Nitin Kawale leaves Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc.’s Nitin Kawale is leaving his position as president of the company’s enterprise business division.

“Nitin Kawale has decided to move on from Rogers and focus on his philanthropic and community activities,” Sarah Schmidt, Rogers’ director of media relations said in an emailed statement. “We thank him for his contributions to our enterprise business.”

Privacy proponents point to problems with connected cars

Connected cars “raise significant privacy concerns,” Vincent Gogolek, executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, told a Senate committee Tuesday.

“The same technologies that allow for safer, more convenient and entertaining vehicles are also capable of amassing vast databases of information,” he said.

Virgin Mobile leads in wireless customer satisfaction: study

Good customer service goes hand-in-hand with price as a popular reason customers pick their wireless service provider, according to a new J.D. Power study released Thursday.

CCSA leads March lobbying pack

The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) led the telecom field for lobbying the federal government in March, logging 15 communication reports for the month, according to the federal lobbyists’ registry.

Those reports were split between organization president and CEO Jay Thomson and long-time consultant Harris Boyd, as they communicated with a variety of MPs, such as Opposition heritage critic Peter Van Loan, Liberal finance committee chair Wayne Easter and an Innovation Canada policy advisor.

Telecoms to compete on service after zero-rating decision: analysts

The CRTC’s decision Thursday to ban most forms of zero-rating means telecoms will have to rely on service in order to stand out from the competition, analysts said.

Telus to offer WiFi in Montreal’s Old Port

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

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

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

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

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

Scant evidence to oppose HPODs in 5GHz: telecoms

Canada’s largest telecoms said opponents of high-power and outdoor devices (HPODs) in the 5GHz frequency band have failed to provide adequate evidence against the move.

Natale says ‘more work to do’ as he takes the reins at Rogers

In his first day on the job, newly minted Rogers Communications Inc. president and CEO Joe Natale gave few details about his priorities, but said he’ll be working on a strategy in the coming weeks.

“To be clear, it’s not my intention to set up my plan today,” Natale said during the company’s annual general meeting in Toronto on Wednesday. “Over the next few weeks, I want to hear from our team, from our customers and our shareholders to formulate our priorities going forward.”

ISED releases timeline, allotments for 600 MHz transition

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has released a schedule and details how it plans to shift the use of 600 MHz spectrum from over-the-air (OTA) television to wireless.

Bell asks CRTC for clarity on stolen-device tariff clause

BCE Inc. is asking the CRTC to reinsert a phrase into its terms and conditions removed in last month’s decision on mobile wholesale mobile wireless roaming service tariffs that the company proposed to address stolen devices using its network.

Shaw promises more integration with Freedom under new COO

Shaw Communications Inc. said Wednesday that its Freedom Mobile division will have a new chief operating officer, as Paul McAleese takes over from Alek Krstajic.

CEO Brad Shaw said in a call with analysts that McAleese would “guide Freedom’s operations in continued growth going forward, and will be instrumental regarding the integration of our wireless operations within Shaw.”

‘Unprecedented’ collaboration necessary for connected cars: lawyer

OTTAWA — Canada must develop a national policy and form a multi-party committee involving different levels of government to help inform decisions on autonomous and connected cars, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

5G wireless substitution ‘not in the cards,’ says Cogeco’s Audet

Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet said Friday that he’s not concerned about customers substituting wireline Internet service with wireless with the advent of 5G, and that the company has no significant plans to integrate 5G into its services.

It’s a technology that will be “extremely expensive to deploy,” he said in a conference call with analysts discussing the company’s second-quarter results.

Chris Jones joins CWTA

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association has hired Chris Jones as its new director of regulatory affairs, policy and research.

Wireless emergency alerts to be mandatory by April 2018

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

CCTS complaints continue downward trend

There were fewer complaints accepted by the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) in the second half of 2016 than in the comparable time period a year earlier, according to the CCTS mid-year report, released Thursday.

