink to expand and upgrade its LTE and HSPA networks, as well as continue to be the exclusive supplier for radio access network equipment for another three years.

It said in the press release that the renewed agreement will allow Eastlink to provide its customers with a suite of services that will include bundling options with TV, Internet and landline phone services.

Shaw looks to enter wireless market with $1.6B deal for Wind

The Big Three may have just become the Big Four, as Shaw Communications Inc. announced Wednesday it is attempting to become a wireless provider by acquiring Wind Mobile.

Shaw said in a press release the deal means Shaw will acquire Canada's largest non-incumbent wireless provider, which currently has 940,000 subscribers in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, along with 50 MHz of spectrum in each province.

Wind Mobile upgrades Vancouver area coverage

Wind Mobile announced Tuesday that it is adding antennas and deploying new spectrum in the Vancouver area as an initial step in a cross-Canada network upgrade.

"Wind customers in the greater Vancouver area are already noticing better performance as we upgrade every aspect of our network components," Dean Price, Wind's general manager for the West, said in a press release. "We expect to have our greater Vancouver coverage area completed by the end of January 2016."

Wind to launch LTE by end of 2016 with new financing

Wind Mobile is looking to make LTE service available to at least some of its customers by the end of next year, after announcing it has borrowed $425 million to help it do so.

On Thursday, Wind issued a press release that indicated it has secured a new financing package worth $425 million that involves backing from Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Montreal and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Also involved is Finnverva, the export credit agency of Finland, where the technology provider for Wind's network upgrade, Nokia Corp., is based.

Bell ranked highest in mobile network performance

BCE Inc. was tops in RootMetric’s 2015 Canadian mobile network performance review that was released Wednesday, with Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. not far behind.

Tablet shipments to be down 8.1% this year: IDC

Global tablet shipments will be down 8.1 per cent for 2015 overall, though tablets with detachable keyboards are expected to see strong growth for this year and in 2016, according to International Data Corp.

The technology research company said in a press release Tuesday that tablet shipments will total 211.3 million this year.

VoLTE connections to reach 2 billion by 2020: Juniper

Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) connections are anticipated to reach two billion by 2020, rising from about 123 million connections this year, according to a new report released Monday from Juniper Research Ltd.

It said the opportunity for monetizing VoLTE will initially be limited as “network operators will initially focus on experience and quality of service, rather than monetization, with failure to deliver a high-quality offering at the outset potentially resulting in churn to rival operators.”

SaskTel deploys AWS-1 spectrum, increases LTE capacity

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Monday that it has successfully deployed a block of AWS-1 spectrum, increasing the capacity and speed of its 4G LTE network in nine locations in Saskatchewan.

It said in a press release that Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, North Battleford, Estevan and Weyburn will receive an increase in 4G LTE speeds from 110 Mbps to 150 Mbps, with a bandwidth increase from 15 MHz to 20 MHz.

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."

Canada’s LTE coverage ranked 21st globally

Canada has the 21^st best LTE coverage in the world, according to a report released Wednesday, putting it one spot behind Hungary and one position ahead of Georgia.

The report from OpenSignal Inc. looked at the signals received by hundreds of thousands of mobile-device users around the world. In Canada, the mobile devices monitored between June and August picked up LTE signals 70 per cent of the time.

MTS puts LTE in 2 more rural communities

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Wednesday it has brought LTE to two more rural communities, making for 30 non-urban areas that have received this level of service so far this year.

MTS said in a press release that the two new LTE-enabled communities are Hamiota, about 300 kilometres west of Winnipeg, and MacGregor, which is around 120 kilometres west of the Manitoba capital.

Mobile infrastructure market worth $11.4B US in Q2: IHS

The global market for mobile infrastructure was worth $11.4 billion US in this year’s second quarter, research company IHS said Wednesday.

It said in a press release that this represented two per cent growth from the same period a year earlier.

IHS said gains in the second quarter were driven by increased 3G W-CDMA capacity in various overseas locations and “unabated” LTE expansion in China.

Data revenue bolsters Telus numbers

Telus Corp. on Friday reported a 5.1 per cent year-to-year revenue gain in its second quarter, boosted by more data-generated cash from both its wireless and wireline operations.

5G revenue predicted to surge between 2020 and 2025

Global service revenue from 5G wireless connections will skyrocket from $100 million US in 2020 to $65 billion US in 2025, Juniper Research Ltd. said Wednesday.

The British research company said in a press release that 2020 is expected to be the first year 5G services are commercially available, though widespread adoption and sufficient spectrum licensing will take years to achieve.

