Appeal may follow dismissal of suit over Wind confidentiality breach: Catalyst

The Ontario Superior Court last week threw out a lawsuit involving allegations that an analyst tipped off a competing fund manager about the strategy behind its Wind Mobile acquisition.

On Thursday, Justice Frank Newbould dismissed “in its entirety” Catalyst Capital Group Inc.’s breach of confidential information suit against West Face Capital Inc. and its former junior analyst Brandon Moyse.

Federal gov’t facing second legal battle over wireless wipeout

The Canadian government could end up fighting a war on two fronts over the previous government’s drive to have four national wireless carriers.

According to a notice on the Global Affairs Canada website, on June 6 the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes registered an arbitration request from Egyptian telecom company Global Telecom Holdings S.A.E. (GTH) that “concerns GTH’s investment in Wind Mobile, over the period of 2008-2014.”

Impact of Alberta fires on Shaw, Telus $5M-$10M: Barclays

Barclays analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Friday that he estimates Shaw Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. lost about one month of cable revenues as a result of wildfires in Alberta earlier this year, with an overall impact of between $5 million and $10 million.

Wind upgrades Calgary network

Wind Mobile has completed a Calgary-area network infrastructure upgrade, the Shaw Communications Inc.-owned company said in a Wednesday press release.

Cogeco open to Shaw partnership: Audet

Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet said his company would be “delighted” to partner with Shaw Communications Inc. on its newly acquired wireless business, Wind Mobile.

Telecom policy should focus on innovation, not competition: report

Shaw Communications Inc.'s acquisition of Wind Mobile has fulfilled the previous federal government's push for four national carriers, which means the new government has the chance to hit the reset button on telecommunications policy, according to a new report by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

"Federal telecommunications policy has treated the industry like a public utility for more than 100 years," said the analysis, authored by Paul Beaudry and Sean Speer.

Shaw-Wind close deal

Shaw Communications Inc. confirmed Tuesday that it has closed the deal to purchase Wind Mobile.

The $1.6 billion transaction brings Shaw into the wireless market, with the acquisition of Wind's 940,000 subscribers.

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.”

Shaw-Wind deal cleared by Competition Bureau

The Competition Bureau said it wouldn’t stand in the way of Shaw Communication Inc.'s purchase of Wind Mobile.

Wind completes Vancouver expansion, begins Calgary work

Wind Mobile announced Thursday it has completed its network infrastructure upgrades in Vancouver and has begun a similar expansion in Calgary.

The company said in a press release that Vancouver customers will now have “better network coverage, faster data speeds and improved call quality.” 

CRTC opens consultation on Shaw-Corus deal

The CRTC on Thursday acknowledged receipt of an application from Shaw Communications Inc. to sell its media division to Corus Entertainment Inc., and said interested parties have until Feb. 15 to file submissions on the matter.

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.

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.

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.

Wind launches referral reward program

Wind Mobile announced the launch of “Refer a Friend” Thursday, a program that rewards customers for recommending the company to friends.

It said in a press release that customers who use the program to refer friends will receive a $10 credit, while the individual they referred will also receive a $10 credit.

“The more friends referred, the more rewards earned,” the release said.

Wind adds 3rd domestic roaming partner

Wind Mobile said Tuesday it has added "a third major roaming partner" in Canada.

It did not disclose which company is the new partner, though given that Wind's operating territory is Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, having three "major" roaming partners indicates it is now working with all three national incumbents, BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Roger Communications Inc.

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.”

Wind expands signal in Toronto subway stations

Wind Mobile said Monday it has expanded its coverage in stations that are part of Toronto's subway system.

The wireless carrier said in a press release it now has the entire downtown loop of Line 1 covered and has added coverage at the Bay station on Line 2, making for a total of 15 stations with cell reception.

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.

Wind offering cellular service in Toronto subway

Wind Mobile is the first wireless carrier to provide its customers with cellular service in the Toronto subway system, the company said in a press release Wednesday.