The organization accepted 3,995 complaints between August 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017, compared to 4,562 complaints the year before, about a 12.4 per cent decline.

Regional telecom disruption on Competition Bureau’s radar: commissioner

The Competition Bureau will be keeping an eye on how regional telecom providers can disrupt the incumbents’ hold on the market, the commissioner said Tuesday.

Open 5GHz to HPODs before 2019: telecoms

Canada should allow high-power and outdoor devices (HPODs) in the 5GHz band before the World Radiocommunications Conference in 2019 (WRC-19), Canada's major telecom companies said in comments to the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

They pointed to increasing data consumption and new developments like 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) as reasons the devices need to be able to operate on a less congested band.

Rogers adds towers, deploys 700 MHz in Kelowna, B.C.

Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday it has improved its wireless service in the Kelowna, B.C. area.

It said in a press release two new towers will provide better wireless coverage, adding it has also deployed its 700 MHz spectrum in the area.

Federal gov’t investigating source of IMSI catchers on Parliament Hill

The IMSI catchers found to be in use in Ottawa around Parliament Hill are not being operated by a Canadian agency and an investigation has been launched to find the culprits, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Tuesday.

“The activity that was reported last evening does not, I repeat, does not involve a Canadian agency like the RCMP or CSIS,” Goodale told reporters in Ottawa, according to a transcript.

Toronto city council adopts motion on unlimited data

Toronto city council voted last week to ask the CRTC to force wireless providers to offer unlimited data plans.

The motion, brought forward by councillor Michelle Holland, directs the city manager to convey a request to the CRTC  “that major telecommunications providers across Canada be required, as part of their licensing arrangements, to provide consumers with options for reasonably priced unlimited data packages that would be part of the cellular packages they offer.”

Telus closes deal for 100K MTS subscribers

Telus Corp. has finalized a deal it struck as part of BCE Inc.’s acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. to have 100,000 former MTS subscribers, or about one quarter of its postpaid wireless subscriber base, shift to Telus.

The approximately $300-million deal closed on April 1, Telus said in a press release Monday.

IMSI catchers in use around Parliament Hill: CBC

IMSI catchers are in operation around Ottawa’s Parliament Hill, according to an investigation by CBC/Radio-Canada’s news division.

Also known as stingrays, the devices mimic cell phone towers and collect information from mobile phones in a given area.

‘Sense of urgency’ for plan supporting 5G: Innovation Canada

Targeted funding, flexible spectrum regulations and national testing infrastructure are key elements to an effective rollout of 5G in Canada, Innovation Canada heard from stakeholders last fall.

SaskTel completes LTE expansion

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

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

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

Ice Wireless offering unlimited data, roaming plans

Iristel Inc.’s Ice Wireless is now selling plans with unlimited data and roaming in the United States and Mexico, the company said in a press release Wednesday.

The plans “include unlimited calls, texts and roaming throughout Canada, United States and Mexico starting from $59,” it said.

The company is also offering an unlimited data plan for $89 per month, which is available on a promotional basis.

Big three say conditions for strong wireless continue: Desjardins

BCE Inc., Telus Corp., and Rogers Communications Inc. believe the conditions supporting the wireless growth they have seen in recent quarters will stay in place in 2017, according to a research note from Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Maher Yaghi.

Flanker brands ramped up promos in March: Barclays

Following a quiet first quarter, wireless companies’ flanker brands stepped up the competition in March, ramping up promotional activity through data increases and handset discounts, according to Barclays Capital.

Just ahead of March break, a “growing number” of flanker brands increased activity to “meet subscriber growth targets near quarter-end” by targeting the mid-to-lower end of the market, analyst Phillip Huang said in a Monday note.

Supreme Court weighs privacy of text messages

OTTAWA — There should be a reasonable expectation of privacy from search and seizure not just for the recipient of a text message but for the sender as well, a lawyer argued in front of Canada’s highest court Thursday, after a lower court used unlawfully obtained texts from a recipient's phone to convict the sender in a firearms trafficking case.

