MTS posts lower profit on wireless weakness

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Thursday posted slightly lower profits in the second quarter of 2014 from the same period last year, with growth in broadband Internet and Internet protocol TV (IPTV) revenues offset by declines in revenue for wireless and legacy services such as home phones.

The company said in an earnings release that it had a profit of $142.5 million in the quarter on revenues of $403.3 million, down from $147.6 million on $401.5 million in the same period last year.

Quebecor posts loss, announces reorganization

Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Dion announced a corporate reorganization Thursday as his company posted a $50.4 million net less before income taxes in its second quarter, down from a profit of $67.9 million before income taxes in the previous quarter. 

In a statement following the earnings report, Dion detailed the creation of a new group within Quebecor for its media properties, including Sun Media Corp., TVA Group Inc., and QMI Agency.

One year later, could the wireless wars re-ignite?

Last summer, a conflict between the federal government and Canada’s three biggest wireless carriers, centering over rules around the 700 MHz spectrum auction and the prospect of a large U.S. carrier entering the Canadian market, reached a fever pitch.

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.

Xplornet pledges 100% rural broadband coverage by 2017

Rural Internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. said in a news release Monday that it will bring broadband to 100 per cent of Canada’s rural population by 2017.

The company, which claims to be the country's largest rural broadband provider, said in the release it would reach the goal by rolling out an LTE wireless network as well as two new satellites to make 25 Mbps broadband available to every home and business “outside of the big urban cities.”

Complaint filed on Telus prepaid customer policy

Two groups have filed a complaint with the CRTC against a Telus Corp. regarding its policy that requires prepaid wireless customers with a balance of over $300 to acquire 30-day plans or add-ons.

The complaint, filed July 17 and posted on the CRTC website Friday, was submitted by the National Pensioners Federation, which represents seniors, and the DiversityCanada Foundation, which works on the behalf of “the disadvantaged, the vulnerable, and the marginalized.”

Rogers posts double-digit drop in earnings

Rogers Communications Inc. on Thursday posted a double-digit decline its second-quarter earnings compared to the same period last year in its first quarterly report since announcing its corporate overhaul in May.

The company posted net earnings of $405 million, down from $532 million in 2013's second quarter. When adjusted to not include non-recurring items, earnings were down to $432 million from $497 million.

PIAC says up to $600M annually at stake in paper-billing issue

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) says up to $600 million a year is at stake as the CRTC gets set to meet with telecommunications companies to discuss the practice of charging customers to receive paper bills.

John Lawford, PIAC’s executive director, said in a phone interview that PIAC has put together estimates for a report, which will come out in the coming weeks.

Savings, simplification cited in BCE takeover of Bell Aliant

Saving money, simplifying operations and creating a stronger telecom competitor in Atlantic Canada were among the reasons cited for why BCE Inc. is seeking ownership of all parts of Bell Aliant Inc. it does not already own.

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.

Rogers cuts VP positions, middle management

Rogers Communications Inc. has cut "several hundred middle management positions" and reduced the number of people working at the level of vice-president and above by 15 per cent, a company spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Wireless broadband penetration falls short in Canada: OECD

Data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Tuesday shows Canada falls well short of the average of economically advanced countries in terms of wireless-broadband penetration.

Figures on the OECD's website showed an average penetration rate of 72.4 per cent for wireless broadband among 34 countries in this group at the end of last year, meaning there is about three subscriptions for every four people.

MTS expands LTE network in Manitoba

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Monday it has expanded its LTE network to Swan River, Man., which is about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

MTS said in a press release the service will provide download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, making it ideal for downloading files, streaming video and online gaming.

It said other LTE expansions in Manitoba this year have included Thompson, Dauphin, Falcon Lake, Jessica Lake and West Hawk Lake, among other communities.

Verizon Wireless reward program starts Thurs.

Verizon Communication Inc.'s wireless unit said Monday that a program that allows customers to earn points for discounts by performing routine functions with their wireless account begins Thursday.

