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Telus withdraws guidance, records 19 per cent net income reduction

Telus Corp.’s net income for the first quarter of 2020 dropped 19 per cent to $353 million and the company joined the other major incumbents in withdrawing financial guidance for the year due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Cogeco to bring back overage fees as of May 1

Cogeco  Inc. will again start charging overage fees to its home internet customers who exceed their data limits as of Friday, with the company instead focusing on other measures it considers to “be more essential” to its customers.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Cogeco acquires southern Quebec telecom

Cogeco  Inc. has signed an agreement to acquire telecommunications service provider iTéract Inc., the company has 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 trial or subscribe to The Wire Report …

Rogers revenue drops 5%, withdraws guidance due to COVID-19

Rogers Communications Inc. recorded a five per cent drop in revenue in the first quarter of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected wireless and media revenues in the final few weeks of the quarter. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Ontario prisons waive phone fees for inmates

Ontario prisons are now allowing prisoners to call cell phones as well as landlines for free in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  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 …

Gov’t in ‘early stages’ of using cellphone data for COVID-19 tracking: Bains

The federal government is looking at what other jurisdictions are doing when it comes to using cellphone data to track the spread of COVID-19, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said. 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 …

Provinces collaborating on cellphone tracking: Tam

Canadian authorities are “pulling together a group amongst the provinces and territories to gauge interest” in using cellphone data to track the spread of COVID-19, Canada’s chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, said Friday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Freedom ‘less vulnerable’ to COVID than incumbents: McAleese

While it’s too early to tell what impact COVID-19 will have on Shaw Communications Inc., the company believes its wireless division will do well with budget-conscious consumers going through a difficult economic time, financial analysts heard Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Huawei’s COVID-19 donation won’t affect decisions: Trudeau

A decision to accept masks and respirators from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. won’t affect decisions on whether the company can be involved in Canada’s 5G rollout or whether chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is extradited to the U.S, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Canadian wireless sub adds down slightly from 2018

Canada’s publicly-traded wireless service providers added just under 1.29 million wireless subscribers in 2019, a year many executives described as one of the most intensely competitive in recent memory.  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 …

Quebec City police used location data to track infected individual

In March, Quebec City police used cellphone location data to track and then arrest a woman infected with COVID-19 who refused to self-isolate. 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 …

Canadian authorities in talks about COVID-19 tracking apps

Several of Canada’s cities and provinces, as well as the federal government, are in discussions about launching apps that would use location data to track exposure to COVID-19, researchers behind two projects say. Various teams around the world have been working on developing apps to trace the potential spread of the virus — from the …

Bell asks CRTC for ‘urgent’ approval to block Wangiri calls

BCE Inc. has filed an application with the CRTC asking it for “urgent expedited and ex parte approval” to block so-called Wangiri — one-ring phone scam — calls, saying doing so would allow the company to better address high call volumes caused by the country’s collective social distancing. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …

Networks coping, but future traffic impossible to predict

Experts say Canada’s telecommunications networks are currently handling a spike in residential data consumption caused by the working from home surge, but a lack of certainty around how the COVID-19 pandemic will develop means it’s almost impossible to project whether usage will continue to grow.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Rempel Garner calls for transparency on any cellphone tracking 

Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner said Wednesday that if the federal government uses cellphone location data to track the spread of COVID-19, it should be transparent about the process and work with the opposition to put in place safeguards. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Shaw founder JR Shaw dies at 85

Shaw Communications Inc. founder JR Shaw has passed away at the age of 85, the company said Tuesday. 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 …

CRTC approves Northwestel’s waiving of overage fees

The CRTC has given interim approval to BCE Inc.’s Northwestel application for urgent relief that will allow to it waive data overage charges for its cable and fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP)  internet customers. 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 …

Feds, 4 provinces not looking at COVID-19 phone tracking

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday the federal government isn’t currently considering using location data from Canadians’ cellphones to track the spread of COVID-19, while representatives from the Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Nunavut governments also told The Wire Report they don’t have such measures in the works. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Broadband Fund deadline extended to April 30, others remain suspended

The CRTC has extended the deadline for telecommunication service providers to apply to the regulator’s $750 million Broadband Fund to April 30, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.  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 …

Canada could track COVID-19 through cellphones: experts

As reports emerge of countries around the world using cellphone location data to help map out the spread of COVID-19, experts say there are a number of ways in which provinces or the federal government could do the same. There is nothing standing in the way of telecoms or tech companies handing over bulk data, …

