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Questions remain about Huawei gear as Bell, Telus pick Ericsson, Nokia
On Tuesday, BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. announced new partnerships with Ericsson AB and Nokia Corp. on 5G network rollouts, but what that means for their existing 4G network equipment from — and potential future collaboration with — Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. was still unclear. Because the Huawei gear that is currently in place is not …
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Rogers protests Bell’s toll-free trunk time extension
Rogers Communications Inc. is protesting the CRTC’s decision to extend a deadline it had previously set for BCE Inc. to install trunk connections to carry toll-free traffic between their networks. 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 …
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Telecoms not obligated to give rights-of-way to Calgary: Alberta court
Telecom companies operating in Calgary will not have to abide by a municipal bylaw granting the city rights-of-way, the Alberta Court of Appeal has decided. 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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Rogers, Quebecor ask CRTC to intervene in small cell dispute with Bell
Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc. have asked the CRTC to compel BCE Inc. to allow them to attach small cell technologies to Bell’s poles at rates set by the Support Structure Service Tariffs following years of unsuccessful negotiations. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Complaints to CCTS decrease by 12 per cent
Consumers lodged 8,621 complaints with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) in the six months leading up to Jan. 31, a 12 per cent decrease on the previous 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 …
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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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Rogers revenue drops 5%, withdraws guidance due to COVID-19
Rogers Communications Inc. recorded a five per cent drop in revenue in the first quarter of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected wireless and media revenues in the final few weeks of the quarter. 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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2020 a ‘lost year’ for telecom growth: analyst
The telecommunications sector will have an “irrelevant” first quarter and will “write off” the second quarter, according to a preview note published Monday by RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds. 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 …
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Canadian wireless sub adds down slightly from 2018
Canada’s publicly-traded wireless service providers added just under 1.29 million wireless subscribers in 2019, a year many executives described as one of the most intensely competitive in recent memory. 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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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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Telecoms close stores, offer free channels in response to COVID-19
Telecommunication providers are closing retail stores, offering complimentary TV channels and continuing to waive overage fees on home internet plans as they respond to COVID-19. 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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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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Gov’t 25% price reduction to target big three flanker brands
The federal government will focus on 2 GB to 6 GB post-paid plans from Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. in its efforts to lower Canadian wireless prices, and set-aside 50 MHz of 3500 MHz spectrum for smaller and regional players in most licence areas in the upcoming Dec. 15 auction. Innovation Minister …
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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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CRTC chair, commish toured Rogers’ ‘piracy lab’
As part of their ongoing effort to fight content piracy, two of Canada’s largest media and telecom companies have, or are considering setting up, “piracy labs” to demonstrate to visitors including regulators and government officials what infringement looks like. Rogers Communications Inc. has established a piracy lab which CRTC chairman Ian Scott and commissioner Monique …
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Rogers takes different tack on 25-per-cent price drop
GATINEAU, Que. — While BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. have made their opinion about the December 2019 starting date for the federal government’s promised 25 per cent wireless price drop clear in recent weeks, Rogers Communications Inc. is declining to do so. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Teksavvy asks Competition Bureau to investigate Rogers, Bell
The Competition Bureau has been asked to investigate a “pattern of anti-competitive activities” in wholesale and retail internet markets by BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications, in a complaint filed by independent ISP Teksavvy Solutions Inc. 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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Rogers says further regulation could lead to capex cuts
Rogers Communications Inc. has warned that, depending on what regulatory decisions are made in 2020, the company may cut their capital expenditure investments below the low end of their guidance for 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 …
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Industry waiting on detail from gov’t on wireless price drop
If Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wants to see a 25-per-cent reduction in wireless prices starting from December 2019 — as he clarified this week — the best way is to maintain a hands-off approach that has seen a reduction of 28 per cent in wireless prices since 2016, according to the industry’s main lobby. This …
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Incumbents, small telecoms pan Competition Bureau MVNO proposal
Telecom providers both big and small have unanimously rejected a Competition Bureau proposal to allow strictly-regulated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to the Big Three’s networks for five years, but for vastly different reasons. 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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Telecoms deadlocked ahead of 5G rollout: analyst
No major wireless provider stands out as most likely to benefit from Canada’s looming 5G network rollout, despite two players’ extensive combined wireline footline placing them on the “front foot”, 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 …
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Wireless revenues, ARPU up industry-wide, CRTC report says
The latest portion of the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report, focused on the mobile retail market and released Monday, shows that wireless industry revenues have gone up, and while smaller providers’ share of that revenue also increased, the Big Three continue to dominate more than 90 per cent of the market. This content is available to …
