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Bell revenues up, profits down as company releases Q2 numbers

BCE Inc. announced revenues of $5.86 billion for the second quarter of 2022 Thursday, a jump of 2.9 per cent over the figures for a year ago. Net earnings declined 10.9 per cent over the same period, to $654 million. Bell attributed the fall to higher expenses, higher depreciation and amortization and higher severance, acquisition …

China Mobile still seeking evidence from Gov. banning order

China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. is seeking to challenge a court decision allowing the federal government to keep secret certain materials it used in ordering the Chinese state-backed telecom company to vacate the country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Doherty demands 988 service in Canada as US rollout begins

Conservative MP Todd Doherty continued his fight for a national three-digit helpline for mental crises and suicide prevention. He proposed a motion which passed unanimously in the House of Commons back in 2020 but there has been little progress made since. Saturday the United States unveiled its 988 number for emergencies. This content is available …

Xplornet to shut down Xplore Mobile, blaming CRTC delays in MVNO regime

Xplornet Communications Inc.‘s Xplore Mobile will shut down at the end of August, the company announced Friday afternoon.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

Champagne demands mutual assistance agreement from telecom companies after Rogers outage

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne has directed the nation’s largest telecommunications companies to negotiate “mutual assistance” agreements during outages, institute emergency roaming on each other’s networks, and establish a communication protocol “to better inform the public and authorities during telecommunications emergencies.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Quebecor wants to make its case for Freedom divestiture to Competition Tribunal

Quebecor Inc. is asking the Competition Tribunal for permission to intervene in the regulator’s review of the proposed merger of Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …

UPDATED: Nationwide Rogers outage affecting wireline and wireless networks; PIAC calls for CRTC inquiry

Rogers Communications Inc. is in the midst of a widespread outage, affecting both its home internet and wireless customers, as well as the wholesale-based internet service providers (ISPs) that purchase Rogers’ service.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

In-footprint seamless handoffs hurt competition: Bell to CRTC

BCE Inc. is asking the CRTC to rescind its order to make seamless handoffs available for in-footprint coverage gaps, arguing that the order is harming competition by mandating Bell, Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. to make the revised changes in its wholesale mobile wireless roaming service tariffs. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

Mobile prices down but high internationally, broadband prices up and still high internationally: ISED report 

In 2021, consumer mobile wireless fell by as much as 15 per cent, fixed broadband prices increased by as much as 13 per cent, while mobile internet prices have remained relatively stable, according to a new report.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

ISED issues rules for 3800 MHz spectrum auction

The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) issued the rules for its next spectrum auction Thursday. The auction will begin on Oct. 24, 2023 and will feature spectrum in the 3800 MHz band. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Quebecor to buy Freedom Mobile for $2.85b

In a development that may pave the way for the merger of Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., the two companies and Quebecor Inc. announced a deal late Friday night that would see the Quebec-based competitor purchase Shaw’s wireless brand Freedom Mobile for $2.85 billion.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Mendicino and Champagne say cyber security bill protects infrastructure; NDP wants more reporting requirements

The two ministers responsible for the Act Respecting Cyber Security (ARCS) defended the legislation Tuesday while the Opposition worries they are letting companies hide cyber attacks. Bill C-26 was introduced on Tuesday by Public Security Minister Marco Mendicino and Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

CRTC denies Bell’s review and vary on toll-trunk tariff language

The CRTC has denied a request from BCE Inc. to stay a 2021 commission order mandating that the incumbent change its tariff  language to include all competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), finding that “there is no substantial doubt as to the correctness” of its previous decision. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

CRTC denies Bell application on Videotron roaming

BCE Inc.’s Bell Mobility Inc. has lost an application before the CRTC about Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron Ltd. over the Quebec firm’s use of Bell’s wholesale roaming service. In a letter Wednesday, the commission dismissed the filing and urged the parties to negotiate between themselves. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

ITPA wants national NG911 rate; incumbents tell CRTC not to use, or to limit, funding

The Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA) is suggesting to the CRTC that it establish a single low national next-generation 911 (NG911) rate for all Canadians, because having different rates between service providers competing for the same customers “will have a detrimental impact on competitive market forces.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

On Rogers-Shaw, focus shifts to network sharing agreements

As the Competition Bureau takes Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. to the Competition Tribunal to block the merger of the companies, conversation on what will be required to get the deal done has shifted to whether or not a network sharing agreement is a central component of any possible remedy that would mollify …

Regional wireless carriers seek review of incumbents’ roaming rates

A consortium of regional wireless competitors have filed an application with the CRTC seeking a review of the wholesale roaming tariff rates of the big three national carriers.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Rogers-Shaw merger benefiting wireless industry as a whole in 2022: Bell CEO

When it comes to Canada’s wireless market this year, there are a number of trends that are benefiting the wireless industry as a whole, including the potential merger between Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., according to BCE Inc. CEO Mirko Bibic. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Doherty renews calls for 988 suicide helpline, Bennett say urban may be served first

Conservative MP Todd Doherty issued a news release on Monday marking the 500th day since he called for the establishment of a dedicated helpline for suicide prevention. The House of Commons unanimously passed the motion. The CRTC is looking at using 988 as the three-digit number. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Big 3 oppose Wireless Code CRTC intervention for cancellation fees, PIAC supports it 

Incumbent telecoms are reacting strongly to a preliminary finding by the CRTC that the regulator will peg the early cancellation fees (ECFs) on certain mobile devices to the price listed by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for those devices.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Telecom consultant says Rogers-Shaw merger, inflation, enough to spark forbearance reassessment 

A Toronto-based telecom and broadcasting consultant is arguing to the CRTC that Rogers Communications Inc.’s pending acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc., and recent inflation, are “significant developments in the marketplace” that should trigger the commission to consider whether its general policy of forbearance remains applicable. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Rogers boss won’t confirm Xplornet ‘rumours’

Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Tony Staffieri declined to comment on what he called “rumours” that the company – alongside Shaw Communication Inc. – have presented a plan to the federal government that would see Xplornet Communications Inc. take over Shaw’s Freedom Mobile wireless brand as part of regulatory approval of the Shaw acquisition.  This content …

Little support for CRTC forbearance policy review following Part 1 application

The Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC) is the only intervener in a CRTC proceeding that supports a Toronto-based attorney’s request to consider whether the CRTC’s general policy of forbearance remains applicable. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

CRTC sides with regional wireless carriers in roaming decision

The CRTC mostly accepted the arguments of small wireless carriers against the big three in a ruling on seamless handoff and 5G roaming. In a lengthy decision issued Wednesday, the commission sought to make life easier for the regional players by finding in their favour in almost every one of the disputed areas. Those topics …

CRTC seeks to clarify Wireless Code after Quebecor files cancellation fee complaint against big 3

The CRTC issued a show cause proceeding and call for comments on its Wireless Code after it determined that a section of the code was “ambiguous and requires clarification,” and therefore could not assess whether Canada’s big three telecom companies are in violation by inflating the retail price of their mobile devices. This content is …

Telecom complaints down by 26 per cent according to CCTS report

Telecom complaints fell by 26 percent in six months while disclosure issues and incorrect charges topped the top consumer grievances in the wireless sector, according to a mid-year report from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services (CCTS). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

NWT Gov. made party to three-digital mental health, suicide, crisis line proceeding

The CRTC is allowing the Government of the Northwest Territories to file late interventions in its proceeding on the implementation of a three-digit number for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Panelists tell government to reform the CRTC

GATINEAU, Que.–The CRTC came in for a drubbing at two panels Wednesday at the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Wireless Internet Service Providers (CanWISP). Many questioned the current mandate of the regulator and others criticized it for being slow and unresponsive to small competitors, such as the members of CanWISP itself. This content …