CRTC wants more info on Cooptel’s call blocking

The CRTC is asking Cooptel to answer several questions about how its call blocking system will work, after the company asked if it could introduce a call filtering service in its October 2019 updated tariff application. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Northwestel ordered to redo temporary relief application

The CRTC has ordered BCE Inc.’s Northwestel to resubmit its “urgent” application for temporary relief in order to waive overage fees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic because the application presupposes the regulator will determine to reinstate a subsidy for landlines. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

Carriers to text consular information to Canadians abroad

Canada’s wireless service providers will send out text messages to their customers overseas with information about consular support services for Canadians living or travelling abroad during the COVID-19 outbreak. 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 …

Financial analysts say telecoms ‘resilient’ to impact of COVID-19

Canada’s telecommunications sector is a “constructive place to hide” for financial investors as markets continue to feel the impact of COVID-19, RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds says.  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 …

STIR/SHAKEN may create a ‘two-tiered’ wireless system: ISCC

OTTAWA — The CRTC’s efforts to work with telecom companies to implement a STIR/SHAKEN call identification protocol to cut down on fraud calls will have the unwitting effect of crowding out smaller players from the telecom market, the Internet Society’s Canadian chapter president Matthew Gamble told the House of Commons industry committee Thursday.  This content …

Quebecor ‘not worried’ about COVID-19 impact on capacity

Quebecor Inc. says COVID-19 is not expected to have a “material financial impact” on the company and is not worried about its impact on network consumption and capacity. 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 …

CRTC approves Rogers’ prepaid balance limit

The CRTC has given Rogers Communications Inc. the green light to set a maximum prepaid account balance of $150, rejecting an argument from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and National Pensioners Federation that doing so would violate the Wireless Code. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Rogers to move to paperless billing

Just over a week after the CRTC declined to require Telus Corp.‘s Koodo flanker brand to issue paper bills to those customers that want them, Rogers Communications Inc. has also said it will stop issuing paper bills, the company confirmed Wednesday afternoon. The company said it began informing customers of the move February 10.  This content is …

Fraud, nuisance calls will ‘never go away’: CRTC chairman

OTTAWA — Calls are only a part of the problem of nuisance and fraudulent communications in Canada, CRTC chairman Ian Scott told a Parliamentary committee Tuesday, while industry representatives said tackling the issue will require a multi-pronged approach.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Data leaked from 1,200 Koodo customers

Telus Corp. has confirmed that its flanker brand Koodo Mobile was subject to a data breach in February, and that some of the information has been put up for sale “on the dark web.”  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Telus savages gov’t price directive, others more circumspect

Analysts have provided nuanced reactions to the government’s plan to lower wireless bills by 25 per cent, saying the decision is unlikely to have a major impact on the big three carriers’ bottom lines.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

CRTC asks more small telecoms to explain CCTS non-compliance

After several months of attempting to get several smaller telecom service providers to join up to the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services, the CRTC Friday issued a notice that Rafiki Technologies Inc. and SkyNet Data Networks Inc. must explain why they haven’t done so. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Wireless prices down in Canada in 2019, but still high internationally: ISED report

Mobile wireless prices are lower or have stayed the same across all service “baskets” compared to last year, but the higher data plan prices remain stubbornly higher than most other countries, a new pricing report shows. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Industry committee to study wireless affordability, spoof calls

The House industry committee will study two hot-button telecommunications issues, launching a study into the affordability and accessibility of telecommunications in Canada, while also deciding to study the influx of fraud calls received in the country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Gov’t 25% price reduction to target big three flanker brands

The federal government will focus on 2 GB to 6 GB post-paid plans from Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. in its efforts to lower Canadian wireless prices, and set-aside 50 MHz of 3500 MHz spectrum for smaller and regional players in most licence areas in the upcoming Dec. 15 auction. Innovation Minister …

Shaw announces shake-up as Mehr retires

Shaw Communications Inc.’s president Jay Mehr will retire in April after four years in the role and be replaced by Paul McAleese, currently the president of the company’s wireless division. 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 …

CIPPIC unveils most ambitious low cost wireless plan

GATINEAU, Que. — The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic and Open Media have unveiled the most ambitious low-cost wireless plan at the final day of the CRTC’s wireless hearings, asking the regulator to mandate a $20 monthly plan including four GBs of data. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