Kepler and Iristel partner on IoT devices

Iristel Inc. is partnering with satellite company Kepler Communications Inc. to help Internet of Things (IoT) devices seamlessly connect between cellular networks on the ground and satellites in the sky.

Bell’s scale advantage widening after MTS deal: Barclays

The acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. expands the scale at which BCE Inc. operates, which is “becoming one of its most important competitive advantages,” according to Barclays Capital.

5G to arrive sooner after standards approval: AT&T

The rollout of 5G services will come sooner than expected after a wireless standards body agreed to accelerate the process for the deployment of the next-generation technology, according to AT&T Inc.

With signatories from 47 global operators and vendors, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless standards body signed off earlier this month on a new proposal to bring 5G services to consumers as early as late next year, the March 14 blog post said.

Bell-MTS acquisition completed

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

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

TV subscriber losses steady, wireless adds at record high in 2016

Following a year in which cord-cutting increased sharply, the trend seems to have levelled out somewhat in 2016, with Canada’s publicly traded telecoms losing 220,990 TV subscribers, compared to the 178,910 who eliminated their service the previous year.

Péladeau confirms he won’t bring change to Quebecor

After analyst speculation about whether Quebecor Inc.’s returning CEO would affect the strategic direction of the company, Pierre Karl Péladeau confirmed on a conference call Wednesday that his return won’t alter Quebecor’s plans.   

“With the last 16 years, we’ve been following the same strategy…in the combination of content and distribution,” Péladeau said on the call with analysts reporting the company’s fourth quarter earnings.

VoLTE to overtake OTT voice apps by 2021: Juniper

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

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

Telecoms bond over stirring proposals to shake up call spoofing

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

Carriers made $37.7M from phone unlocking last year: CRTC

The CRTC has released aggregate data that shows wireless service providers earned $37.7 million in revenue by unlocking phones last year.

That’s up from $28.5 million in 2015 and $21.6 million in 2014, the commission said in a March 1 letter issued as part of its review of the Wireless Code.

The number of devices they unlocked also grew to 943,363 in 2016 from 922,931 the previous year and 734,595 in 2014.

CRTC rules against Sugar Mobile in roaming dispute with Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc. doesn’t have to provide roaming services to Iristel Inc.’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Sugar Mobile, the CRTC said Wednesday in a move that closes the door on mandating access by MVNOs to wireless carriers’ networks.

Parm Sandhu joins Urban Communications

Parm Sandhu was named vice-president of enterprise sales at Urban Communications Inc., the company announced Wednesday.

In a press release, the Vancouver-based telecom said Sandhu “has managed large revenue portfolios for large private and public sector companies, including Enterprise Solutions and Wireless Divisions of [Telus Corp.], where he was employed in a senior sales capacity for over 10 years.”

85% say account holder should approve wireless overages: survey

Nearly 85 per cent of Canadians believe approval for additional costs in family phone plans should be made by those who pay the bills, not those who use the phone, according to a survey commissioned by the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC).

Results from the survey, conducted by Access Research, were released Friday and highlights answers to areas of concern with the Wireless Code, established in 2013, and the focus of a recent CRTC review.

CRTC consulting on competitor quality of service regime

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

Roam Mobility launches two new U.S. roaming plans

Otono Networks Inc.’s Roam Mobility is launching new monthly roaming plans for travellers in the United States.

“With Roam Mobility, Canadians can get the highest value USA roaming plan with plenty of 4G LTE data, and don’t have to worry about tapping in their Canadian monthly plan’s data,” the Vancouver-based company said in a Wednesday press release.

Iristel to launch VoLTE

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

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

Verizon readying 5G field tests in 11 markets

Verizon Communications Inc. said Wednesday that it’s ready to test its 5G network, with services to 11 markets expected to start on a trial basis by the summer.

