************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
************************************************************
published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 513: January 20, 2006
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
************************************************************
IN THIS ISSUE:
** Bell Set to Announce IPTV
** CRTC Revokes 39 Telecom Licences
** Amtelecom Wins Bidding Contest
** Bell Nordiq, TBayTel to Pursue Alliance
** CRTC Confirms Quebec Fibre Decision
** Comment Sought on Northwestel Regulatory Regime
** Nortel Pulls Back from the Edge
** Yet Another GE Exec Joins Nortel
** Videotron Hikes Internet Speeds
** Backhoes Versus Telecom
** Text Messaging Hits New Peak
** Telesat Plans New Satellite
** Cogeco Phone Service Reaches Chatham
** Look Revenue Declines
** CWTA Holds Entertainment Seminar
** Call Centre Conference Asks for Proposals
============================================================
BELL SET TO ANNOUNCE IPTV: Bell Canada, which has been testing
Microsoft's Internet Protocol-based television technology since late
2003, appears ready to unveil its plans for a limited rollout of IPTV
service. An announcement by the end of January would allow the telco
to demonstrate the product at its annual Business Review Conference
for analysts on February 1.
CRTC REVOKES 39 TELECOM LICENCES: CRTC Telecom Public Notice 2006-2
revokes the basic international telecommunications licences of 39
service providers who, despite numerous reminders, failed to submit
required annual reports to the Commission in 2005. It is not clear
whether any of the companies are still in business.
** The CRTC notes that providing international telecom
services without a licence can result in fines of up to
$100,000 for an individual or $1 million for a
corporation.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pt2006-2.htm
AMTELECOM WINS BIDDING CONTEST: Execulink Group has withdrawn from
bidding for People's Communications of Forest, Ontario. The Board of
People's has recommended acceptance of Amtelecom's winning bid of $60
per share, valued at $25.6 million. (See Telecom Update #512)
BELL NORDIQ, TBAYTEL TO PURSUE ALLIANCE: After three months of
discussions, Bell Nordiq and TBayTel (Thunder Bay's municipal telco)
have "agreed to not proceed with an equity partnership." Instead, they
plan to create a northwestern Ontario telecom hub. (See Telecom Update
#503)
CRTC CONFIRMS QUEBEC FIBRE DECISION: Responding to a "review and vary"
application by Telus, the CRTC has confirmed its Decision 2005-12
order that Telus must file tariffs for maintenance and engineering
services provided to the Commission scolaire de la Cote-du-sud to
support its private fibre network. However, terminal equipment tariffs
are not required.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-3.htm
COMMENT SOUGHT ON NORTHWESTEL REGULATORY REGIME: CRTC Public Notice
2006-1 opens a discussion of a new regulatory framework for
Northwestel, to go into effect in 2007. Questions to be addressed
include whether price caps and local competition should be implemented
in the northern ILEC's territory.
** The proceeding will include a public hearing to be held in
Whitehorse, Yukon, in July 2006.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pt2006-1.htm
NORTEL PULLS BACK FROM THE EDGE: Nortel Networks has effectively
abandoned its attempt to compete with Cisco and Alcatel in the carrier
market for multiservice edge routers. The company's MPE 9000, released
at the end of last year after several delays, is being repositioned as
a platform for wireless and voice services.
YET ANOTHER GE EXEC JOINS NORTEL: Mike Zafirovski, hired as CEO of
Nortel Networks in October, is moving fast to put a team of former
colleagues into the company's executive offices. Dennis Carey, like
Zafirovski, spent many years at General Electric and Motorola: he is
now EVP of Nortel's newly created corporate operations division. (See
Telecom Update #512)
VIDEOTRON HIKES INTERNET SPEEDS: Videotron plans to increase the
speeds of its Internet access services by March. "Extreme" service
will now be 10 Gbps; basic service doubles to 600 Kbps.
BACKHOES VERSUS TELECOM: The backhoe is telecom's single biggest
enemy. A new study from the Common Ground Alliance, a U.S. industry
group, estimates that in 2004 there were over 675,000 cases of damage
to various types of underground facilities: 35% involved backhoes, and
27% affected telecom equipment.
** Another recent report, from the Alliance for Telecommunications
Industry Solutions, says that cable dig-ups caused 57% of
U.S. network outages in the past 12 years. The number of outages
has been declining, but the number of customers affected and the
average length of service interruption have increased.
http://www.commongroundalliance.com
http://www.atis.org/
TEXT MESSAGING HITS NEW PEAK: The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications
Association reports that the volume of wireless text messaging, after
a slump early last year, reached 158.8 million in September, more than
double the number sent in September 2004.
http://www.txt.ca/facts.htm
TELESAT PLANS NEW SATELLITE: Telesat plans to launch its eighteenth
satellite, Nimiq 4, in 2008. The new broadcast satellite will provide
services to Bell ExpressVu.
COGECO PHONE SERVICE REACHES CHATHAM: Cogeco Cable's Digital Phone
service is now available to the majority of residents of Chatham,
Ontario.
LOOK REVENUE DECLINES: Look Communications reports revenue of $8.4
million for the quarter ended November 30, 17% less than a year
earlier. The net loss was reduced to $1.35 million from $3.0
million. The subscriber total fell 8% from the previous quarter. (See
Telecom Update #506)
CWTA HOLDS ENTERTAINMENT SEMINAR: The Canadian Wireless
Telecommunications Association is holding "All About ME," a day-long
seminar on mobile entertainment in Toronto February 21.
http://www.cwta.ca/CWTASite/english/conference/ME_main.html
CALL CENTRE CONFERENCE ASKS FOR PROPOSALS: ICCM, the international
contact centre management conference and expo, has asked for
presentation proposals, with a February 13 deadline. The conference
will be held in Chicago, August 14-16.
http://cfp.questex.com/callforpapers
============================================================
HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE
E-mail ianangus@angustel.ca and jriddell@angustel.ca
===========================================================
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE)
TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There
are two formats available:
1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the
World Wide Web late Friday afternoon each week
at http://www.angustel.ca
2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge.
To subscribe, send an e-mail message to:
join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com
To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send
an e-mail message to:
leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com
Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add
or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave
subject line and message area blank.
We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail
addresses to any third party. For more information,
see http://www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html.
===========================================================
COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2005 Angus
TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please
e-mail jriddell@angustel.ca.
The information and data included has been obtained from sources which
we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no
warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy,
completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on
interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If
expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a
competent professional should be obtained.
============================================================
Angus TeleManagement Group (jriddell@angustel.ca)