Prepare for 5G, says Huawei Canada boss

The president of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s Canadian unit is calling for policy-makers, businesses and academics in Canada to come together and help prepare the country for the coming of 5G networking technology.

At a breakfast event hosted by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning, Sean Yang was to call for the creation of a public policy group, comprised of various public- and private-sector players, to prepare Canada for this next stage in the evolution of communications technology.

Google launches wireless service in U.S.

Google Inc. on Wednesday announced it has launched a wireless service in the United States, partnering with T-Mobile U.S. Inc. and Sprint Corp. for coverage on their networks.

A website for Google's new service, called Project Fi, showed it is available in most major markets across the U.S. Nick Fox, Google's vice-president of communications products, said in a blog post that text-and-talk service is available for $20 US a month, and data costs $10 US per GB. He said customers will get credit for unused data.

Telus announces $116M investment in Montreal

Telus Corp. said Thursday it will invest $116 million in technology in the Montreal area this year as part of a $1.6-billion capital plan for Quebec between now and the end of 2018.

Telus said in a press release that the investment in Montreal and surrounding communities will go toward growing wireless capacity, making data speeds faster, connecting more businesses to its fibre-optic network and improving its health-related services.

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

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

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

Next spectrum auction seen as less substantial than previous sales

Canada's third wireless spectrum auction in a little more than a year is set to start Tuesday, and it is generally predicted to bring in far less money than the other two, though at least one analyst feels there is demand for the additional bandwidth an auction like this brings to the market.

Does VoLTE conflict with net neutrality?

Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) had a small-scale launch in Canada recently, with Rogers Communications Inc. making the service that allows carriers to transmit voice calls on the same networks as data available to a portion of its customers.

As the technology grows and becomes more widely available around the world, questions about how it will coexist — or conflict — with net-neutrality laws and principles are on the radar for both net-neutrality advocates and wireless carriers.

SaskTel extends LTE to 62 rural communities

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. announced Monday that it has extended LTE coverage to 62 more rural communities in the province on the 850 MHz band.

SaskTel said in a press release it is approximately doubling the network capacity in most locations.

Telus to make $4.2B investment in Alberta

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

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

Rogers rolls out VoLTE

Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday it has launched voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) service for customers who own LG Corp.'s G3 Vigor smartphone.

Roger said in a press release that the Vigor is “Canada's first VoLTE-enabled device” and added that “more VoLTE-ready devices are expected this year.”

It said its customers are “the first in Canada to complete HD voice and video calls over a VoLTE network, where available, versus the traditional voice network.”

Global LTE connections doubled last year: industry group

The number of LTE connections worldwide reached nearly half a billion last year, according to wireless industry association 4G Americas.

The group said in a Thursday release that data gathered by Ovum Ltd. showed that there were 498 million global LTE connections at the end of 2014, of which about one-third, 164 million, were in Canada and the United States.

That’s more than double the 206 million worldwide LTE connections at the end of 2013, for a growth rate of 141 per cent.

Mitel to buy mobile software provider Mavenir

Ottawa-based networking technology company Mitel Networks Corp. said Monday it has reached a deal to purchase Texas-based Mavenir Systems Inc., a provider of software for mobile operators.

Mitel and Mavenir said in a joint press release the deal is worth $560 million US in cash and stock, and is expected to close during the second quarter, pending regulatory approval and a favourable vote from Mavenir shareholders.

Bell extends LTE network in Ontario, Quebec

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday it has extended its LTE service to 120 rural and remote communities in Ontario and Quebec.

The company said in a release it aims to bring LTE connectivity to 98 per cent of Canada’s population by the end of the year, up from 86 per cent today.

Canadian tech company to help carriers implement VoLTE

Sandvine Inc., a Canadian company that provides software to telecommunications service providers around the world, said Wednesday that it has added capabilities enabling it to help carriers offer voice services on both LTE and WiFi networks.

Spectrum auction applicants list holds few surprises

The list of aspiring bidders in the upcoming AWS-3 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions released by Industry Canada on Thursday includes the dominant players in Canada’s wireless sector as well as the remaining new entrants from the 2008 AWS auction, yet does not herald the entry of any new competitors into the market.

Unlicensed spectrum eyed for easing wireless capacity crunch

As data consumption by smartphone users increases exponentially every year, wireless technology companies are looking to harness the unlicensed spectrum normally used for WiFi connections to improve cellular performance.

Wi-Lan buys patents for device chargers

Wi-Lan Inc., an Ottawa-based licenser of technology patents, said Monday it has acquired a portfolio of patents related to power inversion, which is a technology used for chargers of cellphones, tablets and laptops.

The company would not specify what products these patents cover and what actions it would take as a result of this new intellectual property.