In a press release, Verizon said it will pilot 5G to “customers during the first half of 2017” in metropolitan areas in Michigan, Georgia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Florida, California, Washington and D.C.

Canadian mobile speeds improve in int’l ranking: OpenSignal

Canada now ranks 12th in the world when it comes to mobile data speeds, with average speeds of 20.26 Mbps, according to a new report from OpenSignal.

Bell phone activation policy violated Human Rights Act: tribunal

BCE Inc. must pay $10,000 in compensation and put in place an accommodation policy for disabled customers who can’t come to a store to activate a new phone, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ruled.

Michael Neuman joins Telna-KnowRoaming

Toronto-based KnowRoaming has appointed a former BCE Inc. executive as the executive chair of its Telna-KnowRoaming subsidiary.

“This addition to the executive team will help Telna-KnowRoaming deliver on its mandate to become the global standard for 'SIM free' Multi-IMSI wireless networks, providing low cost, SIM-free connectivity for any wireless device to every wireless network, worldwide,” Thursday’s press release said.

Péladeau’s return to Quebecor shouldn’t affect business: analysts

The man who led Quebecor Inc. for 14 years but left to join provincial politics will return as head of the company Thursday, though despite the change in leadership, analysts expect business to continue as usual.

Effective immediately, Pierre Karl Péladeau will return to the company his father founded in 1965 and he headed from 1999 to 2013. National Bank Financial analyst Adam Shine said in a research note that “Mr. Péladeau is back. Figuratively, we’re not sure he ever really left.”

Carleton prof gets $600K for 5G research

A Carleton University professor has received a $600,000 federal grant to support research studying 5G networks, the school announced Wednesday.

Videotron introduces flat-rate roaming

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is introducing a new service for customers to avoid bill shock when roaming internationally.

The Daily Traveller Pass will allow customers to pay a flat fee — at $6 per day travelling in the United States or $10 per day in more than 100 other countries — to relieve “phone bill surprise,” a Wednesday press release said.

Amazon launches new unified communications service

Amazon.com Inc. announced Wednesday a new service that provides video, voice, chat and screen sharing for meetings, called Amazon Chime.

Bell-MTS deal receives final approval, includes Xplornet in ‘surprise twist’

The introduction of Xplornet Communications Inc. into Manitoba’s wireless market was a “surprise twist” to the story of BCE Inc.’s $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., analysts said Wednesday in reaction to the proposal receiving final regulatory approval from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Competition Bureau.

Government help necessary for connected car rollout: ISED

OTTAWA — In order to roll out the infrastructure and technology necessary to make connected cars available across Canada, government funding will be needed, and it could be modeled after the Connected Canadians program that’s currently in place to target rural broadband, a Senate committee heard Tuesday.

Kurt Eby joins Pelmorex

Kurt Eby, former director of regulatory and government affairs for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), has taken a new role with Pelmorex Media Inc.

According to his LinkedIn account, Eby left the CWTA after nearly five years for the Toronto-based position as Pelmorex’s director of regulatory and government relations in January. Prior to joining the CWTA, Eby was a senior manager in Nordicity’s Ottawa office.

Wireless Code review poses regulatory risk: Desjardins

The CRTC’s review of the Wireless Code “generates regulatory risk across the industry,” with the biggest potential threat being mandating the separation of device costs from monthly service fees on customers’ bills, Desjardins Capital Markets analyst Maher Yaghi said in a research note Monday.

Videotron offering ‘no downtime’ Internet for businesses

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

Highlight data as ‘key contract term’ in Wireless Code: CCTS

The Wireless Code should be amended so that it codifies data as a “key contract term” in wireless contracts, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) argued on the final day of the CRTC’s public hearing examining the three-year-old regulations, since that wouldn’t change a customer’s ability to adjust their allotment.

Telus profits slide as wireless segment continues to impress

Like clockwork, Telus Corp. joined its competitors in reporting higher wireless numbers in its fourth quarter of 2016, but decreased profits due to restructuring costs tugged on the reigns. 

