Egypt-based Orascom has been the primary source of cash for Globalive Wireless, one of Canada’s AWS new entrants. Its deep pockets enabled Globalive to bid more than $400M to acquire 10 MHz of spectrum everywhere in Canada other than Quebec.

While it has received approval of its ownership structure from Industry Canada, the CRTC still has to authorize it as a carrier under the Telecom Act, a process that is attracting considerable attention.

McCarthy Tetrault has recently published an analysis of the proceeding to determine the process for public review (what we call “a recursive proceeding“).

Of interest is news of the current battle that Orascom is engaged in for ownership and control of the largest mobile operator in its home market, ECMS. France Telecom, the partner in the joint venture’s holding company, Mobinil, has been trying to buy out Orascom’s interest, in a dispute that has dragged out for a couple years now.

Egypt’s securities market regulator has recently supported the “home team” in ruling that France Telecom was not offering minority shareholders enough. Last week, observers had expected the regulator to approve the offer. See Global Insight analysis.

What kind of pre-nuptial agreements are in place for Orascom’s venture in Canada?

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics will be accessed by viewers on a more personal level using a wider variety of media than any other event ever produced.

Alon Marcovici, VP Digital Media and Research for the Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, will be speaking at The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit on Wednesday June 17, addressing how broadcasting is adapting to the changing trends in how we want to receive programming. His group is enabling us to be able to watch the events of our choice, on the devices and over the networks that we select. While 400,000 Canadians will get to experience the Games live in Vancouver and Whistler, there are nearly 33 million of us who will be looking for coverage to be brought to us using a variety of new media.

Alon is responsible for managing the development of the digital programming, including online, mobile and Video on Demand, offering greater customization and interactivity on the various digital platforms.

Coverage of the Vancouver Olympics will be a demonstration of how broadcasting has to evolve to meet the needs of changing viewership and how to leverage every mode of new media communications as delivery vehicles.

Registration fees for The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit go up on Monday.

Have you registered yet?

Technorati Tags:
Alon Marcovici, Canadian Telecom Summit, new media

Last December, Rogers wrote to the CRTC looking for a declaratory ruling that text messages and multi-media messages should be captured under the Do Not Call List (DNCL) rules.

The CRTC has rejected the application – not even willing to look at the issue since the government has introduced Bill C-27: the anti-spam legislation (ECPA: the Electronic Commerce Protection Act).

Unlike email spam, there is a direct cost to many consumers for receiving unsolicited incoming text messages.

Who knows when (or if) the new legislation will be passed. It appears that the CRTC has sidestepped an opportunity to provide an enforcement tool.

Technorati Tags:
CRTC, ECPA, spam

The air-to-ground spectrum auction has wrapped up with a new player winning the right to provide internet connectivity to Canada’s airline industry.

Sky Surf Canada Communications Inc. will pay 2.1M for the spectrum, having outbid MTS Allstream.

Will they be able to develop an agreement with Aircell?

Simon Avery at the Globe and Mail has a feature today on the wireless new entrants.

Our closing session at The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit on June 17 will feature Dave Dobbin of DAVE Wireless, Alek Krstajic of Public Mobile and Tony Lacavera of Globalive.

Have you registered yet?

Technorati Tags:
AWS, Canadian Telecom Summit