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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 507: November 25, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/
** 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:
** Telus to Merge Wireline and Wireless
** TWU Members Accept Telus Contract
** Ottawa Funds Four Broadband Projects
** CRTC Calls Cellcos on Carpet Over Privacy
** Telecom Legislation Doomed
** Kingston Hospital Installs Integrated Wireless
** Aliant Mobility Offers Push-to-Talk
** New COO at Telecom Ottawa
** CRTC Turns Down Telus-Videotron Fibre Swap
** Quebec ISPs Challenge Bell DSL Rates
** Bell & Rogers Exceed Spectrum Limits
** RIM Plans Support Centre in Halifax
** Mitel Opens B.C. Sales Centre
** Yet Another Teleglobe Suit Against BCE
** Bell to Retail Virgin Mobile's Phones
** Yak Promises Unlimited Long Distance
** Videotron Extends Telephone Service
** Cisco Buys Toronto IP-Provisioning Assets
** MDA, Com Dev Divide Up Space Technology Unit
** Telecom Update's Newest Sponsor
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TELUS TO MERGE WIRELINE AND WIRELESS: Telus Mobility and Telus
Communications are being merged into a single operating structure. The
company says this will help to "leverage the ongoing convergence
between wireless and wireline technology." Telus will continue to
release separate financial reports for wireless.
** Hughes St. Pierre, head of Telus Quebec, is retiring.
** Wade Oosterman, expected by many to take over Telus
Mobility following George Cope's departure (see Telecom
Update #502), is "in discussions" with CEO Darren
Entwistle about his future.
TWU MEMBERS ACCEPT TELUS CONTRACT: Members of the Telecommunications
Workers Union have voted to accept a new five-year contract with
Telus. Of 10,566 members who cast ballots, 64.1% voted in favor.
OTTAWA FUNDS FOUR BROADBAND PROJECTS: The federal government this week
announced funding for four projects that will extend high-speed
Internet access to rural and remote communities in various parts of
Canada.
** $9.72 million from the National Satellite Initiative to
Falcon Communications, which is owned by six indigenous
peoples' organizations, to extend service to 31 aboriginal
communities in the Northwest Territories.
** $735,527 from the Broadband for Rural and Northern
Development (BRAND) Pilot Program to extend service to 21
communities in the Portneuf area of Quebec.
** $973,592 from the BRAND Pilot Program to the Matawa First
Nations Management organization, located in Thunder Bay,
to extend service to eight communities in the Nishnawbe
Aski Nation territory.
** $591,677 from the BRAND Pilot Program to the Community
Futures Development Corporation of Boundary Area to extend
service to 23 communities in south-central British
Columbia.
CRTC CALLS CELLCOS ON CARPET OVER PRIVACY: The November 21 issue of
Maclean's reported that a U.S. data broker was able to obtain
telephone call records of Canada's privacy commissioner, among
others. The CRTC has ordered Bell, Telus, and Rogers to investigate
this incident, and to report by November 28 on what privacy safeguards
were in place at the time, as well as any additional safeguards that
they are implementing.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Letters/2005/lt051118.htm
TELECOM LEGISLATION DOOMED: It seems very likely that a new federal
election will be called next week. That will kill all pending
legislation, including C-37, which would have established Do-Not-Call
rules for telemarketers; C-73, which would have given the CRTC the
power to impose fines; and C-74, which would have established rules
for Internet wiretaps (see Telecom Update #503 and #506).
TELECOM LEGISLATION DOOMED: It seems very likely that a new federal
election will be called next week. That will kill all pending
legislation, including C-37, which would have established Do-Not-Call
rules for telemarketers (see Telecom Update #503) and C-73, which
would have given the CRTC the power to impose fines (see Telecom
Update #506).
KINGSTON HOSPITAL INSTALLS INTEGRATED WIRELESS: Kingston General
Hospital has launched a Wi-Fi system that integrates wireless devices
with point-of-care computers and provides mobile patient data access
and data entry. The system, installed by Bell Canada, also provides
wireless phone and Internet access in patient-care areas.
