Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Telecom Update #434, May 25, 2004

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 10:19:36 -0400

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TELECOM UPDATE 
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Number 434: May 25, 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: 

** Bell Moves to Block MTS-Allstream Deal
** Microcell Board Rejects Telus Bid
** CRTC Says Do-Not-Call List Requires New Law
** AT&T Rejects Rogers' Buy-Back Offer
** Sprint to Test Voice on Wireless Broadband
** CLEC Business Customers Can Get Telco DSL
** Telus Loses Labour Ruling
** Industry Group Creates Telecom R&D Fund
** Bell May Offer DSL over Dry Copper
** Telus Mobility Promises GSM Roaming
** UBS Chair to Head Look
** Navigata Wins Northern B.C. Broadband Contract
** Deferral Account Proposals Filed
** Nortel Hit by Class Action Suits
** Ipsos-Reid Plans Call Centre Awards
** Bell Buys Call Centre Integrator
** IBM, Cisco to Cooperate on IP Communications
** Managing Performance in Wireless LANs

============================================================

BELL MOVES TO BLOCK MTS-ALLSTREAM DEAL: Bell Canada has asked 
the Ontario Superior Court for an injunction to prevent MTS 
from proceeding with its acquisition of Allstream. (See 
Telecom Update #425) Bell says the deal violates the terms of 
its strategic-alliance agreements with MTS, including a 
commitment not to set up sales operations in each others' 
territories.

** MTS says it believes Bell has no basis for interfering 
   with the transaction, and it will "vigorously defend 
   against this injunction." 

** The Court will hear Bell's application, and MTS's motion 
   that the case should not be heard in Toronto, on May 31. 
   The MTS-Allstream deal is scheduled to close on June 1.

MICROCELL BOARD REJECTS TELUS BID: Microcell's Board of 
Directors has urged shareholders to reject Telus's 
unsolicited offer to buy the wireless carrier's shares. The 
Board says the offer is too low and subject to inappropriate 
conditions, and that other bidders may submit more attractive 
offers.

** If it acquires Microcell, Telus will own more radio 
   spectrum than allowed under current regulations. One of 
   its conditions of purchase is that Industry Canada must 
   waive the spectrum cap rules.

CRTC SAYS DO-NOT-CALL LIST REQUIRES NEW LAW: In Telecom 
Decision 2004-35, the CRTC says there is "considerable merit" 
in the establishment of a national do-not-call list for 
telemarketers, but that new legislation is required to fund 
the system and to allow imposition of fines for violations.

** The Decision strengthens current rules for company-
   specific do-not-call lists, requires users of predictive 
   dialers to restrict dropped calls, and expands tracking of 
   complaints.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-35.htm

AT&T REJECTS ROGERS' BUY-BACK OFFER: AT&T Wireless has 
rejected Rogers Communications' offer of $31/share to buy 
back AT&T's 34% interest in Rogers Wireless. AT&T can now 
seek other buyers, but cannot sell the shares for less than 
the price Rogers offered, and cannot sell more than a 5% 
stake to any single buyer. (See Telecom Update #431)

SPRINT TO TEST VOICE ON WIRELESS BROADBAND: Sprint Canada 
plans to test the wireless broadband service provided by the 
Inukshuk/Allstream/NR joint venture, to see if it is suitable 
for residential primary-line voice and Internet services. The 
trial will take place over the next several months in north 
Toronto. 

CLEC BUSINESS CUSTOMERS CAN GET TELCO DSL: CRTC Telecom Order 
2004-34 rules that Bell, Aliant, SaskTel, and Telus cannot 
refuse to provide DSL service to business customers who 
obtain telephone service from a competitor, if the customer 
would otherwise qualify for DSL. 

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-34.htm

TELUS LOSES LABOUR RULING: The Canadian Industrial Relations 
Board has ruled that Telus Mobility and Telus Communications 
are a single employer, so formerly non-unionized Telus 
Mobility employees in Ontario and Quebec are now represented 
by the Telecommunications Workers Union. Telus says it will 
appeal.

