Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: contact!ndallen@eecs.nwu.edu (Nigel Allen) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Cable TV Companies Enter the Telephone Business Message-ID: Date: 8 Mar 91 05:05:00 GMT Sender: news@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Mr. News) Organization: 52 Manchester Avenue, Toronto Lines: 51 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 185, Message 1 of 8 Originator: telecom@delta.eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: hub.eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu A brief update on what Canadian cable companies are doing. First, cable television has traditionally been more popular in Canada than in the U.S., mostly because Canadians want the option to receive U.S. channels. Canadian cable TV companies traditionally brought in U.S. tv channels by microwave, so that you would be able to see Maine TV stations on cable in Nova Scotia. Now, however, Cancom distributes Detroit TV stations by satellite to Canadian cable companies, and these Detroit signals have replaced the ones from Bangor, Main, or whatever. Rogers is one of Canada's largest cable companies. Its parent company also owns 40% of Unitel Communications Inc. (formerly CNCP Telecommunications). I think that Rogers' Network Services unit competes with Bell Canada for some private high-volume circuit business. A while ago, Bell Canada asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to require Rogers Network Services to file tariffs with the CRTC on the grounds that Rogers was carrying on business as a telecommunications carrier. I'm not sure what ever came of that. Videotron is a large Quebec cable operator and broadcaster, with interests in some cable systems in England as well. Its telecommunications arm (Videotron Telecom Ltee) has applied to the Quebec Telecommunications Board for recognition as a telecommunications common carrier. If you would like a copy of Videotron's annual report, write to: Public Relations Department Groupe Videotron Ltee 2000, rue Berri Montreal, Quebec, Canada Other Canadian cable companies probably have some interesting plans up their collective sleeves, but I haven't heard anything from them. One other interesting telecommunications common carrier is B.C. Rail, formerly the British Columbia Railway Company. It sells private line services in competition with B.C. Tel and Unitel. (Historically, of course, both Canadian National Railways and Canadian Pacific had telecommunications departments, which were eventually merged to form CNCP Telecommunications. CN also owned two telephone companies, Terra Nova Tel in rural Newfoundland and Northwestel in the Yukon, the western Northwest Territories and northern B.C., until a few years ago, when Terra Nova Tel was sold to Newfoundland Tel and Northwestel was sold to BCE Inc., formerly Bell Canada Enterprises.) Nigel Allen ndallen@contact.uucp