In Saturday’s National Post, Peter Nowak reported that RIM wants to see Canadian carriers offer more competitive data plans. Don Morrison is quoted in that article as saying:

We haven’t seen a carrier yet take up the banner of really going after the mass market. We think it’s to their benefit.

In yesterday’s National Post, Peter cites Michael Geist‘s blog which asserts that high fees for data services are what is holding back Canada’s introduction of the iPhone.

The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple. Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that, as now RIM and Google both note, leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries.

I think that assertion is a little far reaching. If our data prices are holding back the Canadian launch of iPhone, why isn’t the iPhone available anywhere else in the world either?

The reply comments by the Competition Bureau in the AWS auction consultation address the state of competition from a legal perspective – particularly, competition law.

These sentences, extracted from the submission, may be an appropriate summary of the views of the Competition Bureau:

it is the removal of foreign ownership restrictions, not auction intervention, that may be the more powerful instrument of competition.

Given the present restrictions, however, intervention may still be appropriate if domestic entrants can provide effective competition, given the incentives of incumbents [to prevent entry by bidding their economic value for the spectrum plus a premium representing their potential loss of profit]

The paper represents a discussion, from the viewpoint of competition law, of the first round of submissions from all of the parties.

Technorati Tags:
Industry Canada, Competition Bureau, wireless, spectrum auction, AWS

I am attending a demonstration today hosted by Ericsson Canada, showing off a series of technologies, applications, and innovations designed to be the foundation of future high speed wireless access.

Ericsson is bringing up the same team demonstrated these capabilities at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year.

According to their invitation, to give an idea of the scope of this demo, Ericsson had to apply to Industry Canada for permission to use additional spectrum.

Besides the obvious advantages of increased access speed (equaling, and often surpassing, present high speed wired capabilities), the technologies is purported to enable more seamless interaction between devices like TVs, PCs and mobile phones; the creation of realistic virtual communities (with IM, talk, and video); and, improved communications for professions that need fast, accurate information across a myriad of devices.

I wonder if Bell and TELUS are the real targets for this Canadian demonstration.

I’ll report more after seeing it all up close and personal.

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Update [July 10, 10:55 am]
Mark Henderson, CEO of Ericsson Canada, announced that his Montreal research centre is adding 200 new positions. Much of Ericsson’s IMS platform development is conducted here in Canada. Nice to see Canadian expansion when so many companies are shipping jobs off-shore.

The IMS IPTV demo, across mobile and fixed screens, caught my eye as a precursor to next generation video. It is a way for telcos to change the rules of the game from broadcast TV, or for integrated cable / mobile operators like Rogers to stay on top.

Let’s watch to see how much traction this gets.

Technorati Tags:
Ericsson

Reply comments for the AWS consultation were submitted to Industry Canada at the end of June and it has taken me some time to get to read them. Part of the problem was accessing the website – through no fault of Industry Canada – my Inukshuk-based internet is having some trouble reaching ic.gc.ca addresses.

I gave up and used my Blackberry as a modem to download about a dozen of the filings. I’ll be providing some reviews over the coming days and weeks.

The possibility of a TELUS/Bell merger caused Sasktel to rethink its position and ensure that its independent needs were looked after.

SaskTel did not promote the use of “set aside” provisions in the first round of consultations. However, if a set aside is enacted, SaskTel as an experienced telephone company should not be unduly hampered in its options to grow, expand and to provide new services outside of its current serving areas just because of traditional convenience in regulatory treatments.

As I wrote last month, hopefully, Bell Aliant’s independent trustees have also been looking at their wireless options in order to protect unit-holders from various future scenarios for industry dynamics.

The Bracebridge Business Improvement Area (BIA) is looking at developing a wireless network to cover the downtown of this central Muskoka town. The objective is to “increase the attractiveness of Downtown Bracebridge for visitors while at the same time providing a direct benefit to BIA members.” Proposals are due on August 1.

Inukshuk wireless internet is available on the lake through Rogers Portable Internet or Sympatico Unplugged. Barrett Xplorenet is also available through a local agent.

Still, I have found myself going into a shop looking for a couple minutes of access time, so the objective is understandable.

Tuesday’s Toronto Star ran a story about the Toronto Hydro WiFi project that might create some points for discussion as Bracebridge moves forward.

Technorati Tags:
WiFi, Bracebridge

One of the lesser reported aspects of this week’s Do Not Call List (DNCL) Decision from the CRTC is the application of the rules to voice mail marketing.

Hopefully, this will spell the end of junk voice mail.

The CRTC rejected a proposal to ban voice mail marketing altogether and also rejected a broad ban on depositing messages on cellular voice mail (which may have been an administrative nightmare now that portability is in place). Instead, customers registering on the database will be sufficient to end the scourge.

I don’t mind getting live calls about duct cleaning, lawn care or window replacement offers. I can get rid of those calls pretty quickly when I am not in the market. But, I have no use for Boris the mover, prizes of Collingwood vacations, or other people that activate my message waiting indicator.

Enforcement of junk voice mail violations (as with junk faxes) should be simple: the evidence will be recorded. At $15,000 per message, offending companies won’t be around very long.

Technorati Tags:
CRTC, voice mail, DNCL, fax