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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 498: September 23, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** AVAYA: http://www.avaya.ca/en/
** BELL CANADA: http://www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: http://www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: http://www.ericsson.ca
** MITEL NETWORKS: http://www.mitel.com/
** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: http://www.necunifiedsolutions.com
** ROGERS TELECOM: http://www.rogers.com/solutions
** VONAGE CANADA: http://www.vonage.ca
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** Videotron to Resell Rogers' Cellular
** Industry Minister Wants More Broadband Money
** Local Forbearance Hearing Starts Monday
** Montreal Airport to Go IP
** Infosat Offers Business Broadband
** Telus Sends Service Calls Offshore
** CRTC Extends Comment Period on Bell VoIP Tariff
** Bell Wants Local High-Speed Circuits Deregulated
** Bell Refuses to Collect Alternate Directory Bills
** Sault Utelco, Ontera Join for Networking
** Globalstar Adds Northern Gateway
** Avaya Buys Ottawa Peer-to-Peer Developer
** Cisco Offers Small-Business Bundle
** Virttel Launches Secure VoIP in U.S.
** Mosey Joins Orano Board
** Anguses to Keynote Telemanagement Live
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VIDEOTRON TO RESELL ROGERS' CELLULAR: Videotron plans to offer
wireless phone service next year, reselling Rogers Wireless voice and
data services. The cableco says it will be the only provider in its
service area to offer "true one-stop" TV, Internet, phone, and
wireless customer service.
INDUSTRY MINISTER WANTS MORE BROADBAND MONEY: Industry Minister David
Emerson said this week that he wants the next federal budget to
include increased funding for projects that extend broadband to
unserved areas. Speaking to the Empire Club in Toronto, he said:
"Without Internet access today, people and communities simply cannot
get into the game. They're not able to get into the economic
mainstream."
** On September 15, Ottawa's Strategic Infrastructure Fund
and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador each
donated $5 million to a project that will extend broadband
to 68 schools and 103 communities in rural and remote
regions of Newfoundland and Labrador.
LOCAL FORBEARANCE HEARING STARTS MONDAY: As part of the CRTC
proceeding on deregulating the incumbent telephone companies' local
phone service, the Commission is holding a public hearing in Gatineau
next week. The hearing will be broadcast live on the Web, starting at
9:30 am on Monday, September 26.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/process/2005/sep26_t.htm
MONTREAL AIRPORT TO GO IP: Old buzz-phrases never die! In the early
eighties, every magazine featured articles hyping the soon-to-arrive
"office of the future." This week Bell Canada and Cisco announced the
"airport of the future" -- a contract to provide Montreal-Trudeau
airport with Wi-Fi, IP telephony, digital signage, information kiosks,
and Internet-equipped business centres. The announcement did not say
when the future will arrive.
INFOSAT OFFERS BUSINESS BROADBAND: Infosat Communications, a Telesat
subsidiary, now offers business-grade Internet access at 1 Mbps
anywhere in Canada, using Telesat's new Anik F2 satellite, for
$89.95/month.
TELUS SENDS SERVICE CALLS OFFSHORE: On Wednesday, Telus informed the
Telecommunications Workers Union that "for the duration of the labour
disruption" it will route "some customer care and operator services
calls" to its call centre in the Philippines, and that Telus Mobility
will route "some client care calls" to a call centre outsourcer in
India.
** On Tuesday, Vancouver City Council called on the federal
Minister of Labour "to appoint an Industrial Inquiry
Commission to look into the causes of the dispute and to
make non-binding recommendations to facilitate its
resolution."
CRTC EXTENDS COMMENT PERIOD ON BELL VoIP TARIFF: The CRTC has given
interested parties until September 28 to comment on Bell Canada's
application to price its access-dependent "Digital Voice" VoIP service
differently in Ontario and Quebec, and has ordered Bell to place its
Tariff Notice 6900 on the public record. (See Telecom Update #496)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2005/pt2005-13-1.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/8740/eng/2005/b2_6900.htm
BELL WANTS LOCAL HIGH-SPEED CIRCUITS DEREGULATED: Bell Canada has
re-filed its February 2005 application for deregulation of its
high-speed intra-exchange digital services in exchanges where at least
one fibre-based competitor is providing high-speed service to at least
one customer. Initial comments on this application were due this week.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8640/c12_200507618.htm#2h
BELL REFUSES TO COLLECT ALTERNATE DIRECTORY BILLS: At this morning's
expedited hearing of a dispute between Bell Canada and YP Corp, an
Internet-based directory services provider, Bell told the Commission
that it should not be required to provide billing and collection
services to YP Corp, even though it does so for its former affiliate,
Yellow Pages Group. The Commission will issue a decision by October
5.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/process/2005/sep23.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/y2_200508731.htm
SAULT UTELCO, ONTERA JOIN FOR NETWORKING: PUC Telecom, a utility-based
telecom carrier in Sault Ste. Marie, has formed a joint venture with
Ontera (formerly O.N.Telcom) to help utilize the utelco's growing
municipal fibre network. Ontera will provide back-office and
provisioning services.
GLOBALSTAR ADDS NORTHERN GATEWAY: Globalstar LLC, an international
satellite phone provider, has begun construction of a new gateway near
Anchorage, Alaska, which will extend its coverage in Yukon, North West
Territories, and northwest B.C.
AVAYA BUYS OTTAWA PEER-TO-PEER DEVELOPER: Avaya has bought
Ottawa-based Nimcat Networks, a developer of small-business
peer-to-peer IP telephony software, for $46 million. Nimcat's software
operates on the IP phone, eliminating the need for a PBX or key
system.
CISCO OFFERS SMALL-BUSINESS BUNDLE: Cisco Systems has introduced a
bundled offering of voice and data services for businesses with 20 to
250 employees. Business Communications Solution includes a router
equipped with call control and messaging software, plus Cisco's
Catalyst Express 500 switch.
VIRTTEL LAUNCHES SECURE VoIP IN U.S.: Virttel, an IP services provider
based in Smiths Falls, Ontario, has extended its encrypted Internet
telephony and data offerings to the U.S. In Canada, Virttel's IP-based
local/long distance service costs $26.95 (residential) and $69.95
(business).
MOSEY JOINS ORANO BOARD: Terry Mosey, recently retired Bell Canada
EVP, has joined the Board of the Optical Regional Advanced Network of
Ontario, the organization that owns and operates ORION, the province's
leading-edge research and education telecom network.
ANGUSES TO KEYNOTE TELEMANAGEMENT LIVE: On October 18, Ian and Lis
Angus, co-editors of Telecom Update, will present an exclusive keynote
report on "Telecom Transformation: Profits, Pitfalls and Payoffs in
the Next Wave of Network Change," at the Telemanagement Live
conference in Toronto.
** Telecom Update subscribers who register online now
will receive a $200 discount on an All Access pass,
including all sessions and meals and a ticket to the
Telecommunications Hall of Fame Dinner. To qualify,
register at www.telemanagementlive.com and enter AMBP95
in the "promotional code" field.
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TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
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e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca.
The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
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Angus TeleManagement Group (jriddell@angustel.ca)