Wind customers will have immediate “access to cellular service on [Toronto Transit Commission] platforms throughout all areas of St. George, Bay and Bloor- Yonge stations with additional connectivity on the downtown 'U' and Spadina stations going live by the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games,” it said.

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.

Incumbents could have fared worse in wholesale wireless decision: analyst

GATINEAU, Que. — Wireless incumbents are going to have to play by a different set of rules than smaller carriers when it comes to providing network access to competitors, though one industry analyst said it could have been worse for the major carriers.

The CRTC said Tuesday it will regulate the wholesale wireless rates BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. charge smaller carriers, but the roaming rates of smaller carriers and rates the big three charge each other will be left to “market forces."

Mobilicity monitor says Wind promotion did little harm

New court documents show Mobilicity lost only 1,600 customers during the first four months of 2015 despite Wind Mobile’s offer of six months of free service to defectors from Mobilicity.

Wind adds two new executives

One month after Alek Krstajic took over the top job at Wind Mobile, two other key jobs at the wireless carrier are also seeing change.

Bob Boron has replaced Simon Lockie as chief regulatory officer at Wind, while Bruce Kirby has taken over from Brice Scheschuck as chief strategy officer, spokesman Robert Sauer said in an email. He said Lockie and Scheschuk will continue to work with Wind's majority owner, Globalive Capital.

Quebecor roaming plan could point to national ambition: analyst

Quebecor Inc.’s Tuesday announcement of nationwide roaming at no charge for its Videotron wireless customers could allow the company to test the waters for a national mobile service, according to SeaBoard Group analyst Iain Grant.

Cordova was never meant to be permanent Wind CEO: source

When Pietro Cordova was introduced as Wind Mobile's new chief executive officer in October, it was not presented as an interim role, yet that was always the plan, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

On Monday, Wind announced that Alek Krstajic, the former CEO of Public Mobile, was taking over the CEO position from Cordova. It also said Anthony Lacavera would become honorary chairman, with Rob MacLellan taking over the official chairmanship.

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.

Wind spectrum sale to SaskTel prevented: report

A proposed sale of spectrum in Saskatchewan from Wind Mobile to Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. was cancelled because of a negative reaction by federal government officials, the Financial Post reported.

An article posted online Thursday, citing anonymous sources, said that the deal was worth about $20 million and involved two 10-year licences in Saskatoon and Regina. The spectrum was reportedly bought in the 2008 AWS auction but never used by Wind.

Mobilicity might have lost AWS-3 funding: report

Mobilicity might have been unable to raise the funds to bid in Tuesday’s AWS-3 spectrum auction because a $200-million financing deal fell through just minutes before the deadline, according to a report by the Financial Post.

Mobilicity hoping for post-auction sale approval: report

Mobilicity is hoping that spectrum ownership in Canada after two upcoming auctions becomes diluted enough that the government changes course on its previous refusal to allow the sale of the company and the spectrum it holds to an incumbent wireless company, the Financial Post reported Wednesday.

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.

Mobilicity, Wind backers battle in court: report

Catalyst Capital Group Inc., a secured creditor of wireless service provider Mobilicity, is asking for a court injunction that would prevent West Face Capital Inc., an investment firm that was part of the group that bought out Wind Mobile, from taking an active role in the management of the rival carrier, the Globe and Mail reported Monday.

Wind confirms participation in spectrum auctions

Wind Mobile on Thursday confirmed its participation in the upcoming AWS-3 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions.

The registration deadline for both is Friday. The AWS-3 auction is set to begin on March 3 and the 2500 MHz auction will start on April 14.

"Our participation in the upcoming AWS-3 and 2500 MHz auctions reaffirms our long-standing commitment to build a competitive wireless industry in Canada," Wind chairman Anthony Lacavera said in a press release.

Mobilicity, Wind in stare-down as AWS-3 deadline looms

Mobilicity's intent to access up to $65 million in debt to participate in the upcoming AWS-3 auction has important implications for Wind Mobile, which would otherwise face no competition for the majority of spectrum on offer in southern Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

Court documents filed by Mobilicity late Monday indicate it has reached an agreement with existing creditors to raise the money it needs to participate in the AWS-3 spectrum auction, which starts March 3 and has a deadline of this Friday for applicants to register.

Wind promotion seen as shot against Mobilicity

Wind Mobile's offer of free wireless service to customers of Mobilicity, with unlimited data, text and calls for six months, could be an offensive move to help clear away competition for set-aside spectrum in the upcoming AWS-3 auction, analysts say.

Wind Mobile expands out-of-network coverage

Wind Mobile said Tuesday it has struck a deal with another network operator to provide its customers with greater coverage when traveling outside Wind's core network in Canada.

Wind did not name the company in the press release, or specify how much roaming in the new coverage area would cost consumers.

The company said the move would expand its coverage area "by 14 per cent nationwide, 40 per cent in British Columbia and 16 per cent in Alberta, adding 177,000 square kilometers of coverage within Canada."

Catalyst would fund spectrum purchase for Mobility: report

Catalyst Capital Group Inc. would help fund Mobilicity's purchase of new spectrum in the government's AWS-3 auction next year, its leader said in an interview with the Globe and Mail.

An article that appeared online Monday reported Newton Glassman, head of Catalyst, as saying that purchasing spectrum is the only way to retain value in Mobilicity, which has been in bankruptcy protection for more than a year.

Wind promises government it will invest in network

The government has approved the buyout of Wind Mobile from VimpelCom Ltd. by a consortium led by Anthony Lacavera's Globalive Capital with a number of attached conditions, including that the new ownership group "significantly invest capital with the aim of purchasing spectrum."

A statement from Industry Minister James Moore Tuesday said the transaction "will contribute to a more robust and competitive wireless industry in Canada."

Canadian mobile carriers rankings vary by city

A look at Canada's three biggest cities by a U.S.-based mobile analytics company found different carriers' dominance fluctuated in the second half of this year, depending on the location.

LTE network top priority for new Wind CEO: Lacavera

As Wind Mobile’s chief operating officer, Pietro Cordova, steps into the CEO role vacated by Anthony Lacavera Monday, his top priority will be to put an LTE network in place, the outgoing CEO said in a phone interview.

“That’s obviously the No. 1 mandate for Pietro in the coming two, three, four years, is to roll out that LTE network so we’re offering 4G services to our customer base,” Lacavera said, noting that for that to happen, the company will need more spectrum.

Buyout puts Wind on solid ground, says Lacavera

Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera says his $285-million buyout of majority shareholder VimpelCom Ltd., announced Tuesday, brings stability to his company after years of ownership uncertainty.

Lacavera will buy out the majority stake Amsterdam-based VimpelCom had in Wind for $135 million and assume about $150 million in debt thanks to support from a group of investors including Toronto-based investment firm West Face Capital, as well as U.S. investors Tennenbaum Capital Partners and LG Capital Investors.

Paper billing issue small potatoes for telecom sector: analysts

Much has been made this week about the practice of levying extra fees for the privilege of getting a physical bill for telecommunications services, and some industry watchers are downplaying the issue's importance.

CRTC releases figures on wireless wholesale caps

On Wednesday the CRTC released average domestic retail prices for wireless carriers as part of its ongoing examination of the wholesale wireless market in Canada.

Wind Mobile reports subscriber, ARPU growth

Wind Mobile posted subscriber growth and an increase in average revenue per user (ARPU) in the second quarter, according to a financial filing from co-owner Global Telecom Holding SAE.

Wind’s subscriber base grew to 741,000 in the second quarter of 2014, up 5.5 per cent from 702,000 in the first quarter and an increase of one fifth from 620,000 in the same period last year.

CRTC finds Rogers’ treatment of Wind Mobile ‘unjust’

The CRTC issued a decision Thursday in the first of its two reviews of wholesale wireless roaming in Canada, finding that Rogers Communications Inc. committed “unjust discrimination” in its domestic roaming agreements and banning roaming contracts that prevent smaller carriers from using other carriers’ networks.

