Telus allowed to dismantle radio-phone service in B.C.

The CRTC has given Telus Corp. permission to get rid of its radio-phone service in British Columbia.

Bell-MTS deal could pose regulatory risk for SaskTel: report

The biggest risk to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. in the wake of BCE Inc.’s proposed $3.9-billion takeover of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is the potential changing of the regulatory landscape, according to a provincially-commissioned analysis.

Telus reports 911 call stats

Out of the more-than four million 911 calls sent across its wireless and wireline networks last year, Telus Corp. said 15 of them did not complete, the company disclosed.

MTS considered SaskTel merger, Telus and Rogers declined to bid

An information package for Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. shareholders sheds some light on the genesis of the proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of the company by BCE Inc., announced May 2.

According to the 192-page document outlining various terms of the agreement in which shareholders could receive $40 cash per MTS share, it was a week-and-a-half-long process from offer to public announcement.

Bell to pay $12M for premium text message charges

The Competition Bureau said Friday it has reached an agreement with BCE Inc. in which the company will rebate customers up to $11.8 million for premium text messaging charges.

It will also donate $800,000 to digital research media and awareness.

The Competition Bureau said in a press release that the “amount of money available for consumer rebates is the most obtained to date under a Bureau agreement.”

Government info requests down 16.5%: Telus

Link Canada Child Benefit to low-income Internet plans: Telus

Telus Corp. is suggesting that subsidized Internet service be made available to families that already collect the Child Canada Benefit.

Spokeswoman Luiza Staniec said in an email Tuesday that the company has “been speaking to the government about how we might launch” a program that would provide “very low-cost, subsidized Internet service to Canadian children living in poverty.”

Doug French replaces John Gossling as Telus CFO

Telus Corp. said Monday it has appointed Doug French as executive vice-president and chief financial officer, while former CFO John Gossling is leaving the company to “seek other opportunities.”

Though the move is effective Monday, “Mr. Gossling will be working with Mr. French through to the end of May to ensure an effective transition of responsibilities,” a press release said.

Shaw offering credit to Fort McMurray evacuees

Shaw Communications Inc. customers in Fort McMurray and other wildfire-affected areas in the region are getting a one-month service credit, the company announced in a Saturday press release.

The credit, retroactive to the city’s mandatory evacuation date of May 3, will ensure all affected customers continue to have access to Shaw Go WiFi, FreeRange TV” and their Shaw domain email accounts, “without needing to worry about their account’s status,” the release said.

No charging after cancellation, CRTC reminds service providers

The CRTC issued a clarification Thursday reminding telecommunications service providers that they can’t charge for services once they’ve been cancelled.

“Furthermore, service providers must offer individuals and small business customers a refund upon cancellation, based on the number of days remaining in the billing cycle, if the service fees are billed in advance,” the commission said in a press release.

Telus revenues up, profits shrink in Q1

Telus Corp. revenues increased by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, rising to $3.1 billion compared to $3.03 billion during the same period a year earlier, the company said Thursday.

In a press release outlining earnings for the three months ended March 31, the company attributed the increase to continued growth in its wireless and wireline operations, which saw revenues grow by 2.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively.

Bell’s MTS purchase to boost competition: MEI

The $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. would increase competition in Manitoba’s wireless market, according to the authors of a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).

Experts say approval of Bell’s MTS acquisition likely

BCE Inc. announced Monday morning that it will purchase Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in a $3.9 billion transaction that, if approved, will see the number of players in Manitoba’s telecom market fall from four to three.

Canadian businesses split on IoT adoption: survey

Canadian businesses are divided when it comes to the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), according to a new study commissioned by Telus Corp.

The study, released Thursday, found that 52 per cent of Canadian businesses are “considering, planning, piloting or deploying” an IoT service, while 48 per cent “indicated they have no plans at all to adopt the technology,” a press release said.

Koodo leads in customer-service satisfaction: study

Millennial wireless customers are pushing the trend to online, self-serve options for customer service, according to a new J.D. Power study released Thursday.

Smart homes on the rise: studies

Households with connected devices are increasing, according to a pair of studies studying smart home adoption.

The number of broadband-connected Canadian homes with smart home devices more than doubled, rising to 11 per cent, or 1.4 million households, in the first quarter of 2016 from five per cent in the same period a year earlier, suggested Parks Associates research released Wednesday.

