RoW Editorial

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Two months ago in this space, Report on Wireless argued that wireless carriers shouldn’t have to pay a levy on ringtones (Tariff 24) since they are not the suppliers of the ringtone, but simply the provider of the conduit to access those ringtones (RoW, Oct. 7/03). We said that third-party content...

Canadians show substantial interest in paying for Wi-Fi, Decima study finds

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Canadians interested in Wi-Fi access in public places such as coffee shops and airport lounges will pay between $4 and $10 for the service, and are more likely to pay for either one or two hours at a time, according to new research. These are two key findings from a survey done by Decima Research Inc. for Report on Wireless...

NorthernTel Mobility objects to Superior Wireless’ application for analog spectrum

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

NorthernTel Mobility has objected to Superior Wireless Inc.’s application for sole access to the sub-B band along Highway 11 in Northwestern Ontario, Report on Wireless has learned. The independent regional wireless operator, operating as part of the Bell Nordiq Income Fund, launched a last minute objection late on...

Broadband wireless to provide much needed competition in datacomm market

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Long thought to be the near exclusive domain of the large incumbent telcos, the high-speed data communications market could soon begin to experience greater competition from established and emerging broadband wireless players. Companies such as TeraGo Networks Inc. are already giving established players a run for their...

Rogers and Telus slam Microcell over mandated site sharing proposal

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Rogers Wireless Inc. says Microcell Telecommunications Inc.’s call for mandated tower site sharing at commercially reasonable costs is equal to getting a free ride. Ted Woodhead, director of government relations at Rogers Wireless, made the comments during a session on wireless legal framework and spectrum management at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum last month in Toronto. "Quite simply, what Microcell is asking for, when you strip away all the niceties of it, is to leverage the network investments of other carriers," Woodhead said during his presentation. "They have chosen for their own business purposes to plow $40 million, $60 million, whatever it is in sales...

Tower review report released, process shifts to in-person interviews

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

 A study done as part of the National Antenna Tower Policy Review confirms that communications industry stakeholders and the general public are miles apart in their views of regulatory control over radiocommunication infrastructure placement. As was presented in their formal submissions to the review, local governments...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Wireless takes greater share of telecom revenue in 2002 Wireless operators increased their share of total telecommunications services revenue in 2002, according to the CRTC’s Status of Competition in Canadian Telecommunications Markets. Released last week, the comprehensive report notes that strong growth in the wireless (11%) and Internet (24%) sectors helped offset declines in local and access (-9%) and long distance...

RoW People

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Bernard Courtois and Linda Gervais are retiring from Bell Canada. Courtois is executive counsel for Bell Canada and BCE Inc. Gervais is Bell’s VP of federal government relations. Zi Corp. has promoted Michael Donnell to the position of president and CEO, effective immediately. Donnell, who joined the company last July as president and COO, replaces Michael Lobsinger, Zi’s founder and CEO for the past 10 years....

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 12/03/2003 5:00 am EST

Verizon to cut back number of hotspots in New YorkVerizon Communications claims that 500 phone-booth access points are enough to cover Manhattan and as such is planning on cutting in half the number of hotspots available to DSL subscribers in the city. The company offers its DSL subscribers free access to Wi-Fi services. The New York City trial was to...

NL Update

telecom | 12/01/2003 5:00 am EST

 CRTC issues third telecom competition reportThe CRTC has released the third volume of its look at the state of competition in the telecom sector. As in previous years, the commission found ILECs hold the vast majority of the market and that capex spending is on the decline. The regulator will produce five annual reports by the time the program concludes.Verizon assumes Anglo-Canadian’s shares in TelusVerizon...

New technologies and fair regulation seen as pillars of telecom competition

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

Struggling CLECs see the need to adopt new technologies and products in order to remain competitive, but they also note that there needs to be a level regulatory playing field. The ILECs assert, however, that the adoption of other communications technologies is creating greater competition. Those were the underlying themes...

Solid fundamentals for telephony market, lines between telcos and cablecos blur

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 The telecom world looks favourable from an economic standpoint despite challenges facing the sector, a recent conference was told. Two leading financial analysts laid out their projections at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum in Toronto earlier this month. Both Dvai Ghose of CIBC World Markets and Richard...

Solid fundamentals for telephony market, lines between telcos and cablecos blur

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

The telecom world looks favourable from an economic standpoint despite challenges facing the sector, a recent conference was told. Two leading financial analysts laid out their projections at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum in Toronto earlier this month. Both Dvai Ghose of CIBC World Markets and Richard Talbot of...

