RoW Update

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada close to finding chair for tower committeeIndustry Canada will soon be reviewing candidates to chair the committee that will lead a review of the cell phone tower antenna policy, Report on Wireless has learned. Candidate proposals are flowing into the department, and the government hopes to make its selection and release it publicly before the holidays. Industry minister Allan Rock announced the review at...

Telecom foreign investment review welcomed by ILECs, CLECs and others

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

 The federal government’s decision to review the foreign investment rules in the telecommunications industry is being heralded by all sides in the sector, even if they have vastly different thoughts about what the final outcome should be. If everyone who has expressed a desire to testify before the House of Commons...

Industry committee will consider sovereignty and security in telecom review

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

 The background paper released by Industry Canada when minister Allan Rock announced the review of foreign investment in telecommunications gives the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology the questions they should consider. The 16 members have a baker’s dozen issues to...

Internet can become important political instrument, new think-tank study declares

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

 The Internet is likely to become one of the most effective tools in Canadian democracy, a new study predicts, but politicians must be able to handle the change. What makes the study noteworthy is that many of those who wrote it are elected leaders themselves. The Centre for Collaborative Government (CCG) released...

Competition landscape due for an overhaul, executives tell IIC conference

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

 Changes must be made to the way competition exists in this country, but structural separation is not the approach to take. That was the consensus at a recent forum in Ottawa. The Canadian chapter of the International Institute of Communications met November 27 and 28 in the capital. One session, entitled Challenges and Opportunities Facing Infrastructure Providers, featured lively discussion among representatives of two ILECs, two cablecos and a CLEC. "There’s no competition in residential service," Bill Linton, president/CEO of Call-Net Enterprises Inc., told the audience. "I don’t believe a radical change like structural separation will...

Bell Canada decides to put much-publicized ComboBox project on hold

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

 The much-publicized Bell ExpressVu ComboBox has been quietly put on hold for the foreseeable future putting the long-term plans of a key BCE Inc. convergence initiative in limbo. BCE officials won’t comment beyond a brief response to Network Letter inquiries, but the move to delay the introduction of the ComboBox...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 12/02/2002 5:00 am EST

Radwanski blasts government’s lawful access proposalsGeorge Radwanski, the privacy commissioner of Canada, sent a letter to three Cabinet ministers attacking the government’s lawful access proposals (NL, Sept. 23/02). He said the monitoring of private communications "is a highly intrusive activity that strikes at the heart of the right to privacy."  DBRS downgrades cablecos because of Internet...

Microcell receives support for its petition to change portions of the new LCA framework

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has found an unlikely ally in Telus Corp. in its fight to change the new local calling area (LCA) framework that forces CLECs to subsidize ILECs and IXCs for lost toll revenue (RoW, Oct. 28/02). In comments to Microcell’s October 10 review and vary application to...

Anik F1 troubles won’t affect Telesat’s bottom line; alternative birds considered

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Telesat Canada’s bottom line won’t likely be affected by its malfunctioning Anik F1 satellite, according to a satellite analyst, though operators around the world are likely re-evaluating their business and procurement strategies in the wake of several such high-profile failures and skyrocketing...

NL Updates

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

New contribution charge set at 1.3 per centThe CRTC has set a final contribution collection charge of 1.3 per cent for 2002 – Telecom Decision 2002-71. The rate is retroactive to last January. It has also approved an interim rate of 1.3 per cent for next year. Companies ready to get involved with foreign ownership reviewInterested parties on all sides of the debate are looking forward to participating in the...

LBS revenue paltry over next four years

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Despite hopes from carriers worldwide that location-based services (LBS) would be a major revenue driver of wireless data services in the future, a new study from U.S.-based In-Stat/MDR shows that the actual revenue opportunity will be quite small. The report, Location, Location, Location: Meeting the E911 Mandate and Monetizing Location Based Services,...

Wireless data applications for business/enterprise market segment growing

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s wireless operators are making a stronger push to develop, sell and support wireless data applications for the business segment, as witnessed by several announcements in the past couple of weeks. Microcell Telecommunications Inc. and Rogers Wireless Inc. unveiled details of agreements relating to fleet management...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Guns, gadgets, girls and GSMMicrocell Telecommunications Inc. has announced the commercial availability of Sony Ericsson’s T68i, the same handset featured in the latest installment of the James Bond 007 spy series, Die Another Day. In addition to all the bells and whistles incorporated in newer handsets, the T68i also offers Bluetooth functionality and allows for picture messaging through the CommuniCam. The...