CRTC amends deadlines for NG911 comments

The CRTC has pushed back deadlines for comments on next generation 911 (NG911) service following a request by the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA). The proceeding will look at funding NG911 through the National Contribution Fund. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

NDP still committed to telecom affordability, despite absence in confidence and supply agreement

On the heels of its announcement this week of a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals that will see the current government continue through 2025, the NDP has said the party is still committed to its priorities on affordability in the telecom sector.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

MVNO terms will determine our participation in 3800 NHz auction: Cogeco’s Jetté

Cogeco Inc.‘s ability to participate in the upcoming 3800 MHz auction will depend on what terms and conditions the CRTC eventually approves for negotiations between incumbents and regional carriers for mobile virtual network operations, according to its CEO. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

ISED consults on requirements for spectrum licensees to submit technical info about sites

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) initiated a consultation on proposed amendments to the requirements for spectrum licensees to upload associated technical information related to radiocommunication installations (site data) as the country moves toward the introduction of 5G technologies. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

ISED approves spectrum licence transfer in Northern Ontario

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) has approved a transfer of spectrum licences in the fixed wireless access band from a Sudbury, ON, telecommunications company to a municipally-owned telecommunication company in Thunder Bay, ON. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Rogers still expects Shaw deal to close in Q2

Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Tony Staffieri has said that last week’s announcement from Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in which he said he would not allow the ‘wholesale’ transfer of Shaw Communications Inc.‘s spectrum assets to Rogers as part of the latter’s acquisition, was “very helpful in terms of articulating their broad view” and that it …

ISED releases consultations on licence-exempt spectrum in 95 GHz and 5.9 GHz bands

The department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) released a pair of consultations – one regarding a policy framework for radio local area network (RLAN) devices and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in the 5.9 GHz band and another regarding 21 GHz of spectrum above 95 GHz for licence-exempt use — in its effort to …

INDU ‘frustrated’ with CRTC’s wholesale rates; recommends revamped rate-setting process

The Industry committee – from the last Parliament – has recommended that the CRTC establish an “affordability standard” and for the government to direct the regulator to “revise its process for implementing and appealing new rates so that incumbent telecommunications service providers stop using the appeals process as a delay tactic.” This content is available …

Appeal court dismisses Iristel application to release $21.85m in tax refunds

The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an application by Iristel Inc. to appeal a decision by the Federal Court which rejected its motion to release $21.85 million in tax refunds which it claimed for the 2019-2020 reporting period pending the conclusion of an on-going audit and assessment. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Telecom companies waive fees for calls to the Ukraine

Several Canadian telecom companies have responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine by temporarily waiving long distance calling fees to Ukraine. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

ISED failed to show reasons for Quebecor’s set-aside eligibility in 3500 auction: Telus

When it assessed Quebecor Inc. as eligible to bid on set-aside spectrum in last summer’s 3,500 MHz spectrum auction, the Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) failed to follow its own rules around eligibility, failed to keep adequate records of its decision-making process, and unreasonably qualified Quebecor, Telus Corp. argued before the court. …

CRTC seeks comments on telecom fees amendments

The CRTC is calling for comments on proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, it announced Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …

CRTC relaxes phone fraud reporting requirements

The CRTC has relaxed its rules for the reporting of the telephone frauds known as number porting and SIM swaps. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

CRTC poses questions on three-digit suicide number

The CRTC has released a dozen questions it wants stakeholders to answer regarding the establishment of a three-digit number reserved for suicide prevention and mental health crises. The questions seek to discover what barriers would prevent such a rollout and how to overcome them. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Paper billing for vulnerable customers, not universally: CRTC

The CRTC has determined that all communications service providers (CSPs), including telecommunications service providers (TSPs), Canadian carriers, and broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), must provide certain market segments with free paper billing, in an effort to protect vulnerable consumers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Opposition grills Libs over definitive date on suicide hotline implementation, Online Streaming Act

