Last week, the CRTC announced it would immediately lower wholesale internet rates by 10% as part of a larger reexamination of Canada’s regime for wholesale regulation. This move is intended to improve competition among internet providers by making it easier for the smaller companies to lease bandwidth from the bigger ones. The CRTC also announced […]
CRTC shifts to championing internet competition Read More »
On June 22, 2021, the federal Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology released its study Affordability and Accessibility of Telecommunications Services in Canada: Encouraging Competition to (Finally) Bridge the Digital Divide. The study offered recommendations for improving competition in Canada’s telecommunications industry, and also provided a rebuke for recent CRTC decisions that have caused
Last week, in a move that has already negatively impacted consumer internet costs in Canada, the CRTC reversed it’s 2019 decision to lower the rates charged by large ISPs to wholesale service providers for access to their networks. Wholesale internet providers, such as TekSavvy and Distributel, will now have to pay the higher, pre-2019 rates
How CRTC flip-flop on wholesale internet will hurt consumers Read More »
On June 11, 2020, the CRTC issued a Call for comments – Appropriate network configuration for disaggregated wholesale high-speed access services. Their goal was to address a number of outstanding issues related to the Commission’s earlier decision (2015-326) to move Canada’s wholesale high speed access regime from a disaggregated to an aggregated model. Under the previous,
Cybera’s response to CRTC investigation on disaggregated wholesale access Read More »
Last week’s Speech from the Throne included many ambitious promises for supporting Canadians as they transition through COVID-19 and adapt to the needs of a 21st Century digital economy. From Cybera’s perspective, one of the more interesting goals mentioned in the speech related to improving connectivity in the country: “The Government will accelerate the connectivity timelines and
Canada’s Throne Speech made big internet promises. Now for the delivery. Read More »
This past Saturday, August 15, federal minister Navdeep Bains issued a statement expressing concern about the CRTC’s August 2019 decision to cut wholesale internet rates. He stated that “these [reduced] rates may undermine investment in high-quality networks, particularly in rural and remote areas.“ The CRTC is responsible for setting the rates that incumbent network operators
Last week, Cybera submitted a response to the CRTC’s Notice of Consultation 2019-406: Call for comments regarding potential barriers to the deployment of broadband-capable networks in underserved areas in Canada. In 2018, the CRTC finalized the Broadband Fund, a $750 Million investment over five years to fund broadband-capable networks across Canada. Its intention is to: “Fund projects
Cybera’s response to CRTC consultation on barriers to deploying broadband Read More »
Last week, Canada’s largest telecommunications providers, including Bell, Rogers and Telus, petitioned the federal government to reverse the CRTC’s August 2019 decision to lower wholesale rates. These rates are what the large telecommunication firms charge to resellers to provide internet services. In its August 2019 decision, the CRTC stated that; “The Commission considers that the
Cybera’s response to telco petition to increase wholesale internet rates Read More »
Bright/translucent lines: Areas where SWIFT estimates internet service provider offer service packages with speeds that meet or exceed CRTC’s 50/10 “basic service” target. Dark hexagons: Areas considered served/ineligible to apply to CRTC fund. Last week, Cybera submitted a letter in support of Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT)’s appeal to the CRTC to reconsider its Broadband
Cybera Supports SWIFT Call For Equal Access to the CRTC’s Broadband Fund Read More »
Last week, Cybera submitted a brief to the federal government’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel. The panel has been tasked with reviewing Canada’s communication legislative framework in the digital age, focusing on issues of content creation, net neutrality and cultural diversity, and how to strengthen the future of Canadian media. We would like to
Cybera’s Case to the Telecommunications Legislative Review Read More »
When the CRTC sought submissions to its 2015 consultation on “Basic Telecommunications Services,” thousands of people offered their opinions on what the future of Canada’s internet should look like. For the first time ever, these submissions have been made searchable via a single, simple-to-use platform, and a surprisingly varied narrative of struggles and concerns has
Authors: David Ackerman, Alyssa Moore, David Chan, Tatiana Meleshko, Byron Chu Last June, Cybera’s data scientists took on a monumental task: to create a tool that can easily examine the thousands of documents and testimonials that were provided to the CRTC for its 2016 “basic telecommunications service” consultation, and search for key words and common
Delving Through 65,000 Pages of Government Submissions: The Challenges Read More »
A year after launching its data science team, Cybera is now ready to take on external projects from stakeholders looking to discover the utility of their data. For their first major project, the team has received funding to examine the thousands of documents and testimonials that were provided to the CRTC for its 2016 “basic
Cybera’s data science team to explore Canada’s internet regulatory process Read More »
Griping about a slow internet connection has become the unofficial pastime of rural Canadians. But a recent CRTC decision may improve this state of affairs. In December 2016, the commission ruled that residential fixed broadband and mobile broadband internet access are basic telecommunications services—equal in importance to the landline telephone of the 20th century. The
Following last month’s decision by the CRTC to declare that broadband is a basic service for all Canadians, Cybera is pleased to offer Alberta’s public sector another piece of good news: a major cost reduction in their internet services. As of January 1, 2017, rates for Cybera’s Internet Buying Group have been reduced from $5.00
Internet Buying Group Sees 8th Major Price Decrease Read More »
Last month, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) wrapped up a three-week hearing on the future of broadband in Canada. Nearly 90 academics, public interest groups, individuals, municipalities, and telecom companies appeared before the commission to comment on the feasibility of including high speed internet as a “basic telecommunications service.” The scope of the
CRTC Wraps Up Hearing on the Future of Broadband in Canada Read More »