Telus to invest $2 billion in Quebec

Telus Corp. announced Monday in a press release it is investing $2 billion towards new infrastructure in Quebec over the next five years.

This year, Telus will invest $340 million in extending its fibre-to-the-home network “directly to thousands of homes and businesses in rural and urban communities.” The money will also be used to “further strengthen wireless service, and support key services including healthcare with new technologies,” it said.

Sugar Mobile model threatens facilities-based competition: Telus, Quebecor

Allowing Sugar Mobile to continue roaming on Rogers Communications Inc.’s network would be a “backdoor means” to mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access, and “a recipe to destroy any appetite for facilities-based competition,” Telus Corp. said.

Telus expanding FTTH network in northern B.C.

UPDATED — Telus Corp. is expanding its fibre-to-the-home rollout to the northeastern B.C. communities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Charlie Lake, the company announced in a pair of press releases.

Telus will spend $10 million to connect more than 90 per cent of the homes and businesses in Dawson Creek by the end of the year, Telus said in a press release Thursday. It will also spend $18 million to connect 90 per cent of Fort St. John and Charlie Lake, it said in a press release Friday.

As skinny basic arrives, experts doubt consumer appeal

On the day Canadian TV providers were required to make their skinny basic options available to consumers, experts expressed skepticism about how many Canadians will sign up for the new offers and their ability to improve the trend toward cord-cutting.

Drew McReynolds, an analyst with RBC Dominion Securities, said in a research note Tuesday that the new options launched by the TV providers “are designed to protect profitability and/or incentivize households to largely stick with existing channel bundles, which in some cases have been improved.”

Deferral account-funded broadband expansion complete

A $422 million expansion of broadband Internet services to underserved communities has been completed, the CRTC confirmed Thursday.

In 2010, the regulator approved plans by BCE Inc., Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and Telus Corp. to connect more than 280 rural and remote communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, the regulator said in a press release.

Rogers to offer $3-$18 theme packs with skinny basic

Rogers Communications Inc.’s $24.99 skinny basic offer will include the U.S. "4+1” networks ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and PBS, and its theme packages will cost between $3 and $18.

Rogers spokeswoman Jennifer Kett sent details of the new offer, which will be available as of March 1, in an email Wednesday.

Sugar Mobile subs have no ‘right’ to roaming: Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. told the CRTC that Rogers has the right to disconnect Ice Wireless from its network because its affiliate Sugar Mobile is selling service outside of Ice Wireless' operating territory.

Brent Johnston leaves Telus, joins Apple

Telus Corp.’s senior vice-president of consumer marketing, Brent Johnston, has left his position at Telus to join Apple Inc.’s Canadian division as its new senior managing director.

According to Johnston’s LinkedIn profile, which was updated Thursday, the former Telus executive was with the company for nearly 11 years. He held the senior vice-president of consumer marketing position for almost two years.

Johnston began the new position at Apple this month, according to his profile.

Stingray launches app for Telus Optik TV

Stingray Digital Group Inc. announced Tuesday it is launching a TV app for Telus Corp.’s Optik TV subscribers, called Stingray Music Videos TV.

It said in a press release that the app will be available to Optik TV customers in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec and “provides free access” to 10,000 music videos.

Among other features, customers will have access to curated themed playlists, be able to create their own personalized playlists, and control video playback, Stingray said in the release.

Supreme Court denies wireless fee lawsuit

A British Columbia man has failed in his bid to bring a class-action suit against Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. on the basis that the $6.95 system access fee charged to legacy wireless customers was misleading.

Telus revenue up, profits down

Telus Corp. reported a 2.8-per-cent rise in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2015, going to $3.2 billion from $3.1 billion in the same period a year earlier. 

The company announced Thursday in its earning report that in the three months ending Dec. 31, it saw profits fall to $261 million, down from $312 million from a year earlier. 

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.”

Telecoms to feel economic headwinds: analyst

Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday that providers of telecommunications services in Canada will feel the effects of the struggling economy.

He said in a research note that most of repercussions from things such as the collapsing price of oil will be seen in services provided to business customers, as opposed to the consumer market where Internet and wireless services have become "more utility than discretionary."   

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.

