NL Short Takes

360networks expands to the east and southVancouver fibre builder 360networks Inc continues its global expansion. It has undertaken a US$60-million move into Europe with network rings in seven cities. The new agreement moves the Canadian firm into London, Paris, Strasbourg, Geneva, Marseilles, Lyon and Milan. Earlier, the company signed a deal with Impsat Fiber Networks Inc to move into Brazil and Argentina. That deal is worth approximately US$300 million. 360networks becomes Dal’s palFibre giant 360networks Inc is not forgetting its social obligations. The Vancouver company has donated $3 million of bandwidth to Dalhousie University in Halifax. The 155 Mbps capacity will permit staff and students at the Maritime school to send data and other files to Europe and the United States. The project is expected to be launched early in 2001. Nortel moves into Israeli marketOn the same day the government of Israel opened up the doors to telecom competition, Nortel Networks Corp of Brampton announced a formal move into the market of the Mideastern country. Nortel Networks Israel is a joint venture, with 79 per cent being held by the Canadian firm and the remaining owned by Telrad, a subsidiary of Koor Industries of Tel Aviv. The new company will concentrate on the delivery of high-performance Internet solutions to carrier and business customers. Norigen buys technology consulting companyToronto-based CLEC Norigen Communications Inc has bought Liberty Technology Service Ltd, a consulting and integration services company. The firm plans to use the new division to complement its One Source telecom portfolio. Liberty’s work force will remain at its current offices in downtown Toronto. Bell tolls rejected by CRTCGiant telco Bell Canada filed a tariff notice with the CRTC seeking to end an exemption for DA charges on public and semi-public payphones owned by the company. In Order 2000-809, the commission dismissed the application, stating that public policy should prevail over the company’s wishes. CRTC approves changes in telecom corporate worldRecent changes in the corporate structure of two telcos have been given the green light by the CRTC. The merger of Telus Communications (Edmonton) Inc with Telus Communications Inc and other subsidiaries has led to the standardization of directory assistance in the province of Alberta. The commission gave approval to the move in Order 2000-832. The name change of CLEC Optel Communications Corp to Axxent Corp was okayed in Order 2000-823. Northwestel moving ahead with new warehouseNorthwestel, the ILEC serving the three territories and northern BC, is moving into its new facilities near the Whitehorse YT airport. The new building will bring radio and installation technicians as well as warehousing and shipping functions under one roof. Corporate headquarters will remain in downtown Whitehorse. France Télécom no longer master of domain nameFrance Télécom has lost the right to use the domain name www.les-pages-jaunes.com because it has already been registered to a Toronto company called Domain. Little is known about Domain, but the Internet Corp for Assigned Names & Numbers decided its registration takes precedence over the FT claim. Bell Canada won a similar battle in court last year. C1 Communications broadens Ontario baseSaint John NB CLEC C1 Communications has expanded its reach in southwestern Ontario. With its operations HQ in Mississauga, C1 has moved into Hamilton, London, Kitchener-Waterloo and Windsor. The company is flogging its Internet access, available through DSL equipment and similar technologies. New fibre player on the scene in western CanadaDixon Cable Laying Co Ltd of Delta BC and Glentel Inc, a wireless service provider in Burnaby BC, have joined forces to create C2C Networks Canada Ltd. The new operation will lay fibre under tier two cities in western Canada. Preliminary markets being targetted are Kamloops BC and Red Deer and Lethbridge AB. Rhythms Canada in partnership with VideoNEXT and WisperRhythms Canada, a joint venture between Axxent Corp and Rhythms NetConnections Inc, has signed an agreement with VideoNEXT of McLean VA. The deal will see the firms provide videophone services over high-performance DSL. Rhythms has also linked up with Wisper Networks Inc of Mississauga ON to provide DSL Internet connectivity. OnSite Access launches service in TorontoOnSite Access Canada, a subsidiary of an American firm, has begun operations in this country by servicing three buildings in downtown Toronto. The company expects to do business from Montreal to Vancouver. The firm has been gearing up since last spring. SR Telecom opens offices in Latin American marketplaceMontreal’s SR Telecom has expanded its offices in Monterrey, Mexico and Rio de Janeiro. Company officials hope to increase their presence in the Brazilian and Mexican telecom markets. Total Telcom moves up CDNX ladderEdmonton-based fibre builder Total Telcom Inc has had its reporting status on the Canadian Venture Exchange upgraded to Tier One. Previously, it operated under a Tier Two designation. CIRA finally prepared to pre-register domain names|After months of delay, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority is finally open for business. It will begin by pre-registering existing ".ca" domain names on September 18. CIRA expects the transfer of licensing authority from the University of British Columbia to be completed by the beginning of November. CRTC wins innovation award for CISC programThe Institute of Public Administration of Canada has given its Award for Innovative Management to the CRTC for its CISC program. The agency was one of three finalists from over 100 nominees at all three levels of government. Now you can see them test positive for steroids fasterBell Canada has joined up with the CBC to provide interactive coverage of the Olympic Games in Sydney Australia. Bell’s webcasting technology is linking up with the public broadcaster’s signal so users may log on to a real time webcast for the duration of the games this month. The power of convergence demonstrated in FloridaWhen two Florida state representatives got into a fistfight in the parking lot of a Miami radio station, announcer Martha Flores urged her listeners to call police. Hundreds of them did, causing the Miami 911 system to crash. The system was out of commission for about 10 minutes.

NL Short Takes

News | September 11, 2000

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