BlackBerry to purchase document-security company

BlackBerry Ltd. announced Tuesday that it has reached a deal to purchase a California-based company that makes technology to secure shared documents.

The company being bought is called WatchDox Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Rogers revenue up, helped by NHL contract

Rogers Communications Inc. on Monday reported a 5.1 per cent annual gain in revenue for the first quarter, driven largely by a 26 per cent jump in its media division that benefited from Rogers' exclusive national rights to NHL hockey broadcasts.

Android updates smartwatch technology

Google Inc.'s Android division on Monday announced several upgrades to its smartwatch technology, including built-in WiFi, making apps visible even when devices are in energy-saving mode, and adding easier functionality for opening apps and sending messages.

David Singleton, director of engineering for Android Wear, said in a blog that watches running on its operating system will begin allowing apps to stay visible even when the energy-saving function kicks in, just not in full colour.

Recon Jet smart goggles released

Vancouver-based Recon Instruments announced Thursday the release of its new smart goggles for outdoor sports enthusiasts called Recon Jet.

It said in a press release that the product is equipped with GPS, a camera, a display that's visible just below a user's right eye and can be paired with smartphones for certain functions.

Apple Pay could launch in Canada this fall: report

Apple Inc. is negotiating with Canada's major banks about a launch of its mobile-payment service, Apple Pay, in November, according to the Wall Street Journal.

An article published online Friday said Apple is negotiating with the six largest Canadian banks — Bank of Montreal, Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and National Bank of Canada.

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.

Sandvine launches service-management app for mobile providers

Network management provider Sandvine Inc. said Wednesday it has launched a smartphone application for mobile service providers to allow customers to manage their plans on their device.

The SmartService app gives operators the ability to offer usage monitoring and plan upgrades to their customers, Waterloo, Ont.-based Sandvine said in a news release.

Nokia confirms buyout of Alcatel-Lucent

Nokia Corp. confirmed Wednesday that it will buy equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent SA in an all-stock transaction valued at 15.6 billion euros ($20.66 billion Cdn).

Nokia's Rajeev Suri will remain as CEO of the combined company, which will continue under the Nokia name, the company said in a press release.

The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2016, according to the release. The two companies had combined profits of 2.3 billion euros on combined sales of 25.9 billion euros in the 2014 fiscal year, Nokia said.

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.

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.

U.S. industry groups fight new net-neutrality regulations

CTIA-The Wireless Association is among a number of U.S. industry groups making court challenges to net-neutrality rules the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put in place earlier this year.

Class-action suit launched against Bell ad program

Toronto law firm Charney Lawyers said it is launching a class-action lawsuit against BCE Inc.’s targeted advertising program.

In a post on its website, the company said it “has commenced a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Bell Canada cell phone customers who had or have accounts with data plans at any time on or after November 16, 2013.”

Shaw loses profits, subs in Q2

Shaw Communications Inc. on Tuesday reported $1.34 billion in revenue in its second fiscal quarter, up five per cent from the same period a year earlier, though its net income during the three-month period ended Feb. 28 fell to $168 million from $222 million last year.

Shaw said in a press release that net income for the first two quarters of the year “included restructuring costs and higher amortization and net other costs and revenue, partially offset by improved operating income before restructuring costs and amortization and lower income taxes.”

Bell to make targeted ad program ‘opt-in,’ PIAC still fighting it

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said it will not drop a CRTC complaint against BCE Inc.’s targeted ad program, despite the company’s plans to re-launch the program according to specifications issued by the federal privacy commissioner.

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.

Government: Retailers can opt out of mobile payments

The federal government said Monday that retailers will be allowed to opt out of accepting payments through mobile devices, without penalty, if higher fees are being charged than for card-based transactions using contactless technology.

It was among several updates the Department of Finance announced to the code of conduct for the credit- and debit-card industry.

Next spectrum auction seen as less substantial than previous sales

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

Does VoLTE conflict with net neutrality?

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

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

SaskTel plans $313M in capital spending this year

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday it plans to make about $313 million in capital expenditures in its home province this year, including $177 million on what it calls its "core Saskatchewan network."

Some of the priorities SaskTel highlighted in a press release included spending $45 million on its fibre-to-the-premises network, $37.8 million on upgrades to its wireless network and $79.9 million for "basis network growth and other enhancements."

Rogers extends Roam Like Home to Europe

Rogers Communications Inc. on Friday said it will launch a Roam Like Home service for customers travelling to Europe that is similar to what's been available for travellers to the United States since November.

