Canada's Rogers Communications has announced the successful testing of 8Gbps symmetrical fibre broadband access speeds in lab and customer trials, under a plan to launch the new download and upload speeds commercially 'in summer 2022 for customers in select areas across Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland'. Rogers claims that the launch will mo...

Canada's Shaw Communications posted a 2.0% year-on-year decrease in consolidated revenue to CAD1.36 billion (USD1.08 billion) in its fiscal second quarter ended 28 February 2022. Quarterly adjusted EBITDA fell 0.8% y-o-y to CAD632 million while net income in the period dropped 9.7% y-o-y to CAD196 million. Shaw noted that the quarter experienced th...

Bell has claimed 'the fastest internet speeds of any major provider in Canada' with the launch of a fibre broadband service offering download and upload speeds of 3Gbps, noting that its new premium fibre option provides 'total speeds three times faster than cable'. A press release noted: 'Many customers have multiple devices connected throughout th...

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) yesterday announced the launch of the second phase of the Connecting Families initiative in partnership with 14 ISPs which are offering CAD20 (USD16) per month high speed internet services aimed at low-income families and seniors. Connecting Families 2.0 introduces significantly faster ('fi...

Rogers Communications has announced the launch of Canada's first commercial 5G Standalone (SA) network services, enabling mobile customers with 5G SA capable devices including Google Pixel 6/6 Pro smartphones to connect to the new network, which was built exclusively with Ericsson. Users with suitable devices will automatically connect to the 5G SA...

ZTE Canada announced that its Connect-Hub 5G home internet gateway CPE device is now available to customers on the Telus network. The Connect-Hub 5G is offered in two variations – an Indoor Unit and Outdoor Unit – with the latter designed to boost weak signals to improve data throughput to the indoor Wi-Fi router. The Indoor and Outdoor Units suppo...

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has approved Rogers' acquisition of Shaw's broadcasting services, subject to a number of conditions and modifications. The CRTC has also set out several safeguards to ensure that the transaction benefits Canadians and the Canadian broadcasting system. As part of this transaction...

According to The Globe & Mail, Xplornet has entered negotiations on a potential purchase of Shaw Communications' Freedom Mobile division, as Rogers Communications looks at options for offloading Freedom to gain regulatory clearance for its proposed takeover of Shaw. TeleGeography says that New Brunswick-based Xplornet is Canada's largest specia...

Canadian cableco and mobile operator Eastlink yesterday announced the commercial launch of a 5G network initially spanning 18 cell sites in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The network, based on Ericsson RAN technology, will be expanded 'in the months ahead', Eastlink's press release stated. Jeanette Irekvist, Head of Customer Unit Canada for Ericsson North A...

Reuters, quoting an unnamed source cited by The Globe & Mail, reports that Canadian investment firm Globalive Capital has offered to buy Shaw Communications' Freedom Mobile division for CAD3.75 billion (USD2.9 billion), as Rogers Communications looks at options for offloading Freedom to gain regulatory clearance for its proposed takeover of Sha...

Bloomberg reports that Rogers Communications has opened a data room and begun talks with potential buyers of the mobile assets of Shaw Communications as the two Canadian groups attempt to gain regulatory approval for their CAD16 billion (USD12.5 billion) plus-debt merger deal, according to an unnamed source. TeleGeography notes that on 3 March 2022...

Rogers Communications has extended its 5G network to ten additional communities in Eastern Ontario as part of a CAD300 million (USD234 million) partnership with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario to bridge the digital divide and bring reliable cellular connectivity across the region. Th...

Canada's Rogers Communications has priced a private offering of five series of US dollar denominated senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of USD7.05 billion, whilst also pricing a private offering of four series of Canadian dollar denominated senior notes with an aggregate principal amount of CAD4.25 billion (USD3.33 billion). Rogers exp...

Bell Canada has acquired EBOX, which is described as the largest independent ISP in Quebec. The internet, telephone and TV provider based in Longueuil, Quebec, has been operating for 25 years, serving consumers and businesses in Quebec and parts of Ontario, and Bell says it will maintain the EBOX brand. A statement says that EBOX will continue to o...

Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Francois-Philippe Champagne, yesterday issued a statement regarding Rogers Communications' proposed takeover of Shaw Communications and its subsidiary Freedom Mobile, in which he indicated that at least some of Freedom's cellular spectrum licences would need to be divested as a condition of mer...

Canada's Telus Corporation reported that in the fourth quarter of 2021 its consolidated revenues increased by 20% year-on-year to CAD4.87 billion (USD3.82 billion), whilst it recognised a CAD410 million pre-tax gain arising from the disposition of its financial solutions business, excluding which consolidated revenue would have increased by 9.9%. A...

Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that the government has met its commitment to reduce the costs of mid-range mobile packages by 25% three months ahead of schedule. Prices for all tracked mid-range plans have decreased by 25% compared to the benchmark prices observed in early 2020, accordi...

Canada's Rogers Communications' total revenue increased by 6% year-on-year to CAD3.919 billion (USD3.084 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2021, with service revenue climbing 7% to CAD3.232 billion, driven by growth at its mobile (Wireless) and Media divisions. Mobile service revenue improved by 6%, mainly resulting from post-paid subscription base...

Canadian fixed and mobile network operator Rogers Communications has budgeted CAD200 million (USD160 million) to deploy fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) to up to 314,000 homes and businesses in New Brunswick starting in the communities of Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview and Shediac. Customers will gain access to '100% pure fibre' Ignite Internet-branded bro...

Canada's Telus has announced that its 5G mobile network now reaches 70% of the population and '744 urban and rural communities' coast-to-coast – 129 more communities than it had projected for end-2021. By province, the 5G network covers: British Columbia (202 communities); Quebec (245); Alberta (151); Ontario (105); Atlantic Canada provinces (27); ...