Competition Bureau MVNO proposal ‘punts the problem’: Natale

GATINEAU, Que. — Rogers Communications Inc.’s Joe Natale was the last of the big three wireless provider CEOs to address the CRTC’s wireless hearing, telling commissioners on Wednesday that they shouldn’t mandate even a limited form of mandatory MVNO, or introduce a broad low-cost plan championed by consumer advocates. This content is available to wirereport.ca …

Rogers takes different tack on 25-per-cent price drop

GATINEAU, Que. — While BCE Inc. and Telus Corp. have made their opinion about the December 2019 starting date for the federal government’s promised 25 per cent wireless price drop clear in recent weeks, Rogers Communications Inc. is declining to do so.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Quebecor threatens legal action if MVNOs are mandated

GATINEAU, Que. — Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau says he would take legal action against both the federal government and the CRTC if the regulator mandates wholesale MVNO access, arguing such a decision would violate the agreement Quebecor signed when it purchased spectrum in 2008. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Former Freedom executives champion single MVNO model

GATINEAU, Que. — The CRTC should mandate a single provider to act as a certified MVNO throughout Canada, three former Freedom Mobile executives told the regulator on the fifth day  its wireless review hearing. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Canadian prices will ‘always be higher’: Bragg

GATINEAU, Que. — According to Lee Bragg, CEO of Bragg Communications Inc.’s Eastlink, it is “really ridiculous” to compare mobile wireless prices in Canada to those in the United States and Europe in any assessment of wireless affordability.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Investment cut threats over MVNOs not ‘just theater’: Telus

GATINEAU, Que. — Toward the tail end of nearly three hours of testimony from Telus Corp.’s leadership team at the CRTC, CEO Darren Entwistle levelled Thursday what is perhaps one of the biggest threats thus far in the fight over mandated MVNO access to incumbent networks: cutting as many as 5,000 jobs.  This content is …

MVNO decision arrives at a ‘tipping point’: Bell CEO

GATINEAU, Que. — How threatening the prospect of mandated MVNO access is to BCE Inc. was evident Wednesday as the company brought out its CEO to the CRTC’s ongoing wireless hearing, who told the regulator even the “least aggressive” MVNO proposal would harm investment. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

Government’s wireless price drop promise should be altered: Bibic

GATINEAU, Que. — The Liberal government’s promise to lower mobile service bills by 25 per cent should be measured from 2018 or when “unlimited” plans were introduced, rather than, as the government is planning, from December 2019, BCE Inc. CEO Mirko Bibic said.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Broad MVNO access too risky, Competition Bureau tells CRTC

GATINEAU, Que. — The CRTC’s two-week wireless policy review kicked off with a detailed questioning of one of the few parties to promote a middle-of-the-road solution for mandating MVNO access to incumbent infrastructure. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Liberal government’s ‘free ride’ on industry file to end: Rempel Garner

Conservative industry critic Michelle Rempel Garner is calling on both the Liberal government and her own party to develop a big-picture vision when it comes to telecom issues. 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 …

BTLR on telecom: a Q&A with Janet Yale 

In a phone interview with Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel chair Janet Yale, The Wire Report delved into the panel’s recommendations on the future of Canada’s telecom sector. The panel’s 198-page report on how to modernize Canada’s broadcast and telecom acts was released on Jan. 29.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Telus introduces its own wireless affordability certification

Telus Corp. says it has already met and exceeded the Liberal Party’s goal for reduced wireless prices, though the figures it cites pre-date both an industry-wide drop in wireless pricing, and government’s announcement of the benchmarks it will use.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Bell picks ‘first’ 5G vendor, says regulatory to affect buildout

BCE Inc. will start building out its 5G network with equipment supplied by Nokia Corp. as it waits for the federal government to decide if Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd gear can be used, the company told investors during its fourth quarterly earnings call Thursday morning. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …

CRTC tells Bell and Quebecor to play nicer in Part 1 roaming decision

BCE Inc. must keep providing Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron with wholesale roaming on an ongoing basis, the CRTC said Wednesday in a decision that also took the two perennial rivals to task for not first working together to solve the issue. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Providers stirred up by ‘premature’ anti-spoofing system deadline

Canada’s telecommunications providers have united to delay the implementation of a system that would detect and flag spoof phone calls, labelling the CRTC’s timeline of Sept. 30 as “too aggressive” and “premature” in interventions to the regulator.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Guilbeault promises BTLR legislation in ‘months’