Marty Beard named BlackBerry COO

BlackBerry Ltd. on Monday said it has made Marty Beard its new chief operating officer.

The company said in a press release Beard was most recently chairman and CEO of LiveOps Inc., a maker of cloud-based applications for customer service. Prior to that, he was president of Sybase 365, the mobile messaging and mobile commerce unit of Sybase Inc.

Watchdog warns CBC, government about language obligations

Official Languages Commissioner Graham Fraser on Thursday warned CBC/Radio-Canada and the federal government about obligations they have to provide programming services in both official languages as the public broadcaster downsizes its operations in the coming years.

Telus to provide WiFi at Ottawa CFL stadium

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks, said this week it has reached a 10-year deal with Telus Corp. to provide, among other things, free WiFi at the Redblacks' home stadium.

OSEG said in a posting on the Redblacks' website Monday that Telus is the "official communications supplier" for TD Place, the team's newly renovated stadium.

Microsoft cuts 18,000 jobs as it integrates Nokia unit

Microsoft Corp. said Thursday it is cutting 18,000 jobs, most of them related to integrating the cellphone division of Nokia Corp., the acquisition of which closed in April.

WiFi hotpots coming to homes near you

Telecommunications providers are discovering an untapped resource in their quest to provide customers with more opportunities to get online, and that resource is other people's homes.

Service providers in the United States and Europe have begun making use of multi-signal routers in people's homes that can give private WiFi access to the people who live there and provide a separate public signal to visitors or those in the vicinity. It's a process known as "home spotting."

Apple, IBM team up to target enterprise business

Apple Inc. and International Business Machines (IBM) Corp. have entered a partnership that will integrate IBM’s “big data and analytics capabilities” with Apple’s iPad and iPhone products.

Bell asks for confidentiality in wholesale review

BCE Inc. has asked that some of its responses to questions about business arrangements with other carriers be kept confidential as part of the CRTC's review of the wholesale wireless market.

IoT spending to almost quadruple by 2018: report

Spending on Internet of Things (IoT) technology in Canada in 2018 will be almost four times what it was last year, according to a new report from International Data Corp.

The report, commissioned by Telus Corp., said spending on IoT will be about $21 billion in 2018 compared to $5.6 billion in 2013, Telus said in a press release issued Tuesday.

Lower-end telecom plans get biggest rate hikes: report

Telecommunications companies increased prices most, proportionally, over the last year for those subscribing to the lowest-end wireless, broadband-Internet and home-phone plans, according to a report released by the CRTC on Monday.

More than 40% of households in U.S. wireless-only

About 41 per cent of households in the United States had access to only mobile phone services with no landline connection in the second half of 2013, according to a new government report.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the number was 2.8 percentage points more than a year earlier. It said the proportion of wireless-only households grew 4.2 percentage points between 2011 and 2012, 4.3 percentage points between 2010 and 2011, and 5.2 percentage points between 2009 and 2010.

Physicians speak out on wireless exposure

A group of physicians on Wednesday presented Health Canada with a letter asking it to take stronger action to protect people against the effects of radiation from wireless signals, including from cellphone towers and WiFi networks.

Standalone wearables on the way this year: AT&T

Wearable technology that can connect to mobile networks on its own, without being tethered to a cellphone, will establish a presence on the market this year, an AT&T executive reportedly said.

An article published Tuesday by IDG News Service quoted Glenn Lurie, AT&T's president of emerging enterprises and partnerships, as saying his company expects to offer at least one such device by year's end.

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.

Quebec data-charges lawsuit denied class action status

Quebec’s superior court has denied a motion for a class action lawsuit against BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc.

Law firm Fasken Martineau, which represented Rogers’ Fido division and its Rogers Communications Partnership, said in a posting on its website judge Michel Yergeau ruled on July 2 that the motion didn’t meet the criteria necessary to authorize a class action.