Conservative MP and Heritage Critic John Nater accused the Liberals of “trying to use 20th-century rules to address the digital world of 2022” in its second attempt to update Canada’s Broadcasting Act.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Feds win fight to keep evidence secret in decision to ban China Mobile

A federal court judge has rejected a China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. request to order the office of Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and the governor-in-council (GIC) to hand over the evidence both offices used to decide to order China Mobile to pack up shop and leave Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

ISED touts lower wireless bills, lobby group says gov. using backward looking targets

The Government of Canada said it has delivered on its commitment to reduce wireless plans by 25 per cent while one lobby group says Canada needs to set new targets if it wants to really measure the affordability of phone bills in Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Quebec Ag. Commission to reconsider decision to reject Quebecor build

The Commission for the Protection of Quebec’s Agricultural Territory will reconsider its July 2021 move to reject an application made by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to build a freestanding telecommunications tower and a power line in Mascouche, Que. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Ethics committee votes for data hearing, Health Canada amends RFP

OTTAWA–The House of Commons Ethics committee voted unanimously  Thursday to call Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam and Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos to explain why the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) that would track the mobility of Canadians. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Intervenors take issue with ISED’s proposed Tier 5 service areas in rural spectrum consultation

Tier 5 service areas are “too large”  to meet demand for Access Licensing, Canada’s telecoms companies and stakeholders told Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in replies to its consultation on the use of white space spectrum to service rural and remote communities.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Canada avoids American confusion of 5G impact on airports

Early consultations on regulations to 5G rollout affecting air traffic seems to have resulted in Canada avoiding a dispute that roiled the American telecom market. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

CRTC suspends application of STIR/SHAKEN for 911 calls

The CRTC approved an application by its Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) to defer the application of its anti-spoofing technology, the STIR/SHAKEN condition, to all 911 emergency and callback calls to eliminate the risk of emergency calls being misidentified as spoofed calls or being dropped. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Revenues dropped in 2020, EBITDA margins increased in 2020: CRTC CMR report

Overall, telecommunications companies pulled in some $53.4 billion in 2020, a 1.4 per cent decrease in overall revenues compared to 2019, according to the most recent edition of the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report released Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Lightbound takes over chair of Industry committee

The House of Commons Industry committee selected Joël Lightbound as its chair by a unanimous vote Tuesday. It is the first chairmanship for the Liberal MP for Quebec’s Louis-Hébert riding. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

MPs appointed to House Industry and Heritage committees

Parliament has established its committees for the new session, with the Industry and Technology committee and the Canadian Heritage committee being among those announced. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

Singh calls for price caps on wireless and internet bills, opposes Shaw takeover

OTTAWA – NDP leader Jagmeet Singh reiterated his party’s call for lower wireless and internet prices, calling for a price cap on billing. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …

SaskTel launches new digital mobile service

A crown-owned Saskatchewan telecommunications firm is launching its new digital mobile service This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL Two weeks …

PIAC says CRTC’s Internet Code has “no real protections,” CCTS research shows uptick in complaints

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said that the CRTC’s Internet Code provides consumers with a false sense of protection after a new report found there were only 18 violations under the code this year with nearly 13,000 complaints. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

STIR/SHAKEN rolling out despite incumbent demands for delay

Canada’s telecommunications companies have begun implementing the STIR/SHAKEN technology in the CRTC’s effort to combat spoof and fraudulent calls which mask the identity of callers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Telus launches Indigenous reconciliation plan amid goals for connectivity

Telus Corp. Monday unveiled a program to connect Indigenous communities to its network, in which the company sets out a five-year timeline of goals to be achieved. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …

Redline expands its services in Middle East

The Markham, Ont.-based manufacturer of wireless network technology for mining, oil-and-gas, and utility groups, Redline Communications Group Inc., announced in a Wednesday release that it will be deploying its Virtual Fiber technology in the Middle East. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