RoW Update

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

Rogers Wireless begins EDGE trials in VancouverRogers Wireless Inc. has deployed its EDGE network in the Greater Vancouver Area on a trial basis, the first step in the company’s national rollout of third-generation wireless technology. The network will provide higher throughput rates ranging from 100 kbps to 130 kbps with burst speeds up to 200 kbps. Rogers Wireless’ EDGE network deployment coincides with that of AT&T Wireless Inc.’s in the United States. A November 18 Rogers Wireless news release notes that national EDGE deployment will begin next year. David Neale, VP of new product development at Rogers Wireless, told delegates at the recent Canadian Telecommunications Forum that the network is also partially completed in the Toronto area and that the company will have nation-wide EDGE coverage by May of next year. The company said it will cost between $20 million and $25 million to roll out EDGE nationally – comparable to the $30 million Microcell Telecommunications Inc. estimates it will cost to deploy a national...

Greater clarity needed in access regulations, panelists tell conference

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 Recent rulings by the CRTC and the courts have muddied the issue of access and property rights for telcos and other carriers. Representatives of various stakeholders are hopeful that consensus can be reached soon. The Canadian Telecommunications Forum held in Toronto earlier this month featured two sessions on...

Severed cables in Vancouver just latest affliction to affect Telus service

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 The severing of cable ducts serving Telus Communications Inc.’s largest market is causing headaches for the telco, its workers and its customers. Although service has been restored, the after-effects are still lingering. Late last month, a construction crew working on a new building in Vancouver accidentally...

Bell using research findings to draw attention away from real issue, critics say

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada is using the results of a Decima Research Inc. survey it commissioned to distract the regulator from the real issues, competitors say. But the telecom giant insists that consumer preference must be a deciding factor in setting telecommunications policy. Decima Research, an affiliated company to Decima...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

Decima Reader Poll, October 2003Respondents to the latest Decima Publishing online poll were asked to agree or disagree with the statement: "The federal government should institute a national Do Not Spam list that would forbid people and businesses from sending advertising and other marketing messages via email to people on the list."In this unscientific survey, the vast majority agreed completely or somewhat...

NL People

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

Stephen Wetmore is the new group president, national markets at Bell Canada. He will be responsible for carrier services and Bell West in addition to his duties as executive VP of corporate services. His appointment follows the resignation of John Sheridan as group president, business markets. The former COO of Bell Canada had spent 24 years with the telco. Bell also announced that enterprise business president Isabelle Courville, small and medium business president Karen Sheriff and customer operations president Terry Mosey will all report directly to CEO Michael Sabia.  Leitch Technology Corp. has named Tim Thorsteinson as its new president/CEO. He joins the firm from Thomson Broadcast and Media Solutions and replaces Stan Kabala who held the job on an interim basis (NL, July 28/03). Maynard Sonntag still holds responsibility for SaskTel in the Saskatchewan Cabinet. Although he was moved from the ministry of Crown investments to become minister of aboriginal affairs in the recent Cabinet shuffle, he will continue to answer for...

Matter of Perspective: Myths and Realities in Canadian Telecommunications

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

 BCE Inc. executive VP Lawson Hunter was a keynote speaker at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum on November 13. Here is an edited version of his remarks, which can be found here. I’m coming to believe that the real issue is not whether we have too much regulation…or too little. The real question is this: is...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/24/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. During Brian Mulroney’s term as prime minister, he had a simple response whenever his appointment process was criticized. If an opposition MP should object to some Mulroney crony getting a board or commission job, the PM would thunder that he had named former Liberal MP Lloyd Francis as ambassador to...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Three weeks to apply for unassigned PCS spectrumParties interested in acquiring spectrum unassigned in the 2001 PCS spectrum auction have until December 8 to submit an expression of interest. It is after that date that Industry Canada will determine whether it will proceed with an auction of the 10 available licences or offer the licences on a first-come, first-served basis. The licences are for the most part in rural...

RoW People

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Mitec Telecom Inc. has made two key personnel changes to its executive team. Ken Allstaff has been appointed VP of European sales and David Kennedy has been named executive VP, global sales and marketing. Allstaff has held a number of senior-level positions within Mitec's sales, marketing and operations divisions. Kennedy brings more than 20 years experience to Mitec having served in executive and senior-level...

Superior Wireless wants access to analog bands along Highway 11 in Ontario

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada is calling for proposals to extend analog wireless services in Northwestern Ontario after it received an application from independent regional wireless provider Superior Wireless Inc. to develop the spectrum along portions of Highway 11. The Thunder Bay ON-based company is proposing to extend its...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Wireline carriers fight back against wireless LNPU.S. wireline carriers have launched their counteroffensive against wireless local number portability, imposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and set to go into effect on November 24. Late last week, BellSouth filed for US$38 million in repayment with the FCC for the costs of porting...