ALIANT MOBILITY OFFERS PUSH-TO-TALK: Aliant now offers a push-to-talk
mobile service, using the brand name 10-4. The service, which requires
special handsets, costs $15/month in addition to a regular rate
plan. (See Telecom Update #473)
NEW COO AT TELECOM OTTAWA: Tom Moss, who previously held positions at
AT&T Canada, Bell Canada, and Rogers Telecom, has been named Chief
Operating Officer of Telecom Ottawa, a subsidiary of Ottawa Hydro. He
replaces Dave Dobbin, who left to join Toronto Hydro Telecom in
August. (see Telecom Update #491)
CRTC TURNS DOWN TELUS-VIDEOTRON FIBRE SWAP: The CRTC has refused to
approve fibre-swap and fibre-lease agreements between Telus and
Videotron. The CRTC says that any provision of dark fibre by Telus
must comply with its optical fibre tariffs.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2005/o2005-387.htm
QUEBEC ISPs CHALLENGE BELL DSL RATES: A coalition of 15 Quebec ISPs
has complained to the CRTC that Bell Canada's retail DSL rates
undercut the wholesale rates they must pay in order to provide an
equivalent service, and that other Bell practices are causing them
harm.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/q18_200513566.htm
BELL & ROGERS EXCEED SPECTRUM LIMITS: Industry Canada has informed
Rogers and Bell Canada that, by pooling wireless broadband spectrum
holdings in their Inukshuk joint venture (see Telecom Update #497),
they exceed the 100 MHz spectrum limit in 27 instances. They have
until December 15 to tell the Ministry how they will comply with their
licence conditions.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf06076e.html
RIM PLANS SUPPORT CENTRE IN HALIFAX: Research In Motion plans to
establish a technical support operations centre in Halifax next
year. The company says the centre will eventually employ up to 1,200
full-time IT people.
** Nova Scotia will provide a performance-based payroll
rebate of up to $14 million plus $5 million in recruitment
and training incentives.
MITEL OPENS B.C. SALES CENTRE: Mitel Networks has opened a "solutions
showcase" and support centre for its Western Canada operations in
Burnaby, B.C.
YET ANOTHER TELEGLOBE SUIT AGAINST BCE: The Plan Administrator of
Teleglobe Inc. is suing BCE and seven former Teleglobe directors for
$3 billion, alleging that they "oppressed" Teleglobe when it was a BCE
subsidiary. BCE, which faces other Teleglobe-related suits, said the
lawsuit is "without merit." (See Telecom Update #372, 435)
BELL TO RETAIL VIRGIN MOBILE'S PHONES: Bell Canada is now offering
Virgin Mobile cellphones and accessories in its retail stores across
Canada. (See Telecom Update #471)
YAK PROMISES UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE: Yak Communications says that in
January it will launch a new service offering unlimited long distance
calling in Canada and the U.S. for $24.99 a month. The service will
use VoIP network facilities provided by Las Vegas-based CommPartners
Inc.
VIDEOTRON EXTENDS TELEPHONE SERVICE: Videotron has begun offering
local telephone service to residents of the North Shore of Montreal.
CISCO BUYS TORONTO IP-PROVISIONING ASSETS: Toronto-based Digital
Fairway Corp. has sold its IP Telephony Provisioner product and
development team and other assets to Cisco Systems for US$15.25
million.
MDA, COM DEV DIVIDE UP SPACE TECHNOLOGY UNIT: MacDonald, Dettwiler and
Associates of Richmond B.C. is buying the Montreal division of EMS
Technologies, and selling the unit's space-related assets to Com Dev
International for $5 million.
TELECOM UPDATE'S NEWEST SPONSOR: We're very pleased to welcome
Microsoft Canada as a sponsor of Telecom Update. They join the
distinguished group of companies whose generous support allows us to
continue publishing Canada's most widely read telecom newsletter at no
charge to subscribers.
** Sponsors have no influence on the editorial content of
Telecom Update, which is solely the responsibility of
Angus TeleManagement Group.
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The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
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