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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 496: September 9, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** 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/
** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com
** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions
** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** Bell Launches VoIP Push
** CRTC Invites Comment on Bell VoIP Tariffs
** Broadband Hearing in Whitehorse Today
** Cellcos Consider Number Portability Plan
** 800,000 Phones Still Out on Gulf Coast
** Respondents Added to Telcos' Court Appeal
** Rogers Wants Unbundled Loops From Remotes
** Bell Amends VoIP Tariff re 9-1-1 Calls
** Manitoba Tel CEO to Retire
** ITAC Study Says Canada Lags in ICT
** Vonage Activates Millionth Line
** Videotron Signs 75,000 Phone Subscribers
** New Anik Satellite Goes Aloft
** Ericsson Enables Remote Cellphone Upgrades
** Allstream Wins Via Rail Contract
** Telecom Hall of Fame Gala Grows
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BELL LAUNCHES VoIP PUSH: Bell Canada has announced its long-expected
response to competition from cablecos and other suppliers of IP-based
telephone service. The response involves two offerings:
** Digital Voice converts an existing standard phone line to
VoIP using facilities in the Bell switching centre. Base
price is $40/month, not including long distance.
Additional numbers in 23 cities are $4 each.
** Digital Voice Lite is the new name for Bell's previously
announced access-independent VoIP service, which requires
a high-speed Internet connection. (See Telecom Update
#475) Base price is $34/month for local calling and 1,200
minutes of province-wide long distance; Canada-U.S. LD is
$5 extra.
** Digital Voice is available now in the Greater Toronto and
Hamilton areas. It will be rolled out next in Montreal,
and then elsewhere in Ontario and Quebec. Digital Voice
Lite, launched last March in three Quebec cities, is now
offered across Ontario and Quebec.
CRTC INVITES COMMENT ON BELL VoIP TARIFFS: The CRTC gave interim
approval to Bell's Digital Voice and Digital Voice Lite tariffs last
week, but allowed the details to remain confidential until September
8. Parties now have 25 days to comment.
www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/b2/tn6899.zip
www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/b2/tn6889.doc
** Bell Canada has asked the Commission to allow it to charge
different prices for Digital Voice in Ontario and Quebec.
In Telecom Public Notice 2005-13, the CRTC asks for
comment on whether it should approve that aspect of the
tariff.
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pt2005-13.htm
** In Public Notice 2005-9, the CRTC launched a public
discussion of Bell's original Digital Voice tariff (now
rebranded Digital Voice Lite), which is still ongoing.
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8661/c12_200507973.htm
BROADBAND HEARING IN WHITEHORSE TODAY: The Telecom Policy Review panel
is holding a forum on broadband access today in Whitehorse, Yukon, to
be followed by an online discussion until September 16. To view
presenters' slides or participate in the online discussion, register
at the panel's website.
www.telecomreview.ca/epic/internet/intprp-gecrt.nsf/en/h_rx00038e.html#webcast
CELLCOS CONSIDER NUMBER PORTABILITY PLAN: The Canadian Wireless
Telecommunications Association says that the Wireless Number
Portability Task Force is now considering a draft plan for wireless
number portability prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The Task Force
aims to complete its review and issue guidelines by the end of the
month.
800,000 PHONES STILL OUT ON GULF COAST: BellSouth says it has restored
service to about half of the 1.7 million phone lines that were cut off
during Hurricane Katrina. The company estimates the total cost of
repairing its network will be US$400 million to $600 million.
** Wireline, wireless, and Internet services have been
disrupted; in New Orleans, satellite phones provided the
only reliable means of communications.
RESPONDENTS ADDED TO TELCOS' COURT APPEAL: On instructions from the
Federal Court, the telcos that want to appeal the CRTC's VoIP decision
(see Telecom Update #486) have added Rogers, Shaw, Videotron, Cogeco,
EastLink, the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association, MTS
Allstream, and ARCH (a legal resource centre for persons with
disabilities) as respondents to their application. The respondents may
now file opposing arguments.
ROGERS WANTS UNBUNDLED LOOPS FROM REMOTES: Rogers Telecom has asked
the CRTC to order Bell Canada to make unbundled loops available in
areas served by remote switches. Rogers says Bell is refusing to
install the necessary equipment, resulting in up to nine months' delay
in Rogers' ability to offer service in new areas.
www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/r29_200510497.htm
BELL AMENDS VoIP TARIFF RE 9-1-1 CALLS: Bell Canada has amended the
tariff for its Managed IP Telephony service (see Telecom Update #442)
to spell out limitations on how 9-1-1 calls are handled.
www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/B2.htm#200510190
MANITOBA TEL CEO TO RETIRE: Bill Fraser plans to retire as CEO of
Manitoba Telecom next year; the telco has begun a search for a
successor. Fraser led MTS in its purchase of Allstream last year,
which transformed the telco into Canada's third-largest national
carrier.
ITAC STUDY SAYS CANADA LAGS IN ICT: A study prepared for the
Information Technology Association of Canada finds that the average
investment per worker in Information and Communications Technology in
2003 was US$1,332 in Canada, less than half of the U.S. figure.
VONAGE ACTIVATES MILLIONTH LINE: Internet telephony provider Vonage
Holdings says it has more than one million subscribers in North
America. Its Canadian subscriber total has not been made public.
VIDEOTRON SIGNS 75,000 PHONE SUBSCRIBERS: Videotron Ltee says it
signed its 75,000th cable telephone subscriber during August. The
cableco aims to provide 349,000 phone lines customers by the end of
next year.
NEW ANIK SATELLITE GOES ALOFT: Telesat Canada's Anik F1R satellite has
been successfully launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of
Kazakhstan. It will provide telecom and broadcasting services,
including direct-to-home satellite television, and enhanced global
positioning for aviation use in Canada and the U.S.
ERICSSON ENABLES REMOTE CELLPHONE UPGRADES: Rogers Wireless is the
first Canadian cellco, and one of the first in the world, to provide
automatic remote configuration and software updates to its customers'
cellphones, using technology from Ericsson.
ALLSTREAM WINS VIA RAIL CONTRACT: Allstream has signed a three-year
contract with Via Rail Canada to provide voice and data services to
call centres, train stations, and administrative offices.
TELECOM HALL OF FAME GALA GROWS: The dinner and celebration announcing
the first laureates in Canada's new Telecommunications Hall of Fame
has been moved to a larger hall in the Metro Toronto Convention
Centre. The gala will be held Monday October 17, as part of
Telemanagement Live, Canada's premier business telecom and networking
event.
** For more information, or to register, go to
www.telemanagementlive.com.
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Angus TeleManagement Group (jriddell@angustel.ca)