Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Telecom Update #431, May 3, 2004

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 03 May 2004 12:50:09 -0400

************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE 
************************************************************
published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group 
http://www.angustel.ca

Number 431: May 3, 2004

Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous 
financial support from: 
** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com 
** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca 
** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca 
** CYGCOM INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES: www.cygcom.com 
** GROUP TELECOM: www.360.net 
** JUNIPER NETWORKS: www.juniper.net 
** PRIMUS CANADA: www.primustel.ca 
** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca 
** TELUS: www.telus.com 

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IN THIS ISSUE: 

** Nortel Fires Frank Dunn
** BCE Exec Demands New Telecom Policy
** Allstream Challenges Dark Fibre Ruling
** Sprint Expands Local Phone Coverage
** AT&T Plans Sale of Rogers Shares
** CRTC Chair Outlines Principles for VoIP Review
** Yak Market-Tests IP Phone Service
** Northern Satellite Projects Approved
** Bell to Market E-Payment Cards
** Bell Cells Work in Montreal Subway
** Cogeco Small Business Package Offered in Quebec
** Jury Convicts Four of Directory Fraud 
** Russians Will Launch Anik F3
** U.S. Prosecutes Spammers
** Microcell Raises $97 Million
** Aliant Wireless Up, Wireline Down
** Telecom Conference Seeks Speakers
** Angus on Issues in CRTC VoIP Review

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NORTEL FIRES FRANK DUNN: Nortel Networks has terminated CEO 
Frank Dunn and two financial executives "for cause," in 
connection with the ongoing review of its financial 
statements from 2000 to mid-2003. Four other financial 
managers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of 
the review.

** Nortel says it expects the review will cut its previously 
   announced 2003 net earnings in half. The company again 
   delayed publication of its final financial statements for 
   2003, and did not release preliminary results for 1Q 2004.

** Nortel's new President and CEO is William Owens, former 
   CEO of Teledesic and former Vice-Chairman of the U.S. 
   Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

BCE EXEC DEMANDS NEW TELECOM POLICY: Speaking in Quebec City 
last week, BCE CEO Michael Sabia said that Canada's 
leadership role in IP is being "jeopardized by a public 
policy environment that is outdated and sorely removed from 
the realities of today's marketplace." He called for new 
policies based on "treating all players equally."

** Sabia said Canada's communication policy must "change this 
   year--the window of opportunity is that short."

www.bce.ca/en/news/eventscalendar/webcasts/2004/20040427/

ALLSTREAM CHALLENGES DARK FIBRE RULING: Allstream has applied 
to the Federal Court for leave to appeal CRTC Telecom 
Decision 2004-20 (see Telecom Update #426), which approved 
three Bell Canada dark fibre CSAs for Villages Branches 
projects in Quebec. Allstream says the Telecom Act does not 
allow the CRTC to approve a rate it has found not to be just 
and reasonable.

SPRINT EXPANDS LOCAL PHONE COVERAGE: Sprint Canada says it 
expanded the service areas for its existing local telephone 
service coverage in Burlington, Mississauga, and Oakville, 
and established new service areas in 11 other communities.

** Sprint says it is now co-located in 148 wire centres 
   serving 31 municipalities across Canada.

AT&T PLANS SALE OF ROGERS SHARES: AT&T Wireless says it wants 
to sell its 34% stake in Rogers Wireless Communications. 
Rogers Communications, which has the right of first refusal, 
says it has not yet decided whether to buy the shares.

CRTC CHAIR OUTLINES PRINCIPLES FOR VoIP REVIEW: In a speech 
prepared for an industry conference on April 20, CRTC 
Chairman Charles Dalfen outlined four principles that will 
guide the Commission's response to VoIP and other "disruptive 
technologies." 

** Dalfen's speech was delivered in his absence by 
   Broadcasting Vice-Chair Andree Wylie.

www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/NEWS/SPEECHES/2004/s040420.htm 

YAK MARKET-TESTS IP PHONE SERVICE: Yak Communications says it 
has started market testing a VoIP local telephone service it 
plans to roll out beginning September 8. The company says it 
will offer bundles including local, long distance, and basic 
features, priced between $24.99 to $39.99 a month. 

