************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
************************************************************
published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 484: June 3, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/
** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca
** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/
************************************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
** Telus Plans In-Territory VoIP
** Is Bell Exiting Rural Phone Business?
** Telecom Policy Discussion Paper Due Monday
** Telecom Hall of Fame Launched
** OneConnect Complies With 9-1-1 Order
** AOL Rolls Out National VoIP
** Nortel Results Finally Current
** CRTC Updates Service Withdrawal Rules
** CRTC Urged to Set VoIP Compliance Deadlines for Bell, Shaw
** Hydro One, WilTel Offer Cross-Border Ethernet
** CIRA Sets Board Election
** New President at Telehop
** Virgin Launches Service in Maritimes
** Bell Offers Wireless Tracking for Small Business
** CATA Launches "Women In Technology" Forum
** CRTC Names New Communications Director
** Telemanagement Live Expands
============================================================
TELUS PLANS IN-TERRITORY VoIP: On Wednesday, Telus CEO Darren
Entwistle told reporters that his company will offer residential
IP-based local phone service in Alberta, British Columbia, and eastern
Quebec later this year.
IS BELL EXITING RURAL PHONE BUSINESS? There's no official comment from
Bell Canada, but published reports say the telco is hoping to raise $3
billion by selling 850,000 local telephone lines in rural Ontario and
Quebec. Rumoured buyers include Bell Nordiq (a Bell subsidiary) and
independent telco Amtelecom.
TELECOM POLICY DISCUSSION PAPER DUE MONDAY: The Telecom Policy Review
Panel plans to release its consultation paper on Monday, June 6,
outlining focus areas and inviting submissions. To read the paper or
register, go to the panel's website.
www.telecomreview.ca/
TELECOM HALL OF FAME LAUNCHED: This week, Lorne Abugov, a partner at
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, announced the formation of Canada's
Telecommunications Hall of Fame, to honour pioneers and leaders of the
industry. The first laureates will be announced during the
TeleManagement Live conference in October. The interim selection
committee includes Abugov and:
** Stuart MacPherson: Principal, MacPherson Telecom
Consulting; Former CRTC Executive Director Telecom.
** Lis Angus: Executive Vice-President, Angus TeleManagement
Group Inc.; co-editor, Telecom Update.
** Wes Scott: Corporate Director; former BCE Chief Corporate
Officer.
** Carol Stephenson: Dean, Richard Ivey School of Business,
University of Western Ontario.
www.telecomhall.ca
ONECONNECT COMPLIES WITH 9-1-1 ORDER: Hosted IP telephony provider
OneConnect says that by June 24 specialized call centres will
intercept its subscribers' 9-1-1 calls and route them to the proper
911 dispatch points. The CRTC has ordered VoIP providers to offer
basic 9-1-1 service by July 3. (See Telecom Update #476)
AOL ROLLS OUT NATIONAL VoIP: AOL Canada's IP telephony service,
TotalTalk, is now available across Canada. Introduced in Toronto
earlier this year, TotalTalk is offered in two packages, depending on
the amount of North American LD included: $19.95/month with 60 minutes
of LD, $29.95/month with 1,000 minutes. Both plans include unlimited
calling to other TotalTalk subscribers.
** AOL's website says the service includes 9-1-1, "if your
telephone number and the 9-1-1 address that you supply to
us during registration correspond to a TotalTalk serving
area exchange."
NORTEL RESULTS FINALLY CURRENT: At last, Nortel Networks financial
reporting is back on schedule. First quarter results show revenue of
US$2.54 billion, up 4% from a year ago and down 2% from the previous
quarter. Net loss: $49 million. Nortel's order backlog increased 10%
to $4.5 billion.
** CEO Bill Owens says Nortel is taking "aggressive actions"
to lower its cost structure and may close some of its 30
R&D sites.
CRTC UPDATES SERVICE WITHDRAWAL RULES: Responding to a January 2005
application from Bell Canada (see Telecom Update #463), the CRTC has
outlined new procedures to deal with telco applications to
destandardize or withdraw tariffed services. The new process provides
timelines and criteria to be relied on by customers and carriers when
service withdrawals are proposed, but does not allow for automatic
approval as proposed by Bell.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Circulars/2005/ct2005-7.htm
CRTC URGED TO SET VoIP COMPLIANCE DEADLINES FOR BELL, SHAW: Industry
players want the CRTC to set firm deadlines for Bell Canada and Shaw
Communications to comply with the new VoIP rules:
** Cogeco, Quebecor, and the CCTA say Bell should be required
to file a tariff for its "Digital Voice" VoIP service
without delay, and should not be allowed to offer the
service to any new customers until the tariff is approved.
** Telus says Shaw should not be permitted to expand its
telephone service to new communities until it is in
compliance with all CLEC obligations.
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/c6_200503997.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/q15_200504151.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/c13_200504028.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/t66_200503418.htm
HYDRO ONE, WILTEL OFFER CROSS-BORDER ETHERNET: Hydro One Telecom now
offers wide-area Ethernet service into the United States, in
partnership with Tulsa-based WilTel Communications.
CIRA SETS BOARD ELECTION: Elections for the Board of Directors of the
Canadian Internet Registration Authority will be held online and by
fax, from June 16 to June 22. Everyone who holds a dot.ca domain name
is eligible to join CIRA and participate in the election.
www.cira.ca/en/election_2005/election-2005.html
NEW PRESIDENT AT TELEHOP: Ruth Bartholomeusz, who has been Chief
Operating Officer of Telehop Communications since 2000, has been named
president of the company. Former president Hersh Spiegelman continues
as Chairman of the Board.
VIRGIN LAUNCHES SERVICE IN MARITIMES: On May 31, Virgin Mobile
expanded its prepaid wireless service to the Atlantic Provinces. (See
Telecom Update #471)
BELL OFFERS WIRELESS TRACKING FOR SMALL BUSINESS: Bell Mobility's new
GoTrax service provides "affordable wireless tracking for small and
medium-sized businesses," using a combination of handset-based GPS and
cellular technology.
CATA LAUNCHES "WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY" FORUM: The Canadian Advanced
Technology Alliance has launched the Women In Technology Forum, which
aims to "boost women's participation and progress in a very
challenging sector." The WIT Forum plans to offer online resources, a
mentoring network, educational programs, and a book, "Leadership
Success for Women," to be launched this autumn.
www.cata.ca/Media_and_Events/Press_Releases/cata_pr05310501.html
CRTC NAMES NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: On June 2, Claudine Renauld
joined the CRTC as Director General Communications, replacing Denis
Carmel, who will work with her during a transition period. (see
Telecom Update #477).
TELEMANAGEMENT LIVE EXPANDS: Telemanagement Live, Canada's premier
user-focused conference and exhibit on business telecom and
networking, has doubled the size of its educational program this
year. The initial sponsors for the event, to be held October 17-19 at
the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, are Allstream, Avaya, Bell
Canada, Cisco Systems and Telus.
www.telemanagementlive.com
============================================================
HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE
E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca
===========================================================
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE)
TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two
formats available:
1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the
World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week
at www.angustel.ca
2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge.
To subscribe, send an e-mail message to:
join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com
To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send
an e-mail message to:
leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com
Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add
or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave
subject line and message area blank.
We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail
addresses to any third party. For more information,
see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html.
===========================================================
COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus
TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please
e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500.
The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no
warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on
interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If
expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a
competent professional should be obtained.
============================================================
Angus TeleManagement Group (jriddell@angustel.ca)