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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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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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Voltage drops appeal in disclosure cost case
Voltage Pictures LLC and Rogers Communications Inc. have both agreed to drop their appeal and cross-appeal, respectively, against a decision by the Federal Court to award the telecom costs to dig up personal information of alleged infringers of the movie studio’s copyright. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Cell data tracking company continues lobby push, despite tough reception
A company that says its privacy-focused software app can tell employers exactly how their employees are using their phones at work said it hasn’t received support for its product in the country it was born in. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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In an unstable week for wireless, steady Q4 for Shaw
In a conference call with analysts Friday, Shaw Communications Inc. executives declared that the company is in a good place to weather what one analyst has called a “storm” in the wireless sector. 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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Mixed analyst response to Wednesday’s telecom stock sell-off
Following the release of the Rogers Communications Inc. quarterly results Wednesday that were accompanied by falling stock prices, Desjardins analyst Maher Yaghi asked in a research note if the impact of the shift toward no-data-overage wireless plans indicated a period of significant instability in the wireless sector. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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New no-data-overage plans drive down Rogers Q3
Wireless revenue for Rogers Communications Inc. struggled over the summer, primarily due to a larger-than-expected migration to the company’s new unlimited data plans, according to Rogers management in a third-quarter earnings call Wednesday morning. 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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Telecoms say oral hearing on wholesale rate not necessary
After an urgent plea by BCE Inc. requesting the Federal Court hold an oral hearing on the deadline of a CRTC order to implement new wholesale internet rates that it is protesting, Bell and other telecoms are saying such a process is not necessary to grant a stay of the decision. This content is available to …
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Investors too focused on Rogers wireless division: analyst
Investors are overly preoccupied with the wireless divisions of telecom companies, and as such have been overly punitive toward Rogers Communications Inc. this summer, according to a look in on the telecom industry published Thursday by National Bank Financial Markets analyst Adam Shine. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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Distributel asks court for ability to challenge future site-blocking
In the event Federal Court allows a site-blocking application brought by three of the country’s largest broadcasters, Distributel Communications Ltd. wants to ensure internet service providers (ISPs) can challenge subsequent orders brought to their doorstep and be compensated for any legal action taken against them for complying. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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Bell and Rogers execs say change to MVNO rules unlikely
Whatever the outcome of next month’s federal election, there will be no mandated access by mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) to incumbent wireless networks, BCE Inc.’s outgoing CEO George Cope predicted while speaking to investors Tuesday at the BMO Media and Telecom Conference in Toronto. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Disclosure cost to Rogers based on ‘irrelevant’ evidence: Voltage counsel
Counsel to Voltage Pictures LLC and a number of movie studios is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to review a case that found Rogers Communications Inc. is owed $67.23 to disclose the personal information of five IP addresses tied to alleged copyright infringement. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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Telecoms asking SCC to review Quebec bylaw case
The country’s biggest telecoms are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to review a decision by a lower court that determined the companies were not entitled to a reimbursement of fees they paid under municipal rights-of-way bylaws that were subsequently invalidated. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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Fido gets in on no-overage plans by capping data
Rogers Communications Inc. said its flanker brand Fido would begin offering what the company is calling data overage protection, joining the flagship brands that have all launched some level of plan doing away with overage charges in recent months. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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CRTC commissioning report about market impact of online BDUs
The CRTC wants to know more about the potential for the Canadian broadcasting market to absorb virtual broadcasting distribution undertakings (vBDUs). 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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Telecoms must hand over more detailed info to Comp Bureau
The CRTC has directed telecom companies to disclose an additional set of information to the Competition Bureau ahead of the regulator’s review of Canada’s mobile wireless market next 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 …
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CRTC reviewing 36-month device financing plans
The CRTC said Friday afternoon that it thinks the 36-month smartphone financing plans that have entered the market in recent weeks may be out of line with the wireless code. 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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Big providers get behind Bell in CloudWifi fight
The country’s largest telecoms are siding with BCE Inc. in its fight against a CRTC decision that ruled providers including CloudWifi Inc. can access only its fibre wires in multi-dwelling buildings. 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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Montreal 5G pilot project coming, Rogers wants in
Rogers Communications Inc. is lobbying the City of Montreal to be involved in the city’s 5G pilot project announced last month, according to provincial lobby records, adding to the acute increase in 5G activity in recent months. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Telus now offering 36-month device financing
Telus Corp. has followed in the footsteps of rival Rogers Communications Inc. in making its device financing plans available with a three-year term option. 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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Freedom plans could drive big three back to subsidies: analysts
