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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 509: December 9, 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:
** Former Bell Exec to Head MTS-Allstream
** Alberta Plans Canada's First Wi-Max Net
** Yukon, NWT Get Wireless Competitor
** Shaw Quits Cable Association
** Cellphones Up 481,000 in Three Months
** Bell, March Ally for Surveillance
** Amtelecom Buys Rural Telco
** Competitors, Cablecos Battle over Voice QoS
** Rogers Wants Ban on Wireless Junk Voicemail
** Ontera Waives Charges for Kashechewan Customers
** Dog Days for Cellphones
** Wi-LAN, Cisco Settle Suit
** Globalstar Readies Satellite Launch
** Nortel Buys into Vodavi
** Court Approves TIW Payout
** Branson Says Virgin Deal "Close"
** Cogeco Sales, Profits Rise
** IIC Conference in Ottawa Next Week
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FORMER BELL EXEC TO HEAD MTS-ALLSTREAM: Pierre Blouin, former head of
Bell Canada's consumer and wireless organizations, has been named CEO
of MTS Allstream, Canada's third-largest telecom carrier. He replaces
Bill Fraser, who previously announced his plan to retire.
** Blouin left Bell in September after a reorganization
removed Bell Mobility from his portfolio. He had been with
the telco for 20 years. (See Telecom Update #495)
ALBERTA PLANS CANADA'S FIRST WI-MAX NET: The Alberta Special Areas
Board has contracted with Nortel Networks and Netago Wireless to
deploy what is believed to be the first commercial network in Canada
based on the new Wi-Max standard. The network will bring high-speed
Internet access (1 Mpbs to 3 Mbps) to about 80% of businesses and
residences in rural parts of southeastern Alberta by the third quarter
of 2006.
YUKON, NWT GET WIRELESS COMPETITOR: Cellular competition began in
Yukon this week when Ice Wireless Inc. launched service in
Whitehorse. The Ice consortium plans to extend coverage soon to
Yellowknife; one of its partners, New North Networks, has served
Inuvik since 1999. Until now Bell Mobility has been the sole provider
in most of the North.
SHAW QUITS CABLE ASSOCIATION: Shaw Communications has resigned from
the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association, citing "divergent
interests and different strategic objectives." The CCTA expressed
regret and promised to continue "business as usual."
CELLPHONES UP 481,000 IN THREE MONTHS: There are now more than 16
million cellphones in use in Canada. Figures compiled by the Canadian
Wireless Telecommunications Association show a net increase of 481,000
phones in the third quarter of 2005, and over a million in the first
three quarters.
** Rogers added 402,000 subscribers in the first nine months
of the year. Telus Mobility grew by 349,000; Bell/Aliant
added 306,000.
BELL, MARCH ALLY FOR SURVEILLANCE: Bell Canada and March Networks have
formed a partnership to develop and market video surveillance
applications in Canada. Development will take place at the Bell
Advanced Solutions Innovations Centre in Ottawa, a joint venture of
March's holding company and Bell. (See Telecom Update #500)
AMTELECOM BUYS RURAL TELCO: Amtelecom, Ontario's third-largest
independent telco, has bought the tenth-largest, People's
Communications of Forest, for $21 million. Amtelecom gains about 5,000
phone subscribers, bringing its total to approximately 27,000.
COMPETITORS, CABLECOS BATTLE OVER VOICE QoS: Cybersurf, supported by
Vonage, Primus, and a coalition of Quebec ISPs (see Telecom Update
#507), wants the CRTC to order Shaw, Rogers, and Videotron to make
PacketCable functionality available to ISPs, and to require Shaw to
allow competitors to resell a Quality of Service enhancement it
currently markets to its own Internet customers.
** Videotron, the Canadian Cable Telecommunications
Association, and Telus say such an order is unwarranted
and would amount to a revision of the VoIP decision.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/C122_200512716.htm
ROGERS WANTS BAN ON WIRELESS JUNK VOICEMAIL: Rogers has asked the CRTC
to prohibit "voicecasting" -- automatic delivery of unsolicited
solicitations to voice mailboxes--to wireless customers. Rogers says
its customers are irate about the cost and annoyance of receiving such
messages. (See Telecom Update #452)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2005/8622/r11_200514936.htm
ONTERA WAIVES CHARGES FOR KASHECHEWAN CUSTOMERS: Ontera, the
provincially owned telco in northern Ontario, is waiving more than
$12,000 in long distance and Internet charges for relocated residents
of Kashechewan.
DOG DAYS FOR CELLPHONES: Vancouver-based On4 Communications says it
will introduce a $350 cellphone for dogs early in 2006. The
bone-shaped PetCell, a GPS-equipped handsfree (pawsfree?) device, will
enable owners to track runaway dogs, and allow them to talk to lonely
home-alone pets. Calls to the dog-phone will require a passcode, to
ensure the pet isn't bothered by wrong numbers and telemarketers.
WI-LAN, CISCO SETTLE SUIT: Cisco Systems has purchased patents from
Wi-LAN Inc, settling a suit for patent infringement filed by the
Calgary wireless broadband developer in 2004. (See Telecom Update
#439)
GLOBALSTAR READIES SATELLITE LAUNCH: Globalstar has signed contracts
with two European companies and obtained U.S. government approval to
launch up to eight spare satellites in Kazakhstan, beginning in
2007. The satellite phone provider is also building a new satellite
gateway in Wasilla, Alaska.
NORTEL BUYS INTO VODAVI: In an SEC filing dated December 2, Nortel
Networks says its Korean subsidiary has acquired 23.3% of the
outstanding shares of Vodavi Technologies, an Arizona company that
manufactures IP-based business telephone systems.
COURT APPROVES TIW PAYOUT: Telesystem International Wireless, which is
going out of business, has obtained court approval to distribute $259
million to shareholders. A further $27 million payout may follow. (See
Telecom Update #502)
BRANSON SAYS VIRGIN DEAL "CLOSE": Virgin Mobile Holdings has rejected
NTL's offer to buy the cellco for US$1.4 billion, but Virgin's owner
Richard Branson says the two sides are "quite close." In Canada,
Virgin Mobile is a partnership between Branson's company and
Bell. (See Telecom Update #427)
COGECO SALES, PROFITS RISE: Cogeco Cable says that its digital and
Internet customer base grew by 22.5% and 15.9%, respectively, in its
2005 fiscal year. Revenue increased 5.3%, to $554 million; net income
was $28.7 million.
IIC CONFERENCE IN OTTAWA NEXT WEEK: The Canadian Chapter of the
International Institute of Communications is holding its fifth annual
conference at the Ottawa Congress Centre on December 12-13. The theme
of this year's meeting is "Broadband: Are We Ready?" See the IIC'S
website for the conference agenda and registration information.
http://www.iic-canada.ca
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The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
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