RoW People

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

International Datacasting Corp. has announced the departure of Phillip Bolger, executive VP and CFO. He is leaving to pursue other opportunities, but has agreed to serve as interim CFO until a replacement can be found. Contec Innovations has expanded into the Asia-Pacific region and has hired Steven Frank as director of business development for the region. He will be based in Singapore. Frank joins the Vancouver-based firm after having served two years at mobile gaming company Riot Entertainment as GM for Asia Pacific. He also spent four years at Intel Corp. Unity Wireless has announced the appointments of Casey O’Byrne and Andrew Chamberlain to its board of directors and executive, respectively. In addition to joining the board, O’Byrne will act as vice-chair. Chamberlain, a securities lawyer, will take over as corporate secretary. Nortel Networks Corp. is making changes to its sales organization as Gary Donahee, president of the Americas region, plans to retire in the spring of 2003 following 28 years of service with...

Uncertainty surrounding scope of telecom foreign ownership review

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

The wireless and cable industries are applauding the government’s decision to review current foreign ownership rules in the telecommunications industry, but there appears to be a level of uncertainty surrounding the scope of the consultation. The ambiguity won’t be clarified until the rules are clearly set by the House...

New report clarifies issues surrounding terrestrial use of satellite spectrum

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

 A new report recently released by Industry Canada puts to rest interference issues surrounding the implementation of an ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) using L-band satellite spectrum. Prepared by COMTEK Associates, the 154-page document analyzes an application by Mobile Satellite Ventures LP (MSV) and related...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

Report calls for new spectrum auction planA new report released by the Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Plans and Policy (OPP) is recommending that the regulator institute parallel auctions, one for voluntarily offered spectrum and another for unassigned airwaves. This recommendation and others were made by Evan Kwerel and John Williams in OPP Working Paper No. 38, A Proposal for a Rapid Transition to...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 11/25/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Industry minister Allan Rock’s decision to review foreign ownership rules, while welcomed by the majority of telecom industry players, has left many pondering the questions that were not asked in the consultation document, none of which is more important than the scope of the review (see story on...

Group Telecom bought by 360networks to extend telecom footprint across Canada

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

 Less than a week after it emerged from bankruptcy protection, 360networks Corp. surprised the telecommunications sector by buying GT Group Telecom Inc. Creditors of the CLEC, which had been operating under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, may be out in the cold, however. Details were sketchy at press time, but a news release announcing the move stated, "This transaction will not involve any significant recovery for the trade creditors of GT Group Telecom Services Corp. and GT Group Telecom Services (USA) Corp. and will involve no recovery for the unsecured lenders or shareholders of GT Group Telecom Inc. Outstanding claims of Group Telecom’s unsecured creditors...

TWU gets strike mandate against Telus, CEP talks tough with Aliant over contract

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

 Labour negotiations involving telcos on either coast are heating up, with one union being granted a strike mandate and another gearing up for a fierce battle with its employer. While neither dispute seems likely to head to the picket line soon, enough bad blood exists to make hopes of a harmonious settlement seem very...

Independent ISPs accuse large players of shutting off access to Internet “lite”

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

 The continuing battle between small Internet service providers and larger ISPs is moving on to a new arena, as a complaint has been made about Internet "lite" services offered by telcos and cablecos. A subsection of the chief lobby group for ISPs has filed a Part VII application with...

Resellers back AT&T Canada appeal but other objections raised to Cabinet

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

 AT&T Canada Inc. is finally getting some support in its appeal of the CRTC’s price cap decision but representatives of other groups are still urging the Cabinet to reject the overture. Comments on the appeal continue to trickle in to the government as it tries to decide what to do about Telecom Decision...

SuperNet ready to sign municipal access agreements with Alberta communities

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

 The rollout of Alberta’s SuperNet broadband network is continuing on schedule, with three milestones being achieved recently. The access agreements between municipal governments and the network have been finalized; building is continuing; and testing has begun in one segment of the grid. Lisa Bowes, director of...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Call-Net revenues stable, local lines jump in Q3Call-Net Enterprises Inc. reported revenues of $198.6 million for the third quarter of 2002, up marginally from the $197.9 million of Q2, but down from 2001’s $223 million. The CLEC announced it has added its 150,000th local service line.  Primus buys Windsor ISP, reports record EBITDAPrimus Telecommunications Canada Inc. has bought Wincom, an ISP based in Windsor ON,...

NL People

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Brad Williams is now the president of PCNet International Inc. He will continue in his role as CFO, which he has held for two years. He succeeds Doug Taylor, who had a brief stint as president/COO of the B.C. ISP (NL, Aug. 13/02; May 7/02).  The exodus continues at Nortel Networks Corp. as Richard Ricks departs as chief information officer. The equipment maker’s president of global operations Chahram Bolouri will...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

Italians and Brits oppose EU assistance for telecomThe British and Italian governments have agreed to form an alliance that would fight any move by the European Union to prop up the ailing telecom sector. Italy’s telecom minister Maurizio Gasparri is scheduled to meet with Britain’s Stephen Timms to discuss the matter.  French government will offer assistance to France TélécomIndustry minister Nicole Fontaine...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/19/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.It arrives like clockwork. The leaves fall, the snow comes and Internet providers scream to the CRTC about third-party access. On the face of it, the IMCAIP protest to the commission detailed in this issue may seem like one more segment in a long litany of complaints. After all, the small ISPs have...

RoW Update

telecom | 11/18/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada offers little comment on Satmex issueOfficials at Industry Canada are reluctant to provide any details of discussions with the Mexican government and satellite operator Satmex over the proposed launch of a satellite that could cause potentially damaging interference to satellites operated by Telesat Canada. The satellites in question carry traffic for Star Choice Communications Inc. An official with the department tells Report on Wireless that this is a sensitive issue and making any public comments at this time could have a negative impact on future discussions.The issue was made public last month when Star Choice parent company Shaw Communications Inc. released its fourth-quarter and year-end results. In an October 17 news release, the company noted that Satmex plans to launch a satellite and operate it in an orbital position "adjacent to the satellites used by Star Choice, at a power level that would cause significant interference to Star Choice." The launch, if it were to proceed, would contravene...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Bell Mobility to bring SEGA games to devicesBell Mobility plans to offer its subscribers Sega games through an agreement it signed with the Sega Mobile division of Sega.com Inc. Bell’s subscribers will soon have access to popular wireless games from Sega such as Monkey Ball, Soccer Slam and Fast Lane. The games will be available on Java-enabled...

Telecom regulatory reforms proceeding well, but more needs to be done: OECD

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Reform of Canada’s telecommunications regulatory environment has received high grades from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), but the Paris-based groups says the federal government can still do more to improve the situation. In the 132-page report titled Canada: Maintaining Leadership...

Ericsson Canada’s Montreal operations key to future of global equipment maker

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

The head of Ericsson LM has indicated that the company’s Montreal operations are key to the equipment maker’s future as the Swedish company rides out the funk in the telecommunications sector. Kurt Hellstrom told reporters and analysts during a briefing on November 5 that the operation in the heart of Quebec’s...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Canada’s wireless telecommunications sector is in a major funk and it was no more apparent than at last week’s EXPOCOMM Canada Communications 2002 conference in Toronto. The country’s "premier" wireless, telecom and Internet conference and trade show was as busy as downtown Ottawa on a...

Telus Mobility to improve SMS platform for wireless entertainment applications

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Telus Mobility’s success with its wireless gaming and other entertainment applications has been largely based on using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) platform, but the company has new plans to make a bigger push in the short messaging service (SMS) environment. Speaking at the EXPO COMM Canada 2002 conference in Toronto last week, Darcy McNeill, Telus Mobility’s manager of business development for wireless content, told a small crowd that the company has begun work on translating the success of its WAP-based services to the SMS platform.  There are changes on the horizon that will dramatically improve the SMS offering, McNeill explained. But there are still significant...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Mobile revenue continues to gain groundRevenue from mobile and paging services continues to grow at a healthy pace, finally surpassing long distance revenue last year. The chart below illustrates the changes in revenue for long distance, local, mobile, Internet and other telecommunications services. Internet and mobile revenue had the largest growth rates with 50.9% and 16.2% respectively. Mobile and paging revenue...

RoW People

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Jean-Pierre Blais is leaving the CRTC as executive director, broadcasting to become assistant deputy minister, international and intergovernmental affairs at Canadian Heritage, effective December 2. International and intergovernmental affairs is one of five sectors in the department and is responsible for Sport Canada, Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic bid, trade and investment issues, and general international and...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Bell Mobility to bring SEGA games to devicesBell Mobility plans to offer its subscribers Sega games through an agreement it signed with the Sega Mobile division of Sega.com Inc. Bell’s subscribers will soon have access to popular wireless games from Sega such as Monkey Ball, Soccer Slam and Fast Lane. The games will be available on Java-enabled handsets. These titles, among others, will be the first in a series of new...

FCC makes final decision on 3G spectrum, opts for 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has finally allocated spectrum for advanced wireless services, commonly known as third generation, which should give the Canadian government at least some stability in making its own decision. While Industry Canada can now move forward on the issue, department officials have...

RoW People

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Jean-Pierre Blais is leaving the CRTC as executive director, broadcasting to become assistant deputy minister, international and intergovernmental affairs at Canadian Heritage, effective December 2. International and intergovernmental affairs is one of five sectors in the department and is responsible for Sport Canada, Vancouver’s 2010 Olympic bid, trade and investment issues, and general international and...

Cost structure of wireless industry under fire from leaders, conference told

telecom | 11/12/2002 5:00 am EST

Leaders of Canada’s wireless industry are cautiously hopeful about the future of the sector, but warn that governments must be more responsive to their concerns. That was the underlying message at a session at last week’s EXPO COMM Canada 2002 conference in Toronto.  On the second day of the two-day gathering,...

NL Update

telecom | 11/11/2002 5:00 am EST

 BCE buyback of SBC shares to be finalized next monthBCE Inc. has announced that its purchase of SBC Communications Inc.’s stake in its Bell Canada subsidiary will be completed by early December, which is earlier than previously expected. It will buy the 16% it does not currently hold for just under $5 billion. BCE earlier purchased a 4% stake from the Texas-based telco. Group Telecom to announce winning...

High-speed “Lite” used as retention tool, affordable upgrade for dial-up customers

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

An increasing number of cable operators are offering high-speed "lite" Internet access services in an effort to retain existing customers or snag new customers from dial-up providers. Cogeco Cable Inc., which operates in various communities in Ontario and Quebec, became the latest cableco...

Wireline access decreasing but still dominant, Industry Canada finds

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

For the first time in the Canadian telecom sector, the number of wireline subscribers, both business and residential, declined, according to a recently released Industry Canada study. It also notes that wireless subscriber numbers fell in each quarter of 2001. Looking at the years 1994 to 2001, the department discovered that access paths rose by an average annual rate of 7.2 per cent. In 1994 there were an estimated 19.1 million PSTN wireline access lines and wireless subscribers; by 2001 that number had jumped to 31.1 million. The share of residential wireline access lines dropped from 62 per cent of the total lines in 1994 to 41 per cent last year, Tele-communications Service in...

Local calling area fight shifts to discussion of who deserves toll compensation

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

The battle over expanding local calling areas is moving to a new level, with incumbents and new entrants arguing over who should be entitled to compensation. One reseller accuses Canada’s second-largest telco of trying to have it both ways. Telus Corp. contends that separate and distinct compensation periods are...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

Manitoba Telecom releases third quarter resultsManitoba Telecom Services Inc. reported revenues of $210.7 million in the third quarter of 2002 and $717.7 million in the year-to-date. The provincial telco also announced that its high-speed Internet market share has increased to 42%, with attendant revenue growth of 35.4%.  BCI shows profit by not running a businessBell Canada International Inc., now operating strictly...

NL People

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

Frank Fagan has been named EVP/COO of Aliant Inc. Currently president of Aliant Mobility, the 40-year-veteran of the company replaces Roch Dubé, who is returning to Bell Canada after less than a year at the helm of the Atlantic telco (NL, Dec. 18/01).  Michael Sabia, president/CEO of BCE Inc., has been elected to the board of directors of the conglomerate. He has been leading the company since the spring (NL, May...

Telesat moves toward revival in today’s satellite market by sticking to core business

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

Telesat VP corporate development Paul Bush was the featured speaker last week at the Technology Executives’ Breakfast in Ottawa. The following is adapted from his presentation.   Telesat was created in 1969 with a mandate to provide basic service to all Canadians regardless of...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.The prospect of consultations on foreign ownership limits is welcome. The recommendations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, coupled with the hints being dropped by Industry minister Allan Rock, should spur the government and the industry to revisit the issue.   We have been down this road before, of course. Network Letter devoted an entire edition to the topic last year (NL, Aug. 13/01). A few months earlier, the National Broadband Task Force advocated reviewing the restrictions. Since then, telecom executives have been hammering home the point at every opportunity. Now it is time to broaden the debate. It is easy to be skeptical about the exercise, of course. Rock’s allusion to loosening the limits occurred just as other potential Liberal Party leaders were making pronouncements on topics close to their hearts and contributors’ wallets. Paul Martin wants to reform...

RoW Update

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada moves to review cell phone tower policyIndustry Canada has announced plans for a broad review of and public consultation on its antenna tower policy, which is scheduled to begin early next year. Light on details at the moment, the department will search for ways to improve antenna site approval procedures.The move comes amid concerns from communities across Canada that they aren’t being properly informed...

Industry Canada may heed call from OECD for foreign ownership changes

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

 The calls to change the foreign ownership limits in the telecom sector are gaining ground, with an international body urging abandoning the restrictions as the Cabinet minister responsible for administering the controls muses about easing them. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)...

OECD praises Canadian regulatory regime but recommends some fine-tuning

telecom | 11/04/2002 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s move into less regulation in the telephony sector is a success, but some streamlining of jurisdiction is still needed, an international body believes. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) continued its look at the regulatory process in member nations with a study of this...

Agilent hopes to solve decreasing ARPU problem for global wireless operators

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Mobile wireless operators around the world are trying to come up with new revenue streams to make up for the shortfall they have recently been experiencing and Agilent Technologies Inc. believes that its four newest products will help them do just that. The California-based company has released a set of network test tools...

ToW Short Takes

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Telus plans to appeal denied R&V on contributionTelus Corp. plans to appeal last week’s CRTC decision denying the company’s review and vary application of the contribution decision and the rebanding ruling (Decision CRTC 2000-745 and 2001-238). In a news release, the company highlighted its disappointment noting that the commission’s decision (Telecom Decision 2002-67) to use a one-size-fits-all costs...

RoW People

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Michael Sabia, president and CEO of BCE Inc., has been named to its board of directors. Sabia is also CEO of Bell Canada and a director of the subsidiary. Tony Cassetta has been appointed VP of the information and communications division of Siemens Canada Limited. He will be responsible for overall business and marketing strategies for the communications market segment, including mobile products, enterprise systems...

Nortel Networks seeking more favourable tax, R&D credit system within Canada

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s largest communications equipment maker believes that, while the country is doing a good job at promoting innovation and research and development, more needs to be done if Canada is going to be among the leaders by 2010. The following is an edited excerpt of Nortel Networks Corp.’s submission to Industry...

NL Update

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

 Telus expects to appeal CRTC R&V decisionTelus Corp. has indicated that it will appeal a CRTC decision denying its review and vary application over the contribution and the rebanding rulings. This is in keeping with statements the company made at the time it filed its R&V application last year (NL, Nov. 6/01). The CRTC determined that the telco had not shown there was an error of law or fact in the original...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Industry Canada’s decision to stress awareness over taking an aggressive hard-line stand against satellite TV dealers selling illegal equipment was its only realistic option. The department recently sent an "awareness" letter to more than 470 satellite dealers across the country explaining to them that selling this type of equipment was illegal (see article in this issue). Certainly this decision was unpalatable for licensed Canadian satellite TV distributors, the cable industry and broadcasters – as evidenced by Janet Yale’s comments – which are obviously worried about the government’s commitment to stamp out the illegal activity. While it is looking for some leadership from government, it was unreasonable for them to expect the department to unveil an aggressive campaign against these dealers. First of all, Industry Canada doesn’t actually go out and seize equipment from dealers –...

Industry Canada launches next phase in multi-faceted strategy against DTH piracy

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Industry Canada has decided not to take a hard-line stand against satellite TV dealers peddling illegal equipment, opting instead – at least for the time being – to send an information letter to more than 470 dealers across the country. According to department officials, Industry Canada believes that raising awareness...

Personal use of cell phones increases significantly among Canadian population

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

The percentage of Canadians who use their cell phones primarily for personal purposes is up significantly in the last two years, while those using cell phones mostly for business reasons has dropped dramatically over the same period, according to new research. Conducted by Decima Research Inc. last month for Report on...

Microcell files R&V over new expanded local calling area subsidy framework

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Microcell Telecommunications Inc. has expressed serious concerns over the CRTC’s new expanded local calling area (LCA) framework that would see interexchange carriers (IXCs) compensated by ILECs and CLECs for lost revenue from an expanded ILEC LCA. On October 10, the Montreal-based wireless operator filed a review and...

Canada’s wireless lobby pushes gov’t to improve tax structure for industry

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) continues to push the federal government to decrease spectrum licence fees and other government-imposed costs that it believes actually hurt the overall economy. In comments to Industry Canada’s innovation strategy consultation, the CWTA suggests that by reducing...

Canadian spectrum experience cited at IIC conference in South Africa

telecom | 10/28/2002 5:00 am EST

Canada’s approach to awarding spectrum licences is serving as a template for other less developed countries developing their own methods. They are taking Canadian experiences and are learning what to do and what not to do. This was illustrated clearly at the recent conference of the International Institute of Communications (IIC). The group held its annual meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, the first time it has taken place there. Bernard Courtois, executive counsel at BCE Inc. and Bell Canada, is president of the IIC. He was struck by the lessons South Africa learned in awarding its third spectrum licence. Government officials decided early on that licence conditions...

AT&T Canada restructuring hailed as positive move to keep competition alive

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

Last week’s announcement that AT&T Canada has successfully negotiated a new deal with its bondholders and that it will operate under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) while it restructures is being heralded as the best chance for the CLEC to survive (NL Update, Oct. 15/02). Observers inside and outside...

Length of reimbursement period major concern in local calling area debate

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

All sides in the debate over expanding local calling areas (LCAs) disagree with the CRTC’s suggestion of a three-year compensation period for lost LD revenues. Whether that period is too long or too short depends on whether one is making the calls or carrying them. The CRTC set the process in motion when it...

Telus and Aliant most recent incumbents to attack AT&T Canada price cap appeal

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

Two more ILECs have jumped into the fray to tell Cabinet why an appeal by AT&T Canada Inc. should be denied. One claims the competitor did not look at regional issues; the other dismisses the entire bedrock on which the appeal is based. The CLEC launched its appeal of Telecom Decision 2002-34, the price cap ruling,...

Developed and developing worlds gather in South Africa to discuss communications

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

The most recent conference of the International Institute of Communications (IIC) provided a great opportunity for developed and developing nations to learn from each other, the president of the global body reports. Bernard Courtois, executive counsel for BCE Inc. and Bell Canada, is serving a one-year term as head of the...

RoW Update

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

Microcell files R&V application over expanded LCA frameworkMicrocell Telecommunications Inc. is concerned that it would have to contribute to a cross-subsidy program to compensate interexchange carriers (IXCs) over lost toll revenue from an expanded local calling area (LCA) when it wouldn’t be able to draw from the same pool as ILECs and other CLECs. In a Review and Vary application filed with the CRTC on October...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

Telus applies for conciliation after talks with union failAfter the Telecommunication Workers Union halted bargaining and sought a strike mandate from its members, Telus Corp. has asked the federal labour minister for the appointment of a conciliator. The strike vote will be held between Oct. 26 and Nov. 13 at various sites throughout the serving area. The TWU unveiled a billboard last week outside of Telus corporate...

NL People

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

As part of the restructuring that is taking place at AT&T Canada, five directors have left the board of the telco. Departing are Steve Chisholm, Alan Horn, Phil Ladouceur, David Miller and Craig Young. Joining the board are two representatives of Brascan Financial Corp., chair Robert Harding and George Myhal, CEO of financial operations for the company.  BCE Emergis Inc. has appointed François Côté as...

Rural communities’ broadband needs ignored by regulator, Congressman says

telecom | 10/21/2002 4:00 am EDT

The question of the digitial divide between rural and urban residents is a major concern in the United States as well as in Canada. Republican Congressman Lee Terry of Nebraska’s Second District has recently introduced HR 5602, a bill that would require the Federal Communications Commission to look at rural issues....

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/21/2002 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 only certainty in the telecom sector is uncertainty. A few years ago, the notion that Nortel was in danger and AT&T Canada is primed for fiscal health would have had the speaker laughed out of the room. Yet the results of the last couple of weeks shows how much the situation has changed.  As our lead story details, the reorganization of AT&T Canada may result in a stronger competitive landscape, albeit with fewer players. The agreement of bondholders on a new regime goes a long way to ensuring the CLEC will be around for a few years yet. A revitalized AT&T Canada may not be good news for Group Telecom. It has been struggling to achieve a restructuring itself. Whether it can make good on that effort now that AT&T Canada is coming back stronger is the $64 question. Some of the blame must be placed on the financial institutions. Just as the investors threw money wildly at anything remotely...

NL Update

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

AT&T Canada and bondholder committee reach agreement AT&T Canada announced today that it has reached an agreement in principle with the bondholders committee, which will see AT&T Canada debt holders receiving an aggregate payment of $200 million and 100% new equity in the telco. The CLEC also revealed that to advance this consensual restructuring plan, it filed for and received an Order of the Ontario Superior...

CAB and CCTA express concerns over Industry Canada’s spectrum policy revision

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Canada's cable and broadcast lobby groups are concerned that the federal government's proposals for revising the country's spectrum policy framework could spell bad news for their members. The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) and Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) warn in comments to...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Nortel and QUALCOMM collaborate on UMTS callNortel Networks Corp. and QUALCOMM Inc. have completed UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) voice and data calls using commercial 1900 MHz cell sites. The trial also used handsets that were embedded with QUALCOMM chip sets and a 3GPP (third generation partnership project) UMTS network by Nortel. North American operators will be interested in the results of the...

RoW People

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Carole Swan has joined Industry Canada as associate deputy minister. Prior to her appointment, she was associate secretary of the Treasury Board for three years. Swan has also served with the Privy Council, the Office of Privatization and Regulatory Affairs, the Ministry of State for Economic Development and Status of Women.There were several elections at the International Telecommunication Union's 16th...

RoW International Short Takes

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Home networking dominated by 802.11 and Ethernet According to In-Stat/MDR, the home networking market continues to be dominated by wireless LAN (various iterations of 802.11) and Ethernet technologies. The technology market research firm reports that the current market is focused primarily on data sharing. According to its data, Ethernet has taken the lion's share of total units shipped with 60%. Wireless LANs take in about 38% of the total, while the remaining 2% is shared between HomePlug and HPNA. In-Stat/MDR's data also shows that Linksys is leading in market share in the first half of 2002 with Netgear and D-Link following.Good wins round 1 in battle with Research in Motion Good Technology has won a legal battle against a temporary restraining order requested by Waterloo ON-based Research in Motion Ltd. Good, of Sunnyvale CA, is fighting RIM on four legal fronts as it tries to legally go to market with a wireless handheld device with similar functionality to that of the BlackBerry. Orange County Superior Court Judge Raymond...

RoW Editorial

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Local number portability (LNP) was once thought to be an imperative regulatory change to spur competition in the voice services market. While the service has allowed countless number of Canadians to move without having to change their phone number, the ability of LNP to spur competition, especially in...

Wireless number portability desired by majority of Canadians, new survey shows

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Canadians have expressed significant support for the introduction of local number portability (LNP) by the country's wireless operators, a recent survey shows. Conducted by Decima Research Inc. for Report on Wireless, the survey indicates that two-thirds of Canadians who own and use a cell phone believe the...

Wmode unveils partnership with Telus Mobility on access to wireless content

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Telus Mobility will offer its subscribers access to a greater variety of wireless content in the wake of an agreement with wireless content aggregator and billing system company Wmode Inc. The partnership is key for Telus as it tries to increase the wireless data revenue portion of its overall revenue base. Giving its...

Wireless industry concerned about licence fees for mobile and satellite services

telecom | 10/15/2002 4:00 am EDT

Spectrum licence fees are once again front and centre as the country's mobile wireless and satellite carriers complain that the fees and other financial obligations imposed on them by Industry Canada and the CRTC are too onerous. Telesat Canada warns that these obligations make it more difficult to compete in a...

Connectivity support major focus of government aid package to Africa

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

 Canada’s efforts to bridge the digital divide in Africa will have components that will help companies both here and on the other side of the ocean. The initiatives arise from proposals agreed upon at the Group of 8 summit in Kananaskis AB this summer as well as the Digital Opportunity Task (DOT) Force that Canada...

Two investor lawsuits against AT&T Canada dropped as struggling CLEC restructures

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

 The ongoing struggle to put AT&T Canada Inc. back on solid financial footing gained strength last week when two lawsuits filed against the CLEC were dropped by the plaintiffs. The company is hopeful it can proceed with its planned reorganization. Last March, an ad hoc committee of...

Bell and SaskTel attack AT&T submission, ask Cabinet to reject appeal

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

 Canada’s largest ILEC has joined with one of the smaller ones to attack AT&T Canada Inc.’s appeal of the price cap decision. SaskTel has joined with other incumbents in supporting Bell Canada’s comments, but has also filed a response on its own. This is the first reaction submitted to Cabinet since...

Technology-centric university preparing for first wave of students next year

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

The growing demand for educated staff in the high-tech field has become the basis for Canada’s newest university. The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), located in Oshawa, will not begin teaching students until next year, but it is already working with the sector to harmonize relations. "I am...

Bell Canada receives payphone windfall as Toronto airport wireless fight drags on

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

 The dispute between wireless service providers (WSPs) and the administrators of the Pearson International Airport is benefiting one wireline carrier, although it would probably prefer to make its money the old fashioned way. The battle between the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) and the four major wireless carriers has been waged since last spring, resulting in the airport cutting power to three of the four WSPs. The management at Pearson announced last July that, as a result of the decreased wireless capability, it is offering free payphone calls in the airport. That program continues, even though the GM of media and communications concedes it has been...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

Donations to Ernie Eves’ leadership campaignElections Ontario has released the list of contributors who gave more than $100 to the candidates in the leadership campaign of the provincial Progressive Conservative Party. Here are some of the noteworthy donors to the winner, Ernie Eves. Alcatel cuts Canadian workforce by 400 jobs, Ottawa hit hardestEquipment manufacturer Alcatel is eliminating 400 positions in its...

NL People

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

Patrick Pichette has been named CFO of Bell Canada. Previously EVP planning and performance management at BCE, he has experience at McKinsey & Co. and Call-Net Enterprises Inc. He replaces David McLennan, who will be given other duties at BCE. Telus has appointed Mark Schnarr as EVP business marketing. He has been with the western telco for more than 20 years, starting at BC Tel in 1980, and was VP Telus Internet...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

WorldCom severance payments approved by bankruptcy courtThe U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan has agreed to let WorldCom Inc. disburse US$36 million in severance payments. Despite earlier concerns they would get less than they were eligible for (NL, Aug. 13/02), 4,000 laid-off workers will receive an additional US$9,000 on average.   Florida...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/08/2002 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Ok, everybody take a Valium. This year’s Speech from the Throne turned out not to be the death knell for technology that so many had feared. Then again, considering the content of the speech, better advice would be to take an amphetamine.  Prior to the speech being delivered, news reports...

RoW Update

telecom | 10/07/2002 4:00 am EDT

Nortel continues to struggle; reorganizes againBrampton ON-based Nortel Networks Corp. has sold portions of its optical components business as the company continues to struggle against the ongoing telecom doldrums. Nortel announced today that it has agreed to sell certain assets of this operating unit to UK-based Bookham Technology plc for US$108 million in common shares, debt, warrants and cash. "This transaction is an important step in our path to profitability and our strategy to focus on the delivery of high performance, cost-effective optical network solutions for our customers," Nortel’s optical networks president Brian McFadden said in a news release. While the equipment manufacturer is unloading key optical technology, it continues to tout the benefits of its wireless strategy. In an address to analysts last week, Pascal Debon, president of Nortel’s wireless networks division, highlighted the company’s strategy for delivering a converged network architecture. The telecommunications equipment maker’s strategy is...

Integrated radiocommunications gets top billing at APCO Canada annual conference

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

The goal of mapping out interoperability requirements for public safety radiocommunications in Canada has run into a snag as the various groups involved can’t come to a consensus. Both public safety organizations and the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (RABC) held meetings over the summer to try to hammer out some level of...

Debate on banning cell phones while driving heats up again after inquest

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

The battle to ban the use of cell phones while driving could heat up in Ontario again following a Whitby ON coroner’s jury recommendation that the government consider proposed legislation calling for a ban. Canada’s wireless lobby, however, says it’s not worried. Despite the potential for a knee-jerk reaction by the...

Bell and Rogers dispute claims of unfair and discriminatory marketing practices

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

Bell Mobility and Rogers Wireless Communications Inc. are firing back at claims that they engaged in unfair and discriminatory marketing practices against Microcell Telecommunications Inc., saying that the struggling Montreal-based wireless operator is crying sour grapes over the effects of a highly competitive market. In...

CRTC refuses Aliant market trial of VMI unified communications software

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC has again refused to allow Aliant Telecom Inc. to proceed with a market trial of a unified communications system developed by Voice Mobility International Inc. The commission has ruled that the parameters of the proposed trial are still too broad – Telecom Order 2002-383. This is the second time the commission...

NL Update

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

 Nortel revises Q3 outlook and consolidates sharesNortel Networks Corp., once the darling of the high-tech sector, says Q3 revenues will be 15 per cent lower than the previous quarter. The company had earlier warned that revenues would be 10 per cent lower than revenues achieved in Q2. The firm also announced that it will do a reverse stock split, and is declaring a preferred share dividend. AT&T Canada to...

Canada’s wireless operators rake in higher revenue despite slowdown in market

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s wireless services industry continued on a rapid growth curve from 2000 to 2001, according to an industry overview released earlier this month. Telecommunications Services in Canada: An Industry Overview, published by Industry Canada, indicates that while revenue growth continues to outpace other...

RoW Short Takes

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

Rogers Wireless introduces new wireless email serviceRogers Wireless Communications Inc. has introduced a new corporate email service, dubbed Wireless Desktop. The service, powered by ViAir’s WirelessInbox email software, provides Rogers’ subscribers with ability to securely access POP3 and corporate email, calendar and contacts from any wireless Internet-enabled phone or browser-enabled device. Wireless Desktop is...

RoW People

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

George Addy has joined Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. Addy joins the firm as senior partner heading up its competition law and trade practices group. Recognized internationally and nationally in the competition field, he was head of the Competition Bureau from 1993 to 1996. Before taking over the top job at the bureau, Addy led the bureau’s mergers branch. Following his stint in the public service, he was...

Solving the “paper satellite” problem headlines ITU conference in Morocco

telecom | 09/30/2002 4:00 am EDT

The following is an edited excerpt from a background document issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on the paper satellite problem. The issue will be addressed at the four-week Plenipotentiary Conference 2002 in Marrakesh, Morocco from Sept. 23 to Oct. 16.  Despite a general outcry by ITU Members and the adoption of a radical new Resolution by the Minneapolis Plenipotentiary Conference four years ago, the issue of satellite over-filing — often known more familiarly as "the paper satellite problem" — once again takes its place among the more contentious agenda items at this year’s ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. This year’s delegates will...