OTTAWA — Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says his government will introduce legislation to implement some of the recommendations from the expert panel reviewing Canada’s communications legislation in the coming months, and could order the CRTC to take action on new rules for streaming services even sooner. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

CRTC should regulate foreign digital services, news sites: BTLR

The blue-ribbon panel tasked with modernizing Canada’s communications legislation is calling for “fundamental changes” to how the CRTC operates, including giving the regulator jurisdiction over online news and rules requiring large foreign digital audio and video platforms to contribute to and promote Canadian content. The long-awaited, 200-page report from the broadcasting and telecommunications legislative review …

Canada likely to follow U.K.’s template on Huawei decision: analyst

The Liberal government will “inevitably” follow the U.K. in banning Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. equipment from the core of Canada’s 5G network, according to National Bank of Canada financial analyst Adam Shine.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Telus shuts down domain used to resell out-of-province plans

Telus Corp. has been transferred control over a domain name used by individuals it says were infringing its trademarks and re-selling plans from provinces where wireless service is cheaper. 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 …

As Parliament returns, Bains promises ‘plan’ for lower wireless prices

When the House of Commons comes back after winter break next week, it will be to a political environment in which telecom and media issues are set to take centre stage in an unprecedented way. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Rogers says further regulation could lead to capex cuts

Rogers Communications Inc. has warned that, depending on what regulatory decisions are made in 2020, the company may cut their capital expenditure investments below the low end of their guidance for the year.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

CRTC asks for plan to combat unauthorised phone porting

The CRTC has asked for information about the unauthorised porting of Canadians’ phone numbers after becoming aware that customers “have been subject to fraudulent activity”, according to a letter sent to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

CRTC launches tests, reporting rules after emergency alert glitches

Complaints about the national emergency alert system have prompted the CRTC to launch a smartphone testing program, as well as requiring wireless providers to report on how alerts are distributed, documents obtained through access to information show. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Industry waiting on detail from gov’t on wireless price drop

If Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains wants to see a 25-per-cent reduction in wireless prices starting from December 2019 — as he clarified this week — the best way is to maintain a hands-off approach that has seen a reduction of 28 per cent in wireless prices since 2016, according to the industry’s main lobby.  This …

Cogeco’s IPTV service in beta testing, but no start date

There’s no firm timeframe for when Cogeco Inc. will roll out its new IPTV service, despite the cableco previously telling investors it would become available in 2019.  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. …

Incumbents, small telecoms pan Competition Bureau MVNO proposal

Telecom providers both big and small have unanimously rejected a Competition Bureau proposal to allow strictly-regulated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to the Big Three’s networks for five years, but for vastly different reasons. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …

Big Three pricing has been ‘erratic’: Shaw’s McAleese

After taking credit over the summer for the reduction in wireless pricing in the Canadian market, Shaw Communications Inc. is now blaming the incumbents for driving down the market with “erratic” pricing competition over the summer and through to the holiday period.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Telecoms deadlocked ahead of 5G rollout: analyst

No major wireless provider stands out as most likely to benefit from Canada’s looming 5G network rollout, despite two players’ extensive combined wireline footline placing them on the “front foot”, RBC Capital Markets analyst Drew McReynolds says. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Delete wireless price commitment in Broadband Fund: Bell

BCE Inc. is asking the CRTC to remove some of the pricing stipulations on mobile wireless offerings in its November call for applications to the regulator’s $750-million Broadband Fund.  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 …

CRTC eyeing occasional-use plans ahead of wireless review

The CRTC has asked telecoms to provide information about wireless plans aimed at Canadians who only need service occasionally or on an emergency basis, as part of its upcoming wireless policy review. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Wireless revenues, ARPU up industry-wide, CRTC report says

The latest portion of the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report, focused on the mobile retail market and released Monday, shows that wireless industry revenues have gone up, and while smaller providers’ share of that revenue also increased, the Big Three continue to dominate more than 90 per cent of the market. This content is available to …

Telecom in the spotlight in new Bains mandate letter

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a greatly expanded set of telecom and internet-related authorities to returning Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains in this year’s mandate letter.  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 …

Comp. Bureau, telecoms, have until Dec. 18 to defend report confidentiality

The CRTC has responded to requests to divulge the methodology and confidential data in the Competition Bureau’s report on mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), giving the bureau and telecoms who had disclosed confidential information until Dec. 18 to give their input. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

