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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 558: December 8, 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
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MICROSOFT CANADA: www.microsoft.ca/communications/
** NEC UNIFIED SOLUTIONS: www.necunifiedsolutions.com
** ROGERS TELECOM: www.rogers.com/solutions
** SHAW BUSINESS SOLUTIONS: www.shawbusinesssolutions.ca
** VONAGE CANADA: www.vonage.ca
IN THIS ISSUE:
** Study Finds No Cellphone Cancer Link
** Bernier Proposes Fines for Telecom Market Abuse
** Rogers Considers National Rollout of Phone, Internet
** MTS Seeks 50-Cent Payphone Charge
** CRTC Reintroduces Internal Decision Standards
** Telus Expands EVDO Roaming
** Northwestel Rate Increases Approved
** Cogeco Founder Leaves Board
** SR Telecom Takes $29M Hit, Gets New Backing
** Wi-LAN Wins Nokia Licence Deal
** Nortel Changes Its Auditor
** Nortel Completes Sale of UMTS Unit
** Call-Back LD Comes to Cellular
** New Handsets Announce Holiday Season
** Globalstar Shrinks the Satellite Phone
** Nordiq Board Approve Aliant Buyout
** Telecom Hall of Fame Gala on Rogers TV
STUDY FINDS NO CELLPHONE CANCER LINK: A major study has found that
cellphone users are no more likely to develop cancer than the population
at large. A report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute
documents the largest study on the subject ever conducted: it examined
the health records of 420,000 people in Denmark who were cellphone users
for an average of 8.5 years and for over 20 years in some cases. It
found no increased incidence of tumours among mobile users. (See Telecom
Update #270, 352, 495, 514)
BERNIER PROPOSES FINES FOR TELECOM MARKET ABUSE: Industry Minister
Maxime Bernier has tabled amendments to the Competition Act that would
allow the Competition Tribunal to levy fines of up to $15 million
against telecommunications service providers that abuse their dominant
position.
http://xrl.us/BillC41
** The Martin government proposed to give both the
Competition Tribunal and the CRTC the power to impose
similar fines, but the bills died when Parliament was
dissolved in November 2005.
** Last month, the Competition Bureau outlined its proposed
approach to dealing with complaints of anti-competitive
behaviour in telecom markets, and invited comments by
December 29. (see Telecom Update #554).
ROGERS CONSIDERS NATIONAL ROLLOUT OF PHONE, INTERNET: Speaking at a
UBS-sponsored conference in New York this week, Ted Rogers said that his
company is "developing technology to offer high-speed Internet and phone
across the country." He may have been referring to an enhanced version
of the Inukshuk network, the wireless Internet venture that Rogers and
Bell own jointly.
** Rogers, who was due to retire at the end of 2008,
recently signed a new contract that extends his term in
office until either he or the company terminates the
contract on six months' notice.
MTS SEEKS 50-CENT PAYPHONE CHARGE: MTS Allstream has asked the CRTC to
approve an increase in payphone charges to 50 cents, to be effective
in April 2007.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/public/8740/2006/m59/697249.zip
CRTC REINTRODUCES INTERNAL DECISION STANDARDS: The CRTC has set internal
deadlines for issuing decisions on a variety of telecommunications
applications. The Commission will begin measuring its internal service
standards in April 2007, and will report annually beginning in 2008.
** The Commission previously set performance standards for
itself in 2002, but failed to meet them and subsequently
stopped reporting results. (See Telecom Update #346).
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Circulars/2006/ct2006-11.htm
TELUS EXPANDS EVDO ROAMING: Telus says that its customers can now use
their high-speed (EVDO) mobile phones in more than 230 U.S. cities.
Telus charges for roaming in the U.S. are 95 cents/minute for airtime,
and an additional 50 cents/minute for long distance calls within Canada
and the U.S.