American private equity firm reportedly interested in Wind Mobile

Providence Equity Partners Inc., an American private equity firm, is interested in a stake in Wind Mobile, according to a Tuesday report from Bloomberg based on unnamed sources.

Wind launches account-management app

Wind Mobile has launched an app that allows customers to manage their Wind account, including the ability to view their account balance, pay bills, monitor their phone usage and change their plan, among other options.

Wind said in a press release Thursday that the data used by the free app on the Wind network doesn’t count toward a customers’ data usage.

Wind looking to offer 3G roaming thanks to price cap

Now that the federal government’s domestic roaming caps are in place, Wind Mobile is looking to upgrade to 3G for its roaming network by the end of the summer, chief regulatory officer Simon Lockie said on Tuesday.

His company currently offers only 2G data connections outside its own network, Lockie said, because of the high prices it was forced to pay to send data over other carriers’ networks before the passage of the government’s budget bill, which included a usage-based cap on these wholesale roaming rates, on June 19.

Wind Mobile expands in Ontario

Wind Mobile said Thursday it has expanded into Branford, Ont.

It said in a press release that it has opened two retail outlets there. Robert Sauer, a spokesman for Wind, said by email that this coincided with the expansion of Wind's network into Brantford.

Wind Mobile's website shows it has network availability in areas in and surrounding Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and other spots in southern Ontario.

Rene Schuster named VimpelCom COO

VimpelCom Ltd., the Amsterdam-based company that is majority owner of Canada's Wind Mobile, on Tuesday named Rene Schuster as chief operating officer.

The company said in a press release that Schuster was previously CEO of Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG and, before that, CEO of the British and Irish operations of human resources company Adecco SA.

VimpelCom said Schuster is replacing Jan Edvard Thygesen, who is retiring. 

Mobilicity less attractive than Wind for Quebecor: analyst

New-entrant wireless carrier Mobilicity is in a holding pattern after the collapse of a buyout deal with Telus Corp. that could harm its chances of being rescued from bankruptcy protection, according to Macquarie Capital Markets analyst Greg MacDonald.

MacDonald said in a phone interview Wednesday that Videotron owner Quebecor Inc. now appears to be the only serious bidder for the company and that Mobilicity’s continuing losses and a slide in subscriber numbers leave it in a poor negotiating position. 

Wind seeks LTE spectrum from Shaw, Quebecor

TORONTO — Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera said Tuesday that his company needs access to LTE spectrum, perhaps from unused space held by Quebecor Inc. or Shaw Communications Inc., if his company is to continue to be a viable alternative to the incumbent wireless carriers.

Wholesale roaming caps won’t solve problem: Wind

OTTAWA — Proposed federal legislation that caps wholesale wireless prices is a good start but “doesn’t solve the issue,” Wind Mobile co-founder and chief regulatory officer Simon Lockie told a Senate hearing on Tuesday.

Lockie said the domestic roaming agreement his upstart carrier signed with Rogers Communications Inc. in 2009 in order to provide Wind’s customers with service outside a few major cities was "absolutely terrible.”

CRTC should have more authority in telecom, PIAC lawyers say

A recent paper from the lawyers representing the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) calls for changes in government structure that would give the CRTC more uncontested authority in governing the telecommunications sector.

Wind claims Q1 ‘best quarter ever’

Wind Mobile said the first quarter of 2014 was its “best quarter ever” as it gained more than 25,000 subscribers and saw its average revenue per user jump to 12 per cent more than it was a year earlier.

The company issued a statement by email on Wednesday that said: “It’s been a tremendous start to the year for Wind Mobile, and we’re very pleased to report that we’ve experienced our best quarter ever.”

Wind added that it will “continue our growth as Canada’s fourth national carrier.” 

Wind aiming to poach Mobilicity, Public Mobile customers

Analysts say a new advertising campaign by Wind Mobile that aims to pick up customers from Mobilicity and Public Mobile may be successful as the new-entrant carrier tries to capitalize on the woes of its peers.