Telecom customer info sought in most criminal investigations: report

Police ask telecommunications service providers for information about their customers in the vast majority of criminal investigations, said an online report by CBC on Friday.

"Canadian police estimate that at least one form of lawful access request is made by government agencies to TSPs [telecom service providers] in about 80-95 per cent of all investigations today," said Sept. 26 memo to Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, obtained through an access-to-information request, according to the article.

CRTC looking into Telesat pricing

The CRTC has launched a public consultation to review a price ceiling on some services provided by satellite operator Telesat Holdings Inc.

In a press release, the regulator said commissioner Candice Molnar had, in a report on the satellite transport service market, found that “satellite dependent communities continue to rely almost exclusively on Telesat's satellite network.”

DiversityCanada refused costs on multiple applications

Three different CRTC decisions issued on Thursday left the DiversityCanada Foundation more than $70,000 short of what it hoped to get out of applications for reimbursements on initiatives taken in commission proceedings.

Jury out on Bell plans for targeted advertising: OPC

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner said it had a meeting with officials from BCE Inc. on Wednesday, and it is keeping its legal options open despite Bell's expressed willingness to follow its direction.

Tobi Cohen, spokeswoman for the privacy commissioner's office, said in an email Wednesday that a meeting was held with Bell and "we are not yet in a position where we can confirm that our concerns have been satisfied."

Bell looks to avoid legal showdown with privacy commish

Faced with a possible legal fight against another agency of the federal government, BCE Inc. on Tuesday backed down after the Office of the Privacy Commissioner said the company refused to require customers to provide explicit consent before tracking their telecommunications habits in order to sell marketing profiles to third-party advertisers.

Fido customers to get exclusive content from Vice

Rogers Communications Inc. has launched new wireless plans for customers of its Fido brand that include exclusive content from Vice Media Inc.

SaskTel extends LTE to 62 rural communities

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

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

Telus to make $4.2B investment in Alberta

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

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

Bell granted leave to appeal in mobile-TV case

The Federal Court on Thursday granted BCE Inc. leave to appeal in its challenge of a CRTC ruling regarding its mobile-TV service.

CCTS reports fewer complaints, more wireless code breaches

While overall complaints about telecommunications services have continued to decline, according the first-ever mid-year report from the Commissioner of Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), confirmed breaches of the wireless code have increased exponentially.

IBM to build IoT division

International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. said Tuesday it will invest $3 billion US over the next four years to establish an Internet of Things (IoT) unit.

It said in a press release it will use its cloud-based platform to help business clients better integrate data from IoT devices and other sources into their decision-making.

Rogers rolls out VoLTE

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

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

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

Rogers bundles Spotify with Fido

Customers of Rogers Communications Inc.’s Fido subsidiary will receive free access to Spotify AB’s premium music-streaming service for two years, the company said Monday.

“Plug in and escape, anytime, anywhere, and listen to anything you're into,” Rogers said in a press release.

Spotify’s premium service usually costs $9.99 a month and allows users to listen to music off-line with no ads or restrictions on the songs customers can play and when they can play them, according to Spotify’s website.

House committee to study wireless exposure guidelines

The House of Commons health committee agreed Thursday to study its guidelines regarding human exposure to signals transmitted to and from wireless devices.

Bell concedes costs request in early phase of mobile-TV appeal

BCE Inc. is not seeking costs from the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) in the early part of the appeals process in relation to a CRTC decision to force it treat data used in its mobile-TV service like any other online data.

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.

PIAC calls for affordability standards in telecom

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) released a report on Monday that calls on Canada to legislate the requirement that all Canadians have access to "affordable" telecommunications services.

PIAC said in its report that affordability should be defined in such a way that people can afford telecommunications without having to give up other essentials, such as heat or food.

Eastlink to cover early-cancellation fees for new subs

Eastlink will provide up to $200 to buy out the contracts of new customers switching to its wireless services from competing providers, the company said in a press release Monday.

The company said in the release the announcement “means that customers have the flexibility and choice to switch their existing number right away to Eastlink, without worrying about large early-termination fees from the other guys."

According to Eastlink’s website, customers who are switching can receive up to $200 per cellphone under the program.

Glentel sales up more than 30%

Glentel Inc., a retailer of mobile products and services, said Thursday that its fourth-quarter revenue was up 32.8 per cent from a year earlier to $533.1 million, though its quarterly profit declined to $830,000 from $8.3 million.

Glentel, which operates outlets such as Wireless Wave and Tbooth Wireless, said in a press release that Canadian sales were up 20 per cent in the quarter. It said the mobile market in Canada "appears to be recovering from the negative ramifications" of the wireless code that took effect in late 2013.

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.

CNOC asks for dismissal of Bell appeal of mobile-TV decision

The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) filed papers with the Federal Court of Appeal Monday asking that BCE Inc.'s appeal of a CRTC decision banning the way it bills for mobile-TV services be dismissed.

CNOC said in its submission that Bell has failed to demonstrate that its Mobile TV app should not be subject to the Telecommunications Act because it is a broadcast service.

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."

BlackBerry division releases high-security tablet

BlackBerry Ltd. on Saturday announced that its Secusmart division had released a new tablet meant for operations in which special security standards are required.

The device is called the SecuTablet, BlackBerry said in a press release. It said it collaborated with International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. on the machine, which is tailored toward "national and international public sector markets and enterprises."

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.

Global LTE connections doubled last year: industry group

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

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

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

IDC downgrades tablet forecast for 2015

International Data Corp. has lowered its forecast for tablet and 2-in-1 hybrid shipments in 2015 following previous figures that showed the first ever year-on-year decline for this market in the fourth quarter of last year.

Ericsson report finds one-third of consumers polled have or want wearables

A new report from Ericsson AG suggests Apple Inc.’s upcoming Apple Watch could address a market that's far larger than what current wearable sales would indicate.

In a worldwide study of more than 54,000 people, the technology maker examined the idea of the “quantified self,” in which individuals track their daily metrics such as calories consumed, steps taken or quality of sleep.

Granting Bell stay in mobile-TV case would hurt competitors: CNOC

Competitors will be harmed if BCE Inc. is not forced to comply with an April deadline in a CRTC directive to stop exempting its mobile-TV app from data caps, according to the Canadian Network Operators Consortium.

CNOC said in a document filed with the Federal Court of Appeal on March 5 that a stay, which would allow Bell to continue to exempt mobile-TV streaming from data charges, would affect the “business case” of competing services that count against a user’s data cap.

Quebecor reports Q4 loss, major gains in wireless

Quebecor Inc. on Wednesday reported a net loss for the fourth quarter resulting largely from non-operational factors, while indicating major gains in its wireless operations' revenue and subscriber base.

RBC expects challenge from tech giants over mobile payments: report

The chief executive of the Royal Bank of Canada says his company is on a “collision course” with technology giants such as Apple Inc. and Google Inc. as the act of making payments with mobile devices becomes more mainstream, according to a report in the Financial Post.

The newspaper reported Dave McKay told an investors conference in New York Tuesday that the companies making mobile payment technology available might come between the direct relationship the bank has with customers through payment tools such as credit cards.

RuralCom turns to Israeli provider for expanded coverage

RuralCom Corp., a Vancouver-based carrier operating a mobile network in parts of northern British Columbia and the Yukon, said Tuesday it has chosen Israeli-based Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. to be the prime contractor for a network expansion along the Alaska Highway.

Ringtone tariff ruled invalid, but SOCAN can keep money

A tariff on downloaded ringtones for cellphones has been declared invalid, but the wireless carriers who challenged it were denied the $12 million in paid royalties they were seeking back from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN).

CRTC cuts Northwestel Internet prices, will launch basic-services proceeding

The CRTC on Wednesday ordered BCE Inc.’s Northwestel Inc. to lower its Internet prices for new and existing customers to address the “disparity” between the cost of Internet in the North and the rest of Canada.

GSMA adds two M2M groups to IoT SIM standard

The GSMA, an international wireless industry group, announced Monday that two machine-to-machine communications (M2M) standards groups had adopted its embedded SIM specification for devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT).

The GSMA said the Global M2M Association, which includes BCE Inc. among its members, and the M2M World Alliance, which includes Rogers Communications Inc., will both use its SIM specifications for “remote over-the-air provisioning” of IoT devices.

Global smartphones sales exceeded one billion in 2014: Gartner

Technology research company Gartner Inc. said Tuesday that annual smartphone sales surpassed one billion for the first time in 2014.

The company said in a press release that mobile-phone manufacturers sold 1.24 billion devices last year, up 28.4 per cent from 969.7 million in 2013. In the fourth quarter, sales were 367.5 million, a gain of 29.9 per cent from the same period a year earlier.

AWS-3 auction format to yield quick results

The sealed-bid, single-round format of this week’s AWS-3 auction means the results will be known much quicker than in previous spectrum sales, while at least one analyst says it will also result in cheaper prices that will benefit smaller carriers.

Google confirms wireless plans in U.S.

Google Inc. will enter the U.S. wireless market, senior vice president of products Sundar Pichai said Monday at the WorldMobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

He said the service would be small-scale and not meant to compete with large wireless carriers, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The service “would be intended to demonstrate technical innovations that the carriers could adopt,” WSJ said, adding that Google will partner with other carriers to launch the new service.

PIAC says 600 MHz proposals could ‘hinder’ OTA

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said some of the proposals made by Industry Canada regarding 600 MHz spectrum could “hinder the potential” of over-the-air broadcasting in Canada.

In a document submitted Feb. 26, PIAC said that 7.3 per cent of Canadians currently use OTA, which is “is an affordable, accessible alternative to costly distribution platforms which continue to increase in price for consumers.”

Mitel to buy mobile software provider Mavenir

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

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

Apple watch to replace car keys, CEO says

Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook said the company’s new smartwatch is designed to be able to replace car keys and fobs, The Telegraph reported Friday.

The British newspaper quoted Cook as saying the watch will also include features such as heart rate monitoring and mobile payments using Apple Pay, and the battery life will last for a full day.

Google to give mobile-friendly websites more priority

Google Inc. said Thursday that it will start giving mobile friendliness more weight in terms of how websites are ranked in Google searches.

It said on its Webmaster Central Blog on Thursday that the change will take effect April 21 and "will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices."

FCC approves open-Internet regulations

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved a set of rules that, among other things, prevents Internet service providers from blocking or throttling traffic, or giving priority to content from an affiliate or any company that's willing to pay to secure "fast lanes" for its content.

Google announces work software for Android devices

Google Inc. said Wednesday it has a developed a program that will help utilize Android devices for business purposes in a way that ensures security for employers.

A blog post from Google said the technology is called Android for Work and will help "businesses bring more devices to work by securing, managing and innovating on the Android platform."

IPhone 6 Plus data usage double that of regular iPhone 6: report

Users of Apple Inc.'s iPhone 6 Plus are using twice as much data as those with the iPhone 6, according to a report from Citrix Systems Inc.

The U.S. provider of workplace mobility technology said in a press release earlier this month that the bigger, 5.5-inch screens of the iPhone 6 Plus — compared to 4.7 inches for the regular iPhone 6 — leads more video viewing. Its report said that data usage on the iPhone 6 Plus is 10 times that of the iPhone 3GS.

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.

Bell seeking costs in appeal to overturn mobile-TV ruling

BCE Inc. is seeking to recover legal costs from a range of parties — including an advocacy group representing senior citizens, private individuals and companies in the telecommunications sector — in a case it has brought before the Federal Court of Appeal to overturn a January CRTC ruling that compelled it to treat video streamed through its mobile-TV app like any other data.

Snapchat reportedly worth as much as $19B US

Snapchat Inc., the maker of mobile apps for picture and video sharing, is being valued at as much as $19 billion US in current talks to secure a new round of funding, Bloomberg reported this week.

An article Tuesday said the company is seeking a new round of funding of as much as $500 million US on the basis of its value being between $16 billion US and $19 billion US, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Canada lags in mobile broadband adoption: OECD

Mobile broadband subscriptions rose 11.9 per cent for the 12 months to June 2014 in the 34 countries the make up the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the group said in a Thursday release.

Mobile broadband usage has risen to 78.2 per cent overall, the OECD said, or a little more than three subscriptions for every four inhabitants.

Verizon Wireless head Daniel Mead steps down

Daniel Mead is stepping down as head of Verizon Communications Inc.’s wireless division and will retire following the close of his company’s deal to sell a chunk of its wireline assets to Frontier Communications Corp., according to a Wednesday SEC filing.

John Stratton, executive vice-president and president of the company’s enterprise and wireline division, has been appointed to succeed Mead, adding the wireless business to his responsibility.

Mobile shopping growth doubling overall e-commerce gains: PayPal

Mobile shopping in Canada is growing at a pace that more than doubles the growth of overall online purchasing, PayPal said Wednesday.

The digital-payment processing company said in a press release that research it has conducted with polling company Ipsos shows mobile shopping is expected to show average annual growth of 34 per cent between the years 2013 and 2016, compared to 14 per cent for overall e-commerce.

Bell to be part of M2M demo at Mobile World Congress

BCE Inc. will be among an international coalition of six telecommunications service providers demonstrating what it called a "revolutionary" new integrated platform for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications at next month's Mobile World Congress.

Rogers expands Smart Home service to Vancouver

Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday it has brought its Smart Home Monitoring service to Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia's Lower Mainland.

Rogers said in a press release there are multiple packages available, including remote access to door locks, lights, night-vision cameras and thermostats, on a system that features 24-hour links to police, fire and ambulance, as well as real-time messaging on various aspects of a protected home.

Rogers seeks CRTC for clarity on wireless disconnections vs. suspensions

Rogers Communications Inc. has asked the CRTC to clarify whether wireless code rules concerning advance notice of service disconnections apply equally to suspensions of service.

In materials appearing on the CRTC's website Friday, Rogers said the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) has been interpreting disconnections and suspensions as the same thing and thus taking the position that service providers must provide 14 days of notice before service stops in both cases.

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.

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.

Canadian tech company to help carriers implement VoLTE

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

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.

Super WiFi ‘exciting new area’ for wireless: spectrum expert

Industry Canada’s announcement last week that it is opening up TV white space for the use of "super WiFi" technology could improve broadband availability in rural areas and has the potential be used for Internet of Things connectivity, experts say.

Ont. municipality still interested in Eastlink buyout: report

The Municipality of Kincardine in southwestern Ontario is interested revisiting the issue of selling publicly owned Bruce Telecom to Eastlink-owner Bragg Communications Inc., according to a news report, despite a potential deal last year that was called off after the Competition Bureau raised concern.

Government looks to TV white space to connect rural Canadians

Industry Canada said Thursday it was moving forward with initiatives it says will provide new opportunities for rural Canadians to access "WiFi-like services" through the use of TV white space.

It said in a press release that use of underused spectrum, traditionally used for TV broadcasting, can provide broadband Internet signals that are "similar to WiFi."

Spectrum auction applicants list holds few surprises

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

Bell reports surge in wireless data usage

BCE Inc.’s net earnings the fourth quarter grew slightly compared to a year earlier, though its wireless revenue gained by a wider margin largely on increased data usage.

Bell's reported in a press release that revenue rose 2.7 per cent from a year earlier to $5.53 billion. Net earnings were $594 million, up from $593 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.

MTS reports lower Q4 revenue as wholesale wireless declines

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower revenue for the fourth quarter of last year, though unlike the year-earlier period, it was profitable.

The company said in a press release that revenue was down less than one per cent from the year before to $404.8 million in the three months ended Dec. 31. It reported net earnings of $24.2 million for the quarter, compared to a loss of $87.9 million a year before.

Péladeau says he still controls Quebecor: report

Pierre Karl Péladeau, the controlling shareholder at Quebecor Inc., who was elected a member of Quebec’s national assembly last year, said Wednesday he maintains control of the company, the Montreal Gazette reported.

“Yes. I have control,” the Gazette quoted him as saying.

Péladeau said the share structure of the company allows him to currently to “name the administrators for 75 per cent of the composition of the board,” though he does not manage the company on a day-to-day basis, the Gazette reported.

CRTC says public proceeding on new powers to levy fines not ‘appropriate’

A public proceeding regarding new CRTC powers to impose monetary penalties on telecommunications companies would “not be appropriate,” given “the fact that further guidance will be provided in the coming weeks,” the commission said in a letter to Telus Corp.

Canadian mobile data to grow sevenfold by 2019: Cisco

Data running on mobile networks in Canada is set to grow an average of 46 per cent a year between now and 2019, resulting in a quantity of data that's seven times what it was last year, Cisco Systems Inc. said in a report Tuesday.

Cisco said in the Canadian highlights of its Visual Networking Index for mobile data traffic that the amount of mobile data in Canada was about 400 petabytes a year in 2014, or 30.8 petabytes per month (more than 30 million gigabytes), up 59 per cent from a year earlier.

Toronto commuter trains expand WiFi

Greater Toronto transit authority Metrolinx said in a press release Monday that it’s expanding WiFi service to an additional 22 stations on its GO network transit system.

Metrolinx said in a press release the expansion, which began Monday, follows a 2013 pilot project which made WiFi available at 14 stations and terminals.

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.