Bell’s claim FTTH investment at risk is ‘fear-mongering’: CNOC

Small Internet service providers (ISPs) are asking the government to reject an appeal, filed by BCE Inc., of a CRTC decision that mandated access by smaller competitors to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, stating Bell’s arguments in the case contradict statements it has made to investors.

B.C. community temporarily without Internet service

Onewayout.net Society, the only Internet service provider in Stewart, B.C., has shut down its services as it awaits the provision of new connections, courtesy of Telus Corp. and another small British Columbia-based ISP.

In a notice posted on the company’s website, Onewayout said: “Onewayout.net has made the decision to discontinue internet service on or before November 30, 2015. It is not our intention to stand in the way of progress. We wish to thank all our customers for your patronage over the last twenty plus years.”

CRTC says incumbents can’t change terms in interim roaming rates

The CRTC has told Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus Corp. that the terms and conditions in interim tariffs the incumbents filed following the CRTC’s move in May to regulate some roaming rates must be consistent with the agreements in place at the time the decision was made.

Major mobile providers offer extra gigabyte

The three incumbent mobile-service providers and their flanker brands were all offering Black Friday specials, lasting until the Sunday, Nov. 30, that included an extra gigabyte per month on select plans.

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp and their discount arms — Virgin Mobile, Fido and Koodo, respectively — all said on their websites Friday certain wireless plans would feature this bonus for new customers and those upgrading before the end of the weekend.

IPTV, Netflix adoption lower in Ontario: MTM

Ontario residents are not moving as fast toward newer ways of getting TV content, such as IPTV and Netflix, as other parts of the Canada, according to newly released figures.

Telus revenue up due to wireless, wireline data usage

Telus Corp. increased its revenues by 4.2 per cent from a year earlier to $3.15 billion in the third quarter, the company said Thursday.

It said in a press release the revenue growth was “a result of higher data revenue in both wireless and wireline operations. Wireless data revenue increased 12 per cent from a year ago, leading to overall network revenue growth of four per cent, while wireline data revenue increased 11 per cent to generate 3.3 per cent growth in external wireline revenue.”

Telus provides $3.2M to content creators

Telus Corp. announced Monday it is providing more than $3.2 million in funding for more than 60 new local content projects in Western Canada this year through its Optik Local community programming.

It said in a press release that Optik Local provides funding to train filmmakers to create compelling original stories in British Columbia and Alberta. It added that the content will be distributed for free on Optik On Demand, as well as online.

CRTC hearing on complaints commissioner scheduled for 4 days

The Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) will kick off next week’s CRTC hearing on the structure and mandate of this office, while an appearance by BCE Inc. will close out the four-day hearing.

The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. local time in Gatineau, Que., on Tuesday and wrap up the following Friday, the CRTC said in a press release.

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

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

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

Telus announces IoT-based insurance product

Telus Corp. on Thursday said customers of its Internet of Things commercial vehicle-tracking service can now access a data-based insurance product helps them save costs and encourage safe driving.

Telus said in a press release that Fleet Complete, its partner in the IoT-based service called Fleet Tracker, has teamed with Intact Insurance Co. to create an application called Fleet Solution, which existing customers of the tracking service could be eligible for.

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."

Big Three reluctant to finance smartphone purchases

Executives from BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. said Tuesday they are not interested in offering the type of smartphone leasing or financing plans that are increasingly available to customers in the U.S., though they’re willing to consider the option if others move that way.

“If the market changes, we’ll change with the market,” Bell CEO George Cope said during the Bank of Montreal media and telecom conference from Toronto. “We’ll see how it evolves.”

Telus among first to use new Ericsson TV interface

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

Corus launches Disney Channel, expands Cartoon Network distribution

Corus Entertainment Inc. said Thursday in two press releases it has launched the Disney Channel and expanded the distribution of its Cartoon Network.

Disney Channel is now available in 10 million households through TV services offered by BCE Inc., Cogeco Cable Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Telus Corp., among others, it said.

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.

Telus sells Blacks website

Telus Corp. said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to sell the website of the Blacks photography retail operation to Montreal-based photo finishing company Les Pros de la Photo.

It said in an emailed statement the sale will close on Aug. 4, at which time the purchasing company will do business as Blacks.ca.

"The timing of this sale ensures our customers will be able to continue using the site and app without interruption to order the same quality products they’ve come to expect from Blacks," Telus said.