China Mobile pleads for court stay on Gov. order to leave country

A telecommunications service provider owned by the Chinese government sought Wednesday to convince a Federal Court judge to stay a move by the Canadian Government to order it to pack up and leave the country by January.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

ISED increases spectrum and telecoms licence fees by 3.4 per cent for next fiscal year

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is increasing its spectrum and telecommunications fees for the 2022-2023 fiscal year by 3.4 per cent, calculated based on the  April All-items Consumer Price Index (CPI), the department announced Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

CRTC fines Toronto company $59,000 for violating unsolicited telecoms rules

The CRTC is fining a Toronto-based window manufacturing and repair company for making telemarketing calls to consumers registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Bell says no evidence spectrum will go unused without deployment reqs, supports contiguous holding

The telecoms companies that supported Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) proposal to impose further deployment requirements on licences primarily used to provide commercial mobile wireless services failed to provide evidence of “a persistent market failure” in the delivery of wireless services, Bell told the department in reply, while also supporting a proposal from Rogers …

CRTC approves final 2021 rates, interim 2022 rates, for for high-cost serving areas

The CRTC approved the 2021 subsidy amounts for telecom providers operating in high-cost serving areas (HCSA), set at 0.44 per cent, and the  approved, on an interim basis a 2022 contribution collection revenue-percent charge of 0.46 per cent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Indigenous connectivity needs separate funding from feds’ UBF: Telus exec

The federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), by having rural and Indigenous connectivity initiatives lumped together, ignores the “very different” economics of connecting the two, according to Telus Corp.’s vice-president of Customer Network Implementation. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Bell wireless service restored to B.C. customers

BCE Inc.’s Bell Mobility has restored service to its wireless customers following an outage caused by storms in British Columbia.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Quebecor sells its westward expansion

MISSISSAUGA – On the second day of the Canadian Telecom Summit, Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau sought to do away with any uncertainty about whether or not his company was ready to roll out in western Canada. He appeared to properly announce his company as a fourth competitor in the west.  This content is …

Cogeco’s Jetté concerned about MVNO tariff negotiations

MISSISSAUGA – Even at the earliest stages of the CRTC’s new mobile virtual network operator regime, incumbents are already obstructing the goals of the decision, according to the CEO of one of the companies tipped to be the biggest beneficiary of the new regime.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Telus opens conference with attack on set-aside spectrum policies

MISSISSAUGA — The government’s set-aside spectrum policy has, rather than promoted competition in the telecommunication sector, instead led to underinvestment in networks and underserved communities, according to an opening keynote address from Telus Corp. executive vice president of home solutions Zainul Mawji at the 2021 edition of the Canadian Telecom Summit.  This content is available …

Telecoms renew call for delay of STIR/SHAKEN

Canada’s incumbent telecoms made another plea for deferral of the application of the STIR/SHAKEN condition. In a Nov. 9 letter to the CRTC, the Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) and the Network Working Group (NTWG), augmented by BCE Inc., Telus Corp., and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holdings Corp., noted that only two filings have been made regarding …

Ottawa, northeastern – central Ontario, getting new area codes: CRTC

Ottawa and the surrounding eastern Ontario area will be getting a third area code within the five months, and central Ontario will get a third code by Spring, the CRTC said in two separate Wednesday decisions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Spam calls complaints high in September, CRTC finds

The CRTC released its semi-annual report on Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) on Tuesday. The commission had over 154,406 complaints from Apr. 1 to Sept. 30 this year. That works out to an average of 5,939 per week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Bell posts quarterly profits driven by wireless growth

Bell reported a slight increase in overall revenue of $49 million or 0.8 per cent, up to $5.84 billion versus $5.79 billion for this time last year. The company attributed the results to “greater media advertising and subscriber revenues, and ongoing growth in mobile phones, retail internet and internet protocol TV (IPTV) subscriber bases coupled …

Quebec company fined $200k for violating telemarketing rules

A Quebec-based company that specializes in the sale of wellness products to seniors was penalized for sending millions of unsolicited calls to Canadians, some of which were registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL).  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Masse moves from TekSavvy to CNOC on regulatory file