Verizon lets Canadian lobbying registration expire

Verizon Communications Inc. has let its entry on Canada's federal lobbyists' registry expire.

M2M usage in business almost doubles in one year: Vodafone

Many companies are still trying to find the benefits in adopting the latest in machine-to-machine (M2M) communication technology, yet those that do see significant returns of their investment, according to a new report from Vodafone Group PLC.

The report, based on a survey of more than 600 executives and managers from 14 different countries in April and May, found that about one-fifth of the companies surveyed have not seriously considered M2M.

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.

Telecoms owe money for CRTC proceeding on cancellation notice

The CRTC said on Thursday both the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the DiversityCanada Foundation are owed costs they incurred to make submissions in a CRTC proceeding on whether wireline telecommunications providers should be allowed to require 30 days notice for cancellations.

The CRTC said PIAC is owed its claimed cost of $9,283.92 in legal fees and DiversityCanada is due $1,759.41 in consulting fees.

David McLennan joins CMF board

Sierra Wireless Inc. chief financial officer David McLennan has been named to the board of the Canadian Media Fund (CMF), a public-private parternship that provides money for Canadian media producers, the group said in a press release Monday.

McLennan has been chief financial officer with Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless Inc. since 2004, according to his biography on the company's website. It said he spent 10 years before that in a variety of senior management positions with BCE Inc.

Roam Mobility launching LTE for US roaming

Vancouver-based Roam Mobility Inc. has added LTE data to its roaming plans for Canadians travelling to the United States, the company announced on Wednesday.

From July 7, customers who purchase one of the company’s plans will be able to access LTE data in more than 11 major cities across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles and Miami, the company said in a press release.

Telecoms looking for help to manage flood of big data

Telecom companies are turning to outside help in order to manage the floods of data coming from smartphones, set-top-boxes and other consumer technology.

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. 

Rogers wireless home phone not subject to local-exchange rules: CRTC

The CRTC said Wednesday that it has denied a request from Wightman Telecom Ltd. for Rogers Communications Inc.'s wireless home-phone service to be classified as a competitive local exchange carrier.

The commission said in an online notice that it "has not established a rule that a service that is a close substitute for a wireline local exchange service should be offered by a service provider only as a CLEC."

Carriers tell SOCAN it needs to find ringtone money

Canada's major wireless carriers' have dismissed an argument from the collective representing music writers and publishers that if the Federal Court finds the collective owes $12 million in tariffs collected for ringtone downloads between 2006 and 2012, it can't pay it back because it doesn't have the money anymore.

Most Canadian farmers have smartphone: poll

About three-quarters of farmers in Canada are smartphone owners, a number that has more than doubled in the last three years, according to a new survey.

Farm Credit Canada, a lender to Canadian agriculture industry, said in a news release Monday that 76 per cent of the farmers it polled indicated they own smartphone, up from 29 per cent in a similar survey done in 2011. There was a corresponding drop in the ownership of other kinds of cellphones, with 32 per cent indicating they owned something other than a smartphone, down from 80 per cent in 2011.

Bell asks CRTC to push Cogeco on customer-transfer system

BCE Inc. has asked the CRTC to force Cogeco Cable Inc. to implement an automated system for facilitating the transfer of customers between different telecommunications companies by the start of next year.

Rogers, Videotron spectrum sharing approved

Industry Canada said Thursday that it has approved an application from Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron to share spectrum in Quebec and eastern Ontario.

The application was in relation to 10 AWS licences held by Rogers and four AWS licences held by Videotron, all of which are slated to expire near the end of 2018.

New tower rules to take effect in July

Industry Canada has decided to tighten up regulations regarding the erection of antenna towers, including adding a requirement than any company putting a tower up for telecommunications or broadcasting purposes not be exempted from consulting the public even if their tower is less than 15 metres in height.

Under previous Industry Canada guidelines, established in 2008, wireless providers were not required to consult with municipalities or community members before installing cell towers that were less than 15 metres high.

