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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 494: August 26, 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/
** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions
** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** Canadian VoIP Carriers Comply With 9-1-1 Rules
** Telus Intros Hosted IP Call Centre
** CRTC Refuses to Change Allstream City Contracts
** Agenda Set for Local Forbearance Hearing
** Auto Union Protests GM-Telus Deal
** Telus Launches Mobile TV
** Rogers Wins CA*net Expansion Contract
** Internet Growth Slows
** Telus Makes Mike Multimedia
** Regulation of Small Incumbents Under Review
** Google Offers Instant Messaging, Voice
** Aliant Boosts Internet Download Speed
** Cogeco Expands Phone Service
** CRTC Orders Telus to Tariff Fibre Deal
** Telus Provides WLAN for Winnipeg Airport
** Call Centre Managers to Meet in September
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CANADIAN VOIP CARRIERS COMPLY WITH 9-1-1 RULES: All VoIP providers in
Canada have told the CRTC that they are in compliance with the VoIP
9-1-1 requirements set out in Telecom Decision 2005-21. (See Telecom
Update #476) This includes routing 9-1-1 calls to the correct
emergency centre, and obtaining new customers' express consent to
limitations on 9-1-1 service. Unlike the U.S. rules, Canada's don't
require carriers to obtain express consent from existing customers.
** An industry consensus report on standard notification of
9-1-1 limitations awaits approval by the Commission.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-21.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/cisc/COMMITTE/E-docs/ESRE039D.doc
TELUS INTROS HOSTED IP CALL CENTRE: Telus says it already has $12
million in contracts for CallCentreAnywhere, a newly announced hosted
IP-based call centre product that the telco says can be up and running
for a customer within 12 days.
CRTC REFUSES TO CHANGE ALLSTREAM CITY CONTRACTS: The CRTC has denied
MTS Allstream's 2001 request to amend the municipal access agreements
signed with Toronto and Calgary by its predecessor, MetroNet. The CRTC
says the terms Allstream objects to as "onerous and unconscionable"
were actually proposed by MetroNet and confirmed by Allstream when it
and MetroNet merged.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-46.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2005/dt2005-47.htm
AGENDA SET FOR LOCAL FORBEARANCE HEARING: The CRTC has outlined the
process to be followed at the September 26-29 hearing on deregulating
local phone service, including the order in which parties will
speak. The process is similar to that followed at the VoIP hearing
last year.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Letters/2005/lt050817.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8640/c12_200505076.htm
AUTO UNION PROTESTS GM-TELUS DEAL: The Canadian Auto Workers union
says that General Motors' IP telephony contract with Telus is
"completely unacceptable" so long as a strike continues at Telus. In
an August 19 letter to GM, CAW president Buzz Hargrove says that the
deal violates a GM-CAW "Supplier Relation letter" and that CAW "fully
expects that GM will cancel this contract" unless the strike is
settled immediately. (See Telecom Update #493)
TELUS LAUNCHES MOBILE TV: Telus Mobility has launched Mobile TV,
providing seven television channels for $15/month, on Telus's 1X data
network. It's initially available only on the Motorola V710 flip
phone, which sells for $349.99, or for $199.99 on a three-year
contract.
** Rogers and Bell launched similar services last week. (See Telecom
Update #493)
ROGERS WINS CA*net EXPANSION CONTRACT: Rogers Telecom (formerly Sprint
Canada) has won a multi-million contract with CANARIE to expand CA*net
4 connections beyond universities and colleges, to federal and
provincial research labs, schools, hospitals and private sector
research facilities.
INTERNET GROWTH SLOWS: A new TeleGeography survey says that that
global cross-border Internet traffic grew by "just" 49% in 2005, down
from 103% in 2004. The combined average traffic on all cross-border
backbone routes is now just under 1 Terabit per second.
www.telegeography.com/press/releases/2005-08-23.php
TELUS MAKES MIKE MULTIMEDIA: Telus Mobility's push-to-talk Mike
service now offers the multimedia-enabled Motorola 1860 phone, which
allows users to send photos, contacts, and virtual business cards to
other Mike users.
REGULATION OF SMALL INCUMBENTS UNDER REVIEW: In Public Notice 2005-10,
the CRTC invites comments on the regulatory framework for small
incumbent phone companies from 2006 forward. A joint report by all 39
small ILECs has proposed extending the existing price cap rules, with
modifications, for another four years. (See Telecom Update #492).
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pt2005-10.htm
GOOGLE OFFERS INSTANT MESSAGING, VOICE: The new Google Talk service
allows users of Google's email service to exchange instant messages or
computer-to-computer voice calls.
ALIANT BOOSTS INTERNET DOWNLOAD SPEED: Aliant has increased the
download speed of its High-Speed Ultra Internet service from 3 Mbps to
5 Mbps. The upload speed remains 640 Kbps.
COGECO EXPANDS PHONE SERVICE: Cogeco's cable telephone service is now
available to its Internet customers in a Drummondville. The service
made its Quebec debut in Trois-Rivieres in July. (See Telecom Update
#488)
CRTC ORDERS TELUS TO TARIFF FIBRE DEAL: The CRTC says that Telus
cannot provide and maintain fibre to four remote B.C. communities
under an inter-carrier agreement with EnTel, a company that provides
high-speed Internet to remote, rural and First Nations
communities. Instead, Telus must file a special facilities tariff for
the services.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2005/o2005-309.htm
TELUS PROVIDES WLAN FOR WINNIPEG AIRPORT: Winnipeg Airports Authority
has launched a wireless LAN service at Winnipeg International Airport;
travelers can access the service, built and managed by Telus Mobility,
for $8 a day.
CALL CENTRE MANAGERS TO MEET IN SEPTEMBER: The 2005 ICCM Conference &
Exposition -- the world's largest event focusing on contact centre
management -- will be held September 25-28 at the Bellagio Hotel in
Las Vegas. ICCM's educational program is developed by Canada's Angus
Dortmans Associates, and the conference will be chaired by Henry
Dortmans. For more information or to register, go to
http://vegas.iccm.com.
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Angus TeleManagement Group (jriddell@angustel.ca)