INDUSTRY GROUP CREATES TELECOM R&D FUND: The Montreal-based 
International Institute of Telecommunications says its new 
"pre-competitive R&D Consortium" will spend about $50 million 
over the next five years supporting advanced 
telecommunications research. Members include Bell Canada, 
Nortel Networks, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Exfo, Rogers 
Wireless, and Microcell.

BELL MAY OFFER DSL OVER DRY COPPER: Responding to an 
application by FCI Broadband and Maskatel (see Telecom Update 
#427), Bell Canada says it may be able to offer DSL on copper 
loops that are not used for voice service by late 2004 or 
early 2005, but not when competitors are using the existing 
drop wires or inside wire.

www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2004/8622/f18_200402321.htm

TELUS MOBILITY PROMISES GSM ROAMING: Telus Mobility says that 
next year it will offer global roaming on GSM networks for 
its PCS and Mike customers, using new dual-mode phones 
developed by Motorola.

UBS CHAIR TO HEAD LOOK: Unique Broadband Systems has 
appointed its Chairman, Gerald McGoey, as CEO of Look 
Communications. UBS, which now owns 51% of Look, says it will 
receive a one-time payment of $1.2 million plus $2.4 million 
a year, for providing the CEO and for updating Look's 
strategic plan, monitoring and renegotiating service provider 
contracts, providing technical support, and supplementing 
back-office services.

NAVIGATA WINS NORTHERN B.C. BROADBAND CONTRACT: Navigata 
Communications has won contracts to provide broadband 
Internet connections to the Nadina and Stuart Nechako regions 
of Northern B.C. The $2.1 million project is scheduled for 
completion in 2005.

DEFERRAL ACCOUNT PROPOSALS FILED: Responding to the CRTC's 
request in PN 2004-1, incumbent telcos and others have 
submitted proposals for spending surpluses accumulated in the 
telco deferral accounts created by the CRTC's 2002 Price Cap 
decision. 

www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2004/8678/c12_200402313.htm

NORTEL HIT BY CLASS ACTION SUITS: Several organizations, 
including OPSEU Pension Trust and Netherlands-based pension 
giant Stichting Pensionfonds, have filed lawsuits against 
Nortel Networks in regard to accounting irregularities. The 
Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board has asked to become co-
lead plaintiff in some actions previously filed in the U.S.

** The Ontario Securities Commission has banned 161 current 
   and former Nortel executives from trading the company's 
   shares until two days after the company files its revised 
   financial statements from 2001, 2002, and 2003.

IPSOS-REID PLANS CALL CENTRE AWARDS: Ipsos-Reid has announced 
an award program for incoming call centres in Canada. The 
researcher will survey 100 customers and 40-50 call centre 
employees for each centre that registers, announce its "Call 
Centre of the Year" awards in December, and provide benchmark 
reports to participants.

** Participation costs $3,000 for centres with up to 50 
   seats; $4,500 for larger ones. For information go to 
   www.ccoty.com

BELL BUYS CALL CENTRE INTEGRATOR: Bell Canada has acquired a 
majority interest in Elix, a Montreal-based systems 
integrator that specializes in contact centres. The 125-
employee firm will now operate as BCE Elix.

IBM, CISCO TO COOPERATE ON IP COMMUNICATIONS: IBM and Cisco 
have announced a "broad-based initiative" to offer their IP-
based communications systems and expertise to customers, 
including offering Cisco CallManager on IBM servers.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE IN WIRELESS LANs: Wireless LANs work--
but how well, and how efficiently? This month, Telemanagement 
subscribers received a feature report on practical ways to 
improve coverage and speed in enterprise Wi-Fi.  Also in this 
issue:

** Wireless Substitution: How Accurate Are Telco Claims? 
** Toronto Airport Implements Multi-User IP Network 
** Key Issues in the CRTC's VoIP Review

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