The launch of new plans from Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom will drive more competition in the wireless market, analysts said after the new $0 phone plans were unveiled — warning the new offerings could lead incumbents to reconsider their new equipment financing plans. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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CRTC meetings unrelated to OMNI, Rogers says in court filing
Rogers Communications Inc. has filed a response in a court case challenging the CRTC’s decision to give the broadcaster a coveted broadcasting licence with mandatory carriage, saying that meetings it had with CRTC commissioners ahead of that decision were normal procedure and above board. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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Freedom answers to ‘unlimited’, offers $0 phones on select plans
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom is responding to the wireless industry’s recent moves toward removing data caps and offering $0 upfront financing plans by throwing-in select devices at absolutely no charge on certain plans. 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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‘Unlimited’ plans leading to 50% more data use, Rogers says
Rogers Communications Inc.’s CEO Joe Natale said there has been a 50 per cent increase in data use among the 365,000 customers who’ve adopted its “unlimited” data plans in the six weeks they have been in the market. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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CRTC suspends post-CloudWiFi proceeding deadlines
The CRTC has suspended the deadlines it set for BCE Inc. to file tariffs on access to its fibre wire inside buildings and for other carriers to file interventions in a related proceeding. 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 to launch 5G ‘innovation hub’ in Kitchener-Waterloo
Rogers Communications Inc. Monday announced what it is calling a 5G “innovation lab” with the Waterloo-based Communitech. 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 …
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Rogers’ financing plans ‘might be seen as a problem’: CCTS
The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) said Wednesday that new phone financing plans introduced by Rogers Communications Inc. may run afoul of the Wireless Code. 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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Emergency services affected by service outage, Rogers confirms
The wireless service outage that began on Sunday and affected the country’s four major carriers impacted 911 emergency services for nearly eight hours, Rogers Communications Inc. confirmed. 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 …
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CRTC asks wireless providers to justify post-data cap throttling
The CRTC has asked several telecoms to explain how their throttling of wireless speeds once customers exceed their data allotments doesn’t violate the commission’s regulatory policy on internet traffic management practices (ITMPs). 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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Telus to keep no-overage plans — and subsidies
Telus Corp. is making its once promotional “no overage” wireless data plan options a permanent fixture and is allowing customers to finance any device for no cost upfront, though the new financing models still appear to include device subsidies, conditional on the phone being returned. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Broadcast news tax credit exclusion means cuts ‘inevitable’: CAB
The independence of the panel that will determine which print news organizations will get tax credits has been “compromised” because the government had already decided to exclude broadcasters from the handouts, according to a March letter sent to the government by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Media groups vow to fight CRTC’s OMNI decision
Two media groups have filed formal petitions to the Governor in Council, asking the government to reverse a CRTC decision that gave Rogers Communications Inc. a second term to have its OMNI channel as required broadcasting on basic TV. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Rogers’ no-overage plan about data use, churn, 5G: analyst
Rogers Communications Inc.’s reasons for launching a no-overage-fee wireless plan last week — quickly copied across the industry — included driving up data use by its customers and improving its churn and average revenue per user in the future, according to National Bank analyst Adam Shine. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Rogers’ new no-data-overage plan a ‘necessary’ development: analyst
Rogers Communications Inc.’s launch of a wireless plan that won’t charge customers for exceeding their data buckets is part of an inevitable move to more affordable telecom pricing in Canada, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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No issue with Canadian wireless pricing: telecom execs
TORONTO — Executives from Canada’s biggest carriers defended the country’s wireless prices during a panel discussion Tuesday, saying there is no problem with how much service costs in Canada, despite both the federal government and the CRTC zoning in on affordability as an issue. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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Freedom open to network-sharing with Rogers, president says
As Shaw Communications Inc. continues to expand its Freedom Mobile brand, a top executive said the company would like to enter into a network sharing arrangement with Rogers Communications Inc. at some point, a desire not shared with the bigger telecom. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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CRTC sticks with OMNI for multi-ethnic must-carry spot
Rogers Communications Inc.‘s OMNI will continue to benefit from the sole licence to operate its multi-ethnic channel on basic TV packages as a result of a CRTC decision 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 …
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CRTC denies PIAC clarity on phone unlocking
The CRTC has denied a request by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) to state that CRTC policy requires wireless providers to unlock devices for anyone who asks, regardless of whether they are customers of that company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Shaw says patience, not regulation, required to see organic MVNO market
Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom, the country’s major fourth wireless player, says it is most susceptible to harm if the CRTC decides to mandate MVNO access to incumbent facilities, and that time and encouraging network investment are needed for the CRTC to see an organic wholesale market for MVNOs to emerge. This content is available to …
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$10 fees on customer service tasks don’t violate Wireless Code: Bell, Telus
BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., and Shaw Communications Inc. have responded to the CRTC’s questions about $10 fees they charge for some customer service tasks. 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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Rogers buys podcast producer Pacific Content