Pre-paid wireless not included in new discussion paper on privacy

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

 Pre-paid wireless has been saved from the chopping block after the federal government made substantial changes to its lawful access discussion paper, a telecommunications conference was told last week. Pre-paid wireless services came under heavy scrutiny following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C....

Rogers, Sprint and Telus debate reality of wireline substitution by wireless

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Three of Canada’s best-known communications companies butted heads at a recent conference in Toronto over the potential impact of wireline substitution by wireless and put their own spin on the numbers. At the Canadian Telecommunications Forum last week, representatives from Rogers Communications Inc., Sprint Canada Inc.,...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. A recent meeting between the heads of Canada's national wireless operators and Industry Canada minister Allan Rock may ultimately prove an exercise in wheel spinning. The November 13 rendezvous took five months to arrange, and the obvious question arises about how meaningful it could be on the eve of an important change of government that's linked in the media's mind with a thorough purge of Cabinet. Were the wireless honchos going through the motions of meeting after such a long delay? It's no secret that Rock is unlikely to keep his Industry post in Paul Martin's Ottawa, and doubts continue to surface that he will even be invited into a new Cabinet. Why then would four of the most powerful men in the Canadian mobile wireless industry spend five months trying to set up a meeting, the fruitfulness of which is suspect? Obviously, they were unlikely to pass up the chance to hammer...

Canadian wireless industry poised for growth in future, analysts tell conference

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

The Canadian mobile wireless industry is seen growing stronger as average revenue per user (ARPU) rates increase as a result of higher minutes of use and the impact of wireless data (see box on next page for other key industry indicators). That was the message from Dvai Ghose of CIBC World Markets and Richard Talbot of RBC...

Aliant Mobility’s regional focus gives company leadership in Atlantic Canada

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

The head of Aliant Telecom Inc.’s mobility arm says the company remains focused on hitting a 50% penetration rate by 2007 despite swirling rumours the company is a target to be wholly owned by parent Bell Canada. No matter what Ma Bell’s plans may be, Aliant Mobility VP Chuck Hartlen says the company is committed to...

Industry Canada to lead trade mission to Southeast Asia

telecom | 11/18/2003 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada is looking for Canadian wireless firms that are ready to take advantage of export opportunities in Southeast Asia. The department is searching for firms with a particular focus on software applications and are export ready.Many Southeast Asian nations are working to bridge the digital divide, opening the...

NL Update

telecom | 11/17/2003 5:00 am EST

Telus introduces IP telephony serviceTelus has rolled out its IP-One service, a carrier-grade service, in Ontario and Quebec. The system uses the telco’s next-generation network rather than the telephone network to route calls and data. IP-One is being marketed to business customers only.Media blackout imposed in Telus-TWU contract talksFederal conciliators have imposed a 30-day media blackout as Telus Communications...

Five cities ask CRTC for 311 system to ease strain on 911 services

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Five major communities from across the country are asking the CRTC to designate the 311 code for non-emergency municipal government services. All telcos would be expected to route 311 calls and to pay for the privilege as well. The City of Calgary, the City of Toronto, the Halifax Regional Municipality, la Ville de Gatineau, and the Regional Municipality (RM) of Halton submitted the Part VII application on October 31. They want the decision on the 311 code to follow the criteria for N11 the commission laid out in Telecom Decision 2001-475. The drive was spearheaded by Toronto (NL, June 2/03). The applicants want 311 to be complementary to the use of 911 for emergency services and...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

Nortel buys out Koor stake in Israeli operationsNortel Networks Corp. has assumed total control of Nortel Networks Israel (Sales and Marketing) Ltd. The Canadian equipment manufacturer is buying the 28% stake of the Israeli operations previously held by Koor Industries.   Teleglobe buys American VoIP company IXTCTeleglobe International Holdings Ltd. has purchased VoIP wholesaler IXTC Corp. The VoIP division,...

NL People

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

Sheridan Scott has been named the commissioner of competition at the Competition Bureau. The chief regulatory officer at Bell Canada replaces Konrad von Finckenstein, who was appointed to the bench (NL, Sept. 2/03). Before joining Bell in 1994, she had worked at the CBC, the CRTC and clerked for Supreme Court chief Justice Bora Laskin.  Mario Belanger is the new president of Canadian operations for Avaya Inc. He...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

FCC to fine AT&T US$788,000 for Do Not Call violationsThe Federal Communications Commission plans to fine AT&T Corp. US$788,000 for violating the Do Not Call rules. The FCC says the telco called 29 consumers on 78 occasions despite their presence on the list.   Nippon T&T to merge two broadband divisionsNippon Telegraph and...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. In his essay Politics and the English Language, George Orwell wrote, "It is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes." That came true with a vengeance in two recent developments.   The Saskatchewan New Democrats were returned to power...

