Telecom Update #483, May 27, 2005

************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
formatting link
Number 483: May 27, 2005

Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from:

** ALLSTREAM:
formatting link
** AVAYA:
formatting link
** BELL CANADA:
formatting link
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA:
formatting link
** ERICSSON:
formatting link
** MITEL NETWORKS:
formatting link
** SPRINT CANADA:
formatting link
** UTC CANADA:
formatting link

************************************************************

IN THIS ISSUE:

** Rogers Combines Cable and Wireless ** Carriers Intro Wi-Fi Hotspot Roaming ** Telesat Launches Two-Way Satellite Broadband ** Cities Challenge Bell 3-1-1 Tariff ** Shaw to Offer Phone Service in Manitoba ** 40,000 Use MTS TV ** Satellite Net Links Nunavut Communities ** Videotron Phones Come to West Island ** ITU Completes VDSL2 Standard ** Call-Net Gets OK for Vote on Rogers Deal ** Telus Offers Managed Wireless Data ** Quebec ISPs Oppose Naked DSL Surcharge ** Canadian Firm Offers VoIP E911 ** Aliant Adds Features to Prepaid Wireless ** Terry Mosey Retires ** Statscan Profiles Canadian Call Centres

============================================================

ROGERS COMBINES CABLE AND WIRELESS: Rogers Communications Inc. has combined its cable and wireless companies into a new Communications division, to be headed by former Wireless President Nadir Mohamed. Edward Rogers will continue as President of Rogers Cable, and Robert Bruce has been promoted from EVP to President of Rogers Wireless.

** Mohamed, who is considered by some to be a candidate for the CEO position when Ted Rogers retires, has been named to the company's Board of Directors.

CARRIERS INTRO WI-FI HOTSPOT ROAMING: Canada's major cellcos have launched inter-carrier roaming between 500 (soon to be 1,000) Wi-Fi hotspots across Canada. Subscribers can be invoiced on their cellphone bill. Any Wi-Fi provider can join the roaming alliance. (See Telecom Update #423)

TELESAT LAUNCHES TWO-WAY SATELLITE BROADBAND: Telesat has begun offering two-way satellite broadband service on the Ka-band using the Anik F2 satellite. The service, available through various distributors, provides download speeds up to 2 Mbps and uploads up to

500 Kbps.

CITIES CHALLENGE BELL 3-1-1 TARIFF: CRTC Telecom Order 2005-177 gave interim approval to Bell's tariff for 3-1-1 service to municipalities (see Telecom Update #456) and laid out a schedule for further discussion of the terms and rates.

** In a joint submission, Toronto, Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Gatineau, and Halton say Bell's charges are so high as to "effectively prevent many municipalities from providing this service." They want Bell to reveal its costs for the service, but Bell says that, as long as its rates cover costs, "there is no required dependency between cost levels and either the rate structure or the rate levels."

formatting link

SHAW TO OFFER PHONE SERVICE IN MANITOBA: CEO Jim Shaw says Shaw Communications will offer IP-based local phone service in Winnipeg within a few weeks.

40,000 USE MTS TV: Manitoba Tel says it now has 40,000 customers for its digital television distribution service, MTS TV, and will soon add a Video on Demand option.

SATELLITE NET LINKS NUNAVUT COMMUNITIES: The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation this week launched what it calls the "largest, coolest hotspot" in the world. Qiniq, a satellite-based backbone network, provides broadband connectivity to the 30,000 people living in Nunavut's 25 communities, spread over two million square miles, one-fifth of Canada's land mass.

** This is the first project to receive federal funding under the National Satellite Initiative (see Telecom Update #402). NSI is providing $7.8 million over eight years, and the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) program is providing $3.9 million.

VIDEOTRON PHONES COME TO WEST ISLAND: Videotron's cable telephone service, introduced earlier this year on Montreal's south shore and Laval, will be rolled out in 12 communities on West Island, beginning Monday, May 30. (See Telecom Update #466)

ITU COMPLETES VDSL2 STANDARD: The International Telecommunication Union says it has finalized technical specifications for VDSL2, a standard that supports data speeds up to 100 Mbps, both up and downstream, over standard copper telephone cable.

CALL-NET GETS OK FOR VOTE ON ROGERS DEAL: Call-Net Enterprises has received an interim court order permitting a special meeting of shareholders to vote on its proposed acquisition by Rogers Communications. The meeting will be held June 29. (See Telecom Update #481)

TELUS OFFERS MANAGED WIRELESS DATA: Telus says its Multi- Network Data Access Solution allows users to roam across PCS, Mike, Wi-Fi, and other wireless networks with full security and without dropped connections, using IBM WebSphere Everyplace technology.

** Another new Telus product, End Point Enforcement, uses Telus's Angel technology to provide anti-virus security for laptops and other workstations before they log on to corporate networks.

QUEBEC ISPs OPPOSE NAKED DSL SURCHARGE: A group of 15 Quebec- based Internet Service providers objects to Bell imposing a $10/month surcharge on Sympatico DSL Lite customers who cancel their local phone service.

** The group says the CRTC should encourage telcos and cablecos to wholesale their services "in a manner and at a rate that allow resellers to remain competitive," and should regulate cablecos in the same way as it regulates telcos.

CANADIAN FIRM OFFERS VoIP E911: Sudbury-based Northern Communications says it can provide E911 for providers of fixed, nomadic, and foreign exchange VoIP telephone service that meets or exceeds the CRTC's recently announced regulations.

formatting link

ALIANT ADDS FEATURES TO PREPAID WIRELESS: Aliant has moved its prepaid cellular service to a new platform from Alcatel, which provides an enhanced set of features and roaming outside of Atlantic Canada. Aliant now offers prepaid nights/evenings airtime at five cents/minute.

TERRY MOSEY RETIRES: Bell Executive Vice President Terry Mosey is retiring, effective May 31. During his 33 years with the company he held many positions, including serving as president of Bell Ontario from 2000 to 2003. Among his many accomplishments was the extension of single-line phone service and Internet access to rural and remote areas of the province.

STATSCAN PROFILES CANADIAN CALL CENTRES: A Statscan report, released May 25, reveals that employees in the business support services sector, most of whom work in call centres, are well-educated, young, mostly women, and receive considerably less than average wages.

** In 2004, workers in the industry earned an average of $12.45 an hour, about two-thirds of the average in the service sector and the economy as a whole.

formatting link

============================================================

HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE

E-mail snipped-for-privacy@angustel.ca and snipped-for-privacy@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
    formatting link

  1. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom snipped-for-privacy@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom snipped-for-privacy@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

formatting link

===========================================================

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 snipped-for-privacy@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500.

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.

Reply to
Angus TeleManagement Group
Loading thread data ...

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.