Tag: teksavvy

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Telecom company executives comment on Freedom Mobile’s potential sell-off

The chief financial officer of BCE says Freedom Mobile will have a hard time competing against other telecom companies if Shaw puts it up for sale.

According to the Globe and Mail, Glen LeBlanc believes there’s a “high probability” Rogers will sell Freedom Mobile to gain approval for its merger with Shaw. He made the comments at Scotiabank’s telecom, media and technology conference.

The statement comes on the heels of Innovation, Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s comments saying Rogers can’t require all of Shaw’s wireless licenses as doing so will decrease competition.

Numerous parties are interested in acquiring Freedom Mobile, including company founder Anthony Lacavera and telecom giant Québecor Inc.

Québecor released several statements since Minister Champagne made his comments, praising the government for wanting to create competition.

But as The Globe reports, LeBlanc believes Québecor purchasing the company could create distractions.

“It’s going to take their attention away from their core market in Quebec,” he said.

Minister Champagne’s comments came just before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology released a report outlining suggestions on the merger.

One of those was to launch consultations examining separating businesses that build infrastructure networks, and those that sell retail services, as doing so could increase competition.

Peter Nowak, vice-president of insight and engagement at TekSavvy, says the matter should’ve been discussed long ago.

“In the context of structural separation, one approach the government could take with the merger is to allow it, but only if Rogers and Shaw agree to split off their network operations into an entirely separate entity,” Nowak wrote in a blog post on the company’s website.

“This could set the table for a new and more competitive telecommunications marketplace in Canada, with other big companies following suit either voluntarily or through government requirements.”

Source: The Globe and Mail

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TekSavvy brings fibre internet service to 55 locations in Dover Centre, Ontario

TekSavvy ultra-fast fibre internet coming soon. Fibre optic conduit spool awaits installation into residential neighbourhood in Chatham-Kent Ontario. TekSavvy service vehicle sits nearby. (CNW Group/TekSavvy Solutions Inc.)

TekSavvy launches its fibre-to-the-home service in the township of Dover Centre, Ontario. 

The expansion impacts 55 homes and businesses. It’s part of the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) regional broadband program.

In February, the internet service provider received three contracts through SWIFT to build its fibre-optic network in Southwestern Ontario.

The homes have access to internet speeds as fast as 1Gbps per second with unlimited bandwidth.

No term commitments are associated with the service. However, if customers sign up for a Fibre 1000 Unlimited package on a two-year contract, they’re granted a $20 credit to use on their bill for the first year of service.

Interested customers can visit TekSavvy’s website or call 1-519-360-4747.

Image credit: TekSavvy

Source: TekSavvy

Categories
Mobile Syrup

CRTC denies request asking Ian Scott to recuse himself on files related to internet competition

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will not consider a request asking chair Ian Scott to recuse himself on matters relating to internet competition.

The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) filed the request with the CRTC on February 3rd. The request stems from the CRTC reversing a 2019 finding that internet rates had to decrease after receiving appeals from large telecom companies.

These companies, including Bell, Rogers, and Telus, commission their services to smaller internet service providers (ISPs), who further distribute it to their markets.

CNOC alleged Scott was biased when making decisions on the file.

The CRTC reversed the decision on May 27th, 2021, more than a year after Scott met with the CEO of Bell Media, Mirko Bibic, in an Ottawa pub in December 2019.

The reply by Stephen Millington, the CRTC’s senior general counsel, also states CNOC’s request wouldn’t be published on the CRTC’s website because only members of the commission can decide if they want to recuse themselves from decisions. The commission is not involved in this process.

“Whether recusal is appropriate in a given case is a question that each member must decide each time they adjudicate a matter, and the present situation is no different,” Millington writes.

“The chairperson will consider whether to recuse himself or not, as he has consistently done in respect of all matters since his appointment, and he will render a decision with respect to his participation in those telecommunications matters at that time.”

Executive director and general counsel of CNOC Geoff White says the letter is a troubling attempt to avoid responsibility. “In refusing to publicly post our application and consider it, not only has the CRTC breached its own rules, but due process,” he said in a statement shared with MobileSyrup.

White shared the CRTC’s response with MobileSyrup.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TekSavvy expands fibre-to-the-home network to Tupperville, Ontario

Source: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/teksavvy-launches-super-fast-fibre-internet-service-in-tupperville-851678510.html

Chatham, Ontario-based internet service provider (ISP) TekSavvy launched its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) service in Tupperville, Ontario.

TekSavvy says the expansion comes as part of an ongoing investment to “provide affordable connectivity to the Chatham-Kent community via a high-speed fibre-optic network.” Fibre service is now available to 96 homes and businesses in Tupperville and comes as part of the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) regional broadband program.

The high-speed fibre network will deliver internet speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps). TekSavvy says all its fibre plans come with unlimited data so customers can surf, stream, game, and more without fear of going over.

Moreover, TekSavvy said that residential customers signing up for its fibre internet service can take advantage of a current promotion that discounts the monthly bill by $20 for the first 12 months of service on the ‘Fibre 1000 Unlimited’ package.

Those interested can learn more on TekSavvy’s website.

Header image: TekSavvy

Source: TekSavvy

Categories
Mobile Syrup

ISPs call for CRTC chair Ian Scott to be recused amid ongoing questions about personal bias

The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) filed an application with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asking chairperson Ian Scott to either remove himself or be removed from matters relating to ongoing decisions around internet competition.

The matter is in connection with the CRTC reversing a 2019 decision that internet rates were too high and had to be lowered after telecom companies filed appeals. The CRTC reversed its decision on May 27th, 2021.

Small internet service providers (ISPs) pay larger companies like Bell, Rogers, and Telus to access their network and distribute it to their own markets.

ISP TekSavvy filed a petition with the Federal Courts of Appeal in response. The case will be heard in the coming months.

TekSavvy and CNOC have pointed out Scott’s conduct and the fear of bias playing a role in his decisions.

The recent CNOC application points to an article from the Toronto Star. It details how the reversal of the decision came before Scott met with Bell Media CEO Mirko Bibic at an Ottawa pub in December 2019.

Scott spoke with The Star on the controversy for the first time in the article published February 2nd, more than two years after the meeting happened, stating “nothing inappropriate was done.”

“I went for a beer with someone I have known for years….And it ended up he chose to address a broadcasting issue a little of what Bell might be doing in the future,” he told the publication.

All matters were recorded publicly, Scott said. Speaking on the CRTC’s reversal, he said he was only one vote on a panel of nine, and he has no additional sway as chair.

“The apprehension of bias and breach of procedural fairness persists, to the point where, …Chairperson Scott felt the need to defend himself against these allegations in seeking an exclusive interview with The Toronto Star,” the CNOC application states.

The application states Scott also made public statements for his preference of “facilities-based competition” at the Canadian Club Toronto on May 20th, 2021.

For these reasons, the CNOC is asking for the recusal of Scott from internet-based decisions pending TekSavvy’s appeal.

Image source: CRTC (screenshot)

Source: CNOC application

Categories
Mobile Syrup

January round-up: network expansions around Canada

5G smart mobile telephone radio network antenna base station on the telecommunication mast radiating signal

Telecom companies make multiple announcements every month on infrastructure improvements and network expansions they’re making across the county.

To keep up with the growing list and track how successful companies are in keeping up with their promises, MobileSyrup publishes monthly recaps following announcements made by telecom companies and government bodies.

Here are the announcements for the first month of 2022.

Telus

January 24th: The telecom giant partners with the University of Ottawa to create a 5G innovation hub. The $6 million investment brings 5G across the university’s multiple campuses.

Government bodies

January 25th: The government of Canada allocated thousands to bring high-speed internet to the rural Ontario communities of Hearst, Flamborough and Limehouse. 

January 26th: The federal government invested $6.9 million towards five projects that will bring high-speed internet to residents across 20 rural Ontario communities. The investment will benefit 3,445 households.

January 31st: Thanks to the Connected Coat project, residents across B.C. will see improved internet connectivity by 2023. The group laid its first 50 kilometres of fibre optic cable, which will help provide high-speed internet to 139 rural and coastal communities along the B.C coast. The federal and provincial governments support the project.

TekSavvy

January 18th: The independent service provider expands its fibre service to Cedar Springs and Blenheim, Ontario, reaching 700 households and businesses across the two communities.

January 25th: TekSavvy continues the expansion in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. It launched its fibre-to-the-home service across the communities of Grande Pointe, Mitchell’s Bay and Pain Court. Residents and businesses can receive up to 1Gbps internet and unlimited bandwidth.

January 27th: The expansion continues along Riverview Line and Grande River Line, giving access to 300 homes and businesses.

January 31st: It launches its fibre-to-the-home service in Chatham-Kent’s Bothwell neighbourhood, granting access to 480 homes and businesses.

Rogers

January 18th: Rogers expands its fibre connection to Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview, and Shediac in New Brunswick. The connection impacts 314,000 homes and businesses and allows all of them to access Rogers’ fleet of services.

January 19th: The Toronto telecom giant expands its 5G network to eight eastern Ontario communities. It’s part of a partnership with the federal and provincial governments and the Eastern Ontario Regional Network.