Telus switches advertising agencies: report

Telus Corp. has ended an 18-year relationship with Taxi, the advertising agency that created marketing campaigns featuring a variety of cute animals including monkeys to hippopotamuses, the Globe and Mail reported on Friday.

The Globe said on its website that, as of Sept. 1, Telus' advertising will be handled by The&Partnership.

Blais warns against too much competition in wireless

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais reportedly said in an interview with the Financial Post that the commission needs to be careful not to force roaming rates that are prohibitively low or encourage too much competition.

The article quoted Blais as saying that “having too many competitors and unnaturally low prices could also mean that people aren’t investing appropriately in their networks and therefore it may be a short gain for a long-term pain.”

CBC plan’s emphasis on mobile not ‘logical’: analyst

CBC/Radio-Canada’s re-focusing of its priorities on its digital and mobile presence is “not a very logical thing to do,” said Barry Kiefl, president of Canadian Media Research Inc.

The public broadcaster said in a strategy paper released Thursday, called "A Space For Us All," that its priorities will be completely reversed from the current pecking order of TV followed by radio, online and mobile.

Main wireless carriers lost subs in Q1: CWTA

Wireless subscribers declined during the first quarter among Canada's publicly traded carriers, according a compilation posted on the website of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA).

According to the compilation, based on publicly released data, the carriers had 27.55 million wireless subscribers at the end of the first quarter, down 32,137 from the beginning of the year.

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. 

Sprint CEO says merger would increase competition: report

Sprint Corp. CEO Dan Hesse was quoted in an article published on the website CNet Wednesday as saying a merger, such as one between his company and T-Mobile US Inc., would increase wireless competition in suburban and rural areas of the United States.

U.S. Supreme Court declares Aereo illegal

The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with broadcasters in their case against Aereo Inc.’s TV service, ruling that the service violates the U.S. Copyright Act.

CRTC makes do-not-call registrations permanent

The CRTC said Wednesday that registrations on Canada's do-not-call list will now be permanent.

Previously, those that registered phone numbers with this database would have had to register again after six years.

Telemarketers are legally forbidden from calling numbers on the do-not-call list. The CRTC said since the list was introduced in 2008, it has imposed fines of almost $4 million for infractions.

European Union roaming caps being reduced

The European Commission said Tuesday that limits on mobile roaming charges throughout the European Union for users based in member countries will be reduced as of July 1, including a more than 50 per cent cut to data charges.

1 in 5 households using cellphones only: StatsCan

The proportion of Canadian households using cellphones exclusively for their telephone service was 21 per cent last year, and a clear majority of households where all members are younger than 35 were using mobile only, Statistics Canada said Monday.

The overall proportion of cellphone-exclusive households was up from 12.8 per cent in 2010 and eight per cent in 2008, the federal agency said in a report.

Rogers getting reluctant on rollbacks: Barclays

After pronouncements from Rogers Communications Inc. about improving the customer experience and simplifying the options available to customers, analysts from Barclays said the company appears to be "shifting away from pricing discounts."

Carriers finally have ‘will’ for VoLTE: analyst

After years of dragging their feet, carriers finally have “the will” to adopt the latest in wireless technology that will allow them to ditch their old networks once and for all, according to Nordicity analyst Stephan Meyer.

Canadian carriers only use the latest wireless technology, LTE, to carry text messages and data, while routing phone calls through their older CDMA or HSPA networks.

New Ontario area code delayed by a year

The CRTC said Friday that the implementation date for a new area code in southwestern Ontario has been pushed back a year as new information indicates numbers within existing area codes there will not run out as quickly as previously thought.

It said in an online notice that adding the area code 548 in areas currently covered by 519 and 226 will happen by June 4, 2016, instead of the same date in 2015. The CRTC said its latest projection shows numbers in these areas will run out in May 2018, not September 2015.

