| 29 July, 2010 | Last updated 15 hours 51 minutes ago |
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Having Trouble Logging In?Network LetterNew wireless entrants look to U.S. carrier for AWS-compatible iPhone 4Canada’s new wireless entrants could offer the popular iPhone 4 if American carrier T-Mobile can convince Apple Inc. to create a version of the device that functions on their networks--but analysts say new entrants won’t necessarily want to carry the handset. The iPhone 4 will be Apple’s first smart phone to be immediately available with Canada’s three incumbent wireless carriers, Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp. and Bell Canada, when it is launched Friday. “I don’t think there’s a competitive advantage between Bell, Telus and Rogers when it comes to the iPhone,” Dvai Ghose, a telecom analyst with Canaccord Genuity, told The Wire Report. Canada left out of ITU Broadband Commission July 23, 2010 - 4:18pm — Stefan Dubowski
Canada may not have a representative on the International Telecommunications Union’s (ITU) Broadband Commission for Digital Development, but experts say Canada could still play an important role. In an effort to reduce the international “digital divide”—the barrier between those who have access to broadband services and those who don’t—the ITU and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) earlier this year created the Broadband Commission for Digital Development. The commission aims to study strategies for worldwide broadband rollout, and how broadband can improve healthcare, education, safety, and other services in poor countries. CTV says profits from spectrum auctions should help finance digital transitionOTTAWA—A portion of the revenues from the upcoming 700 and 2500 MHz spectrum auctions should go to assisting broadcasters in the digital transition, CTVglobemedia says. In a submission to the federal government’s consultation on the digital economy, CTV said that the government's demands on broadcasters--through the transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting and the freeing up of spectrum for mobile broadband use in the 700 and 2500 MHz bands--is coming at a great cost to broadcasters. “Consequently, given that the Government is supporting the expansion of broadband throughout Canada, it would also be appropriate for the Government to support broadcasters’ conversion of their transmitters,” CTV wrote in its submission. Digital strategy needs focal point at cabinet table, say experts, industryOTTAWA—Industry Canada's portfolio is too broad and the government needs a focal point in cabinet to lead its digital economy strategy, say industry insiders and experts. “The starting point for any digital economy strategy is leadership. Canada needs digital leaders, including a chief technology officer and cabinet-level attention to the issue,” Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa, wrote in a submission to the government’s consultation on the digital economy. “The not-so-secret reality of the Industry Minister portfolio is that it is simply far too large to give all the issues under its mandate the necessary attention. Manufacturing, automotive, telecom, foreign investment, competition, consumer affairs, Statistics Canada, intellectual property, scientific research and dozens of other issues all fall under the same umbrella.” Telus loses court battle over CRTC decision on government services contract July 20, 2010 - 5:29pm — Simon Doyle
OTTAWA--In a Federal Court of Appeal decision Tuesday, Telus Corp. lost a bit of ground in its continuing fight over a CRTC decision that the company says will put a chill on the enterprise market’s interest in government services contracts. CRTC decision 2009-85, issued in January 2009, allowed Bell Canada to continue to charge for network services on a government contract that Telus had won because the transition wasn’t complete. Bell previously had an agreement through Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to provide services “vital to national security” to the Department of National Defence, but in June 2007, Telus was awarded the $213 million services contract. CRTC should have power to investigate, monitor net neutrality, says Directors GuildOTTAWA--The CRTC should have the funding and powers necessary to investigate and monitor network neutrality, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) says in a submission for Industry Canada’s digital economy consultation. “[W]e recommend that the government require, and allocate funding for, the CRTC to monitor network neutrality internally, and to investigate issues that may arise from time to time,” the labour organization’s submission said. The DGC said non-discriminatory access to Canadian content is important as more professionally produced material makes its way online. New governor general Johnston could be 'spokesperson' for digital issues, say colleaguesDavid Johnston, Canada’s next governor general, could make digital issues one of his top priorities, his colleagues say—but it’s unlikely he’ll take positions on controversial issues like copyright. “We’ll have a very eloquent governor general who can really highlight a lot of issues related to both digital [issues] and education ... That bodes very well for both those areas, simply because they have a spokesperson who knows them in such great detail,” Tom Jenkins, executive chairman and chief strategy officer of Open Text Corp. and Johnston’s friend, told The Wire Report in an interview. Jenkins has collaborated with Johnston for more than a decade through partnerships between his company and the University of Waterloo, where Johnston has been president and vice-chancellor since 1999. Johnston also served on OpenText’s board of directors from 2002 to 2004. Bell, Telus expected to launch competitive discount plans: UBSBell Canada and Telus Corp. are expected to launch mobile plans to match Rogers Communications’ Inc.’s upcoming Chatr wireless brand, says a new research note by UBS Investment Research. Bell operates secondary wireless brands Virgin Mobile and Solo Mobile, and Telus offers Koodo Mobile. Rogers offers Fido and has plans to launch a discount brand, Chatr, this summer. Bell and Rogers could offer new discount plans through their secondary brands, but so far the companies are mum on any potential business plans to compete with Chatr. CRTC gives distributors option to offer local basic packages, but will cost consumers $300 to installTo ensure Canadians have access to digital channels after the digital broadcasting transition deadline of Aug. 31, 2011, the CRTC is granting television distributors the option to offer free, local packages to viewers—but the commission estimates they would be charged about $300 for an installation. “The local package that will be available via cable companies is a good idea, but the ‘free’ is somewhat misleading,” Gregory Taylor, an expert in broadcasting policy at McGill University, who is writing a book on digital television, told The Wire Report in an interview. “There’s an installation charge, and it will cost people $300.” Cablecos should devote 10 per cent of revenues to Canadian programming: Broadcasting watchdogOTTAWA--Canada’s four biggest cable companies should contribute 10 per cent of their total revenues—including phone and Internet—to the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and other federally sponsored cultural funds, the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says in a submission for Industry Canada’s digital economy consultation. “The Canada Media Fund, and other federally-sponsored funds can be augmented substantially by tapping into the huge profits of the four big cable monopolies, whose profit before interest and taxes in 2009 exceeded 25%,” the Friends, an independent watchdog group, wrote in its submission. “FRIENDS recommends a 10% levy on revenues, and preventing these monopolies from recouping the contribution from their subscribers.” |
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