Rogers Communications Inc. today announced that it is acquiring the Vancouver-based podcast company Pacific 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 to The Wire Report now. FREE …
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Federal Court won’t hear Calgary bylaw case
The Federal Court of Appeal has rejected an application by the City of Calgary asking the court to review a CRTC decision the city said didn’t address whether a new bylaw could govern telecom access to infrastructure. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Resistance to tower builds shows need to ‘rethink’ consultations: MP
Residents of a New Brunswick town are asking the Federal Court to review the government’s approval of a proposed telecommunications tower by Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink, a development that is punctuating opposition to cell towers in neighbourhoods across the country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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Spectrum licence fees are too high already: big telecoms
An Innovation Canada consultation asking for comment about whether it should begin adjusting spectrum licence fees to keep up with the consumer price index has drawn opposition from BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Telecoms say Calgary has no grounds to appeal bylaw case
The country’s largest telecoms are telling the Federal Court that the City of Calgary shouldn’t be allowed to appeal a CRTC decision on whether the city’s new bylaw binds the carriers on infrastructure builds, while the city is arguing that the telecoms are still getting the issues wrong. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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5G a race between countries, not carriers: Rogers’ Natale
Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Joe Natale emphasized the $1.7 billion the company recently spent on 600 MHz spectrum in a speech to shareholders that effectively doubled as an anti-MVNO message to government on Thursday. 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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Analysts surprised by Bell’s lack of 600 MHz, incumbent spend
BCE Inc. walking away from the 600 MHz spectrum auction with no licences, and the amount the winning incumbents ended up paying for the spectrum, came as a surprise to some financial analysts. 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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Bell opts out of 600 MHz, Rogers nabs 52 licenses for $1.7B
BCE Inc. was among three prospective applicants who didn’t grab licenses for the coveted 600 MHz spectrum, widely considered to be the last chance to get valuable low-band frequencies. 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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CRTC consulting on Vancouver radio market capacity
The CRTC wants to know whether the Vancouver radio market can sustain another radio station, after it received an application from Rogers Communications Inc. for a new broadcasting licence. 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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CRTC wants answers on $10 customer service interaction fees
The $10 fees on some customer service calls and chats that have been in the headlines in recent weeks may be against the Wireless Code, according 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 and digital media …
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Competition Bureau attempting to ‘hijack’ CRTC process, telecoms say
A request from the Competition Bureau asking the CRTC to require telecoms to disclose detailed, confidential information about their wireless operations is unreasonable, BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. are arguing. 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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Complaints to CCTS increase again, TV issues up 500%
Complaints about TV service to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) skyrocketed to 18 per cent of all complaints in CCTS’ latest 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 media news you need. Take a …
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Defendant in pre-loaded set-top box case settles for $5M
One of the defendants in a long-running lawsuit against companies selling pre-loaded set-top boxes will pay three Canadian telecoms $5 million to settle the case, according to a March 20 consent judgment. 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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Expect industry pushback on new CRTC directive, MVNOs: experts
The Liberal government should expect some amount of industry opposition against the wording of the government’s new, consumer-focused CRTC policy direction and the regulator’s new pro-MVNO stance, according to some industry-watchers and insiders. 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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Fido to implement $10 fee for some customer service calls
Rogers Communications Inc.’s Fido flanker brand will begin charging customers $10 if they opt to complete some tasks through a customer service representative, the company has confirmed. 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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CRTC rejects Vista’s bid for a new radio station in Timmins
The CRTC has decided the Timmins, Ontario commercial radio market can’t sustain another station, rejecting an application by Vista Radio Ltd. for another broadcasting licence. 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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Rogers reaches deal to sell seven magazine properties
Rogers Communications Inc.’s media division has announced it’s selling all seven of its magazine properties to St. Joseph Communications Inc. 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 …
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Rural broadband, new tax rules among industry pre-budget asks
As the Liberal government unveils its last budget before the upcoming federal election, companies and industry groups will be watching to see if this is the year they’re finally granted some of the requests they’ve been making for years. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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ACORN asks review panel for low-income $10 internet
All Canadians whose earnings fall below the government’s low-income measure should have access to internet service for $10, an advocacy group is telling the panel reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts. 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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Telecoms added over 1.4 million new wireless subs in 2018
Canada’s publicly traded telecom companies added more than one million total wireless customers last year, putting an exclamation point on a year of explosive growth in the sector. 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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Calgary asking to appeal CRTC decision in bylaw case
The CRTC misunderstood the scope of the issues when it denied an application by Calgary to formally require telecoms to go through its new bylaw — and get the city’s consent — to access municipal infrastructure, the city said in new court documents. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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