T-Mobile launching unRadio music streaming service

T-Mobile US Inc. and Rhapsody International Inc. are introducing a music streaming service that will not count against T-Mobile customers’ monthly data cap, the U.S. wireless carrier announced Thursday.

The new service, unRadio, will be ad-free, allow unlimited streaming and unlimited skipping, and let customers choose their own music, T-Mobile said in a press release. 

Cisco commits $150 million to Canadian innovation

Cisco Systems Inc. on Thursday announced it would put $150 million toward innovation and technology development in Canada over the next 10 years.

The U.S. technology giant said in press release it was establishing the Cisco Canada Innovation Program, through which it would "support and accelerate" the development of technologies and companies. It said it would do this through direct investment in technology investment, venture capital arrangements and working with incubators.

Amazon unveils first smartphone

Amazon.com Inc. unveiled its first smartphone on Wednesday, adding the new device to its lineup of Kindle tablets and e-readers.

The 4.7-inch screen Amazon Fire smartphone includes a feature called Firefly, which can scan barcodes, artwork, and music or movies playing near the phone to bring up information and links to Amazon’s retail store, the company said in a press release.

The LTE-enabled Fire also includes four front-facing cameras that can capture touch-free gestures and let the software respond to users’ head and eye movements.

BlackBerry posts first-quarter profit

Blackberry Ltd. on Thursday posted a profit for its first quarter of $23 million US, up from a loss of $84 million US one year earlier.

The company said in a press release that it had reduced operating expenses by 57 per cent since the same period last year.

Its results were buoyed by changes in the company’s long-term debt and pre-tax restructuring charges, without which the company would have posted a loss of $60 million US, it said.

Quebecor says it needs regulated roaming to become fourth carrier

Quebecor Inc. said explicitly Wednesday that it intends to become Canada's "fourth wireless competitor," though it needs "a fair and competitive federally regulated roaming policy."

The company made the assertion in a press release that was issued at about the same time as its CEO Pierre Dion was making the closing keynote address to the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto.

CIBC payment app available for Bell wireless customers

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and BCE Inc. on Wednesday said that CIBC's mobile payment app will be available in the coming weeks for certain mobile phones on the Bell network.

In a joint press release, the companies said the app will be available for Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S4, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, HTC Corp.'s One (M7), and BlackBerry Ltd.'s Q10, Z10 and Bold 9900.

Netflix for BlackBerry, among other things

BlackBerry users will gain access to several applications this fall, including Netflix, as a result of making Amazon.com Inc.'s Appstore part of the BlackBerry 10.3 operating system that becomes available this fall, BlackBerry Ltd. said in a news release Wednesday.

There are more than 240,000 Android apps BlackBerry 10 users gain access to as a result of this partnership with Amazon, including Groupon, Pinterest, Candy Crush Saga and Minecraft, the company said.

Telecoms square off on government intervention

TORONTO — Canada’s biggest telecom companies faced off with one of their smaller rivals over the government’s approach to regulating the wireless industry at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday.

Ted Woodhead, senior vice-president of government and regulatory affairs at Telus Corp., told the audience about the perils of government intervention seen in the European wireless market, a common theme mentioned by the other members of the panel from Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc.

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.

Advocacy groups challenge payment plans for future phones

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Consumers Association of Canada have filed an application with the CRTC challenging plans from wireless carriers that see customers making regular, non-refundable payments toward a future phone upgrade.

Regulatory uncertainty could hurt innovation: experts

TORONTO — Ongoing interventions by Industry Canada, the Competition Bureau and the CRTC into Canada’s wireless industry are likely to harm future investments by telecom companies, Brookings Institute economist Robert Crandall told an audience at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Monday.

Crandall was one of four presenters at a panel on competition in telecom, in which few kind words were spoken about the government’s attempts to encourage wireless competition.

Rogers CEO wants telecoms to stop wasting users’ time

TORONTO — Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Guy Laurence says the telecom industry has wasted Canadians’ time.