As has been the case for all major carriers, Telus continued strong industry-wide postpaid wireless gains by adding 87,000 net new postpaid subscribers in the quarter, up 40.3 per cent from in the same period last year for total wireless subscribers of 8.6 million (up 1.5 per cent), with 1 million prepaid subscribers.

Eliminate locked phones in Canada, Freedom Mobile tells CRTC

In a departure from the positions of its fellow wireless providers, Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile suggested Wednesday the CRTC should forbid carriers from charging fees for unlocking phones, and direct them to stop ordering locked devices from equipment manufacturers.

5G to make up 0.2% of connections by 2021: Cisco

Despite a projected 1,000-per-cent increase in 5G connections between 2020 and 2021, less than half a per cent of all devices and connections will have 5G capability in that same time period, according to a new Cisco Systems Inc. report.

Don’t divorce handset, service pricing: wireless providers

GATINEAU, Que. — Changing the rules so that the cost of a wireless device is divorced from a monthly service payment on a customer’s bill would take a considerable amount of work to implement, a CRTC panel heard Tuesday as the regulator continued its review of the three-year-old Wireless Code.

Wireless code hasn’t had expected effect on churn: PIAC

GATINEAU, QUE. — The Wireless Code has been a positive development for consumers in the three years since its implementation, consumer groups said on the first day of the CRTC's hearing on the Wireless Code Monday, adding that itseffect on encouraging customers to switch providers hasn't been fully realized.

FCC won’t take action against zero-rating: Pai

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Friday it won’t “focus on denying Americans free data” going forward, as it ended its investigation into zero-rated offerings.

New chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that “free-data plans have proven to be popular among consumers, particularly low-income Americans, and have enhanced competition in the wireless marketplace.”

Instead, the FCC will “concentrate on expanding broadband deployment and encouraging innovative service offerings.”

Bell continues wireless trend, expects MTS to close end of Q1

EU on verge of eliminating roaming charges

The European Union is set to eliminate mobile roaming charges within its 28-member bloc by this summer, as EU negotiators came to an agreement Wednesday on wholesale prices that would eliminate the charges by June 15, 2017.

Dubbed “roam-like-at-home,” the initiative will allow consumers travelling within the EU to “call, send SMS or surf on their mobile at the same price they pay at home,” according to a press release on the European Commission website.

Equipment, resources for 600MHz transition available: ISED

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED), has responded to concerns about the availability of equipment and manpower that will be needed as Canada and the United States both transition 600 MHz spectrum to wireless use.

Natale to take Rogers’ top job in July: interim CEO

Rogers Communications Inc. incoming president and CEO Joe Natale will take the helm in July, the company announced as it reported fourth-quarter numbers that showed continuing growth in data usage among its wireless customers.

Big three show similar wireless performance: OpenSignal

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

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

Geoff White boards CCTS team

Lawyer Geoff White has joined the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) as director and regulatory counsel, commissioner Howard Maker has confirmed.

White is listed on the Law Society of Upper Canada directory as being employed by the CCTS.

Build voice and data support at same time in NG911 system: Freedom

GATINEAU, Que. — There are unique considerations for wireless carriers when contemplating the switch to next-generation 911 (NG911) services, a CRTC panel was told on the penultimate day of a public hearing on improvements to the 911 network, including the fact they can offer more services for 911 users more quickly.

National 911 operator could disrupt regional relationships: PSAP

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

Bell offering IBM enterprise apps

BCE Inc.’s business customers now have access to IBM Corp.’s MobileFirst enterprise apps for devices running on Apple Inc.’s iOS operating system.

CRTC should take charge in next-generation 911 rollout, regulator hears

GATINEAU, Que. — The CRTC should take a leading role — at least temporarily — in co-ordinating the development of next-generation 911 services, the regulator heard Monday as it kicked off a week-long hearing into the future of the emergency call system.

Making the transition to an environment where 911 call-takers, or public safety answering points (PSAPs), can receive communication other than voice (such as text, picture and video messages) needs outside guidance, interveners said.

Freedom to at least quadruple handset offering by mid-2017: Shaw

As Shaw Communications Inc. released its first quarterly earnings report since rebranding its wireless segment to Freedom Mobile, CEO Brad Shaw said the company is looking to have a double-digit number of handsets available by mid-year, after some analysts pegged the company’s small handset roster as a potential limiting factor to its appeal.

“I think when you look at the new network, one of the key things is handsets and handset availability,” Shaw said on a conference call with media Thursday.

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

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

Xplornet buys YourLink for $28.79M

Xplornet Communications Inc. has purchased “all YourLink Internet services operations in Saskatchewan” from Vecima Networks Inc., the satellite Internet service provider (ISP) said Monday.

YourLink offers Internet service in Saskatchewan and cable services in British Columbia, according to its website. Xplornet spokesman James Maunder said in an email Tuesday the deal involved all of YourLink's operations and had a purchase price of $28.75 million, subject to normal closing adjustments."

CRTC consulting on nuisance calls decision

The CRTC issued a call for comments Monday on its two-month-old decision to force telecoms to implement measures to reduce caller ID spoofing and offer services to manage nuisance calls.

Competition Bureau drops Apple competition case

The Competition Bureau said Friday it has discontinued an investigation into whether Apple Inc. engaged in anticompetitive practices related to sales of its iPhone.

The bureau was looking at “contractual terms that reference rivals as well as other terms that impose obligations on wireless carriers relating to the sale and marketing of the iPhone in Canada,” according to a statement posted on its website.

AT&T testing streaming TV service over 5G

AT&T Inc. will test how to use 5G technology to deliver its DirecTV Now streaming service to customers.

“In the first half of 2017, we plan to conduct a trial in Austin where residential customers can stream DIRECTV NOW video service over a fixed wireless 5G connection. As part of this trial, we’ll also test additional next-generation entertainment services over fixed 5G connections,” the United States telecom said in a press release Wednesday.

Bill shock, wireless complaints continue to fall, CRTC study says

The number of Canadians surprised by the extra charges on their monthly wireless bills continues to decline, according to the latest CRTC-commissioned study on the efficacy of the Wireless Code.

Look beyond incumbents with new $750M fund, Iristel tells CRTC

Iristel Inc. is asking the CRTC to “go beyond the ‘same old players’ to companies committed to competition and enhanced services for Canadians” when it comes to providing funding as part of its new $750-million program to improve Internet service in Canada.

Bell asks gov’t for 600 MHz revenue fund for OTA

BCE Inc. is asking the federal government to use part of the proceeds from its upcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction for a revenue fund to support local television.

50 Mbps speeds, LTE part of CRTC’s new basic service requirements

GATINEAU, Que. — Advocates are calling the CRTC’s new basic service requirements — which include a minimum of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds and LTE coverage — “transformative” and “game-changing” while financial analysts said the new rules won’t have an impact on companies’ bottom lines.  

Hold consultation on IMSI catcher use, Rogers tells gov’t

The government should consult industry, privacy experts and Canadians on the use of IMSI catchers in Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. said in its submission to the federal government’s national security review.

Rogers said the use of IMSI catchers, also known as stingrays, is not currently detectable on a wireless network and can interfere with customers’ communications.

Rogers expands availability of Roam Like Home

Rogers Communications Inc. has made its Roam Like Home plan available to “most customers on a consumer plan,” the company said Monday.

Mitel selling mobile division

Mitel Networks Corp. said Monday it is getting out of the mobile business, selling its mobile division for $350 million.

In a press release, the Ottawa-based telecommunications company said it was off-loading its mobile division to Xura Inc.’s parent company, a holding firm called Sierra Private Investments L.P.