Rules set for next spectrum auction, applications due Aug. 6

Industry Canada's finalized rules for the next wireless spectrum auction have been published, as four unclaimed licences left over from last year's 700 MHz auction and this year's AWS-3 auction have been divvied up to create 18 licences up for grabs.

CRTC postpones deadline for wholesale-Internet tariff process

The CRTC said Friday it has moved the deadline for comments in its review of wholesale high-speed Internet tariffs by two weeks.

Rogers IPTV launch to coincide with skinny-basic offering

Rogers Communications Inc. will launch its IPTV service at about the same time it starts adjusting to new rules that require service providers to provide skinny-basic TV packages for no more than $25 a month, the company's chief financial officer told an investor conference in Toronto on Wednesday.

"With that enhanced user interface, it'll be good vehicle in which to launch some of the new, what I would call, packages," Tony Staffieri said during the TD Securities Telecom & Media Forum.

Competition Bureau seeks info on iPhone pricing from carriers

The Competition Bureau has filed applications in Federal Court seeking information from wireless carriers about how they set prices for Apple Inc.’s devices.

Bell, Telus, SaskTel and Videotron rank highest in customer survey

A new survey from J.D. Power says wireless customers in Ontario gave the highest marks for network performance to BCE Inc. and Telus Corp., those in the West to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. and customers in the East chose Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron.

The J.D. Power 2015 Canadian Wireless Network Quality Study, released Thursday, looked at the performance of wireless networks related to calling, messaging and data, the company said in a press release.

Telus to close Blacks stores

Telus Corp. said Tuesday it will close all Blacks retail outlets by Aug. 8.

The company said in an emailed statement that despite changes implemented over the last year at these photography-centric stores, it has been "unable to realize profitable growth and it would take considerable investment to adapt Blacks to ongoing change."

Telus said: "Technological innovations have changed the way Canadians take and share photographs, with fewer of us using retail photo outlets."

Telus announces 8,000 free WiFi hotspots for West

Telus Corp. announced on Monday that it will provide free WiFi at more than 8,000 hotspots throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

These are provinces where Telus competes with Shaw Communications Inc. in the provision of landline phone, Internet and television services. Shaw operates more than 60,000 hotspots in Western Canada, according to its website.

Shaw's hotspots are mostly for its own Internet customers, though it also partners with several municipalities to provide free WiFi to the general public.

Quebecor adds spectrum, still non-committal on national expansion

Quebecor Inc. is still publicly sitting on the fence when it comes to expanding its wireless service throughout Canada despite bidding $187 million on 2500 MHz spectrum, including for licences outside Quebec, in an auction for which results were announced Tuesday.

After Telus Corp., Quebecor was the second-biggest spender in the auction, acquiring 18 licences in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Industry Canada said the purchases increased Quebecor's spectrum holdings by 28 per cent.

Telus reports 5% decline in government info requests

Telus Corp., in its second annual transparency report, said the quantity of requests from government agencies for customer information fell 5.3 per cent to 97,938 in 2014.

Broadcasters, BDUs at odds over proposed wholesale code

While many broadcasters and TV providers expressed support for the CRTC’s proposed changes to its wholesale code, which governs carriage agreements for TV channels, they took differing positions on whether the code should be mandatory and whether it should ban minimum penetration and revenue guarantees.

Telus wireless operations drive higher Q1 results

Telus Corp. on Thursday reported higher profits and earnings from the year's first quarter, largely on the strength of its wireless business.

The company said in a press release its quarterly profit was $415 million, up from $377 million a year earlier. It said revenue grew 4.6 per cent to $3.03 billion.

Nadir Mohamed to lead venture-capital fund

Former Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Nadir Mohamed will lead a new venture-capital fund created by the Ontario government, the office of Premier Kathleen Wynne said on Monday.

Mohamed will lead a council of about 30 business leaders and entrepreneurs tasked with managing Scale Up Ventures, a $50-million fund for startup companies that "have shown initial market success and that demonstrate strong growth potential," the premier's office said in a press release.

Telus to invest $2.1 billion in Ontario

Telus Corp. announced Tuesday that it will spend $2.1 billion in Ontario by the end of 2018, the latest in a series of funding announcements from the company.

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.

