Bell Canada launches converged fixed and mobile services trial for consumer segment

telecom | 12/15/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s largest incumbent telco is preparing to up the ante in the fight for wireless and local telephone subscribers by combining the two services in a converged mobile and fixed telephony service. Bell Canada, which plans technical trials in the first half of next year of a converged cellular-Wi-Fi service using...

UBS and Look to offer mobile video services in Ontario and Quebec

telecom | 12/15/2004 5:00 am EST

 Look Communications Inc. and majority owner Unique Broadband Systems Inc. plan to deploy a mobile wireless network between Windsor ON and Quebec City offering mobile services to consumers along the busy highway corridor. Trials are scheduled to begin in Toronto in the first calendar quarter of next year with mobile...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 12/15/2004 5:00 am EST

2300/3500 MHz auction to begin in Round 2Industry Canada has announced that the residual auction for frequencies in the 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz bands, scheduled to begin on January 10, will start in Round 2. Round 1, which was as the transition between initial bids and the public auction, served to determine standing high bidders on licences where there is contention between a number of players. Activity requirements in the...

Light regulatory approach to VoIP players called for at conference in Toronto

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

The battle over Voice over IP regulation was re-fought November 30 and December 1 in Toronto as Bell Canada begins incorporating newly released research on the telecommunications market into its push for a lighter touch by the CRTC.  At the Canadian Institute’s Voice over IP Summit in Toronto, participants heard...

Local rate price comparison generally easier in 2004 due to awareness campaign

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canadians are finding it increasingly easy to compare local telephone rates from different providers as a result of a CRTC-mandated awareness campaign, though the same can’t be said of prices in the forborne long distance, wireless and Internet service markets, according to the regulator.  Research conducted for the commission by Decima Research Inc. (an affiliated company of Decima Reports Inc., publisher of Network Letter) shows that a greater number of Canadians are finding it easier to compare prices for local service, with the percentage of survey respondents who found it easier to compare local service prices increasing from 58% in 2003 to 61% in 2004 from 2003. As might...

Competition Act changes won’t have big impact on telecommunications industry

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

 Proposed amendments to the Competition Act tabled in the House of Commons last month are positive, but won’t ultimately make too great an impact on the telecommunications industry, according to industry insiders.   At first blush, the creation of administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) to punish market...

ROW Update

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

Park and pay by cell phone comes to TorontoPaying for parking in Toronto got a lot easier following an agreement between Mint Inc. and Toronto Imperial Parking (Impark) that allows drivers to pay for parking a number of lots in the country’s largest city using their cell phone. Mint launched a similar service in Vancouver earlier this year (RoW, April 7/04). The service is available at 29 Impark parking lots in the...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

March Networks inks retail customer to major contractOttawa-based March Networks has scored a big contract win in the United States, inking a retail customer to a US$5.5-million contract. The identity of the U.S. client was not revealed. March will provide its digital video surveillance technology to help the customer reduce financial losses due to shrinkage or shoplifting. The contract calls for the supply of digital...

NL People

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

Simpler Networks has appointed Harry Carr as CEO, charged with establishing a U.S. headquarters. He will also be given a seat on the board of directors. Carr takes over the CEO role from Mike Perrault, who remains president, but takes on the added responsibility of COO. Prior to joining Simpler Networks, Carr served as chair and CEO of Tellium Inc. and a company, which merged with Zhone Technologies in November 2003....

NL International Briefs

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

U.S. business use of VoIP increases to 12% in 2004The use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by U.S. businesses increased to 12% in 2004 from 3% in 2003, according to research firm In-Stat/MDR. In-Stat/MDR is predicting that middle market penetration will be at 34% by year’s end, and at 43% in the large business segment. A recent study by In-Stat/MDR found that most firms will be using a mixture of voice...

NL Editorial

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Considerable ink has been spilled in this publication and the mainstream press about the state of competition in the local telephony market, and this issue is adding to that pool. The lead article, based on a report from the SeaBoard Group, argues that the CRTC has a distorted view of competition...

Convene panel to determine appropriate telecom policy direction: SeaBoard

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s telecommunications regulatory framework is built on an inaccurate assessment of the true state of local telephony competition, and the CRTC’s current siloed approach to measuring competition is outdated, a new report from the SeaBoard Group argues. Old Bottles, New Wine asserts that technological...

Awareness of Voice over IP rose among Canadians compared to last year

telecom | 12/08/2004 5:00 am EST

 A "surprisingly" high number of Canadians are aware of Voice over IP (VoIP) services, according to new research obtained by Network Letter and commissioned by Bell Canada. In a summer 2004 poll of Canadians, Bell finds that awareness of technology that allows voice conversations to be conducted using the...