** A full list of U.S. cities where Telus EVDO roaming is
available is posted at http://xrl.us/EVDOroam
NORTHWESTEL RATE INCREASES APPROVED: The CRTC has approved Northwestel
interim rate increases of $2/month for residential lines and $5/month
for business lines, effective January 1, 2007.
** All of Northwestel's tariffs are made interim, to allow
any price changes in the Commission's final ruling on the
telco's regulatory framework, due in 2007, to be made
retroactive to January 1. (See Telecom Update #513)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2006/o2006-332.htm
COGECO FOUNDER LEAVES BOARD: Louis Audet, who founded Cogeco in 1956 and
led it until 1993, is resigning from the Board of Cogeco Cable and
Cogeco Inc. Audet, 88, owns 72% of Cogeco Inc. and remains its Chairman
Emeritus.
SR TELECOM TAKES $29M HIT, GETS NEW BACKING: SR Telecom has raised $20
million in new financing and taken a $29 million restructuring charge.
(See Telecom Update #555) SR says it has been burdened by
restructuring efforts that were "disruptive to operations" and has
responded by focusing all efforts on WiMAX products.
** SR reports a 35% decline in third quarter revenue,
compared to a year ago, due to "outsourcing issues."
WI-LAN WINS NOKIA LICENCE DEAL: Nokia has agreed to pay Ottawa-based
Wi-LAN Inc. $15 million, and to transfer 93 patents worth $34 million to
Wi-LAN, in exchange for a licence to use Wi-LAN's ADSL patents.
** Earlier this year, Wi-LAN stopped making equipment in
order to concentrate on licensing its technology. It is
offering reduced fees to companies that sign licences
before April 12, 2007. (See Telecom Update #515)
NORTEL CHANGES ITS AUDITOR: Deloitte & Touche, which has been Nortel's
auditor since 1914, has been replaced by KPMG. (See Telecom Update #472)
NORTEL COMPLETES SALE OF UMTS UNIT: Nortel Networks this week concluded
a definitive agreement to sell its UMTS mobile products division to
Alcatel-Lucent for US$320 million in cash -- "less significant
deductions and transaction-related costs." About 1,700 Nortel employees
will move to Alcatel-Lucent by year-end. (See Telecom Update #544)
CALL-BACK LD COMES TO CELLULAR: Call-back long distance, which was used
to cut overseas LD charges in the 1980s, has been reborn as an option
for cost-conscious cellular users. Customers of Toronto-based Mobilmiser
dial a Toronto number and get a busy signal -- Mobilmiser calls them
back and connects them to long distance dialtone. The company says that
Canada and U.S. LD calls are 4.9 cents/minute.
http://www.mobilemiser.com
NEW HANDSETS ANNOUNCE HOLIDAY SEASON: Cellcos are preparing for Santa's
midnight ride by introducing a new crop of wireless gadgets:
** Bell Canada's LG Fusic phone offers an MP3 player and
Canada's first in-phone FM transmitter.
** MTS Motorola Q smartphone has an MP3 player, a camera,
Windows Mobile software, and an "ultra-thin design."
** Telus's Nokia 6165i push-to-talk phone includes "advanced
mobile IP" and Bluetooth technology, and a "vibrantly
coloured matte metallic finish."
GLOBALSTAR SHRINKS THE SATELLITE PHONE: Globalstar's 7.1-ounce satellite
handset, the Qualcomm GSP-1700, is half the size and weight of its
previous models.
NORDIQ BOARD APPROVE ALIANT BUYOUT: The directors of Bell Nordiq Group
have decided to recommend approval of Bell Aliant's bid to buy the 37%
of Nordiq that it does not already own. (See Telecom Update #556)
TELECOM HALL OF FAME GALA ON ROGERS TV: A film of the 2006 Awards
Ceremony for Canada's Telecom Hall of Fame will be broadcast on Rogers
cable on Saturday December 9 at 6pm in Owen Sound and York Region, and
at 8pm in the rest of Rogers' territory.
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TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information,
including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail
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TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations
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Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available
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John Riddell (jriddell@angustel.ca)