Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Telecom Update #426, March 29, 2004

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 13:52:32 -0500

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IN THIS ISSUE: 

** Shareholder Challenges MTS-Allstream Deal
** Telus Quebec Absorbed by Telus
** CRTC Launches Deferral Account Review
** RIM, Good Settle Patent Suits
** CATA Praises Budget Incentives
** CRTC to Issue Expedited Rulings This Week
** Dark Fibre Ruling Explained
** Pennefather Reappointed to CRTC
** 724 Solutions Downsizes
** Slipstream Claims Lead in Enhanced Dial-Up
** U.S. Cellcos Report Big Growth
** U.S. Court: States Can Ban City-Owned Carriers
** Cisco Buys Security Supplier
** Iridium Offers Satellite Fax
** Telus to Offer Textpad on Cellphones
** 100-Year Domain Registration
** Contact Centre Seminar Booking Now

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SHAREHOLDER CHALLENGES MTS-ALLSTREAM DEAL: Enterprise 
Capital, a Toronto investment group that owns 5% of Manitoba 
Telecom Services, has asked the Toronto Stock Exchange to 
order MTS to allow shareholders to vote on its proposed 
acquisition of Allstream. (See Telecom Update #424a, 425)

TELUS QUEBEC ABSORBED BY TELUS: All the assets of Telus 
Communications (Quebec) will be transferred to Telus 
Communications Inc. by July 31. TCI is the incumbent telco in 
BC and Alberta. Telus Quebec, formerly QuebecTel, is the 
incumbent in northeastern Quebec that Telus acquired in 2000.

CRTC LAUNCHES DEFERRAL ACCOUNT REVIEW: Telecom Public Notice 
2004-1 invites proposals for spending the surplus funds 
accumulated in the incumbent telcos' deferral accounts, 
established in the 2002 Price Cap decision. To participate, 
notify the Commission by April 7.  

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Notices/2004/pt2004-1.htm

RIM, GOOD SETTLE PATENT SUITS: Under a settlement reached 
last week, Good Technology has agreed to pay Research in 
Motion a lump sum settlement in fiscal 2005 and quarterly 
royalties.
 
CATA PRAISES BUDGET INCENTIVES: The Canadian Advanced 
Technology Alliance has hailed measures in last week's 
federal government budget that encourage technology 
development, including increases in the capital cost 
allowance rates and improvements in funding for venture 
investment. 

www.cata.ca

CRTC TO ISSUE EXPEDITED RULINGS THIS WEEK: On Friday, March 
26, the CRTC held an oral hearing to deal with three 
longstanding contentious issues under its new procedure for 
expediting competitive disputes (see Telecom Update #420, 
423). The Commission intends to rule on all three disputes on 
Friday, April 2.

www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/process/2004/mar26.htm

DARK FIBRE RULING EXPLAINED: Last November the CRTC denied 
most of Bell Canada's proposals to provide dark fibre to 
Quebec school boards (see Telecom Update #410). Telecom 
Decision 2004-20 gives the reason: the proposed rates were 
lower than Bell's General Tariff rates for the same service. 
A few were approved because they were already installed and 
operating.

** In sharply worded dissents, Commissioners Barbara Cram and 
   Stuart Langford say the Commission should have turned down 
   all the proposals. They say the exceptions involve 
   inappropriate cross-subsidies, and reward Bell for 
   breaking the rules.

www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-20.htm

PENNEFATHER REAPPOINTED TO CRTC: The federal Cabinet has 
renewed Joan Pennefather's membership on the Canadian Radio-
television and Telecommunications Commission for a three-year 
term. She was first appointed in 1998.

724 SOLUTIONS DOWNSIZES: Toronto-based 724 Solutions, whose 
software provides mobile access to financial services, has 
undertaken a "consolidation of facilities" that will bring 
its second-quarter cost base down to two-thirds of the 
previous level.

SLIPSTREAM CLAIMS LEAD IN ENHANCED DIAL-UP: Waterloo-based 
SlipStream Data says its technology, which allows Internet 
Service Providers to speed up their customers' dial-up 
access, has now been adopted by 750 ISPs worldwide, including 
AOL Canada.

U.S. CELLCOS REPORT BIG GROWTH: Speaking at CTIA Wireless 
2004 last week, the president of the Cellular 
Telecommunications & Internet Association reported that U.S. 
wireless subscribership grew almost 10% in 2003, reaching 
nearly 160 million, while minutes of use grew 30%. 92% of all 
subscribers now use digital phones.

U.S. COURT--STATES CAN BAN CITY-OWNED CARRIERS: The U.S. 
Supreme Court last week ruled 8-1 that state governments have 
the right to prevent municipal and county governments from 
offering telecommunications services to residents. Nine 
states have such laws.

CISCO BUYS SECURITY SUPPLIER: Cisco Systems has agreed to buy 
California-based Riverhead Networks, a developer of security 
technology that protects against Distributed Denial of 
Service attacks.

IRIDIUM OFFERS SATELLITE FAX: Iridium now provides an 
interface that connects its satellite phones to fax machines 
or fax modems, enabling subscribers to send and receive faxes 
from any location in the world.

TELUS TO OFFER TEXTPAD ON CELLPHONES: Telus Mobility has 
signed an agreement with LG Electronics and Digit Wireless to 
produce a wireless phone incorporating Digit's Fastap 
keyboard, which includes letter and punctuation keys as well 
as a standard phone keypad.

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