Report shows 95,000 TV cord-cutters last year

Convergence Consulting Group Ltd. says in a new report that Canada lost 95,000 TV subscribers in 2014, the second year of decline, while TV subscriber revenue continued to grow.

A summary of the report posted to the Convergence website said TV providers saw subscription revenue of $9.1 billion in 2014, up two per cent from the previous year.

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.

Telus buys EMR provider Medesync

Telus Corp. announced Thursday it has completed its acquisition of Medesync, an electronic medical records (EMR) provider.

The purchase will add a web-based interface to Telus’ EMR system in Quebec, the company said in a press release.

Medesync’s platform includes clinic operations management, including scheduling, prescriptions, billing and electronic lab results, the company said.

Telus launches new telecom platform for businesses

Telus Corp. announced a new integrated communications offering for small businesses on Tuesday, Telus Business Connect.

The system gives businesses a full suite of telephone services, including an automated attendant and toll-free numbers, as well as wireless back-up for office Internet access. Business Connect allows users to use a single number across their mobile phone, tablet, desk phone and PC through VoIP technology.

Broadcasters seeking compensation for 600 MHz changes

Broadcasters participating in a consultation on moving 600 MHz spectrum from its role of carrying television signals to mobile usage are intent on avoiding the kind of costs borne by the industry as a result of the 2011 conversion from analog to digital over-the-air TV.

Rogers settles with Competition Bureau on texting proceeding

Rogers Communications Inc. and the Competition Bureau announced Monday that they had reached an agreement to end legal proceedings against the carrier in relation to so-called premium texting services that customers paid for.

The Competition Bureau said in a news release that Rogers would refund about $5.42 million to customers in relation to what it said were "false or misleading representations to customers in advertisements for premium text messages appearing in pop-up ads, apps and social media."

Telus announces $100M for fibre connections in B.C.

Telus Corp. is spending $100 million to provide access to a fibre optic network to 90 per cent of the homes and businesses in the British Columbia communities of Kelowna and West Kelowna, it said Tuesday.

It said in a press release that work began on the project in the fall and it expects the final premises to be connected by the spring of 2016. Telus said the connections will provide Internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

Telus partners with Jasper on IoT

Telus Corp. announced Tuesday it is partnering with Internet of Things (IoT) platform provider Jasper Inc. for its own IoT platform, the Telus Control Centre.

The new platform “simplifies the deployment and management of IoT services by offering automated device provisioning, real-time diagnostics, integrated billing, and deep reporting and cost-management features,” Telus said in a release.

CRTC suspends proceeding against Shomi, CraveTV

The CRTC has suspended the proceeding initiated the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Consumers' Association of Canada (CAC) against video-streaming services CraveTV and Shomi.

Telus institutes Internet data caps

Telus Corp. announced Thursday it is implementing usage-based billing for customers who exceed their monthly data caps on its wireline Internet packages, starting next month in some areas.

The company will charge customers an extra $5 for the first 50 GB they go over the limit, and $10 for each subsequent 50 GB to a maximum of $75 per month.

Telus said on its website it will offer unlimited usage for extra $30 per month, or $15 per month if a customer subscribers to Telus’ TV package.

Telus profits up on higher data revenues

Telus Corp.’s fourth-quarter profits rose 7.6 per cent from a year earlier as the company reported a double-digit jump in data revenue from its wireless and wireline customers.

According to the company’s latest financial report, released Thursday, net income rose to $312 million on revenue of $3.13 billion in the fourth quarter, up from a profit of $290 million on revenue of $2.95 billion of in the same period a year earlier.

Telus to make Netflix available for Optik TV users

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it will be making services from Netflix Inc. available through its Optik TV set-top boxes in the coming weeks.

Telus said in a press release that almost half of its Optik TV customers are Netflix subscribers, and this development removes "the inconvenience of having to switch hardware and source inputs or fumble with additional remotes" when watching Netflix on a television.

Wind, Mobilicity held recent acquisition talks: report

Wind Mobile had last-minute talks about a purchase of bankrupt carrier Mobilicity in advance of the Jan. 30 application deadline for bidding in the two upcoming spectrum auctions, according to a report from the Financial Post.

The two companies spent “the better part of the past few months” working on a deal, the Post quotes a source familiar with the discussion as saying.

