Tag: Xplornet

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Manitoba based Xplore Mobile will shut down on August 31st

Xplore Mobile is shutting down.

An internal memo, viewed by MobileSyrup, states the company faced a “cloud of uncertainty” from regulatory delays. It can no longer function financially, and the company will shut down on August 31st.

“This was a difficult decision to shut down. The Xplore Mobile team set out to provide Manitoba consumers with the option of obtaining mobile services in a simple, fair and transparent way,” the memo says.

While the memo says the company will “transition customers,” it’s unclear how. It’s also not clear how the shutdown will impact employees. The memo states Xplornet Communications won’t be affected. The news was first reported by The Globe and Mail.

Based in Manitoba, Xplore Mobile was the wireless branch of Xplornet Communications. It was created in 2018 and served as a fourth competitor in the province, alongside Bell, Telus, and Rogers, after Bell acquired Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS).

Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners acquired Xplornet in 2020, but Xplore Mobile was not part of the deal.

Via: The Globe and Mail 

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Federal government tags Xplornet and Rogers to bring high-speed internet to New Brunswick

Canadian flag waving with Parliament Buildings hill in the background Ottawa,Ontario, Canada

The federal government is funding high-speed internet access for 11,000 homes in New Brunswick through a $55 million investment.

Rogers and Xplornet will be working on the projects. In a press release, Rogers says it will bring communities its pure fibre network with symmetrical speeds of up to 2.5Gbps.

The funding is granted through the Universal Broadband Fund. The government said it will announce more details on the projects “over the coming months.”

“The Government of Canada will continue to make investments like these to help achieve our national target of connecting 98% of Canadians by 2026 and 100% by 2030,” Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, said.

The government made similar funding announcements for several provinces, including PEI and Quebec.

A complete list of communities to benefit from this announcement is available on the government’s website.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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Rogers agrees not to close Shaw merger until agreement with Competition Bureau finalized

The Competition Bureau’s application seeking an interim injunction on the Rogers-Shaw merger has been resolved.

According to a press release from Rogers, the two companies won’t continue with the merger’s closing until they reach a settlement with the Commissioner of Competition or the Competition Tribunal has made a ruling.

If the matter goes before the tribunal, the two companies will oppose the commissioner’s application.

Matthew Boswell, the Commissioner of Competition, filed an application earlier this month blocking the merger. He argues the merger has reduced competition in the wireless market and, if approved, would result in higher bills for Canadians.

“I’m pleased this case can now move quickly towards a hearing before the tribunal. Our objective remains to protect Canadians by preserving competition and choice in Canada’s wireless market,” Boswell said.

Rogers has committed to selling Shaw’s wireless business, Freedom Mobile, to create a fourth competitor in the market. The company has been in talks with several organizations, including Xplornet.

Source: Rogers and the Competition Bureau of Canada 

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Every way the sale of Freedom Mobile could play out

Rogers’ merger with Shaw Communications has dominated headlines for the better part of the last year as it slowly inches towards completion.

The $26 billion acquisition is arguably one of the largest mergers of its kind, and it will change the way the wireless market operates, a cause of contention for many.

With Canadians paying some of the highest mobile bills globally, many worry the merger could further impact their bills. The concern is also playing on the minds of federal regulators. The Competition Bureau, one of the federal bodies that must approve the merger, has filed applications to block Rogers’ acquisition of Shaw. 

“We are taking action to block this merger to preserve competition and choice for an essential service that Canadians expect to be affordable and high quality,” Matthew Boswell, the Commissioner of Competition, said.

The Bureau worries removing Shaw as its own entity will reduce competition in an already concentrated wireless market. The Bureau found competition between Rogers and Shaw has declined and will continue if the merger is approved. They said Shaw’s wireless offering is already an established competitor and eliminating it will lessen competition within and outside Shaw’s service area.

Rogers is selling Freedom Mobile to appease federal bodies. (Image credit: Shutterstock)

According to Reuters, the Bureau’s decision to block the merger doesn’t mean they can’t reach a conclusion with Rogers.  “The commencement of litigation does not prevent the parties and the Bureau from reaching an agreement to remedy the competition concerns at any time,” a spokesperson told the publication.

Rogers is looking to sell Freedom Mobile to appease competition concerns. But the real game is to find a carrier that can make Freedom Mobile a fourth competitor, and there are many ways this can go.

Xplornet

Xplornet Communications appeared to be the first company Rogers took an interest in. In April, the Globe and Mail reported that Rogers presented a deal to the federal government to see the rural internet service provider, owned by New York-based Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, buy Freedom Mobile. 

“Anthony Lacavera expressed interest in buying Freedom Mobile before Rogers said it would sell the asset.”

Executives from Xplornet and Rogers have remained quiet on the potential offer. During Rogers’ 2022 Q1 conference call, CEO Tony Staffieri said, “we’re not going to comment on any rumours that are out there.”

Stonepeak acquired Xplornet in June 2020.

Globalive

Globalive’s founder, Anthony Lacavera, expressed interest in buying Freedom Mobile before Rogers said it would sell the asset. Lacavera started Wind Mobile in 2008 before selling it to Shaw in 2015. The company was renamed Freedom Mobile in 2016.

Globalive’s offer is worth $3.75 billion, and according to the Globe and Mail, Twin Point Capital and Baupost Group are assisting with financing for the project.

Lacavera has made it increasingly clear that he wants to acquire Freedom Mobile. He told MobileSyrup the company successfully competed “head to head” with competitors when Globalive headed the company, and they’ll do it again if they acquire Freedom Mobile.

Lacavera said regulatory issues contributed to the sale of the company to Shaw. At the time, investors he brought in faced regulatory approvals to continue operating in Canada. Lacavera told MobileSyrup that his current investor group is primarily U.S.-based.

The company could run into similar regulatory issues despite careful measures, repeating its past. While any of the investors in the company’s making offers could face regulatory problems down the road, Globalive has already lived through this and showed that it could not hold onto the company.

MobileSyrup interviewed Anthony Lacavera in 2014.

Québecor

Québecor Inc. is also in talks to acquire Freedom Mobile despite being discluded from previous decisions. The parent company of Vidéotron owns 294 blocks of spectrum in the 3500MHz band across Canada, which is seen as a positive when it comes to expanding wireless services.

While Québecor Inc. has expressed interest in acquiring Freedom Mobile, it has also said it alternatively could choose to instead expand its business elsewhere. 

“Making comments on this specific situation is certainly not in our best interest,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, Québecor’s CEO, said on its involvement with Freedom Mobile during a conference call discussing the company’s first-quarter financial results.

A new offer

As reported by the Globe and Mail, the latest group of buyers is made up of the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada, the Musqueam Capital Corp, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Fengate Asset Management, and Aquilini Equities. The publication report’s the company’s have collectively presented the federal government with an offer to acquire Freedom Mobile.

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Xplornet starts construction on broadband project, will benefit hundreds in Brant County, Ontario

Construction on a new broadband project in Brant County, Ontario, is currently underway, thanks to a collaborative effort from Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) and the federal and Ontario governments.

The project will run along 126 kilometres of road once completed and benefit 1,592 homes.

SWIFT shared Xplornet Communications has begun construction on the high-speed fibre-optic network. The project costs $9.4 million, and Xplornet will complete it by May 2023.

The governments of Ontario and Canada are collectively investing roughly $3 million in the project.

“Building new broadband infrastructure in Brant County will help build Ontario and strengthen rural communities by helping people stay in touch with loved ones, enabling them to access the supports they need, while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy,” Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said in a press release.

Source: SWIFT and the Ontario government 

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Rogers presents Xplornet as Freedom Mobile buyer in deal to Ottawa

Rogers has reportedly presented the federal government with an offer to see Xplornet acquire Freedom Mobile.

As reported by the Globe and Mail, it’s now Ottawa’s job to determine if the deal is good enough to have Xplornet become the fourth-leading wireless service provider in Canada.

Owned by Shaw, selling Freedom Mobile is an essential feat for Rogers to gain favour with the government to approve the $26 billion merger.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne stated that Shaw couldn’t transfer its wireless business to Rogers last month, citing concerns about wireless affordability.

Various reports emerged in the weeks since, citing several parties keen on acquiring Freedom Mobile. Citing confidential sources, the Globe and Mail listed Xplornet as an interested party. Vidéotron was also rumoured to be a contender. But neither group publically acknowledged their position on the matter.

It was the opposite for a third interested party, Globalive. CEO Anthony Lacavera posted open letters stating Globalive would be the right company to move Freedom Mobile forward. He also conducted interviews with the media, including MobileSyrup. Lacavera founded Wind before it was sold to Shaw and rebranded as Freedom Mobile.

At Wednesday’s 2022 Q1 results conference call, CEO Tony Staffieri would not comment on news of the alleged offer. “We’re not going to comment on any rumours that are out there.”

He reiterated Champagne’s March comments, saying there’s an expectation of having a fourth wireless operator in Canada.

“He said what he said and we continue to work with the government to close the transaction, and that’s all I could really say at this time,” Staffieri said.

While it’s not clear what the details of the proposed offer are at this time, it is clear that things are moving the way Rogers wants them. Staffieri said the company is confident the merger will close in the second quarter of this year; a timeframe officials have been stating for weeks.

Source: The Globe and Mail

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Xplornet’s fibre network is now available to hundreds of homes in PEI

Xplornet’s fibre network is now available to hundreds of homes and businesses in Vernon Bridge, PEI and surrounding communities.

The move is part of the rural service provider’s commitment to connecting 3,700 residents to its high-speed network.

Plans start at $99.99 a month and include download and upload speeds of 100Mbps.

The network is available to 270 homes in Vernon Bridge and surrounding communities, including Millview, Vernon River, Pownal, Mount Mellick, Alexandra, Alberry Plains, Belfast, Summerville and Eldon. Xplornet will announce more communities over the year.

“Access to high-speed internet unlocks opportunities for online work and learning, drives economic development, and helps rural communities participate in the digital world. We’re eager to deliver these benefits and connect rural Islanders,” Allison Lenehan, president and CEO of Xplornet, said.

Xplornet is laying down 600 kilometres of optic cable across the province, which connects to the company’s fibre network across the Maritimes.

The company is also upgrading wireless towers across PEI for faster upload and download speeds for thousands of homes and businesses by the end of 2023.

Xplornet has also made similar announcements in Sundre, Alberta and various rural Ontario communities.

Source: Xplornet

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Globalive founder publishes open letter to further push for Freedom Mobile

Speculation has surrounded multiple parties and their interest to acquire Freedom Mobile from Shaw. But the same can’t be said for Globalive and its founder Anthony Lacavera.

Lacavera has been open about his quest to acquire the company he once founded. His latest move comes in an open letter he published Wednesday urging the federal government to ensure Freedom Mobile goes to a “truly independent alternative to the Big Three.”

François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, made it clear that Rogers must sell Freedom to create a fourth competitor for the Rogers-Shaw merger to be approved.

In an interview with MobileSyrup, Lacavera said the most important thing is for Freedom to run as “a true independent wireless operator.”

He echoed these remarks in the open letter, saying the new buyer has to be a “pureplay mobile carrier…that does not have any other legacy telecom businesses that will slow it down.”

Lacavera founded Wind Mobile in 2008 and sold it to Shaw years later for $1.6 billion amid problems with the company’s then investors, who didn’t receive regulatory approval to continue functioning in Canada.

Lacavera told MobileSyrup much of the capital behind the current offer is based in the U.S “whereas the last go around it was more foreign capital.”

The Globe and Mail reports Globalive has offered $3.75 billion for Freedom Mobile, and investors Twin Point Capital and Baupost Group are funding the bid.

A source told MobileSyrup that up to three investors could be backing the bid, but Lacavera refused to confirm the figure.

The Globe and Mail further reported Xplornet is one of the companies Rogers spoke with about Freedom Mobile. A company spokesperson declined to comment.

Vidéotron, which is also seen as a viable contender by some, including Lacavera, has also declined requests to comment on its position.

Source: anthonylacavera.com

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Xplornet acquires Manitoba ISP Full Throttle Networks

Rural broadband provider Xplornet has completed the acquisition of internet service provider Full Throttle Networks as it continues to expand its presence in Manitoba.

Full Throttle Networks is a Winnipeg-based ISP with a fixed wireless network that provides broadband access to 1,600 customers.

In a press release, Xplornet says acquired customers will benefit from their fibre-to-the-premise, and 5G fixed wireless plans rolling out in Manitoba.

The company says it’s expanding its network in the province and upgrading towers with 5G equipment to deliver faster speeds. Those in the project area will be able to access download speeds up to 100Mbps and upload speeds up to 10 Mbps.

“The acquisition of Full Throttle Networks supports our ambitious plan to offer more Manitobans access to the latest network technologies and fastest speeds,” Bill Macdonald, executive vice-president of business development at Xplornet, said.

“We’re eager to bring the vast benefits of high-speed internet connectivity to even more Manitobans so they can connect to what matters.”

This isn’t the only Manitoba-based ISP the company has acquired. Last year, the company took over Swift High Speed and its 6,000 customers. It also acquired 160 towers from TowerCo and launched another two towers in the province.

Source: Xplornet

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Xplornet enters talks to buy Freedom Mobile

Xplornet Communications Inc. is in talks to acquire Freedom Mobile.

The Globe and Mail reports the New Brunswick-based rural internet provider is negotiating to become the fourth-largest cellphone company in Canada. Xplornet has roughly a million internet customers across the country.

Rogers is currently in the process of taking over Shaw Communications, which owns Freedom Mobile. Rogers has to sell Freedom to create a fourth-leading cellphone provider to gain approval.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said Shaw wouldn’t be allowed to transfer all of its wireless licenses to Rogers if the merger of the two companies is approved.

Globalive is also reportedly in talks to purchase Freedom Mobile. Anthony Lacavera, who serves as the head of Globalive, founded Wind Mobile in 2008 and sold it to Shaw in 2016.

“We believe Globalive is well-positioned to be the acquirer given our unique track record of bringing independent competition to the Canadian market,” Lacavera told MobileSyrup. “We brought prices down and improved services for consumers before, and we will do it again.”

Source: Globe and Mail