January 25th: Rogers announced it’s constructing six new cell towers along Highway 4 in B.C., providing 85 kilometres of coverage.

Image credit: ShutterStock

Categories
Mobile Syrup

CRTC chair Ian Scott speaks on controversial meeting with Bell CEO for the first time

Calls to resign have inundated Ian Scott for years. They intensified when he met with Bell Media CEO Mirko Bibic at an Ottawa pub in December 2019.

The meeting came months after the August 2019 decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), chaired by Scott, that internet rates were high and had to go down. But soon after, the CRTC backtracked after receiving appeals from larger telecom companies. This led many to accuse the broadcast and communications watchdog of bias.

Scott’s meeting with Bibic, who was the company’s chief operating officer at the time, only added fuel to the fire.

TekSavvy and VMedia were two companies that called on Scott to resign, sighting Scott’s bias. They pointed out Scott previously worked as a lobbyist for Telus.

More than two years after the meeting, Scott has spoken out defending his actions.

“The simple answer is that nothing inappropriate was done,” he told the Toronto Star in an interview. “I went for a beer with someone I have known for years….And it ended up he chose to address a broadcasting issue a little of what Bell might be doing in the future.”

Scott told the publication Bibic recorded the conversation in the lobbyist registration because the two talked about business, and it remained on his agenda. “No rule was ever broken.”

Speaking on the CRTC’s decision to reverse the ruling on wholesale rates, Scott said he was just one of nine votes on the panel, and he holds no additional weight as the chair.

“We have a process that allows parties who believe we have made a mistake to apply for a review. That’s what happened. They said we got it wrong. We went back and redid our analysis, and we found errors. We corrected the errors, which resulted in different rates,” Scott told The Star.

The ruling, which means smaller providers have to pay millions to larger telecom companies to access their network, is currently being appealed.

Source: Toronto Star

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TekSavvy launches internet service in Ontario community of Bothwell

Internet service provider TekSavvy continues to spread its affordable connectivity footprint in Chatham-Kent, Ontario.

The provider has now launched its fibre-to-the-home service in the city’s Bothwell neighbourhood, giving a total of 480 homes and businesses access.

The service will deliver speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second and offers unlimited usage.

“TekSavvy is proud to deliver the latest fibre-based technology to Bothwell,” Charlie Burns, the company’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “Residents can access fast, reliable internet service… all at a reasonable price.”

The announcement is in addition to recent reports that saw its services expand along Riverview Line and Grande River Line, giving 300 homes and businesses access.

The company also expanded its internet services to Grande Pointe, Mitchell’s Bay and Pain Court in Ontario to serve 250 homes and businesses.

Residents or businesses in any of these communities interested in accessing TekSavvy’s internet services can visit www.teksavvy.com/fibre or call 1-519-360-4747.

Source: TekSavvy

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TekSavvy brings super-fast fibre internet to Chatham-Kent, Ontario

TekSavvy has expanded its high-speed fibre network into the Chatham-Kent communities of Grande Pointe, Mitchell’s Bay and Pain Court.

With the fibre network, residents will receive up to 1Gbps internet and unlimited bandwidth. As part of a current TekSavvy promotion, those who sign up for Fibre 1000 Unlimited will receive a $20 monthly bill credit for their first 12 months.

The fibre internet was delivered in part through the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) regional broadband program, a non-profit aimed at improving connectivity in underserved communities and rural areas across Southwestern Ontario. Altogether, this internet will service more than 250 homes and businesses, says TekSavvy.

Residents in the three communities who are interested in TekSavvy Fibre internet service can visit the carrier’s website or call 1-519-360-4747.

Source: TekSavvy

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TekSavvy offering $20/mo credit on fibre internet plans in Chatham-Kent, Ontario

TekSavvy is offering a $20/month bill credit for customers that sign up with the internet service provider’s (ISP) fibre plans.

The Chatham, Ontario-based ISP will apply the bill credit for 12 months on select fibre plans. According to the offer’s fine print on the TekSavvy website, the offer is available to new and existing TekSavvy customers “who upgrade to a Fibre 1000 Unlimited or Fibre 500 Unlimited subscription by February 28, 2022 at 11:59PM EST in select regions of Chatham-Kent, Ontario.”

Further, TekSavvy says those plans typically cost $94.95/mo and $74.95/mo respectively.

While limited in scope, if you’re in the Chatham-Kent region and looking for a discounted internet service, this is a pretty decent deal. $20/mo over 12 months totals up to $240 in savings. Plus, depending on your current ISP, you might save even more by switching to TekSavvy.

You can learn more about the offer here.