Business market growth elusive for some telecoms

Canadian telecommunications providers are looking to the business market to pick up the slack from the increasingly competitive consumer space, yet financial data from the incumbent service providers shows, in the opinion of one analyst, that competing in that low-margin segment is a challenge.

Macquarie Capital Markets analyst Greg MacDonald said that entering the business market as a new competitor would be "very, very difficult" but that there could be opportunities in serving small businesses.

Telus buys stake in Quebec IT and consulting company

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it has purchased a 20 per cent share in and formed a partnership with a Quebec City-based IT and consulting service.

Telus said in a press release it is teaming up with Alithya, which according to its website has offices in Canada and France, to offer information and communications service packages with a focus on managing "infrastructure solutions."

Telus cancelling pager service

Telus Corp. is ending its pager service within the next few months.

Spokesman Chris Gerritsen confirmed that the service, currently available in British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, will no longer be maintained by the company after March 31. 

He said in an email that the service was ending "because very few people still use it."

Gerrtisen said Telus has been communicating with its customers "for the better part of a year" about this coming change.

Wireless competition to intensify this year: analyst

Competition in the wireless market will “likely intensify” in the next six months, Barclays analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday.

Q&A: Talking IoT with Telus

The coming year is poised bring about new developments and changes in the worlds of technology and telecommunications. While a number these twists and turns will seemingly come out of nowhere, at least one predictable trend is that the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) will grow as a market and a presence in people's lives.

Telus buys Quebec pharmacy-management company

Telus Corp. announced Tuesday it has completed its acquisition of XD3 Solutions, a Quebec-based provider of pharmacy-management software.

Telus said in a press release that the addition of the 150 pharmacies served by XD3 brings the total number of Canadian pharmacies using Telus’s management solutions to 3,000.

Under the terms of the agreement, Telus is taking over the company and transferring all employees to its Telus Health division.

Telus launches IoT marketplace

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it has launched Canada's "first Internet of Things marketplace" with an online offering of 38 different applications, and more to come, for business operations ranging from transportation to restaurants.

The company said in a press release its new online platform, the Telus IoT Marketplace, gives developers of IoT technology "an instant sales channel," with support in marketing and billing from Telus.

Government could ease up on spectrum transfers: Ghose

A Federal Court judge has affirmed the government's authority to block transfers of wireless spectrum whenever it sees fit, though at least one telecom analyst says the government's reluctance to let incumbents accumulate airwaves from rival companies could change over time.

Last week, Judge Roger Hughes threw out Telus Corp.'s challenge to the authority of the industry minister to rule on transfers of spectrum between companies as a result of acquisitions even after pre-set moratoriums on selling spectrum have expired.

Lisa de Wilde to join Telus board

Telus Corp. on Thursday said that Lisa de Wilde will join its board of directors on Feb. 1.

De Wilde is currently CEO of Ontario public educational broadcaster TVO and chairwoman of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).  Past roles for de Wilde include president of Astral Television Networks and a lawyer for the CRTC.

CRTC urged to look toward future on wireline regulation

GATINEAU, Que. — On Wednesday, the first day of replies in the CRTC’s wholesale wireline hearing, the regulator was consistently asked to look to the future in determining how best to regulate Canada's fibre and copper connections. Yet the groups presenting before the commission differed on what that future entails.

No FTTP wholesale without CRTC action: PIAC

GATINEAU, Que. — Three consumer groups opened the second week of the CRTC hearing into wholesale wireline connections by telling the regulator to expand its wholesale access regulations to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks, while one of Canada’s biggest telecom companies demanded just the opposite.

Transparency reporting put government on alert: report

Public Safety officials were warned by an internal memo of the need to keep "operational details" secret, as two of Canada biggest telecommunications providers were preparing to disclose information on government-agency requests for customer information, the Canadian Press reported.

Class action lawsuits against Bell, Telus approved

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has certified two class action lawsuits against BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. regarding rounding up minutes used in wireless calls.

In a news release on its website Thursday, Rochon Genova LLP, which represents the plaintiffs, said that the practice “affected millions of Canadians and meant that, for example, a call lasting one minute and one second would be billed as a two-minute call.”

First part of Montreal subway network done

The first phase of a $50-million wireless network in Montreal’s subway system is operational, the parties involved announced Friday.