Videotron choses Samsung as partner for 5G

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said Friday it has chosen Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. as its equipment supplier for the deployment of LTE-A and 5G networks. 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 …

Federal Court dismisses Otterburn Park case

A judicial review application to the Federal Court challenging Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s approval of a cell tower site has been dismissed by the court. 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. …

Telus wants Competition Bureau methodology in MVNO review

After a November Competition Bureau report endorsed a limited version of mandated access to incumbent networks for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), Telus Corp. is asking the CRTC to let it see the methodology of the study and submit responses,  or else throw the report out altogether.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

Quebecor’s court appeal over Bell’s G7 gov’t contract dismissed

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a case brought forward by Quebecor Inc. over the federal government granting BCE Inc. the contract to improve wireless coverage ahead of the 2018 G7 Summit held in La Malbaie, Que. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Rempel claims Liberals lobbied most by wireless industry in first QP as industry critic

Michelle Rempel Garner, Conservative MP for Calgary Nose Hill and her party’s newly minted critic for industry, said Friday that Canada’s wireless rates are “non-competitive,” with consumers paying for more data than both Americans and Europeans. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Usual fault lines emerging ahead of 3.5 GHz auction

A cap on the amount of 3.5 GHz spectrum any one company can hold in the upcoming auction is not, on its own, “sufficient” for smaller rural-based wireless internet service providers to compete, according to the trade group CanWISP. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …

Throne speech reiterates Liberal promise to cut wireless bills 25%

The new Liberal minority government repeated its promise to lower wireless prices in the speech from the throne that kicked off the new Parliamentary session Thursday. 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 …

Telus International to go public after $1.3B acquisition

Telus Corp.’s outsourcing and call centre operation Telus International is buying Competence Call Center for $1.3 billion, the company has 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 trial or subscribe …

CRTC surveying Canadians on wireless service

As part of its review of Canada’s wireless market, the CRTC has launched a survey to find out how Canadians feel about their service providers. 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 …

Conservatives name Michelle Rempel industry critic 

The Conservative Party has announced its shadow cabinet ahead of the Dec. 5 return of the House of Commons, with MP Michelle Rempel taking on the telecom file. 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 …

Masse stays as NDP telecom critic; Boulerice to take on Heritage

OTTAWA — Brian Masse, the New Democratic Party MP for Windsor, is staying on as his party’s critic for telecommunications and innovation. Masse has been in the portfolio almost consistently since he was first elected in 2002.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Telecoms find silver lining in unprecedented number of CCTS complaints

Despite improvements in customer service that have lowered customer defections, the country’s telecom complaints watchdog said it still accepted 35 per cent more issues from subscribers over the year — but the telecoms are pointing to improved figures.   This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Consumer groups push mandated low-cost data plans in wireless review

Consumer advocacy groups are urging the CRTC to require incumbent wireless providers to make low-cost data plans a condition of operation in the latest round of submissions to the regulator’s review of the mobile wireless industry.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Competition Bureau endorses limited MVNO model

The Competition Bureau is officially endorsing a policy that would temporarily mandate access to the incumbents’ network infrastructure by mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), the watchdog said Monday. 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 …

Move quickly on spectrum for 5G, Canadian gov’t told

OTTAWA — A panel of international spectrum policy experts and industry representatives gathered in Ottawa Thursday said the Canadian government should make more spectrum available and reconsider set-asides for auctions. 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 …

Blair says ‘no timeline’ on Huawei ban; Bains promises ‘more’ on prices

OTTAWA — New Public Safety Minister Bill Blair indicated Wednesday he is open to talking to telecoms about whether to ban Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd equipment from 5G networks, while returning Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains promised “additional measures” to lower wireless prices. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Cablecos, Telus join Bell in petition to government on wholesale rate cut

Wednesday saw a flurry of legal moves to overturn a CRTC decision that cut the rates wholesale internet resellers pay for bandwidth from the incumbents, as  BCE Inc., Telus Corp. and the country’s major cable companies filed three separate petitions to the governor-in-council asking it to reverse the decision, and Telus doubled up by also filing …

Telus subscriber adds offset slight ARPU pressure

Despite the summer’s volatility in the wireless market, with a rush of new offerings in “unlimited” plans and new phone financing schemes that threatened to put a damper on telecom wireless returns, Telus Corp. has managed to remain resilient. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …