Videotron announced that it is extending its TGV30 and TGV50 ultra-high speed internet services to additional areas in the greater Montréal viscinity. More than 400,000 households and businesses in 70 municipalities around Montréal will gain access to the 30 Mbps and 50 Mbps services.

Overall, more than 900,000 addresses in more than 100 municipalities will have access to Videotron’s industry leading speeds.

Videotron is also increasing the download caps for these services: for TGV30, residential customers will have a cap of 70 GB while business subscribers will have a 150 GB cap; and, for TGV50, the caps are 100 GB (residential) and 200 GB (business).

The press release quotes newly promoted EVP, Strategy and Market Development, Manon Brouillette:

Videotron continues to lead the way in Internet services with an advantageous offering: large download capacity at lightning speed for a competitive price

The services are priced at: TGV30 for $64.95 ($119.95 business) and TGV50 for $79.95 ($149.95 business).

Evidence of market forces at work, driving investment.

Technorati Tags:
Videotron, broadband

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is planning to acquire Macquarie Communications, an operator of broadcast and telecom transmission infrastructure in Australia and the UK.

Industry Canada has mandated tower sharing in an effort to reduce the time to launch service for new mobile wireless carriers and minimize the aesthetic impact of tower proliferation in our communities.

Will Canadian carriers and cash-strapped Canadian broadcasters look to raise capital by monetizing their real estate assets, such as transmission towers?

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CPPIB, towers

The CRTC has opened up an on-line public consultation for its proceeding that is examining internet Network Management by Canada’s ISPs.

The e-consultation is open until April 30 and can be found at this website, which contains a welcome message from Namir Anani, the CRTC’s executive director for policy development and research.

The public is invited to discuss various topics and questions related to Internet traffic management practices, including:

• the impact of these practices on the user experience and on innovation
• the different approaches to Internet traffic management
• the role of the CRTC in relation to Internet traffic management practices, and
• the disclosure of Internet traffic management practices by ISPs.

A transcript of the discussion and threads will become part of the public record for the proceeding, which has oral hearings in early July.

The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit includes an in-depth look at many of these issues, with our net neutrality panel featuring Mike Lee of Rogers, Chris Libertelli of Skype and Dave Caputo from Sandvine.

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network management, CRTC, net neutrality, Skype, Rogers, Sandvine

For some time, I have been writing [for example, here] about the need to create a national digital strategy, a view that is being expressed by others.

For example, during the New Media hearings, Tom Perlmutter of the National Film Board spoke of the need for a national digital strategy:

We need to ensure that the infrastructure meets the needs of today and tomorrow, which means advanced digital networks, broadband and wireless. We need to cross digital divides between the digital haves and have-nots. We need to ensure broad-based digital literacy. We need rich Canadian content that is both multi-platform and cross-platform, and unique creations for specific platforms. We need training for new modes of production. We need to evolve our business and financing models. We need to figure out how to create international digital co-production partnerships. We need to work at building strong digital brands that will capture the imagination of our audiences. Most of all, we need a vision.

CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein said that he sympathized and agreed with this call for a national vision during those hearings. He demonstrated his support during last week’s appearance before the House Committee on Canadian Heritage [streaming media, 150Kbps], recommending that the Committee listen to Mr. Perlmutter’s call for the development of a national digital strategy.

I have not seen this comment picked up in the media or on other blogs – did the Committee hear the call? Will momentum build for a new national task force or royal commission?

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national digital strategy, CRTC

The 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit opens in 11 weeks – June 15-17 – just two and a half months from now.

Support from our sponsors has been encouraging. Virtually every carrier in Canada will be participating – incumbents, new entrants, wireless and wireline. We’re also welcoming a number of companies and speakers who are participating for the first time.

Keynote speakers will once again include the people who are having the greatest influence on the Canadian telecom scene, from our opening address from Rogers’ chief Nadir Mohamed, through RIM co-founder Mike Lazaridis.

There are numerous policy issues that will be canvassed in a variety of sessions including our annual feature: the Regulatory Blockbuster on Tuesday June 16.

This year’s event will close with a panel discussion featuring the leaders of Globalive Wireless, Public Mobile and DAVE Wireless and moderated by Simon Avery of the Globe and Mail.

Visit the conference website or download the brochure [ pdf, 433 KB] for more information.

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Canadian Telecom Summit