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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 547: September 22, 2006
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous
financial support from:
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca/home/Home_Business.page
** BIG PIPE: www.bigpipeinc.com
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.com/canada/telecom/
** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com
** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions
** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** VoIP E9-1-1 Plan Approved
** Consumers Object to Bell Rate Increase
** Public Speaks on Govt Telecom Policy Plan
** Search Under Way for New CRTC Chair
** Globalive Buying Yak Communications
** BCE Files Prospectus for Telesat Shares
** B.C. Islands to Get Broadband Link
** Mobile Industry Group to Fight Pollution
** Cablecos' Premium VoIP Service Not for Resale
** Some Small CLECs Excused from Equal Access
** AT&T Insources 2,000 Jobs
** Bell Aliant Bids to Expand TV Licence
** Bell to Move 2,000 Toronto Employees to Mississauga
** Ottawa Startup Acquired by Telco Systems
** 50 Years of Overseas Cable
VoIP E9-1-1 PLAN APPROVED: The CRTC has approved a recommendation from
the CISC Emergency Services Working Group that VoIP E9-1-1 in Canada be
based on the "i2" standard developed by the US-based National Emergency
Number Association. (See Telecom Update #511)
** Within six months the EWSG must submit a functional
architecture for implementing this solution, including the
roles and responsibilities of all emergency services
industry participants.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-60.htm
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/public/cisc/es/ESRE0042.doc
CONSUMERS OBJECT TO BELL RATE INCREASE: The CRTC has so far received
nearly 1,000 emails from consumers responding to the proposal by Bell
and Bell Aliant to increase local rates by 80 cents while eliminating
connection charges for new and moving customers. Most oppose the plan.
(See Telecom Update #537, 541)
** Telus has filed a similar proposal, which would result in
local rate increases in B.C. and Alberta of up to 5%. The
CRTC says it will consider the Telus and Bell proposals
together, and will issue revised timelines for PN 2006-11.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2006/8661/c12_200610057.htm#4b
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/public/8740/2006/t42/666886.zip
** A national survey commissioned by the Public Interest
Advocacy Centre in September found that about 2/3 of
residential customers believe connection charges should be
paid by the person moving, not spread across all customers.
PUBLIC SPEAKS ON GOVT TELECOM POLICY PLAN: Over 50 organizations and
individuals have submitted comments on Ottawa's proposal to direct the
CRTC to "rely on market forces to the maximum extent feasible and
regulate ... in a manner that interferes with market forces to the
minimum extent necessary." (See Telecom Update #534)
** The submissions are posted on the Web at
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/en/sf08689e.html
SEARCH UNDER WAY FOR NEW CRTC CHAIR: Speculation is growing about
possible replacements for CRTC Chair Charles Dalfen, whose term expires
at the end of 2006. Frequently mentioned candidates include telecom
lawyer Hank Intven, ex-CBC president Perrin Beatty, CRTC Vice-Chair
Richard French, former CRTC Vice-Chair Fernand Belisle, and Alain Gourd.
GLOBALIVE BUYING YAK COMMUNICATIONS: The directors of Yak Communications
have approved Toronto-based Globalive Communications' bid to purchase
the company for US$67.7 million. The deal requires shareholder and
regulatory approval.
** Yak reports a net loss of US$365,000 for the year ended
June 30, compared to a $4.8 million profit the previous
year. Revenue was unchanged at $92.4 million.
BCE FILES PROSPECTUS FOR TELESAT SHARES: BCE has filed documents
required to offer US$400 million worth of non-voting stock in Telesat.
BCE would retain 100% voting control. (See Telecom Update #544)
B.C. ISLANDS TO GET BROADBAND LINK: Telus has signed a contract with the
Gwaii Trust Society to build "the world's longest over-water radio
Internet transmission" link from Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii (the Queen
Charlotte Islands). The 115-kilometer link is part of a Telus-B.C.
government project to bring high-speed Internet to 119 rural and remote
communities.
MOBILE INDUSTRY GROUP TO FIGHT POLLUTION: European cellphone makers and
carriers have formed a group to improve the environmental performance of
mobile phones and to encourage phone recycling. The group includes
Nokia, Motorola, Panasonic, France Telecom/Orange, Vodafone, TeliaSonera
AB, Intel, Epson, Spansion, and Umicore.
CABLECOS' PREMIUM VoIP SERVICE NOT FOR RESALE: Denying an application
by Cybersurf, the CRTC says that cablecos do not have to provide
competitors with wholesale access to their managed VoIP telephony
service. (See Telecom Update #509)
** The Commission also ruled that Shaw Communications does
not have to allow competitors to resell its "Quality of
Service Enhancement," as there is no evidence that the QSE=
service gives Shaw's traffic any preference.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-61.htm
SOME SMALL CLECs EXCUSED FROM EQUAL ACCESS: CRTC Telecom Decision
2006-58 says CLECs that offer local VoIP services through a reseller
and that have fewer than 10,000 telephone subscribers do not have to
provide equal access to long distance carriers. However, they must
comply with all other CLEC obligations. (See Telecom Update #497)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2006/dt2006-58.htm
AT&T INSOURCES 2,000 JOBS: Bucking a major trend in telecom, AT&T Inc.
says that about 2,000 previously outsourced jobs will be brought
in-house by the end of 2008. The jobs provide technical support to
AT&T DSL customers.
BELL ALIANT BIDS TO EXPAND TV LICENCE: Bell Aliant has asked the CRTC
to expand its broadcasting distribution licence to include Fredericton
and the surrounding area. Deadline for comments: October 24.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2006/pb2006-121.htm
BELL TO MOVE 2,000 TORONTO EMPLOYEES TO MISSISSAUGA: Bell Canada plans
to move 2,000 of its 12,000 Toronto employees to Mississauga by the
end of 2008. The Mississauga facility, with 7,000 employees, will then
be Bell's largest.
OTTAWA STARTUP ACQUIRED BY TELCO SYSTEMS: Critical Telecom, an
Ottawa-based startup that manufactures ADSL2+ equipment for carriers,
has been acquired by Telco Systems, a U.S. subsidiary of Israeli data
networking developer BATM Advanced Communications. Terms of the
acquisition were not announced.
50 YEARS OF OVERSEAS CABLE: 50 years ago, on September 25, 1956, the
first transatlantic telephone cable went live. The 2,000-mile link
between Scotland and Newfoundland was a joint project between AT&T
(50%), the British Post Office (40%), and the Canadian Overseas
Telecommunications Corporation (10%). COTC was later privatized and
renamed Teleglobe.
** Before TAT1 was installed, overseas calls were carried by
radio: it often took hours to set up a call, and sound
quality was unreliable. The new cable could handle 36
simultaneous calls with much improved sound quality. Call
setup, which still required operator assistance, took
about 10 minutes.
** The new cable, which took three years to install, carried
close to 300,000 calls in its first year.
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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
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TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations
whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy.
Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available
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John Riddell (jriddell@angustel.ca)