NORTHERN SATELLITE PROJECTS APPROVED: Ottawa has announced 
the first four projects that will be allocated satellite 
capacity for broadband Internet access in remote northern 
communities, under the National Satellite Initiative. (See 
Telecom Update #402) 

http://broadband.gc.ca/pub/program/nsi/applications/index.html
http://broadband.gc.ca/pub/media/news/kuujjuaq042604.html

** Industry Canada has posted a report on its February 
   consultations with satellite service providers and 
   operators in preparation for Round 2 of the NSI.

http://broadband.gc.ca/pub/program/nsi/reports/consultations/index.html

BELL TO MARKET E-PAYMENT CARDS: Bell Canada has acquired 
exclusive marketing rights to a service that allows consumers 
to pay for small items like coffee or newspapers using a 
prepaid electronic debit card. The service, developed by 
Toronto-based Dexit Inc, will initially be offered in the 416 
and 905 areas, then extended across the country.

BELL CELLS WORK IN MONTREAL SUBWAY: Bell Canada has extended 
its 1X digital wireless network underground to five stations 
and associated tunnels in the Montreal subway system. The 
telco says the pilot will let it assess the feasibility of 
providing coverage in subway systems in Montreal and 
elsewhere in Canada.

COGECO SMALL BUSINESS PACKAGE OFFERED IN QUEBEC: Cogeco 
Cable's small business Internet service, launched in Ontario 
in February, is now available in Quebec. Business Starter 
provides downloads at up to 5 Mbps, uploads at 640 Kbps, and 
five e-mail addresses for $49.95/month on a 12-month 
contract.

JURY CONVICTS FOUR OF DIRECTORY FRAUD: A jury has found four 
men associated with Yellow Business Pages.com and Yellow 
Business Directory.com guilty of sending phony directory 
invoices to businesses across Canada in 2002. The scam, which 
took in over $1 million in seven months, produced more than 
4,400 complaints to the Competition Bureau.

** The offences carry a maximum penalty of five years in 
   prison, a fine, or both. 

RUSSIANS WILL LAUNCH ANIK F3: Telesat Canada has chosen 
Russia's International Launch Services to launch Anik F3 in 
2006. The satellite, Telesat's 17th, is currently being built 
at Europe's EADS Astrium. 

U.S. PROSECUTES SPAMMERS: The U.S. Justice department last 
week filed the first criminal charges for violations of 
federal anti-spam legislation. Four Detroit area men are 
accused of sending millions of e-mails advertising a weight-
loss patch, using false return e-mail addresses.

MICROCELL RAISES $97 MILLION: Microcell Telecommunications' 
fully subscribed rights offering, completed last week, should 
net about $97 million. The company expects to raise another 
$50 million selling Class B Non-Voting Shares to COM Canada, 
owned by Craig McCaw.

ALIANT WIRELESS UP, WIRELINE DOWN: Aliant's first quarter 
consolidated revenues were $504.4 million, up just 0.7% over 
last year. Local revenue was down 0.9% and LD was down 8.6%, 
while wireless increased 18.3% and Internet 14.2%.

** Local residential lines in service are down 1.8% from 1Q 
   2003; business lines are down 0.4%. 

TELECOM CONFERENCE SEEKS SPEAKERS: Telemanagement Live! will 
be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October 20-
21. Anyone interested in speaking at this new national 
conference on enterprise telecom and networking should read 
the Call for Presentations at the Telemanagement Live! 
website.

** Telemanagement Live! is organized and presented by Angus 
   Dortmans Associates and PW Ritchie & Associates.

www.telemanagementlive.com/attendee.html

ANGUS ON ISSUES IN CRTC VoIP REVIEW: The May issue of 
Telemanagement, now available online, features a report by 
Lis Angus on issues facing the CRTC and the telecom industry 
in the current review of regulations for IP-based telephone 
service. Also: Is wireless competition in local phone markets 
as strong as Bell and Aliant claim?

** Telemanagement Online subscribers can access this issue, 
   and our extensive library of past issues, columns, 
   editorials, and feature reports, at http://online.angustel.ca.

To subscribe or to add online access to your existing 
subscription, go to www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub-online.html.

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HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE

E-MAIL: [email-masked]

FAX:    905-686-2655

MAIL:   TELECOM UPDATE 
        Angus TeleManagement Group
        8 Old Kingston Road
        Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7

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