Telecoms don’t give out customer info ‘willy-nilly’: Bell ombudsman

OTTAWA — Telecommunications companies don’t voluntarily give out confidential customer information to the government, said William Abbott, senior counsel and privacy ombudsman at BCE Inc.

“I do not know a single TSP [telecommunication service provider] that makes voluntary disclosures of confidential customer information to the government,” Abbott said, adding that the use of the word “warrantless” is misleading because companies provide that information to a lawful authority.

VimpelCom under investigation by U.S., Dutch authorities

VimpelCom Ltd., the Amsterdam-based majority owner of Wind Mobile, announced on Wednesday that it is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as well as Dutch authorities in relation to its operations in Uzbekistan.

On March 11, the company said in a press release, representatives from the government of the Netherlands, including members of the Dutch public prosecutor’s office, visited the company’s Amsterdam headquarters and told executives the company was the focus of a criminal investigation.

VimpelCom ends talks to buy Pakistan carrier: report

VimpelCom Ltd., the majority owner of Canada’s Wind Mobile, has ended talks for the possible acquisition of Pakistan-based carrier Warid Telecom, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Warid is owned by Abu Dhabi Group and one of five mobile carriers in Pakistan, which is a level of competitiveness that has made profitability a challenge in that market, Bloomberg said.

Wind Mobile worth ‘more than zero’: Lacavera

Wind Mobile CEO Anthony Lacavera said it’s “business as usual” at his company following the decision by majority owner VimpelCom Ltd. to write down the value of its $768-million US stake in the Canadian wireless carrier.

In a financial filing on Thursday, Amsterdam-based VimpelCom said it had written down the full value of its 65 per cent stake in Wind, leading analyst Dvai Ghose of Canaccord Genuity to declare the company “all but dead” in a note to investors.

Wind approved as bidder for Mobilicity: Lacavera

Globalive Wireless Management Corp.’s Wind Mobile has been approved as a bidder for the assets of Dave Wireless Inc.’s Mobilicity, though it hasn’t decided yet whether to make a bid, Wind CEO Anthony Lacavera said Monday.

“We are in the process” of deciding whether to make a bid, Lacavera said in a phone interview.

Lacavera would not elaborate on other details of the process, but said there could be more news later this week.

Wind Mobile wants Mobilicity’s spectrum for LTE network: Lacavera

Globalive Wireless Management Corp., operator of Wind Mobile, is looking at buying Mobilicity because it needs more spectrum in order to roll out an LTE network, Wind CEO Anthony Lacavera said.

“Spectrum is the real estate of our business, as you know,” Lacavera said in a phone interview. “We have kind of used the real estate we’ve got, and we’ve deployed 3G services on that. We now need a new chunk of real estate to roll out 4G, or LTE services.”

Wind adds 17,000 subscribers in Q3

Wind Mobile had 637,000 Canadian subscribers in the three-month period ended Sept. 30, VimpelCom Ltd. said Wednesday.

VimpelCom, which has a 65 per cent stake in Wind Mobile, said in its quarterly results that Wind’s Canadian subscriber numbers showed a 25 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier, when the company had 510,000 subscribers in Canada.

Wind reported 620,000 Canadian subscribers in the second quarter of 2013.

With new roaming plans, customers still vulnerable to extra charges: PIAC

Some of the incumbents' new and cheaper roaming plans offer small data packages that smartphone users will quickly exceed, incurring extra charges, said John Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Wind offers Mobilicity customers $300 credit to switch

Wind Mobile targeted Mobilicity’s wireless customers the same week that Mobilicity filed for and received bankruptcy protection in advance of a possible sale of the company.

“We’ve got your back, #Mobilicity customers. Bring your own phone to WIND and get up to $300 in credits,” Wind said on its Twitter account on Thursday, following a similar post Wednesday.

Charges for paper bills justified, providers say

Canadian consumers need incentives to make the switch to environmentally friendly electronic bills, SaskTel said in response to CRTC questions about telcos' charges for paper billing. 

