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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 533: June 9, 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
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** Bell AGM Okays Income Trust
** Nortel Loss Increases in First Quarter
** Avaya, Mitel Show New IP Phones
** Rogers Wireless Offers Name Display
** Ottawa and Bell Agree on Expanded Calling
** Primus Appeals Winback Change
** Do-Not-Call Replies Filed
** CRTC Seeks Comment on "Rate Range" Tariffs
** Montreal Wants Cellphone Ban
** CRTC Receives VoIP Review Comments
** Hennessy Joins Telus
** Barrett Seeks Review of Deferral Account Decision
** New Ground Station for Northern Sat-Phones
** ORION Presents Innovation Awards
** New Titles for Cisco Head
** Glentel Offers Vonage Service
** Conference Seeks Telecom Speakers
** Correction -- SaskTel Local Rates
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BELL AGM OKAYS INCOME TRUST: At this week's General Meeting, 99.2% of
Bell Canada shareholders voted in favour of the plan to create a
"Regional Lines" income trust in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic
provinces. (See Telecom Update #515)
NORTEL LOSS INCREASES IN FIRST QUARTER: Nortel Networks posted a first
quarter loss of US$167 million, compared with $104 million a year
earlier. Revenue was flat at $2.38 billion; Nortel's cash balance
dropped 8% on the quarter to $2.7 billion.
** Nortel's partnership with Chinese telecom giant Huawei,
announced with great fanfare a few months ago, has been
quietly scrapped. The two companies hoped to bid on
broadband equipment contracts for major U.S. carriers, but
the Nortel/Huawei combination was not included in recent
RFPs issued by AT&T, Verizon, and BellSouth. (See Telecom
Update #515)
AVAYA, MITEL SHOW NEW IP PHONES: Both Avaya and Mitel Networks
unveiled new IP phones last week.
** Avaya's one-X Deskphone Edition offers high-fidelity audio, using
the G.722 wideband codec, as well as usability and conferencing
enhancements.
** Mitel's new 5330 and 5340 IP phones provide 24 and 48 customizable
keys plus wideband handsets; its Wireless Phone Stand gives a wired
Mitel phone multi-user WLAN capability.
ROGERS WIRELESS OFFERS NAME DISPLAY: Rogers Wireless says it is the
first North American cellco to offer name display, which shows the
names of landline callers in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and
Newfoundland as well as of Rogers and Fido callers. Price (including
number display): $8 a month.
OTTAWA AND BELL AGREE ON EXPANDED CALLING: After years of
negotiations, the City of Ottawa and Bell Canada have agreed to a plan
to expand the local calling area to include the entire city. If the
plan is approved by the CRTC, Bell will be reimbursed for lost long
distance revenue by surcharges of 63 cents a month on residential
lines, and 59 cents on business lines, for three years.
** The CRTC's usual policy is to give automatic approval to any such
plan if the monthly increase is less than $1.
PRIMUS APPEALS WINBACK CHANGE: Primus Telecommunications has submitted
a Part VII application asking the CRTC to restore the requirement that
incumbent telcos must wait 12 months before attempting to win back
local phone customers from competitors. (See Telecom Update #524)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2006/8662/p11_200607327.htm
DO-NOT-CALL REPLIES FILED: Five groups, including the major incumbent
telephone companies, have filed Reply Comments in the CRTC's
proceeding creating a mandatory Do-Net-Call registry for
telemarketers.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2006/8665/c12_200601626.htm#4d
CRTC SEEKS COMMENT ON "RATE RANGE" TARIFFS: CRTC Telecom Orders
2006-142 and 2006-143 give interim approval to requests from SaskTel
and Bell for "rate range" tariffs on certain non-VoIP services. CRTC
Telecom Public Notice 2006-8 seeks comment on establishing general
guidelines for such tariffs. To participate, notify the CRTC by June
23, and submit comments by July 14.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2006/o2006-142.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2006/o2006-143.htm
www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pt2006-8.htm
MONTREAL WANTS CELLPHONE BAN: As part of a general plan to make the
city more pedestrian-friendly, the City of Montreal plans ask the
provincial government to outlaw the use of cellphones by drivers.
CRTC RECEIVES VoIP REVIEW COMMENTS: Twenty-three organizations have
submitted comments to the Cabinet-ordered review of the CRTC's
decision on the regulatory treatment of Voice over IP services. (See
Telecom Update #529)
** There are no surprises: the incumbent telcos want the
decision overturned and their competitors disagree.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2006/8663/c12_200605587.htm
HENNESSY JOINS TELUS: Michael Hennessy, who was president of the
Canadian Cable Television Association until the group was dissolved
earlier this year, has been named Vice-President, Broadband and Video
Policy at Telus Communications.
BARRETT SEEKS REVIEW OF DEFERRAL ACCOUNT DECISION: Barrett Xplore,
which last month asked the federal Cabinet to halt implementation of
the CRTC's "Deferral Account" decision, has now asked the CRTC to
review and change it. The New Brunswick ISP says that using the money
to finance the telcos' rural broadband expansion will harm it and
other competitors. (See Telecom Update #530)
NEW GROUND STATION FOR NORTHERN SAT-PHONES: Globalstar has received
regulatory approval for a sixth North American ground station, located
in Wasilla, Alaska. The satellite phone provider says the station,
which will begin operations on June 30, will improve reception in
Yukon and northwest B.C.
ORION PRESENTS INNOVATION AWARDS: On June 5, Ontario's research network
ORION presented innovation awards to:
** The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory team, for underground research
connected by ORION to partners around the world.
** Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning, for interactive educational
videoconferencing.
** Shared Hierarchical Academic Research Computing Network (SHARCNET),
a consortium of academic and research organizations, for providing
supercomputing resources.
NEW TITLES FOR CISCO HEAD: Following this year's AGM in November, John
Chambers, CEO of Cisco Systems, will also hold the title of Chairman,
but will give up the title of President. The current chair, John
Morgridge, is retiring; there has been no announcement of a new
president.
GLENTEL OFFERS VONAGE SERVICE: Vonage start-up kits are now being sold
through Glentel Inc's 145 WirelessWave, Telephone Booth, and La Cabine
Telephonique retail mall stores.
CONFERENCE SEEKS TELECOM SPEAKERS: Enterprise Networks 2006, the Angus
Dortmans conference scheduled for October 24-26 in Toronto, has issued
a call for speakers. Proposals should be emailed to
info@enterprisenetworks.ca by June 22.
CORRECTION -- SASKTEL LOCAL RATES: Last week's Telecom Update
incorrectly reported that SaskTel is reducing local rates in nine
cities. The reduction, from $22 to $21.54 a month, applies only in
Regina and Saskatoon.
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