Councillors last week voted 27 in favour, four opposed and six absent in favour of making a motion to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. They pointed to the unlimited data plans now proliferating in the United States and expressed exasperation that such offers aren't available here. Uh, good luck with that.
04/07/2017 03:37 EDT
CBC ran a story this weekend about HBO's angry letter blitz, where the network has been sending out copyright notices to Canadians asking them to please stop pirating Game of Thrones. There are plenty of legit ways to get the acclaimed fantasy adventure show, the network says -- except that there aren't.
06/06/2016 05:35 EDT
The new PM will be a breath of fresh air on the environment -- it's impossible to be any worse than his predecessor -- and he will take the leash off federal scientists, or so he has promised. However, one area the Liberals aren't expected to deliver any good news in are telecommunications services.
10/21/2015 06:12 EDT
The Harper government's newly introduced "anti-terrorism" legislature, Bill C-51, has been roundly condemned as an assault on privacy and free speech -- and rightly so. Besides hunting down would-be terrorists, the new laws could be used to stifle dissent, remove due process and lead to the creation of a secret police force, critics say. In a supposedly enlightened and democratic country such as Canada, these would be unwelcome developments to say the least. But there is a deeper cost to eroding privacy than just the spurring of undesirable changes in external entities such as courts and communications networks. Also at stake is the very freedom of Canadians to internally determine who they are and want to be.
02/04/2015 07:47 EST
Here's a crazy idea when it comes to wireless roaming: how about Canadians being able to use their one and only cellphones with the same single numbers in whatever countries they want at a reasonable cost without having to jump through all kinds of hoops? No one is expecting to use them for the same price as at home, but not paying through the teeth for the privilege would be nice.
09/10/2013 12:18 EDT
Bank of America's Global Wireless Matrix is packed with thorough statistics on virtually every carrier in 50 developed and developing countries. The regular report is the most accurate measure and comparison of wireless carriers around the world, which is probably why the Canadian industry and its allies don't want the public to see it. The report details just how well they're doing and does much to prove that Canadians are indeed paying high prices.
03/18/2013 03:43 EDT
The painful reality of Canadian cellphone service has once again come to the forefront this week. When Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook unveiled the updated pricing for the company's new lineup of iPhones on Wednesday, led by the iPhone 5, he pointed out that the suggested prices were on two-year contracts. That's the norm in most countries, but it's of course not the case in Canada.
09/13/2012 11:57 EDT
Some wonder why it's a good thing that the likes of Wind can now be bought by foreign entities. Simply put, it's better than the alternative -- the smaller companies are having a hell of a time competing against the big guys. It's trendy to bash the government as being pro-big business, but in the past week that hasn't been the case.
03/17/2012 11:59 EDT
Hot on the heels of the news that Bell Canada is cutting some of its Internet throttling with wholesale customers comes some really -- and I mean really -- interesting data on throttling worldwide. Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the world's absolute worst throttler (since 2008): Rogers.
10/21/2011 05:39 EDT
Konrad von Finckenstein has a pretty good resume for someone who's looking to prove their independent thinking, which is a good trait if you're an entrepreneur, but not so much for a government-appointed bureaucrat. The fear now is that the prime minister will move to install a CRTC chair who is more subservient.
09/29/2011 12:43 EDT
Mark Rubin, executive producer at Infinity Ward, the studio behind the 'Call of Duty' series, says Internet service providers are holding back innovation with restrictive practices. Usage-based billing and throttling, where certain applications are slowed down, are obstacles to the games industry's advancement.
09/08/2011 09:14 EDT
Underneath their gimmicky techniques, pick up artists are still the same shallow and empty people they've always been. While some men figure out the rules of attraction themselves, others obviously need help.
08/09/2011 11:50 EDT