Bell says rules for telephony, Internet and television need to be harmonized

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Bell Canada says its request for symmetric regulations between triple play providers will benefit both telcos and cablecos alike. Its critics, however, accuse the telecom behemoth of trying to tinker with the regulatory agenda if it gets the chance. On November 6, the telco filed an application with the CRTC...

Grits say O.N. Telcom no longer for sale; SaskTel fears re-elect New Democrats

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 The defeat of the Tory government in Ontario means that one small provincially owned telco is not going to be sold. Meanwhile, fear of privatization of a larger ILEC may have been a contribution in the re-election of the NDP in Saskatchewan. O.N. Telcom, the telecommunications arm of the Ontario Northland...

Online voting projects highlight changes in Ontario municipal polling

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Two Ontario communities are experimenting with onling balloting, as voters across the province get set to head to the polls in municipal elections. Each is using a different method, giving other cities alternatives to consider should they decide to adopt Internet voting. The most prominent is the trial being...

RoW Update

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 Industry Canada to license unassigned PCS spectrumIndustry Canada announced on November 7 that it was moving ahead with a plan to license spectrum unassigned during the 2001 PCS spectrum auction. The department will license the 10 spectrum blocks in one of either two ways: on a first-come first-served basis if supply exceeds demand or via an auction where demand exceeds supply. Should the department need to proceed...

ILECs tell CRTC they need more time for price floor review preparations

telecom | 11/10/2003 5:00 am EST

 The incumbent telephone companies think the CRTC is not giving them enough time to prepare for the review of price floor safeguards and they are asking for a delay in the proceedings. Meanwhile, comments that have begun trickling in suggest that someone is orchestrating public responses to the CRTC. On November 3, Sheridan Scott, Bell Canada’s chief regulatory officer, and Willie Grieve, VP public policy and regulatory affairs at Telus Communications Inc., sent an application asking for changes to Telecom Public Notice 2003-8 (NL, Oct. 28/03). The filing, submitted on behalf of Bell, Telus, Aliant Telecom Inc., MTS Communications Inc., SaskTel, Télébec, and Telus (Québec)...

Sprint Canada signs up 9,000 wireless/wireline bundle customers in five weeks

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Sprint Canada Inc. spent $2 million to sign up 9,000 subscribers to its new wireless/wireline bundle in the first five weeks following the launch of the initiative in mid-September (RoW, Sept. 9/03), and may have to spend more on capital and operating expenses than it previously anticipated. Sprint, which unveiled the...

Second U.S. satellite radio operator appears set to enter Canadian market

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Representatives from Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. are mum on potential plans by the U.S.-based company to enter the Canadian market after receiving a trademark for the term Canadian Satellite Radio. The satellite radio operator applied for the trademark two months ago and was granted the rights to the phrase on October 2...

AirIQ launches consumer telematics, leveraging commercial fleet business

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

AirIQ Inc. has expanded into consumer telematics with the launch of its MobileIQ service, a strategy the company talked about in an interview with Report on Wireless last year (RoW, Sept. 16/02). The Toronto-based company has developed a solid commercial fleet business with more than 40,000 subscribers and is now set to use...

Craig Wireless vows to continue fight for control of Look Communications

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Craig Wireless International Inc. isn’t giving up its fight for control of Look Communications Inc. despite a legal setback forcing the company to withdraw a lawsuit in Manitoba and re-file it in Ontario. Craig Wireless filed the original suit in July in Manitoba’s Court of Queen’s Bench seeking to reverse...

Microcell could add 50,000 new subs in B.C. from City Fido initiative, SeaBoard says

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. is set to steal 50,000 subscribers from the incumbent tele-phone provider in British Columbia, according to a new research report from the SeaBoard Group. The report indicates that Microcell’s fortunes in Vancouver and the lower mainland will come at the expense of Telus Communications Inc. following the introduction of its City Fido wireline replacement initiative last month (RoW, Oct. 7/03). The plan, officially launched on October 9, offers unlimited anytime calling for $40/month. In determining its projections, SeaBoard believes that 15% of current telephone subscribers have little or no loyalty to Telus and Microcell should be able to capture...

Microcell stands alone in calling for mandated tower site co-location

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has renewed its call for mandated antenna tower site co-location in the wake of what it says is a failure by the industry to self-regulate fair access (RoW, March 31/03). The country’s smallest mobile wireless operator says in comments to the National Antenna Tower Policy Review that...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

XIAM and Impact team up for mobile marketing offeringXIAM Ltd. and Impact Mobile are partnering together to provide wireless marketing company Digital Youth with a system to help the company increase its mobile services program. The XIAM/Impact system will broaden Digital Youth’s range of mobile services including an email to SMS and other interactive SMS solutions. Digital Youth chose the platform the two companies...

RoW People

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Former Hewlett-Packard (HP) VP Jerry Meerkatz has been appointed CEO of Vancouver-based Infowave Software Inc. Meerkatz brings more than 24 years experience to the company having most recently served as VP and GM of enterprise mobility solutions at HP. Meerkatz worked at Compaq for 14 years prior to its acquisition by HP in 2002. Prior to his tenure at Compaq and HP, he held several senior-level management and engineering...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

Wireless directory assistance in the works by U.S. carriersSome of the largest wireless operators in the United States have teamed up to develop a directory of wireless phone numbers. The goal of the project is to allow subscribers to call 411 and connect to other mobile subscribers. Although the service is welcomed by some and is a potential...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 11/05/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Some hard decisions will be made over the next several months concerning the government’s current antenna tower-siting policy, and some would say it’s about time changes were made. One of the key issues at the centre of potential changes will likely be whether the government should mandate antenna...

NL Update

telecom | 11/03/2003 5:00 am EST

 CRTC issues QoS standardsThe CRTC has settled various issues on quality of service indicators in Telecom Decision 2003-72, released October 30. It also gave final approval to 10 QoS indicators that had been filed by the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC). The commission began a public proceeding on finalizing the QoS rate adjustment cap with Telecom Public Notice 2003-9.Bell West completes...

New CRTC price floor proposals create controversy for ILECs and CLECs

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 The CRTC’s review of bundled services could further delay any reasonable move toward sustainable facilities-based competition. Whether the interim measures outlined in its public notice released last week are helpful or hurtful is a question for debate. In Telecom Public Notice 2003-8, the commission asks for...

CRTC should provide guidance for Centrex de-averaging, Aliant states

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Aliant Telecom Inc. is unhappy with a recent CRTC ruling not allowing it to decrease rates on certain Centrex services and has filed a review and vary application with the regulator. The regional ILEC casts itself as the defender of the consumer in the dispute. "One of the purposes of the price caps regime...

Ottawa company seeks to wed call centres with Internet for better surfing

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 An Ottawa software company is shedding its professional services focus in favour of developing software that merges the Internet and corporate call centres. Microburst Internet Technologies is about to unveil an application that allows call centres to assist their clients to navigate corporate web sites. The HumanResolve program uses the Intelligent Contact Management system from Cisco Systems. The Cisco central server permits call centres and customers to link up at a neutral site to navigate the Internet. Microburst is renting capacity on its server to any client that requires it. Cisco, which only sells capacity, has endorsed its partnership with the small Canadian...

Canada a world leader in Internet deployment, FCC report discovers

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Cablecos, rather than telcos, are the leaders in the introduction of high-speed Internet services, according to a new study prepared for the Federal Communications Commission in Washington. The Canadian example is duplicated throughout most of the developed world, the report concludes. In Broadband Internet...

Providing IP service on frame relay a challenge for multinational company

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 A multinational company selling to other multinationals has introduced a service that marries the advantages of IP technology with frame relay platforms. Infonet Services Corp., which unveiled its new FlexIVPN system this month, expects to begin shipping the product in January. Infonet is a managed network...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

TWU launches ad campaign as Telus service complaints riseThe Telecommunications Workers Union is launching an advertising campaign in newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia urging people dissatisfied with Telus Communications Inc. service not to take their frustration out on the employees. The CRTC reports it received 2,445 complaints about Telus quality of service from January 2002 until last September, compared with...

Reaching Broadband Nirvana: The Future of Powerline Technology

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

 Federal Communications Commission commissioner Kathleen Abernathy addressed the United PowerLine Council annual conference last month. She touched on many important issues concerning this increasingly important technology of broadband-over-powerline (BPL) (NL, Mar. 11/03). The full version of her remarks may be found...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/28/2003 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. More than two decades ago, Thomas Boswell, the baseball writer for the Washington Post, published a book entitled How Life Imitates the World Series. Recent events make us wonder if telecom life doesn’t mirror the October Classic as well.   The CRTC’s public notice on bundling rules, the subject of our lead story in this issue, is the latest in a series of statements from the regulator that want the ILECs to cede some of their power. We have seen a moratorium placed on winbacks and other promotions. Inspectors will visit the incumbents to guarantee they follow existing rules. The comparison is clear: the ILECs are the New York Yankees. They swagger around the playing field, thinking they should continue to dominate the scene because they have for more than a century. They gobble up market share like David Wells laying waste to beer and chicken wings after a game. They point to the icons, Alexander...

RoW Update

telecom | 10/27/2003 5:00 am EST

 Craig Wireless withdraws case against Look CommunicationsCraig Wireless International Inc. has withdrawn a lawsuit it filed as part of its ongoing ownership battle for Look Communications Inc. that was derailed by an agreement with UBS Wireless Services Inc. Craig, which filed the suit earlier this summer (RoW, Aug. 26/03), wanted the court to undo transactions made in the months leading up to and during Look’s...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

FCC releases 3G service rules The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released the rules for the auction of the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz bands, the two bands identified last November as the key real estate for 3G. The FCC has designed the auction in a manner that will allow smaller companies to acquire spectrum. Fifteen percent of the...

Cellular usage displacing wireline usage, Decima and Bell survey finds

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

Wireline telephone displacement by wireless service seems to be a growing trend, according to new research that shows a substantial number of Canadians are using their cell phone in the home. A new study done by Decima Research Inc. and Bell Canada and made available to Report on Wireless indicates that about one-fifth of...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. When Microcell Telecommunications unveiled its City Fido pack-age in Vancouver two weeks ago, the response from its competitors was immediate. Not only did Telus Mobility, Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility begin offering plans to entice disillusioned Fido subscribers to jump ship, they accused the...

Industry Canada to facilitate commercial digital roaming in rural and remote areas

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada wants to facilitate the development of commercial roaming agreements between the four national wireless operators’ digital networks and those of operators in rural and remote Canada, hoping to open the door to greater penetration of digital wireless services in unserved and under-served regions of Canada....

Industry Canada begins 3G spectrum licensing process; reviewing spectrum cap

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada has begun to lay the policy foundation for the licensing of spectrum for advanced wireless services, or 3G. The department is seeking comments in DGTP-007-03 on the proposed licensing of several bands, including the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110-2155 MHz pairing, two key bands identified by the International...

Wireless operators say antenna tower policy should remain largely the same

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

Wireless carriers say giving local governments control over antenna tower siting will hurt their bottom line, and are pushing hard to leave the final say in Ottawa’s hands. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) has weighed in to the ongoing tower review process with a heady constitutional argument...

Bell Wireless Alliance key to MTS Mobility’s competitiveness in Canadian market

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

The former head of MTS Mobility says that membership in the Bell Wireless Alliance (BWA) is key to the company’s future competitiveness in Canada’s wireless telecommunications market. Roger Ballance, executive VP of marketing and sales and chief marketing officer for MTS Communications Inc., tells Report on Wireless...

RoW People

telecom | 10/21/2003 4:00 am EDT

The International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT) made two appointments last week. Rogers Wireless Inc. president and CEO Nadir Mohamed has been appointed to the board of governors, while Jean Laporte, president, Eastern Canada of Rogers Wireless, has been named to the IIT’s board of directors. In other Rogers Wireless personnel changes, the company has appointed Murna Dalton as VP corporate sales for the Ontario Region. Not only will she be responsible for a corporate sales strategy for the region, she will also play a pivotal role in rolling out the company’s national corporate sales strategy. She has more than 20 years experience, having served at CGI Group Inc., SGI Inc. and Bell Canada. Suzanne McMeans also joins Rogers Wireless as manager corporate communications. Having worked in public relations for more than eight years, she joins the company from CGI Group. She also managed her full-service public relations shop. Tira Wireless has appointed Chris Erickson CEO, adding to his capacity as president. Company founder...

NL Update

telecom | 10/20/2003 4:00 am EDT

Bell begins negotiations with unionBell Canada has opened bargaining on its new collective agreement with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. The current contract expires at the end of next month. The CEP represents 7,000 workers in Quebec and Ontario.Northwestel offers deal on additional phone linesNorthern ILEC Northwestel Inc. is reviving a promotion in which subscribers receive free...

Support for Do Not Call and anti-spam lists, reluctance to pay for them: Decima survey

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

 Canadians enthusiastically endorse the concepts of Do Not Call and Do Not Spam lists, according to new research from Decima Research Inc. But the data also show that they don’t want to pay for it. Those are two key findings from a survey done by Decima Research last month for Decima...

Voice over Internet being heralded as cablecos look to provide telephony

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

 The move to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems is proving attractive to both small and large players, despite an adoption of VoIP that has not been as rapid as telecom soothsayers had predicted. Some projects are slated for commercial deployment within the next few weeks, while others should be go live early...

Atlantic telco and local interconnect firm in war of words over inside wiring

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

 A small New Brunswick company specializing in office phone and data networks is feuding with Aliant Telecom Inc. over the increased cost of accessing inside wires and in-building wiring. Dramis Network Cabling Ltd. claims that Aliant has unfairly increased access fees and has asked the CRTC to grant it parity with...

LCA delay becomes window of opportunity for Ottawa LD reseller

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

 The delay in the CRTC process to expand the local calling area (LCA) in Ottawa has opened the door for a small Ottawa company to offer free long-distance telephony from the various outlying parts of the city. OrbisTel recently registered with the commission as an LD reseller and last month began offering advertising-sponsored LD across the capital, its first telephony service.   For years now, people in Ottawa have complained that LD charges were levied when they called from one end of the metropolitan area to the other. Following the amalgamation of several suburbs into one large city a few years ago, the CRTC began investigating how to widen the LCA. It thought it had resolved that issue last year when it released Telecom Decision 2002-56, but two resellers from British...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

Federal government to provide $155M for remote broadbandIndustry Canada, Infrastructure Canada and the Canadian Space Agency have earmarked $155 million for a national satellite initiative. The funding will provide high-speed Internet in northern and remote communities. The majority of the 400 communities targeted for this program are First Nations areas.  Syria frees Arar as MPs ask for inquiry into arrestOttawa...

NL People

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

Peter Strom has been promoted to COO of March Networks Corp. after serving as senior VP of sales, marketing and product management. Before joining the Ottawa equipment manufacturer earlier this year, he worked at Gyyr Inc., Sensormatic, Honeywell and Mosler Inc.  Versatel Networks Inc. has hired Steven Chou as director of sales. He worked at iSoftel, Lucent Technologies and GTE International before signing on with...

Whither the telecom revolution?

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

By Bernard Courtois, Executive Counsel, BCE & Bell CanadaJust over three years ago, dot-com and telecom companies around the world were the darlings of investors, government and the media. Then the bubble started to burst and the story quickly changed, becoming one of debt restructuring, downsizing and enterprises going out of business. In the...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. There is often a disconnect between perception and reality. The results of two surveys done by Decima Research, highlighted in this issue, illustrate this clearly. Our lead story shows that Canadians are overwhelmingly satisfied with the level of competition in local wireline telephony....

Wireline usage to drop as alternatives gain in popularity, Decima and Bell find

telecom | 10/15/2003 4:00 am EDT

 Canadians are quite satisfied with the level of competition in the local residential telephone market, a new study has found. Despite continued grumblings from the CLEC community that competition is abysmal, a new survey of more than 1,000 residential wireline telephone customers found that they are quite happy with...

RoW Update

telecom | 10/14/2003 4:00 am EDT

Antenna tower e-town hall extendedThe National Antenna Tower Review’s first-phase consultation period has been extended for another two weeks. Originally slated to end on October 10, the e-town hall has been extended until October 24. There was no explanation for the extension, but a low participation level might be one reason the comment period has been extended. As of October 14 at 9 a.m., there were a total of...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Northwestel wins joint marketing case at CRTCThe CRTC has granted Northwestel Inc., Canada’s northernmost telco, the right to jointly market services with those of wireless affiliate Northwestel Mobility Inc. The commission approved an application the company filed on February 5, 2003 (Telecom Decision 2003-65). The removal of joint marketing prohibitions brings the company in line with other ILECs in the country. This...

Battleground set for legal challenge of Tariff 24; hearings set for next November

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

The battleground has been set and the lines in the sand drawn as the two sides fighting over the proposed implementation of a tariff for wireless ringtones prepare for oral arguments next November. The Copyright Board of Canada last month set November 23, 2004 as the day it will begin hearing testimony on Tariff 24, which...

RoW People

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Brian Hamilton, executive VP and CFO of CSI Wireless Inc., has resigned from the company. Cameron Olson, VP of finance for the company’s wireless business unit, has been tapped as the new CFO. Voice Mobility International Inc. has announced that Bob Neal has rejoined the company’s board of directors after a seven-month absence. During his previous tenure, he sat on the board as Aliant Telecom’s representative. James Skippen is leaving MOSAID Technologies Inc. as senior VP, patent licensing and general counsel to head up McCarthy Tétrault’s technology law practice in Ottawa. Skippen played a key role in the defence of MOSAID’s intellectual property rights where it secured key technology licensing agreements with many of the world’s chip manufacturers. He will maintain his role in patent licensing negotiations for the firm, continuing to provide assistance in the ongoing litigation with Samsung and Infineon. MOSAID’s senior corporate counsel William Middleton will assume the positions of general counsel and corporate...

Industry Canada to probe industry on spectrum management reform

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s spectrum regulator will soon query wireless industry stakeholders on potential reforms to the country’s spectrum management program, an official with Industry Canada revealed at a conference last month. The department is currently developing a broad discussion paper that will address a number of key issues...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Palm intros new handhelds Palm Inc. has introduced three new devices in its popular lineup of Tungsten and Zire handhelds. The Tungsten T3, retailing for $599 in Canada, comes equipped with a colour screen that is 50% larger than the previous device, Bluetooth connectivity, new input screen for manual text entry and 64 MB of memory. The T3 is targeted...

Resolution 228 lays groundwork for spectrum identification of post IMT-2000

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada will stress band neutrality as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) begins to lay the foundation necessary for the potential identification and designation of spectrum for post-3G advanced mobile wireless systems, referred to as "IMT-2000 and beyond". The department will soon put...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Canada’s wireless operators aren’t backing down from a potential legal tussle with the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) over a proposed tariff on ringtones (Tariff 24). The wireless operators have stated that the provision of a ringtone doesn’t constitute a...

Industry Canada receives three bids to develop spectrum and orbital positions

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Telesat Canada and a company fronted by Barrett Corp. find themselves locked in a battle to secure the rights to the 12 GHz broadcasting spectrum at the 72.5 degrees west orbital slot, a fight that is part of a larger Industry Canada licensing process relating to valuable satcom real estate. Pegasus Development Corp., a subsidiary of Pegasus Communications Corp., has also submitted an expression of interest, but the company is giving no public clue as to its intention. The department announced in DGRB-002-03, released in July, that it was seeking expressions of interest to develop the 12 GHz broadcast spectrum in three orbital locations and the 17 GHz broadcasting-satellite service...

Head of Agilent Technologies Canada plots course for continued support of innovation

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

The recently named new head of Agilent Technologies Canada says that the company will continue to target the communications sector as a key growth area as the troubled sector begins to show signs of recovery. Lawrence Loo took over the top job for Agilent’s Canadian operations last month (RoW, Sept. 23/03) from Alan...

Whistler Cable uses Wi-Fi as weapon in turf war against cable competitors

telecom | 10/07/2003 4:00 am EDT

Whistler Cable says wireless Internet access is a key weapon in fighting off the encroachment of competitors in the hotel market. The British Columbia-based small cable operator has built out a wireless network in the resort town in a move to fend off a potential loss in market share to competitors looking to wire up local...

NL Update

telecom | 10/06/2003 4:00 am EDT

Hurricane Juan disrupts telephony service in MaritimesAliant Telecom Inc. reports that it has been able to restore most of the telephony service to its customers in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island who were battered by Hurricane Juan. Brenda Reid of the telco tells Network Letter that Aliant had received 7,700 calls about service disruption, three times the normal amount. Most of the service was restored by the end of...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

U.S. federal court blocks implementation of Do Not Call listThe U.S. District Court in Oklahoma ruled that the Federal Trade Commission does not have the authority to enforce the Do Not Call registry that was due to take effect this week. Legislative scrambles by the House of Representatives and the Senate failed to reinstate the list....

NL Editorial

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The difference in government responses to telecom concerns was never more clearly delineated than it was last week. Thursday the Cabinet issued its response to the House of Commons industry committee’s report on foreign investment. Those who were expecting something substantial on their plate were...

New business plan, possible new name in future as Group Telecom relaunches

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

 Group Telecom is changing its business plan to concentrate on the medium- to large-business segment, after emerging from bankruptcy protection earlier this year. But even the prospect of attacking a different market may not be enough to ease potential customers’ fears after its failure last year, which has...

RoW Update

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

Northwestel gets go-ahead for joint marketing of bundlesCanada’s northermost telco, Northwestel Inc., has been green-lit by the CRTC to jointly market its wireline services with those of its wireless affiliate Northwestel Mobility Inc. (Telecom Decision 2003-65). The decision is a result of a Part VII Application filed by Northwestel in February asking the commission to remove provisions that prevented the company from...

Sprint introduces IP service as global group reaches MPLS agreement

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

 A Canadian CLEC has unveiled a new Internet protocol service just as an international body has approved an agreement allowing for voice trunking over an IP technology. The global accord could be a boon to other Canadian telcos that have or are planning to announce IP strategies. On September 24, Sprint Canada...

Telus targeting Shaw customers with predatory pricing offers, cableco tells CRTC

telecom | 09/29/2003 4:00 am EDT

 The battle between telcos and cablecos for Internet customers heated up last week as Shaw Cablesystems G.P. accused Telus Communications Inc. of offering sweetheart deals to lure subscribers away from the Alberta-based cable carrier. The western ILEC counters that it is merely following longstanding business practices. "We’ve looked at their offers and there’s about 18 different offers that have been out there in the last three months. The trend for them is to go lower and lower and lower," Shaw president Peter Bissonnette tells Network Letter. "It’s basically a pricing strategy. They just keep lowering the price to the point where they’re now selling the...