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TELECOM UPDATE
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published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 478: April 22, 2005
Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial
support from:
** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com
** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/
** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca
** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/
** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca
** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/
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IN THIS ISSUE:
** Cellcos Promise Number Portability
** Telus Increases Pressure on Union
** CRTC RFP Seeks Deregulation Experts
** Committee Reviews Do-Not-Call Bill
** Unlimited Canada-U.S. Calling for $30
** Xplore Announces Satellite Internet Pricing
** Telehop Offers Wholesale LD
** March Networks Hit by Patent Suit
** Dragonwave Boosts Wireless Ethernet Power
** Microsoft Supports Wireless Instant Messaging
** Most Intercity Fibre Still Unlit
** Hamilton to Test Wi-Fi Hydro Meters
** SaskTel Adopts New Messaging Architecture
** Qwest Raises Bid for MCI
** Look Revenue Declines
** Avaya Sales Up 21%
CELLCOS PROMISE NUMBER PORTABILITY: Canada's major cellular companies
have agreed to let customers keep their numbers when they switch from
one wireless carrier to another or between landline and wireless
carriers. The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says it
will contract with an independent consultant to develop a project plan
by September 1. No target date for implementation was announced.
** The wireless carriers, which have long opposed number
portability, appear to be bowing to the inevitable: both
the CRTC and the federal government have announced plans
to move on the issue this year. (See Telecom Update #436)
TELUS INCREASES PRESSURE ON UNION: Saying it wants to "resolve the
impasse" between it and the Telecommunications Workers Union, Telus
this week increased the pressure on the union to settle their
five-year-old contract negotiations.
** On Monday, the telco announced a plan to implement "lockout
measures" including freezing scheduled wage increases and
suspending joint committees and grievance procedures, beginning
next week. The TWU is asking the Federal Court of Appeal for an
injunction against the move.
** On Thursday, Telus bypassed the union bargaining committee by
releasing details of its latest contract proposal directly to
employees. The telco says the offer would make its employees "among
the best paid telecommunications team in Canada."
CRTC RFP SEEKS DEREGULATION EXPERTS: The CRTC has issued an RFP for a
team or consortium to provide economic, legal/analytic, and support
services to the Commission for an upcoming proceeding on deregulating
local phone service. The Commission expects to pay between $500,000
and $1 million. The RFP is number CABB-5-0051 on the Merx public
tenders website; bids are due May 25. www.merx.com
COMMITTEE REVIEWS DO-NOT-CALL BILL: The House of Commons Standing
Committee on Industry, Natural Resources, Science and Technology is
holding hearings on Bill 37, "An Act to amend the Telecommunications
Act," which would set the basis for a mandatory Do-Not-Call registry,
allowing the CRTC to fine violators. (See Telecom Update #462)
** This week's witnesses included CRTC Telecom Vice-Chair
Richard French, as well as Mothers Against Drunk Driving
and the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association.
UNLIMITED CANADA-U.S. CALLING FOR $30: BabyTel, a Montreal- based
provider of broadband IP-based phone service, has cut its price for
unlimited calling in Canada and the U.S. for from $45 to $29.95 a
month. The company also permits customers to have phones in multiple
locations working on the same number for an extra $4.95 a month.
XPLORE ANNOUNCES SATELLITE INTERNET PRICING: New Brunswick- based
Barrett Xplore has announced pricing for the wireless broadband
service it will begin offering across Canada in July, using Telesat's
new Anik F2 satellite. Monthly rates range from $59.99 for 512 Kbps
download and 128 Kbps upload to $199.99 a month for 2 Mbps download
and 500 Kbps upload.
TELEHOP OFFERS WHOLESALE LD: Telehop Communications now offers a
Reseller Program that includes international calling, billing, and
other services for long distance resellers.
MARCH NETWORKS HIT BY PATENT SUIT: Vigilos Inc, a Seattle-based
software maker, has sued March Networks for allegedly infringing on
two patents for surveillance products. March Networks, whose chairman
is Terry Matthews, is preparing an IPO that is expected to raise about
$75 million.
DRAGONWAVE BOOSTS WIRELESS ETHERNET POWER: Ottawa-based DragonWave
Inc. has introduced a new wireless Gigabit Ethernet product that it
says has 30% increased reach over the previous model.
MICROSOFT SUPPORTS WIRELESS INSTANT MESSAGING: Microsoft says its
Office Live Communications Server 2005 now supports Windows-based
mobile devices, enabling Instant Messaging and presence-based
applications for mobile workers.
MOST INTERCITY FIBRE STILL UNLIT: A new report from TeleGeography says
that despite huge traffic growth only 3% of the maximum possible
intercity bandwidth in Europe and the U.S. has been lit. Despite that,
carriers are running out of capacity on some routes, and face
expensive upgrades.
www.telegeography.com/products/ib/
HAMILTON TO TEST WI-FI HYDRO METERS: This year, Hamilton Utilities
will test 100 "smart meters," which will automatically report
customers' electricity usage via wireless LANs.
SASKTEL ADOPTS NEW MESSAGING ARCHITECTURE: SaskTel is deploying a
"next generation" platform developed by New Jersey-based uReach
Technologies, as the basis for wireline and wireless voice mail, as
well as for new IP-based messaging services.
QWEST RAISES BID FOR MCI: Qwest Communications has increased its offer
for MCI to $30 a share, 30% more than the rival offer from Verizon
that has been approved by MCI's board. (See Telecom Update #476)
LOOK REVENUE DECLINES: Look Communications had revenue of $9.7 million
for the three months ended February 28, 15% less than for the
corresponding quarter a year ago. Look's subscriber base decreased 5%
from the previous quarter, reflecting mainly losses of dial-up
customers. Net loss: $2.4 million.
AVAYA SALES UP 21%: Avaya reports revenue of US$1.22 billion for the
three months ended March 31, a 21% increase over a year ago. Sales
declined 9% in the U.S. and increased 6% elsewhere in the Americas. IP
product sales rose 30%. Net income: $36 million.
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TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further
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Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available
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John Riddell (jriddell@angustel.ca)