NL Update

telecom | 12/06/2004 5:00 am EST

Versatel granted patent on carrier-class call processing platformQuebec-based Versatel Networks announced on December 2 that it has been granted a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for using commercially available network equipment to create a highly redundant and fault tolerant call processing platform at an affordable price. The company notes in a news release that the patent “challenges the dominant proprietary hardware platforms, and makes highly reliable telephony platforms affordable to a growing number of VoIP service providers.”“Our patent protects the architecture of the EdgeIQ media gateway product; specifically the interconnection scheme used between its modules. Versatel Network’s EdgeIQ exploits standard technologies and protocols for interconnection between hardware and software elements, and also utilizes a dual Ethernet link with service provider standard TCP-IP for intercommunication between modules. This enables Versatel to provide a carrier grade level of system reliability at a lower price point...

More Canadians cutting the cord, two research bodies demonstrate

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

The number of Canadians cutting the cord on their home telephone service continues to grow, according to two new studies. The latest Canadian government data says that about 2% of Canadians have wireless-only homes, while research from NBI/Michael Sone Associates and Ericsson Canada Inc. indicates that the number of...

Infowave reorganization results in infusion of cash, greater stability going forward

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

 A corporate reorganization at Infowave Software Inc. has resulted in a $5.45-million-cash injection to the Vancouver-based mobile application provider’s treasury, providing it with greater stability going forward, according to company executives. They say current operations will carry on as they had prior to the...

Use deferral account money for wireless, satellite technology: Barrett Xplore

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

 A last minute intervener in the deferral account proceeding (Telecom Public Notice 2004-1) says that the CRTC would get the biggest bang for its buck if wireless and satellite technologies were used to expand the reach of broadband connectivity into unserved and under-served regions of the country. Comments by Barrett...

Next-generation wireless services driven by youth, new Ericsson research says

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canadian youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are driving the adoption of next-generation wireless services, according to new research from Ericsson Canada Inc. The research, done in conjunction with Ericsson Consumer Lab and Starch Research, says that within this demographic, there is a sub-group dubbed the...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

Cell-Loc lands major contract for Beacon technologyCalgary-based Cell-Loc Technologies Inc. (CLTI) has secured a contract valued at a minimum of US$18 million with a subsidiary of Brazil’s largest bank Banco ITAU for its Beacon Location Network technology. ITAU Seguros S.A., an insurance company, plans to use the Beacon technology to enable rapid stolen vehicle location, remote disabling and recovery in the city of Sao Paulo. Deployment of the network is scheduled to begin immediately and is scheduled for completion and to be fully operational by the third quarter of 2005"Different technologies have been competing for some time to position themselves in this market. The technology that can profitably offer the lowest price points, while routinely providing both accuracy and reliability, will ultimately emerge as the frontrunner. For numerous reasons we believe that Sao Paulo, Brazil is the ideal location to deploy CLTI’s proprietary technology, and it presents the greatest opportunity to confirm the company’s leadership in this...

ROW People

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

Michel Allard has been named director of insurer relations at Vigil Locations Systems, a Montreal-based provider of telematics services. Allard will be responsible for introducing Vigil’s technology to insurance companies throughout Canada. He will also hold a supervisory role in charge of commercial agreements with brokers. Allard has more than 25 years experience in the insurance industry, and for the past six...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

Global UMTS TDD Alliance grows membershipThe Global UMTS TDD Alliance announced on November 18 that several operators and vendors have joined the organization. The group’s membership now passes the 50-member milestone, including 30 network operators and 20 equipment manufacturers. The announcement was made at the conclusion of its second summit where...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Now that comments in the deferral account proceeding are closed, the CRTC should allocate the money for the expansion of broadband networks in rural Canada. That is what most of the participants in the proceeding called on the commission to do. To do this the most efficiently, the CRTC must disregard...

VoIP should finally bring competition in phone market: NBI/Sone

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

The introduction of Voice over IP (VoIP) technology into the telecommunications market will finally threaten the ILECs’ stranglehold on the market and create competition, argues a new report on the sector. NBI/Michael Sone Associates predicts that by 2007, the incumbents will hold only 83.7% of the residential market, and...

Call-Net closes deal with Bell Canada on 360networks’ eastern Canadian operations

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

 Call-Net Enterprises Inc. and Bell Canada have closed the first part of their asset and network facilities transfer initiative regarding the former 360networks Corp. eastern Canadian operations. Bell Canada finalized the acquisition of 360networks’ Canadian operations on November 22, subsequently selling...

Customers’ explicit approval needed for use of information, court tells TELUS

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

 TELUS Communications Inc. must make more of an effort to get customers’ explicit approval to use the information it collects for a range of uses, and to inform them that they can opt to pay to have it excluded from directories, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled. On November 17, a unanimous panel of judges sided...

Deferral account debate closes with renewed call for independent management

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

 A CRTC inquiry into how to handle hundreds of millions of dollars in funds accumulated in ILEC deferral accounts came to a close last month with Microcell Telecommunications Inc. again calling on the regulator to ensure the money is administered by an independent body in a competitively neutral manner.  The...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

Northwestel supplemental funding process beginsThe CRTC has initiated in Telecom Public Notice 2004-6 a process to determine Northwestel Inc.’s 2004 and 2005 supplemental funding requirements. The process will also seek to assess the rollout of the company’s service improvement plan, and its recent quality of service results. In particular, the review will include an assessment of a) variances in the company’s...

NL People

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

Ken McDonald has been appointed VP of sales at FreeBalance Inc. He will be responsible for continuing to expand the company’s global business in government accountability solutions. He has over 30 years experience in the enterprise software market, including at Siebel Systems, Business Objects, UNISYS, and AT&T. While at AT&T Canada, McDonald oversaw a sales force that grew from four to 128 employees in just four years.  TELUS Partner Solutions executive VP and president Karen Radford, and TELUS executive VP of legal, government and regulatory affairs Janet Yale have made the Women’s Executive Network’s list of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women. An independent advisory board selected Yale and Radford for their career successes as well as their dedication to bettering their communities. Women from across Canada were honoured in several categories, including entrepreneurs, public sector, professionals and trailblazers. Radford and Yale were recognized in the corporate executive category.  David Colville,...

NL International Briefs

telecom | 11/25/2004 5:00 am EST

Cisco Systems to acquire Jahi Networks for $16 millionCisco Systems Inc. announced November 17 that it had reached a definitive agreement to acquire San Jose CA-based Jahi Networks Inc. for $16 million in cash and assumed options. The acquired company is a provider of network management appliances designed to simplify device deployment, configuration and management. The deal is subject to various standard closing...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/25/2004 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 Federal Court of Appeal is to be commended for its decision in the long-running Mathew Englander case. As the first PIPEDA case to be heard at such a high level, the principles set down by the court are encouraging. Strong privacy protection will apparently be the watchwords for the court...

Move quickly to define rules and technical specs for public safety in 4.9 GHz band

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

 More than a dozen fire departments across the country are calling on Industry Canada to proceed quickly to define service rules and technical specifications for use of the 4940-4990 MHz band by public safety organizations.  Several first responder agencies such as the City of Burnaby Fire Department and Creston...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

CRC releases new software for SDR designThe Communications Research Centre (CRC) has released new software that is designed to help manufacturers accelerate the rollout of software defined radio (SDR) technology. The SCARI software suite provides companies with a complete blueprint for designing and implementing SDR, which will help ensure interoperability between SDR-based devices from a variety of manufacturers....

ROW People

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

Significant management changes have been made in the executive ranks and board of directors of Microcell Telecommunications Inc. since being acquired by Rogers Wireless Inc. this month. André Tremblay, president and CEO, and Jacques Leduc, CFO and treasurer, have left the front offices of Microcell. They have been replaced by Rogers Wireless president and CEO Nadir Mohamed and John Gossling senior VP and CFO.  As well Alain Rhéaume, formerly president and COO of Microcell Solutions Inc., has been appointed executive VP and president of Fido. Microcell’s entire board of directors has resigned and is being replaced by Garfield Emerson, George Fierheller, Ann Graham, James Grant, Thomas Ian Hull, Nadir Mohamed, Pierre Morrissette, David Peterson, Ted Rogers, Martha Rogers and Christopher Wansbrough.  David Colville, commissioner and vice-chair of telecommunications at the CRTC, has announced that he will retire at the end of this year. He has been a commissioner with the telco and broadcast regulator since 1990 and vice-chair of...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

Wireless association applauds FCC ruling on VoIPCTIA-The Wireless Association is lauding the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to maintain federal jurisdiction over Voice over IP services. The CTIA says that the FCC’s action recognizes the potential harm that multi-jurisdictional oversight could have of VoIP. Steve Largent, president and...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 11/19/2004 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 competitive landscape has been highly competitive for a number of years, and despite the elimination of one facilities-based operator, competition is set to heat up – the result of the entry of a number of new competitors to the market in the recent past...

Pricing not likely to change dramatically following consolidation of market

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

 The acquisition of Microcell Telecommunications Inc. by Rogers Wireless Inc. won’t likely have too great an impact on pricing in the highly competitive mobile wireless industry, according to analysts. In the short- to medium-term, pricing will probably stay the course as Rogers Wireless determines the best possible...

Virgin Canada sets the record straight about investment review and launch date

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

 Virgin Mobile Canada president and CEO Andrew Black explains that an investment review, sparked by a request from Canadian Heritage and made public by Report on Wireless, is a normal business process and it won’t have any negative impact on the company’s scheduled launch of early next year.  In a previous...

Pre-paid market to play significant part in new net additions in future

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

 The pre-paid wireless market is shaping up as a key battleground in the coming months and years for new net subscriber additions as emerging players try to establish themselves as the brand of choice for the youth market. With the emergence of MuchMusic on the scene, and a scheduled first quarter 2005 launch of Virgin...

Market heating up for broadband wireless equipment, SRT debuts offering

telecom | 11/19/2004 5:00 am EST

 The next-generation broadband wireless equipment market is beginning to heat up and two Canadian companies are at the forefront of emerging developments. Late last month Wi-LAN Inc. unveiled its Mobilis gear (RoW, Nov. 4/04) and on November 3 Montreal-based SR Telecom Inc. introduced its symmetry product line, both of...

NL Update

telecom | 11/16/2004 5:00 am EST

 YAK sales increase quarter over quarterYAK Communications Inc. says its sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2005 were $21.2 million, an increase of 4.4% over the previous quarter when sales were $20.3 million. EPS were $0.12, which represent an increase of 10% over the previous quarter. During the quarter, YAK processed on its own network 270 million minutes of traffic, a 4% increase over the previous quarter,...

Bell Canada presses CRTC to speed up retail tariff approval process

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

Bell Canada is pressing the CRTC to dramatically speed up its process of approving retail tariff applications by adopting a system of automatic interim approvals. The telco filed a Part VII application with the commission on November 8 that would reduce wait times on routine filings to no more than 60 days, and says...

CRTC grants use of 311 number to municipal services; reclaims 511, 811

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

 Non-emergency community services have won out over provincial telephone health triage services in the battle for the right the to use 311 – Telecom Decision 2004-71. The CRTC assigned the 311 number for access to non-emergency municipal government services, determining that it "would serve the broad public interest and have many benefits, including a significant reduction in non-emergency calls to 911."  Citizens will be able to dial 311 for such things as reporting dangerous road conditions, traffic and street light outages, water main breaks, blocked and/or broken sewer mains, stray animals, abandoned vehicles and noise complaints, or to make inquiries about garbage...

Voice over IP developments will result in changes to regulatory regime

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

The changes being brought about by the deployment of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) will force the CRTC to rethink how it regulates the telephone and cable markets, a conference was told. Some suggested that basic definitions will have to be rethought. Delegates at the 2nd annual Canadian Telecommunications...

Voice over IP offers opportunities, presents challenges, conference told

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) was the hot-button topic at a recent conference in Ottawa as delegates talked about both the opportunities it offers and the challenges it presents. The first session of the Canadian Telecommunications Forum on October 27 and 28 began with an exploration of the some of the challenges and...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

Frequency of residential phone service survey reducedThe CRTC has approved an application from Bell Canada to reduce the frequency of Statistic Canada’s Residential Telephone Service Survey. In Telecom Decision 2004-73, the commission approved the Bell application, which was filed in April 2004 on behalf of itself, Aliant Telecom Inc., MTS Communications Inc. (now known as MTS Allstream Inc.) Northwestel Inc., TELUS...

NL People

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

Rudy Richman has been named VP of sales for Protus IP Solutions with the responsibility for both domestic and international sales activities. He brings a wealth of telecommunications experience including sales, business development, marketing and executive management. Most recently, Richman was head of sales and business development at Ezipin Canada Inc., a telecommunications services company. Prior to his tenure at...

NL Editorial

telecom | 11/11/2004 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Bell Canada’s proposal for a streamlined administrative process to deal with routine filings is not without merit, and the backlash – valid as it is – should be tempered in the commission’s mind by the need to conduct a thorough review of its processes to better help the telecom industry reach greatest market efficiency. We hope Bell’s Part VII application, in fact, opens the floodgates to creative proposals from each of the stakeholders involved to cut red tape and streamline procedures both large and small. Some of the pushback against Bell’s application stems from what competitors say were bungled tariff filings, and there is an industry feeling that Bell’s troubles have in some degree been brought on itself. Further backlash was inevitable since Bell Canada and TELUS, of course, stand to benefit entirely from a streamlined tariff application process, and the competitors would be forced to...

ROW Update

telecom | 11/09/2004 5:00 am EST

 Virgin Mobile Canada sets record straight on Heritage reviewAndrew Black, president of Virgin Mobile Canada, says that the company has been working with Canadian Heritage on the review of its investment in a joint venture with Bell Canada – news, he says, that shouldn’t reflect negatively on the initiative. After Report on Wireless broke news of the review last week, Black provided Virgin’s perspective on the...

Virgin Mobile’s investment in Canada under review by Canadian Heritage

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canadian Heritage has sought and been granted the right to review Virgin Mobile’s investment in Canada to create a joint venture with Bell Canada. Virgin Mobile Canada, which announced its arrival to Canada earlier this year (RoW, April 7/04), was expected to begin offering service within the near future with some...

Wireless data services gaining ground in overall ARPU percentage: carriers

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

 Canada’s wireless carriers are telling the investment community that the share of overall average revenue per user from wireless data services is growing because of increases in text messaging and other data services. While Microcell Telecommunications Inc. says that its wireless data revenue as a part of ARPU has...

American mobility system provider taking dead aim at Research in Motion

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

   Intellisync, an American provider of data mobility systems for the enterprise market segment, has its sights set on stealing market share from Canada’s Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) with new software capabilities designed to go beyond mobile PIM and email applications. In a conference call with Report on Wireless...

Video content coming to MuchPhone and Telus Mobility from upstart QuickPlay

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

 The new Rogers Wireless/CHUM Ltd. white label cell phone offering will come bundled with a new video content service developed by a spin-off from one of the country’s leading new media production shops. The service, by start-up QuickPlay, will aggregate CHUM and other video content from sources including CBC and CTV...

Mobile broadband wireless entering reality with foray into intelligent transportation

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

 The intelligent transportation services (ITS) market is going to be one of the first industry sectors to benefit from quickly emerging mobile broadband wireless equipment. Calgary-based Wi-LAN Inc. appears to be leading the charge in this space, announcing that trials of its Mobilis equipment...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

Awareness of hotspots healthy, market needs to shift gearsMarketing and awareness campaigns promoting public hotspots have been successful in targeting both the enterprise market and business professionals, says In-Stat/MDR in a research brief, and now it’s time for operators to shift gears and promote the utility of the service, not just the...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

Wireless carriers to test enhanced 911 next yearThe head of Canada’s wireless industry lobby says the country’s mobile wireless operators will begin testing enhanced 911 services next year. Peter Barnes, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, made the comments at the Canadian Telecommunications Forum in Ottawa on October 28. He was responding to a question from Report on Wireless on...

ROW People

telecom | 11/04/2004 5:00 am EST

Patrick Pichette is the new president of operations at Bell Canada. He will be responsible for the management of the company’s communications network and its ongoing migration to a new national IP-based infrastructure. He was formerly executive VP of Bell Canada. Pichette replaces David Southwell, who is retiring from Bell after 35 years with the company.  Neil Chan has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of business development at WebTech Wireless Inc. He will be responsible for developing new growth opportunities for the company as well as managing North American sales and marketing activities. Most recently, he was founding executive and VP of global accounts for Airvana Inc. He has also been VP and managing director for Motorola’s broadband communication sector for the Asia Pacific region.  Rick Schmidt has been named as president and CEO of Circa Enterprises Inc. He has been VP of finance and CFO of the company since December 1998. With the appointment, the interim CEO Ivan Smith loses the position....

ROW Editorial

telecom | 11/04/2004 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 prospects for Virgin Mobile Canada in the pre-paid segment appear to look a little dimmer this week after CHUM Ltd. announced that its MuchMusic property was teaming with Rogers Wireless Inc. on a new private label wireless service (see lead story for more information). MuchPhone should...

NL Update

telecom | 11/02/2004 5:00 am EST

 Commission releases third party cable Internet access decisionThe CRTC today released its decision setting out the terms, rates and conditions for third party Internet access to allow ISPs to connect with and serve customers over the cable networks of the major cable companies – Telecom Decision 2004-69. The rates have been approved on interim basis pending further study of mark-up costs. Officials with the...

NL International News Briefs

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

SipStorm chooses Ubiquity for VoIPSipStorm, Sanibel FL, has chosen Ubiquity Software’s VOIP Plus product for its wholesale VoIP service launch in November. "Bringing customers beyond vanilla VoIP is critical to competeing effectively in the telcommunications marketplace. The leveraged innovation and experience from the folks as SipStorm, combined...

Progressive thinking drives telecom policy reform elsewhere

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 It’s no secret that Bell Canada is calling on the federal government to review the current policy framework for telecommunications. While some competitors suggest this call for a policy review is simply an attempt to get rid of telecom regulation in its entirety, they are wrong. At Bell, we believe there is an...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. For decades, Canadians have relied on their residential telephones as a key safety technology. More than anything else, in recent years, emergency 911 service has become a lifeline helping save lives and property.  We expect that during storms and emergencies, we’ll have a dialtone available to us, with a voice on the other end ready to send help should we need it. It came as no surprise that during public hearings into new VoIP offerings, and the regulatory model that should be in place to govern them, much of the CRTC’s questioning was focused on this public safety aspect. VoIP systems present a problem for network designers since a VoIP telephone number could be used from almost anywhere there is high-speed access – a hotel, a city park, the office. While the CRTC’s preliminary view of 911 service over VoIP networks is that providers should strive to offer it as soon as is practical, there...

Bell Canada files 911 VoIP patent in United States, additional information sketchy

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 A patent filed by Bell Canada with the U.S. Patent Office this month for routing 911 emergency calls in a Voice over IP (VoIP) environment has prompted speculation that the company has solved the highly complex technical problem. Eugene Roman, Bell Canada’s chief technologist, announced the patent filing during the...

CCTA rejects suggestion that deferral account surplus be returned to consumers

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The head of Canada’s cable industry association has rejected a proposal by a B.C. consumer group to hand money accumulated in the price cap deferral accounts back to subscribers, saying the suggestion is unworkable and doesn’t meet the test for using the funds as set out by the telecom regulator.  Michael...

Value proposition of IP networks must enhance voice services, show tangible impact

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Enterprises large and small must look past the provision of basic voice services before rushing to implement Voice over IP (VoIP) warned speakers at the GTEC Week conference in Ottawa earlier this month. Headline-grabbing as the technology may be, there is no good reason to implement VoIP for its own sake, Terry...

Incumbents seeking compensation for upgrading payphones with TTY devices

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Both TELUS Corp. and MTS Allstream Inc. filed Part VII applications this month with the CRTC seeking compensation for upgrading a substantial portion of their payphones with TTY devices. The two companies follow a similar application filed by Bell Canada last month that says unforeseen events out of its control have...

Binder calls on Canada to seek out more foreign investment, put more into R&D

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada ADM Michael Binder outlined what he felt Canada must do to meet a series of upcoming challenges in the telecom business, including securing new investment and broadening research and development activities. "We are losing market share in foreign investment coming into Canada. You can say that our...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

SprintCanada expands local telephony in OntarioSprint Canada Inc. has expanded its local residential telephony services in three communities in Ontario: Barrie, Markham and Richmond Hill. Sprint Canada’s facilities are now available to approximately 35% of Canadian households and businesses across the country. "Sprint Canada’s local service is growing at a rate of over 50% per year, as more and more Canadians...

NL People

telecom | 10/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Joe Parent has been appointed VP marketing and business development at Vonage Canada, charged with building brand awareness, expand the company’s retail presence and solidifying its position as the Voice over IP provider of choice of Canadian consumers and small businesses. Parent joins the company from Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc. Product and channel development, advertising, public relations, direct and...

ROW Update

telecom | 10/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

 RIM to face increased competition from American software providerResearch in Motion Ltd. is facing increasing competitive pressure from enterprise mobile applications providers as other companies eye its market share. While RIM has continued to focus on the device side with its proprietary BlackBerry unit, rival Intellisync tells Report on Wireless that supporting a wider range of devices with standards-based...

Days of independent Wi-Fi operator numbered, says former head of Spotnik

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

   The former co-chief executive of Spotnik Mobile Inc. says independent Wi-Fi operators are living on borrowed time. He argues that the writing was on the wall for the country’s independent players from the day the country’s national wireless operators formed an alliance promoting inter-carrier public Wi-Fi. The carriers announced an inter-carrier roaming and interoperability agreement in August 2003 and finalized details of the common plumbing deal in March 2004 (RoW, Aug. 26/03, March 10/04).  "I don’t think there’ll be many left standing. Either they’ll be consolidated or they’ll run out of cash and the carriers will come in and scoop up what valuable...

Inter-carrier Wi-Fi roaming, is it anticompetitive?

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Mark Wolinsky recently commented to Report on Wireless that at the time the inter-carrier Wi-Fi roaming agreement was signed in August 2003 he felt it to be anticompetitive towards independent Wi-Fi operators (see lead article). RoW editor Perry Hoffman expressed similar concerns to CRTC chair Charles Dalfen in the fall of 2003.  The following are...

Battle brewing over use of MCS/MDS band for mobile services, documents reveal

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Fixed wireless access industry stakeholders and mobile service providers appear headed for a battle over access to valuable spectrum in the 2500 MHz band (DGTP-004-04).  In comments to Industry Canada’s consultation on proposals to realign the band, at least one mobile wireless provider is saying that the...

TeraGo eyeing arrival of WiMAX equipment to expand addressable market

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 TeraGo Networks Inc.’s chief executive says the company will be able to compete more effectively in the business Internet and data communications markets against incumbent telcos and resellers when it begins to deploy WiMAX-certified equipment across its network. Bryan Boyd says that WiMAX not only levels the...

Policy changes to satellite spectrum okay with Telesat Canada

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Telesat Canada is satisfied that recent changes to the C- and Ka- satellite spectrum bands are in the best interests of satellite operators (DGTP-008-04). Industry Canada introduced policy changes to bands earlier this month that harmonize the two bands with policies set out by other international jurisdictions (RoW,...

ROW Short Takes

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Bell Mobility makes new data services available to subsBell Mobility is making the most of new and emerging wireless data services introducing video messaging service and ringtones services. With the introduction of Samsung’s SPH-a680 handset, Bell Mobility subscribers can now capture and send a 15-second video clip to each other and to Sprint PCS subscribers. The Samsung handset retails for $299 with a three-year contract, $324 with a two-year contract and $399 with one-year service. Suggested retail price is $449.The SPH-a680 comes equipped with a camcorder and movie light, flash camera and 10x zoom. Digital talk time is up to 180 minutes and digital standby time is up to 168 hours (seven days).  Lightsurf, the company that powers Bell Mobility’s picture messaging service, is also the technology behind the video messaging service. Subscribers can also add a 10-second voice memo or text message to the video clip. In conjunction with the video service launch, the company has introduced a new bundle that allows users to send 10...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Growth opportunity for WLAN chips substantial, In-StatIn-Stat/MDR says that consumer electronics (CE) and Wi-Fi telephony will fuel wireless local area network (WLAN) integrated circuit growth over the next number of years. The research company also notes that WLAN chip growth will also benefit from the integration of WLAN and cellular networks....

ROW Editorial

telecom | 10/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Report on Wireless noted in this space approximately 12 months ago that the business case for independent hotspot operators was on shaky ground following the signing of the inter-carrier Wi-Fi roaming agreement last year. We raised not only the need for the independents to build out bigger footprints...

NL Update

telecom | 10/18/2004 4:00 am EDT

 MTS Allstream wants to recoup cost for upgrading payphonesMTS Allstream Inc. wants the CRTC to award it costs for upgrading pay telephones with teletyperwriter (TTY) units. The company filed a Part VII earlier this month seeking compensation in the amount of approximately $2.79 million over four years. The petition comes on the heels of Telecom Decision 2004-47, released on July 15, which ordered the incumbent...

IP increases local telephony competition, but service largely marginalized

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Voice over Internet Protocal (VoIP) has sparked a flurry of competition in the provision of local residential telephony services, but the service will remain a secondary line service for the foreseeable future, according to new research from the Yankee Group. Dialing for Dollars: Residential Local Telephony...

Allstream urges cablecos to join it in fight against incumbent telephone providers

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 An MTS Allstream Inc. executive has urged cablecos across the country to join with his company to take on ILECs in the provision of primary line local residential service. "We have common enemies – Bell Canada and TELUS (Corp.)," Ron McKenzie, executive VP of marketing and business development, told...

True competition in local telephony dependent upon cablecos launching VoIP: Yankee Group’s Mark Quigley

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Mark Quigley, research director for the Yankee Group’s Canadian market strategies, tells Network Letter that true competition to the incumbent telcos in local telephony won’t come until the cable companies introduce their Voice over IP offerings. The cable operators have vowed to introduce...

Government needs to take leadership role in promoting e-economy to SMEs

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The heads of some of the country’s highest profile technology companies are calling on the federal government to take a leadership role in enabling its small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to take full advantage of the Internet in changing the way they do business.  They say that Internet-based...

Federal gov’t has role to play in promoting benefits of Internet economy: Manley

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Businesses that use Internet-based applications and services can benefit from substantial cost savings and improved profitability, studies have shown. Yet, only about 50% of Canadian small businesses have adopted information and communications technologies (ICTs) for business process improvement.  Many industry...

Make e-economy migration a national priority for SMEs says co-chair of CeBI

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The co-chair of the Canadian e-Business Initiative (CeBI) says ensuring all small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit from and participate in the e-economy should be a national priority. In an interview with Network Letter at the e-Commerce to the e-Economy conference, Terry Walsh, CeBI’s co-chair and president of Cisco Systems Canada Ltd. says that for this to happen there needs to be greater government involvement at the political level and that it should become a national priority.  Walsh says research exists that shows Canada’s SMEs are already falling behind global counterparts in other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations. He explains...

Peer 1 acquires ServerBeach in bid to expand from pure-play collocation

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Vancouver-based Peer 1 Networks Enterprises Inc. has acquired San Antonio TX-based ServerBeach Ltd. for $7.5 million, a purchase the company says will add significantly to its top and bottom lines while branching itself out from the pure-play colocation business. ServerBeach owns a data centre in Texas and more than...

NL Short Takes

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Federal Court of Appeal orders CRTC staff memo releasedJustice J.A. Linden, of the Federal Court of Appeal, has ordered that CRTC staff briefing papers that were before the commission in putting together Telecom Circular 2004-3 be released to TELUS Communications Inc. The appellant, TELUS Communications Inc., also wanted access to documentation showing that the CRTC considered and applied the External Charging Policy...

NL People

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Robert Watson has been hired as CEO of SaskTel, effective December 1. He replaces Don Ching, who is retiring. Watson is currently VP of business development at 360 Networks/GT Group Telecom. He has also served as president of Shaw Fibrelink and Shaw Mobilecomm, former divisions of Shaw Communications Inc. Three new VPs have been appointed at Simpler Networks Inc.: Michel SansChagrin as VP of product management,...

Bell on way to capturing the transformative potential of IP

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

 BCE In. and Bell Canada CEO Michael Sabia praised the role IP will play in the telecommunications world in an October 5 speech he gave in Toronto at IP World Canada. Below is an excerpt from his speech. In the last decade, the communications sector accounted for 60% of Canada’s productivity growth. And we’re...

NL Editorial

telecom | 10/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Recent research from the Yankee Group argues that IP telephony will struggle as an alternative to existing local telephony offerings until cablecos finally enter the fray. The conclusion is unlikely to be a surprise to anyone. After just two years of service, Vonage’s impact on the competitive landscape has been so great that existing service providers have jumped into the market for fear of losing significant market share to the upstart. In real terms, however, the actual impact has been negligible with the company possibly signing up 150,000 to 200,000 subscribers in the U.S., which some estimate as being a whopping 1% of the entire American local telephony market.  Just because U.S. incumbent operators are now offering or will soon be offering an Internet telephony play in response to competitive threats from new entrants doesn’t mean there is actual competition in the market. The same should hold...

ROW Update

telecom | 10/12/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Industry Canada sets 2300/3500 MHz auction for January 2005The auction of unassigned 2300/3500 MHz spectrum licences has been scheduled to start on January 10, 2005. Industry Canada revealed the auction timeline late last week. As Report on Wireless noted in its last issue, battlegrounds appear to be shaping up with the large wireless operators seeking to bolster existing holdings. But there are some smaller players...

ROW People

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc. has named Neil McDonnell COO, responsible for the company’s worldwide sales, marketing and operations. He has been MDSI’s senior VP sales and operations for the Americas and Asia since January 2004. Prior to joining the company, McDonnell worked for more than 15 years in the high-tech industry, most recently serving as president and CEO of Vancouver-based Intrinsyc Software...

ROW International News Briefs

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

Industry ready for ZigBee revolution, says WTRSDemand for low data rate systems is expected to increase dramatically in the future as technologies such as ZigBee and others based on the 802.15.4 protocol hit the market, according to new research from West Technology Research Solutions LLC (WTRS). The research concludes in its report that the wireless...

ROW Editorial

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. It’s always nice to see comments and suggestions from industry leaders spark change within government. Whether that means change is really afoot or it is simply lip service from a government representative, no one really knows.   That is what happened at the e-Commerce to the e-Economy...

Review Telecom Act, government role in e-economy, former Industry minister urges

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The Telecommunications Act should be reviewed after more than a decade in effect to ensure that the government continues to play a strong role in the distribution of benefits from the Internet-based economy, says former Minister of Industry Canada John Manley. The government still has a critical role to play, and...

Ciel Satellite to pursue additional orbital slots, wants three in total

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

 Ciel Satellite Communications Inc. doesn’t plan to stand pat on the 129 degrees west orbital slot it was awarded earlier this month (RoW Update, Sept. 24/04). The company says it has plans to build and deploy a fleet of satellites. In a recent interview with Report on Wireless, Kevin Smyth, CEO of Ciel, says the...

First phase of 2300/3500 MHz residual auction closes, trends begin to emerge

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

   The first phase of Industry Canada’s residual auction of unassigned 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz licences has closed, and it was marked by the departure of two potentially high-impact players.  First an affiliate of Joe Church’s Wispra Inc. withdrew without placing a bid. UBS Wireless Services Inc., a subsidiary...

Unique Broadband Systems withdraws from 2300/3500 MHz auction again

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

   UBS Wireless Services Inc., a Unique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) subsidiary, has unexpectedly withdrawn from Industry Canada’s residual auction of spectrum licences in the 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz bands. This is the second time the company has pulled out of the bandwidth sale as it did the same thing earlier this...

Industry Canada unveils spectrum policy changes in the 3-30 GHz bands

telecom | 10/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

   Canada’s spectrum regulator has made changes to policies governing the 3 GHz to 30 GHz bands, including a proposal to remove the spectrum cap for the 24, 28 and 38 GHz bands, a possible re-licensing of the 28 GHz band, reallocating C-band satellite spectrum for government of Canada (GoC) uses, and allocating additional spectrum for public safety communications (DGTP-008-04).  These are only four of the primary policies contained in a 66-page document, released this month following a public consultation undertaken by Industry Canada in January 2002 (DGTP-001-02).  In determining possible policy changes to the C-band (4500-4800 MHz paired with 6725-7075 MHz), the...