NL Short Takes

Axxent rolls out service in eight provincesToronto-based CLEC Axxent Inc is now a national player. After building initially in Montreal and Toronto, the company is now providing on-switch services in Quebec City, Ottawa, Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Calgary and Vancouver. The firm’s coast-to-coast network includes other cities in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and BC. Northwestel extends LD special on weekendsNorthwestel, which services the three territories and northern BC, has changed the terms of its weekend LD rates. Customers may now call anywhere in Canada for 15 cents per minute from 8 a.m. Saturday until 8 a.m. Sunday. Northwestel is a subsidiary of Bell Canada. Smooth implementation of new area codes sought by CRTCThe CRTC is reminding Canadian basic international telecom providers, payphone providers and other companies, through a letter, of the new numbering plan areas being implemented in the country. Toronto is having its 416 area code augmented with 647; southwestern Ontario’s 905 region will see the addition of the 289 area code and NPA 778 will be overlaid on Vancouver’s 604 district. In other commission news, Bell Canada had its proposed increase in the monthly interest rate for late payment charges denied in Order 2000-903. The telco had wanted to boost the rate from 1.25 per cent to 1.5 per cent. Order 2000-905 granted Cannect Communications Inc its general tariff proposal. 360networks expands grid in Florida, raises more moneyFibre builder 360networks Inc of Vancouver has bought 560 km of dark fibre between Jacksonville FL and Miami and 39 km of fibre in Miami from Epik Communications Inc, a carriers’ carrier. 360networks is providing Epik with 6200 km of dark fibre on routes connecting Toronto and five American cities. The deals are worth about US$76 million. The company has also completed a US$1.2-billion senior credit facility. The syndication of the deal was led by Chase Securities Inc, DLJ Capital Funding Inc, Goldman Sachs Credit Partners LP and TD Securities (USA) Inc. Canada Payphone and GSI in joint ventureCanada Payphone Corp of Vancouver has entered into a joint venture with GSI Technologies USA Inc. The companies will market a new range of branded products from AT&T. It is estimated the revenue generating potential is $500 million in the first five years of the pact. Telus Advertising makes Yellow Pages portableTelus Advertising Services, a subsidiary of the western telco, has introduced the Go Pages directory in Edmonton. The portable customized version of the Yellow Pages is designed to provide information for those on the go. It includes business listings, advertising, maps, coupons and roadside assistance data. A Calgary edition was brought out last April. InfoInterActive extends coverage around the globeInfoInterActive Inc of Bedford NS is expanding the reach of its Internet Call Manager service. Its European distribution partner Witchity Capital Corp has secured a licence to integrate ICM into current and future services. Witchity, which operates in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Ireland, will distribute its ICM-enhanced systems worldwide. Mitel moves into voice recognition sectorOttawa’s Mitel Communications Systems has introduced the Release 2.0 version of its Impresa Speak@Ease Attendant. The voice recognition system routes office numbers to any outside number. The system works on wireline and wireless phones and is designed to work in English or French. Primal Technologies releases new service node for telecomToronto-based Primal Technologies Inc is introducing a next generation service node that features increased scalability and supportability. Its AIN adjunct peripheral, called the PSN2000, offers the customers of the telecom service provider enhanced services. The device supports 32 T1s or E1s per system and can support up to 300,000 subscribers. Orbit Canada begins rollout of national serviceOrbit Canada has implemented the first stage of its Canadian network. The company’s digital voice, video and data service will be available in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Under the next phase, the firm will move into another six major centres. Orbit was recently bought by New Hilarity. Zukerman’s broadband unbound in MideastThe tour of the National Arts Centre Orchestra and conductor Pinchas Zukerman throughout the Middle East has been amended due to violence on the West Bank. The NACO had planned to play a school concert in Israel, while students in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Ottawa followed through a broadband connection. Fighting in the town of Ramallah has led to the cancellation of the NACO appearance there. New facilities open in Alberta and QuebecLumenon Innovative Lightwave Technology Inc, a photonic chip manufacturer, has opened a new plant in Saint Laurent QC. The 53,000 sq.-ft state of the art facility expects to produce 500 market-ready units per day next year and will create over 100 jobs. In Alberta, Calgary Technologies Inc is unveiling a 120,000 sq.-ft centre near the University of Calgary. Linmor announces technology upgrades for NebulaOttawa-based Internet infrastructure manufacturer Linmor Technologies has introduced two changes in the architecture of its Nebula performance monitor. One upgrade will speed up the deployment of autodiscovery, while the other effects the high performance relational database management system. Bell issues wearable computers to technical staff in OntarioBell Canada is experimenting with wearable computers that repair crews can use as an Internet link and a cellular phone. The two-month trial is taking place in Toronto. Ottawa teen caught in LD web; ensnared in $1200 phone billMattieu Dutrisac of Ottawa decided to log on to a free subscription to an Internet site. He didn’t read the fine print, which resulted in each minute he surfed the web being calculated on international LD charges. His mother Angèle was more than a little surprised when she received a $1,200 bill from Bell Canada. The telco says the Dutrisacs were victims of a scam coming from Madagascar in Africa. The company promises some sort of clemency, but is not erasing the debt entirely.

NL Short Takes

News | October 11, 2000

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