He said in a speech to the Canadian Telecom Summit Monday that complexity in pricing plans, whether it be eligibility criteria, handset offers or usage rules, has meant consumers are wasting the precious time their devices were supposed to save.

Rogers to spend $450M on B.C. wireless network

Rogers Communications Inc. said Thursday it would spend $450 million to expand and improve its wireless network British Columbia over the next three years.

It said in a press release that the outlay would expand its mobile network in more than 70 communities throughout the province.

Cogeco Cable looks to enter wireless market

Internet- and television-service provider Cogeco Cable Inc. is looking to enter the wireless market if the CRTC paves the way with new rules as part of its ongoing review of the wholesale wireless sector, the company’s director of regulatory affairs said in a phone interview this week.

Michel Messier said Tuesday that Montreal-based Cogeco will not build its own wireless infrastructure but is interested in becoming a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), buying services from Canada’s incumbent carriers and re-selling them to its customers.

BlackBerry to support financial transactions for wireless incumbents

BlackBerry Ltd. said Thursday it has reached a three-year deal with a consortium comprised of Canada's three incumbent wireless providers to support financial transactions conducted through smartphones.

BlackBerry and EnStream LP, which is a joint venture run by BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and Rogers Communications Inc., did not disclose financial details of the agreement.

BlackBerry might make phablets: report

BlackBerry Ltd. chief executive John Chen said the company might get into the business of making so-called phablets, or smartphones with extra-large screens, according to an article in an Indonesian publication.

Senate committee fails to pass S-4 amendment on disclosure

The Senate committee dealing with the Digital Privacy Act failed to pass an amendment, on a tie vote, that would have required companies to inform individuals if their personal information was being shared with another party, according to an official with the senator that proposed the amendment.

Telecom Act allows retroactive code application, says government

The Telecommunications Act gives the CRTC the authority to apply its wireless code in such a way that it nullifies existing customer contracts, the federal government said in a new court filing defending parts of the code against a challenge by wireless carriers.

More smartphone owners streaming audio, video: MTM

The number of anglophone Canadians who are streaming television content on their smartphones increased 71 per cent from a year earlier, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM).

In 2013, 12 per cent of respondents reported watching TV on a smartphone, up from seven per cent a year earlier, according to MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

“While smartphone TV streamers watch less traditional TV on a TV set, they more than make up for that time streaming TV,” said the report, released on June 5.

Eliminate immunity for telecoms in C-13: privacy commish

OTTAWA — Federal privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien told a House of Commons committee on Tuesday that he was troubled by provisions in the government’s cyberbullying legislation that give immunity to telecommunications companies who provide information voluntarily to authorities.

Therrien, who was confirmed as privacy commissioner last week, said he was concerned the “broad language” in the bill could lead to more voluntary disclosures and formal requests.

Canadian IP traffic to expand 2.4 times by 2018: Cisco

Data transmitted over Internet protocol networks with devices in Canada will be about 2.4 times more in 2018 than what it was last year, according to a new report from Cisco Systems Inc.

Highlights of Canadian figures from Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index show IP traffic in Canada will reach a total of 42.3 exabytes (about 42.3 billion gigabytes) in 2018, compared to 17.4 exabytes in 2013. That represents average annual growth of 19 per cent between now and 2018, Cisco said.

Bell launches Super Écran Go

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division on Tuesday launched what it said is the first French-language product among its growing selection of "Go" products for viewing television content over the Internet or by mobile device.

Vodafone says some countries tap into customer lines

British-based telecom-service provider Vodafone Group PLC said in a law enforcement disclosure report Friday that the governments of some countries in which it operates have direct access to its networks, allowing their agencies to monitor the communications of the company's customers.

Advocacy groups petition government on prepaid expirations

A pair of advocacy groups are asking to the government to overrule the CRTC's decision not to include a ban on expiration dates on prepaid wireless services in the wireless code that took effect late last year.