Bryson Masse is the new Regulatory and Communications Advisor at Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC). He previously served as Regulatory Analyst at TekSavvy Solutions Inc. where he worked from September 2019. From October 2017 until September 2018 he was a reporter at the Wire Report. The Algonquin College graduate has also worked as a freelance writer. This content …

263 area code coming to Montreal next year

Montreal will be getting a third area code within the next year, the CRTC said in a Monday decision. The commission agreed that the threat of exhaustion of the 438 and 514 codes necessitated the adoption of the 263 code as of Oct. 22, 2022. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Rural, Indigenous, connectivity won’t improve by 2030 if Gov. keeps current goals in place : Report

Canada’s targets of reaching connectivity speeds of 50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads with unlimited monthly data transfer (50/10 unlimited)  “are insufficient and will not meet the needs of rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” according to a new report which recommends the government change its “complex” broadband funding schemes, spectrum allocation approach, …

CNOC files review and vary application on CRTC in-building wire access decision 

The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) has filed a review and vary application with the CRTC, in which the trade group representing smaller independent and wholesale-based Internet Service Providers is asking the regulator to reassess its July decision on access to in-building wire (IBW) in multi-dwelling units (MDUs).  This content is available to wirereport.ca …

Telesat announces new chief commercial officer, president of Government Solutions 

Satellite operator, Telesat Corp. appointed an executive in the communications industry in its newly created chief commercial officer and moved its former vice-president of International Sales Tom Eaton to president of Telesat Government Solutions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

UPDATED – Rodriguez back as Heritage minister, Champagne remains in Innovation

OTTAWA — MP Pablo Rodriguez is back in familiar territory as he is once again appointed the Minister of Canadian Heritage. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

368 area code to be introduced in Alberta

Albertans will be introduced to a new area code in six months as part of a CRTC effort to meet the continuously growing demand for new telephone numbers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …

Bell, SaskTel, not buying ISED proposal to reintroduce deployment requirements for cellular bands 

BCE Inc. and Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. are not in favour of a proposal from Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) to adopt its 20-year 3500 MHz general deployment requirements to the cellular and personal communications services (PCS)  bands — primarily used to provide commercial mobile wireless services — claiming spectrum is being used despite …

Quebecor’s spectrum winnings an ‘unfair cost advantage,’ Telus tells Federal Court

A Federal Court injunction stopping the Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) from issuing licenses for set-aside spectrum won by Quebecor Inc. in this past summer’s 3,500 MHz auction in western Canada is “not about preventing fair competition, it is about preventing an unfair cost advantage resulting from the auction rules not being …

Maskatel submits local competition plan to CRTC 

BCE Inc.’s subsidiary Maskatel Monday filed a plan for establishing local competition in Upton district, Que.,  with the CRTC after  CoopTel notified the company it intends to compete in the area. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

Proposed fees for earth stations would hinder remote connectivity: Telecom stakeholders

Rural broadband provider Xplornet Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. are opposing a proposal to implement licence fees for fixed earth stations, to which there are currently no fees in place — and to modify existing radio licence fees for earth stations in motion (ESIMs), claiming it will make satellite broadband less affordable for Canadians. This …

Several Quebec organizations receive leftover funds from Rogers $26M class-action lawsuit

A Quebec judge Tuesday decided the majority of the $7.2 million left over from a $26.8 million class action judgement paid by Rogers Communications Inc. will be distributed to a provincial organization that provides financial legal aid, with the remainder going to four non-profits.   This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Redline partners with Utah-based mining company

The Markham-Ont.-based manufacturer of wireless network technology for mining, oil-and-gas, and utilities groups, Redline Communications Group Inc., announced in a Thursday release that it is providing Citizens Broadband Radio Systems (CBRS) spectrum and Private LTE services for a mine in Salt Lake City, Utah. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …