Bell, Telus and other phone companies must pay back about $310 million to urban customers in the culmination of a bitter dispute with consumer groups that has lasted years, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ruled.
The phone companies, including Bell Aliant and MTS Allstream, must give refunds to customers who were overcharged between 2002 and 2006. The rebates will be between $25 and $90 per customer, the CRTC said Tuesday.
The regulator also approved a plan for the deployment of broadband internet to 287 rural and remote communities at a cost of $421 million, with roll-out taking place over the next four years.
“Today’s announcement is a positive solution for Canadian consumers,” CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein said in a statement. “Subscribers of the major telephone companies in urban areas will enjoy a rebate on their home telephone service. And residents in hundreds of rural communities will soon be able to take advantage of the many social and economic benefits broadband internet access provides.”
The money for both the refunds and the broadband expansion comes from so-called “deferral accounts.” In 2002, the CRTC allowed phone companies to charge above their normally regulated price caps so that new competitors entering the market for home phones — primarily cable companies such as Rogers and Vidéotron — could undercut them.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/08/31/crtc-deferral-account-phone.html#ixzz0yHfUXhYz
Luc Broadband, General Broadband, crtc, Deferral accounts, Networks
Thunder Bay, Ontario, July 9, 2010 — The Honourable Vic Toews, Canada’s Public Safety Minister, today announced that three projects in Ontario have been conditionally approved for funding through the Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians program. These projects will bring broadband Internet access to an estimated 4 000 households in the province.
Full Story
List of Projects (including Spectrum/Blue Sky project for Nipissing, Sudbury East and Parry Sound)
Jeff Broadband, Media Release, Nipissing-Almaguin-Sudbury East Broadband, Networks, New Coverage Areas, Parry Sound, Spectrum, speed, Wireless
Manitoulin Island, ON, June 22nd, 2010 - OmniGlobe Networks Inc. is pleased to announce that it is now delivering essential broadband services to residents and businesses located in the unserved and under- serviced communities across Manitoulin Island. This project, which is part of the Manitoulin Wireless Broadband initiative, was led in partnership with Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation (“Blue Sky Net”) and the local municipalities with financial contribution from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, FedNor and OmniGlobe. The aim was to enhance the existing infrastructure and services and provide access to more than 80% of the District of Manitoulin Island.
OmniGlobe, which has successfully deployed several fixed wireless networks across the province, has completed the nine-tower build and extended the broadband coverage from Meldrum Bay to Wikwemikong. Communities located around Barrie Island, Evansville, Gore Bay, Kagawong, Manitowaning, Meldrum Bay, Sheguiandah, Sheshegwaning, Silver Water and Wikwemikong are now able to enjoy affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access and benefit from advanced applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and videoconferencing services. Additional towns and villages including Birch Island and White Fish River are also expected to be added to the network over the next few months. Read more…
Jeff Broadband, Manitoulin Island, Media Release Manitoulin High speed, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin wireless
Globe and Mail piece outlining the challenges of rural broadband to the consumer and network operator. Full article and many related stories here.
Jeff General
Work on building a network of towers to greatly improve access to the Internet on Manitoulin Island is well underway. 7 new towers have been built in strategic locations while 5 additional existing towers will be utilized to connect Islanders to a Fixed Wireless Network.
The Network being constructed and operated by OmniGlobe Broadband is intended to provide high capacity access to the Internet in areas that currently have limited or no access to to high speed. If you are interested in service, please visit OmniGlobe’s website, or call 1-888-365-6664.
Jeff Broadband, Manitoulin Island Broadband, Manitoulin Broadband, Manitoulin High speed, Manitoulin wireless
Lakeland Energy and Point to Point Broadband are the latest resellers of wireless services in Parry Sound and Muskokaon the CORE Broadband Network. These companies join Vianet Internet Solutions, SureNet and Indigiinet as ISPs who have been partnered with CORE in providing wireless broadband access to customers in the area.
If you are interested in more information about the service, or to sign up for the service, please Contact a service Provider. Information regarding rates and details on the speed of each service will be provided by the Internet Service Provider.
Jeff Broadband, Seguin Twp, Muskoka Lakes, Archipelago
We are pleased to announce that Spectrum Telecom now provides coverage in the Carling Township and Broadbent Rd area of McKellar Township in the Parry Sound district.
Please call Spectrum for details on coverage and service inquiries at 1 800 461 6379.
Jeff General Parry Sound, Spectrum, Wireless
OTTAWA, September 1, 2009 — Industry Canada today announced the launch of the call‑for‑applications process for Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians. The call for applications follows the formal program launch announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on July 30, 2009
Click Here for more
Jeff General
We’ve been following this issue for a while now. “Traffic shaping” is the term given to ISPs/Network Operators managing traffic on networks. Network Operators build networks based on an estimate of bandwidth use per given time periods. More and more networks are having to respond to an increased demand on a finite amount of bandwidth due to new web based applications that require large capacity (file sharing, HD video, etc.). Click the link for more on the discussion.
Net reliant companies fear biased internet speed control.
Edit: here is a link to an FAQ article on the topic of Net Nuetrality and Traffic Shaping.
Jeff Broadband, General bandwidth, crtc, ISPs, Net Neutrality, Networks, traffic, traffic shaping
Website with comparisons of Internet connectivity speeds from around the world. Canada ranks 25th behind the Slovack Republic and Greece. Japan, S. Korea and France lead the way.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Broadband World: Mapping the global picture.
Jeff Broadband, General bbc, broadband map, speed comparisons