Wind-Mobilicity merger increasingly likely as debtholder vote postponed

A merger of Mobilicity and Wind Mobile looks more likely as news reports said Mobilicity delayed a debtholder vote on its recapitalization plan due to acquisition talks with Verizon Communications Inc.

“Verizon is probably one of the negotiating parties,” Macquarie Capital analyst Greg MacDonald said in an interview on BNN Wednesday, after the business news channel reported that Mobilicity, operated by Dave Wireless Inc., delayed its vote due to talks with Verizon.

Sawiris re-enters Canadian market with deal for Allstream

Former Wind Mobile backer Naguib Sawiris said he is re-entering the Canadian telecom market with a “long-term commitment” and the purchase of Allstream from Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in a deal valued at $520 million.

Sawiris' Paris-based investment firm, Accelero Capital Holdings, which has also submitted an offer to purchase Wind Mobile Canada from Amsterdam-based VimpelCom Ltd., will purchase the Allstream business services unit and its national fibre network, Accelero said in a release Friday.

Wind targeting Mobilicity customers

Wind Mobile is appealing to customers of fellow new entrant Mobilicity, operated by Dave Wireless Inc., to “switch to Wind” as Mobilicity waits to hear whether Industry Canada will approve its acquisition by Telus Corp.

VimpelCom says it could hold on to Wind

Wind Mobile’s parent company VimpelCom Ltd. is keeping its options open in the Canadian market and is not yet committed to selling the new entrant carrier, Jo Lunder, VimpelCom’s CEO, said.

In a conference call with analysts Wednesday, Lunder said VimpelCom is awaiting regulatory approval from Industry Canada for formal control of the Canadian carrier, and said it will determine what to do with Wind once that process is complete.

Rogers also in talks to purchase Wind; BCE for Public Mobile

Further consolidation in Canada's wireless market is expected this year as Rogers Communications Inc. is another player in talks with Wind Mobile about purchasing the new entrant carrier and BCE Inc. has held discussions with Public Mobile Inc., industry sources said.

The people spoke to The Wire Report on a background basis because the negotiations are private, and said the talks do not necessarily mean those companies are close to announcing deals.

“Everyone is talking to everyone,” one person said.

Wind passes 600,000 subscriber mark

Wind Mobile's Canadian subscriber base rose by 11,000 customers in the first three months of 2013, reaching 600,000 for the first time, said Wind owner Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E., which is owned by parent company VimpelCom Ltd.

In a quarterly financial statement released Wednesday, Orascom said Wind's Canadian subscriber base rose by 44.9 per cent in the 12-month period that ended March 31, 2013 bringing its total subscriber base to 601,719 customers.

Accelero only foreign player in four bids for Wind: industry sources

Accelero Capital, an investment firm owned by former Wind Mobile investor Naguib Sawiris, is the only foreign bidder so far for the Canadian new entrant carrier, among two bids from incumbent telcos and another from Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., industry sources said.

The sources said Anthony Lacavera, Wind’s founder and outgoing chairman, has a relationship with Accelero and is involved in its bid for Wind Mobile.

Wind subscribers pass 590,000

Wind Mobile increased its Canadian subscriber base by 15 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2012, reaching 590,000 subscribers, Wind owner Orascom Telecom Holdings S.A.E. said.

In a fourth quarter financial statement released Wednesday, Orascom said Wind added 79,954 subscribers during the fourth quarter, 70 per cent of whom signed up for more lucrative, post-paid wireless plans. The company said its 590,438 subscribers at the end of 2012 marked a 47 per cent increase over a year earlier.

Globalive approves share conversion, ownership change

Globalive Wireless Management Corp., operating in Canada as Wind Mobile, filed foreign ownership applications with the federal government in light of shareholder approval last week for a share conversion in the company, said Simon Lockie, chief regulatory officer at Globalive.