The DiversityCanada Foundation and the National Pensioners Federation made a petition to the federal cabinet to quash a section of the code that allow wireless providers to continue to let prepaid usage on cellphones expire, according to a blog post by Celia Sankar, executive director of the Diversity Canada group.

U.K. regulator seeks lower wholesale wireless costs

As the CRTC continues its review of the wholesale wireless market in Canada, U.K. regulator Ofcom is proposing a new rate control to lower the price British wireless carriers can charge one another for completing calls to a different network.

In a Wednesday news release announcing a consultation on the new rules, Ofcom said so-called mobile termination rates have fallen about 80 per cent since it brought in rate controls in 2011 following a review of the wholesale wireless market.

Bell reduces roaming charges for South Korea

BCE Inc. on Tuesday said it has reduced the cost of wireless roaming in South Korea for voice, text and data plans.

Bell said in a press release it is now charging $30 for 60 minutes of voice time in the Asian country, compared to its previous rate of $40 for 50 minutes.

A new talk-and-text package is available for $45 that allows 60 minutes of talk, 200 sent texts and unlimited incoming texts. The company said this package previously went for $60 and provided 50 minutes of voice with the same number of texts.

Rogers launches Sportsnet streaming service

Rogers Communications Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of an online streaming service and mobile application for Sportsnet programing.

The company said in a press release the service is called Sportsnet Now, and for the time being is available as a "preview" to Rogers customers. Rogers spokesman Sebastian Gatica clarified in an email that this means those who subscribe to Sportsnet on Rogers cable.

Data-packaging firm bought by Facebook

A Finnish company that works with mobile operators to provide users with app-based data plans said Tuesday it has been bought by Facebook Inc.

The company, Pryte Ltd., said in a message on its website: "Today, we are delighted to announce that our team will be joining Facebook. Since we launched Pryte we have worked to reimagine the way mobile data works in an app-driven world, by enabling partnerships between app and content providers, and mobile operators."

Financial details were not released.

New Apple software routes iPhone calls through Macs

At its Worldwide Developers Conference Monday, Apple Inc. revealed new software for Mac computers that, among other things, will allow iPhone calls and texting to be facilitated through a computer.

Apple said in a press release that this is among the features on the new Mac operating system, OS X Yosemite. It said that it includes a specific program called Handoff, which besides coordinating communications between Macs and iPhones, allows documents being worked on to be shared seamlessly between Mac computers, iPhones and iPads.

Purpose, fashion sense needed in wearables market: IDC

Wearable technology is expected to see "hockey stick growth" in Canada in the coming years, though the gadgets' purpose must be better demonstrated and the products have to look good on people, according to a release from International Data Corp.'s Canadian branch on Monday.

In a press release, IDC Canada said a survey it did showed 18 per cent of Canadians are interested in technology that tracks their health and performance during exercise, and 10 per cent are interested in digital glasses.

Middle East, Africa tablet market surges: IDC

The Middle East and Africa saw record growth in their tablet market in the first quarter of this year, despite a general slowdown in this industry's expansion globally, International Data Corp. said in a report released Sunday.

IDC said in a press release that four million tablets were shipped in that region in the first three months of this year, a gain of 77.3 per cent from a year earlier.

WiFi could help wireless industry, consultant says

WiFi is not necessarily a friend of mobile carriers, though it could be, according to a Denmark-based industry consultant who’s hosting an international summit on WiFi in mid-June.

Phablets cut into tablet sales: IDC

International Data Corp. said Thursday that it has cut its forecast for global tablet shipments this year, in part because of the growing popularity of so-called phablets, or smartphones with extra-large screens.

The research company said in a press release that tablet shipments, including two-in-one hybrids that include some of the features of a laptop, will amount to 245.4 million this year, down from its previous forecast of 260.9 million.  The new forecast would mark growth of 12.1 per cent over 2013, well short of the 51.8 per cent growth seen last year.