Telecom Update #497, Sept. 16, 2005

************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group Number 497: September 16, 2005

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IN THIS ISSUE:

** Cellcos Want Two Years to Make Numbers Portable ** CRTC Wants Comment on Wireless Portability ** Rogers and Bell Plan Wireless Broadband Net ** Telus--Over Half of Alberta TWU Members Working ** FCC to Aid in Hurricane Relief ** Zarlink Offers "Timing Over Packet" Devices ** Policy Panel Receives Second-Round Submissions ** Comments Invited on VoIP Appeals to Cabinet ** CCTA Wants Small CLECs' Obligations Reduced ** CRTC Asks Bell to Clarify VoIP Number Portability Issues ** Aliant Denied Relief on Winback & Promotion Rules ** Quebecor Says Bell is Violating Winback Rules ** RIM Faces New Suit ** Nokia to Launch Push Email ** EBay Snaps Up Skype ** U.S. Congress Reviews Telecom Act ** Nortel Legal Chief Resigns ** Aliant Names New CFO ** Special Offer to Telecom Update Readers

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CELLCOS WANT TWO YEARS TO MAKE NUMBERS PORTABLE: If a plan proposed by the wireless carriers is implemented, Canadians won't be able to keep their phone numbers when they switch wireless carriers, or switch between wireline and wireless, until September 2007. The proposal, based on a PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, has been submitted to Industry Canada.

** Wireless Number Portability has been operating across the United States for nearly two years. Early this year, the federal government asked the CRTC to "move expeditiously to implement wireless number portability."

** Richard Branson, head of Virgin Mobile, charges that "the big carriers are dragging their heels on giving customers the freedom they deserve because it works to their advantage -- it helps to keep their customers locked in with one carrier." He says the change could be made "in only a few months."

CRTC WANTS COMMENT ON WIRELESS PORTABILITY: CRTC Telecom Public Notice

2005-14, issued at 2pm today, asks for public comment on issues related to the introduction of Wireless Number Portability, including ways to shorten the implementation time frame proposed by the CWTA. To participate, notify the Commission by September 26 and submit comments by October 6.

ROGERS AND BELL PLAN WIRELESS BROADBAND NET: Rogers Communications and Bell Canada have agreed to pool their broadband spectrum holdings and build a Canada-wide wireless broadband network through a joint venture, Inukshuk Internet.

** This project was begun early in 2004, when Inukshuk was owned by Microcell (Fido), Allstream, and NR Communications. Last year Rogers acquired Microcell and MTS bought Allstream. MTS then sold its stake in Inukshuk to Rogers and NR, and Bell has now agreed to buy all of NR's share. (See Telecom Update #409, 423, 467)

TELUS -- OVER HALF OF ALBERTA TWU MEMBERS WORKING: Telus says that

52.6% of its unionized employees in Alberta were reporting for work as of August 31, up from 48.8% in mid-August. The company has not released any figures for British Columbia, where a majority of the bargaining unit members are located.

FCC TO AID IN HURRICANE RELIEF: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has allocated $211 million from the Universal Service Fund to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. Among other things, the funds will provide wireless handsets and 300 free minutes to evacuees and others, and will help pay the costs of reconnecting consumers to the telecommunications network as the disaster-struck area is rebuilt.

** The Commission is creating an expert panel to recommend ways to improve disaster preparedness, network robustness and reliability, and public safety operations. ZARLINK OFFERS "TIMING OVER PACKET" DEVICES: Ottawa-based Zarlink Semiconductor has introduced two Timing-over-Packet devices, which aim to enable wireless carriers to achieve "circuit-switched performance over an economic packet infrastructure."

POLICY PANEL RECEIVES SECOND-ROUND SUBMISSIONS: September 15 was the deadline for reply comments to be submitted to the Telecom Policy Review. All comments will be posted on the panel's website.

** Archived presentations from last week's broadband consultation in Whitehorse, and the Web forum on the same topic, are also available on the panel's website.

COMMENTS INVITED ON VoIP APPEALS TO CABINET: Industry Canada has published a notice in the Canada Gazette, inviting comment on the various appeals submitted to Cabinet requesting changes to the CRTC's VoIP decision (see Telecom Update #488, 490, 492).

CCTA WANTS SMALL CLECs' OBLIGATIONS REDUCED: The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association says that many of its small members want to offer VoIP by contracting with a reseller, but this makes it impossible for them to comply with some of the CLEC obligations, such as interconnecting with other carriers, providing equal access to all long distance carriers, or supporting number portability.

CRTC ASKS BELL TO CLARIFY VoIP NUMBER PORTABILITY ISSUES: The CRTC has asked Bell Canada to explain why its Digital Voice service does not support number portability on secondary numbers, and how the telco plans to remedy this limitation (see Telecom Update #496).

ALIANT DENIED RELIEF ON WINBACK & PROMOTION RULES: The CRTC has turned down Aliant's request for interim relief from the rules restricting its winback and local promotion activity in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. The Commission said removing these rules prematurely could reduce competition. The substantive issues will be examined in the local forbearance proceeding and in the Bell/SaskTel application to have winback rules declared a Charter violation.

QUEBECOR SAYS BELL IS VIOLATING WINBACK RULES: Quebecor, on behalf of its subsidiary Videotron, says Bell Canada has been violating the winback rules by addressing automated calls, "survey" calls, or mailed cards to customers leaving Bell for Videotron. Quebecor wants the CRTC to order Bell to stop such practices immediately.

RIM FACES NEW SUIT: A New York-based developer, Eatoni Ergonomics, is suing Research In Motion, alleging that RIM is wrongly using its patented keyboard technology. RIM has settled suits by several high-tech companies but is still locked in a patent battle with NTP Inc.

NOKIA TO LAUNCH PUSH EMAIL: Nokia is developing software to push email and business applications to smartphones and other mobile devices. Nokia Business Centre, developed in collaboration with Good Technology, will be available from some carriers by year-end.

EBAY SNAPS UP SKYPE: Online auctioneer eBay has agreed to buy Skype Technologies, an Internet phone company based in Luxembourg, for about US$2.6 billion. More than 50 million users have signed up for Skype's free worldwide computer-to-computer calling service.

U.S. CONGRESS REVIEWS TELECOM ACT: The Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives is asking for public comment on draft amendments to the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The amendments would set a framework for regulating broadband Internet and VoIP services.

NORTEL LEGAL CHIEF RESIGNS: Nortel Networks Chief Legal Officer Nicolas DeRoma has retired. DeRoma, 59, joined Nortel in 1997.

ALIANT NAMES NEW CFO: Aliant has named its VP Finance and Controller Glen Leblanc as Chief Financial Officer. The post has been filled since February by CEO Jay Forbes.

SPECIAL OFFER TO TELECOM UPDATE READERS: It's just four weeks until Telemanagement Live, Canada's preeminent conference and exhibition on business telecom and networking. Telecom Update subscribers who register online now will receive a $200 discount on an All Access pass, including all sessions and meals and a ticket to the Telecommunications Hall of Fame Dinner.

** To qualify, register at and enter AMBP95 in the "promotional code" field.

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