Cairo-based Orascom Telecom Holdings S.A.E., which has a 65 per cent indirect equity share and minority voting stake in Globalive, approved converting that to a 65 per voting share at a shareholder meeting last week.

Wind hits 510,484 subscribers

Globalive Wireless Management Corp.'s total mobile subscribers rose to 510,484 by the end of the third quarter of 2012, Orascom Telecom Holdings S.A.E. said in an earnings statement last week.

For the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Globalive's Wind Mobile subscribers rose 42.6 per cent from the same period a year earlier, when Wind had 357,983 subscribers, the company said, adding that more than 90 per cent of net additions during the quarter were postpaid subscribers.

Wind not in consolidation talks: Lacavera

Egyptian-based Orascom Telecom Holdings S.A.E., owned by Amsterdam-based VimpelComLtd., said it will hold a shareholders meeting in November to approve a plan to convert its non-voting shares into voting shares in holding company Globalive Investment Holding Corp.

Globalive operates in Canada under the brand Wind Mobile.

Wind, Telus close to deal on Vancouver infrastructure access

Telus Corp. and Globalive Wireless Management Corp. said they are “working diligently” towards a deal to allow Globalive to build wireless infrastructure in underground tunnels in Vancouver’s rapid transit Canada Line.

New entrants not likely to carry iPhone before 2014, analyst says

Canada’s new entrant carriers are not likely to carry Apple Inc.’s popular iPhone smartphone before 2014 after their network configurations were shut out of Apple’s newly released iPhone 5, said Johanne Lemay, co-president of media and telecom consultancy Lemay-Yates Associates.

Wind tops 500,000 subs

Globalive Wireless Management Corp.’s Wind Mobile wireless brand has surpassed 500,000 Canadian subscribers, the company said Tuesday.

In a release, Wind said it now provides voice and data services to “more than 500,000 subscribers across Canada” through its HSPA+ network, reaching 13.5 million people in the country.

Wind boosts subs, ARPU in Q2

Wind Mobile added 41,000 subscribers during the second quarter by targeting high-value, postpaid customers, Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. said in a quarterly report released Wednesday.

Orascom, which backed Wind’s parent company, Globalive Wireless Management Corp., prior to being acquired by VimpelCom Ltd. last year, said Wind’s subscriber base grew to 456,886 in the three-month period ending June 30.

That number was up 10 per cent from 415,364 at the end of March, and up 44.1 per cent from 317,000 at the end of June, 2011.

CRTC orders Telus to answer foreign ownership questions

The CRTC is giving Telus Corp. until Aug. 24 to answer questions about its foreign ownership levels and the mechanisms it uses to ensure it does not pass federal foreign ownership limits for large telecom providers.

Telus still faces foreign ownership questions, Wind says

Wind Mobile has reiterated its call for a CRTC-led public review of Telus Corp.’s foreign investment levels and the mechanisms Telus uses to ensure it does not pass federal foreign ownership restrictions.

Cordova joining Wind as COO

Pietro Cordova will replace Gianluca Corti as chief operating officer of Wind Mobile, the company said Friday.

In a release, Wind, which operates in Canada under Globalive Wireless Management Corp., said Cordova will join the new entrant carrier from its Italian counterpart, Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A., where he has worked since 2005.

According to his LinkedIn page, Cordova most recently served as the Italian carrier’s deputy chief financial officer.

Telus-Bell spectrum sharing unfair, leads to larger, superior 700 MHz blocks: Rogers

Telus Corp. and BCE Inc.'s spectrum sharing agreement will allow the companies to combine their 700 MHz spectrum licensed in next year's auction and build superior 20 MHz blocks supporting fourth-generation wireless technologies, leaving Rogers Communications Inc. and other carriers at a competitive disadvantage, Rogers said in comments filed with the department.

Foreign ownership proceeding on Telus for better industry guidance, Wind says

Wind Mobile wants the CRTC to hold a hearing on Telus Corp.'s compliance with the foreign ownership rules for better “guidance” on how to comply with the law, Simon Lockie, Wind’s chief regulatory officer, said in an interview.