The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) put in a provision in its controversial usage-based billing ruling that will require large incumbent service providers to offer wholesale ISP customers a 15 percent discount on usage-based rates.

Set to go into effect this March, the CRTC said that the proposed discount will make both incumbents and competitive providers equally happy because it will not only encourage competition from resale-based ISPs such as Primus and Tekksavvy and the traffic management needs of incumbent fixed line telcos such as Bell Canada (NYSE: BCE), Bell Aliant (Toronto: BA-UN.TO), Telus (Toronto: T.TO), MTS Allstream and Sasktel and large cable MSOs such as Rogers (NYSE: RCI), Videotron, Shaw (NYSE: SJR) and Cogeco.

There is one setback that’s not going to sit well with competitive ISPs and their respective customers: The regulation does not permit competitive providers to offer all-you-can-eat broadband data plans.

Criticized by consumer advocate and competitive groups such as CNOC and others as nothing more than a way to help large incumbents gain the upper hand in the broadband race, CRTC’s latest ruling follows an earlier decision that allows Bell Canada (NYSE: BCE) to implement a usage-based billing (UBB) plan for competitive service providers that purchase services from the incumbent carrier.

Competitive provider advocacy groups aren’t standing pat, however. In response, the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC)–a group that represents 23 competitive ISPs–said it is looking at what legal options it has to challenge the CRTC’s ruling. CNOC previously proposed a 50 percent discount wholesale usage-based billing rates “to redress various disadvantages faced by competitors relative to carriers.”

For more:
- TeleGeography has this article

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CRTC allows Bell Canada to implement usage based on competitive ISPs
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Source:Fierce Telecom

NTT Communications (NYSE: NTT) is synching up with fellow Asia-Pacific-based service providers Philippines Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), StarHub and Telekom Malaysia to build the new $430 million Asia Submarine Express (ASE) submarine cable system.

Set to be completed by June 2012, the new 40 Gbps capable submarine cable system will initially link Japan to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia. Although the cable initially supports 40 Gbps, it can support future 100 Gbps network needs.

Following the completion of the initial routes, NTT and its carrier partners will build out a separate route in December, while connections to Mainland China and additional Southeast Asian countries are expected to be launched in collaboration with major carriers in these markets.

Besides creating a system that can address the region’s growing capacity needs, the ASE is being designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, particularly in areas such as the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan, where a number of undersea earthquakes disrupted international communications in recent years.

Both Fujitsu (Other OTC: FJTSF.PK) and NEC (Other OTC: NIPNF.PK) will both oversee project management of the new cable system. Under the terms of the agreement, NEC will provide necessary equipment such as submersible plant such as repeaters, OADM branching units and cables, the power feeding equipment and submersible plant monitoring system, while Fujitsu will oversee the installation of submarine line terminal equipment and the management controller.

For more:
- see the release
- TeleGeography has this article

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Source:Fierce Telecom

Oregon’s video regulator Metropolitan Area Communications Commission (MACC) wants a straight answer from Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) to why they are going to raise FiOS TV rates.

During the first week of January, Frontier announced that it would raise FiOS TV rates in the three states (Indiana, Oregon and Washington) where it operates FiOS service by 46 percent, from $65 to $95 a month.

Frontier initially promised MACC and regulators in the other states where it currently offers FiOS TV that they would not raise FiOS video rates before approving its acquisition of Verizon’s (NYSE: VZ) rural properties. Initially, Oregon and Washington state regulators, including MACC, cited concerns over Frontier’s ability to run a Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) network and a video service.

Besides asking in a letter to Frontier to explain why the rate hikes was why rate increases are so drastic, MACC wanted to know if it was Frontier’s ultimate plan was to just sell DirecTV service.

MACC’s question is pertinent because not long after it announced the rate increases, it said it would offer existing FiOS TV customers the opportunity to switch to DirecTV and get free service for a year. Many industry onlookers believe that Frontier’s move, which it justifies by not having the leverage as larger video players to negotiate programming rates, is proof that the telco never wanted to be in the telco TV business at all.

However, Frontier had to do some quick backpedaling about its generous satellite consolation prize when it was revealed that DirecTV was not aware of the telco’s plan, which it later clarified was only for triple play subscribers, while dual-play customers were eligible to get free satellite service for six months.

For more:
- The Portlander has this article
- see MACC’s letter to Frontier

Related articles:
Does Frontier’s rate hike signal that it wants out of the TV space?
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Frontier pledges support for FiOS customers

Source:Fierce Telecom

French conglomerate Vivendi will be able to cross off another mark on its to-do checklist in acquiring GVT (Global Village Telecom) as Anatel, Brazil’s telecom regulator, granted approval for the deal.

Although Anatel approved the acquisition last December, Vivendi had to pay the regulator about €67 million ($89 million) to wrap up an investigation into the deal. After almost a year, Anatel’s investigation did not reveal any ‘wrongdoing’

While getting Anatel’s approval was an important step in completing the acquisition process, Vivendi still needs antitrust regulator approval.  

For more:
- TeleGeography has this article

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Check out our Latin America’s Next Generation Networks eBook

Source:Fierce Telecom

AboveNet (NYSE: ABVT) has decided to promote Rajiv Datta, the service provider’s current CTO, to Chief Operating Officer.

Still reporting to AboveNet’s CEO Bill LaPerch, Datta in his new role will be responsible for running its operations, sales, marketing, IT, product and Engineering divisions. In addition to his domestic responsibilities, he will oversee AboveNet’s growing European operations.

LaPerch said that Datta’s “extensive industry experience and impressive track record of success will be invaluable to us as we continue to extend our market leadership and strengthen our position as the leading provider of high-bandwidth networks.”

Datta came to AboveNet in 1998 after serving in a number of engineering and development roles at the former Alcatel Telecommunications Cable and at Alcatel’s Optical Fiber Competency Center near Paris, France.

For more:
- see the release

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Source:Fierce Telecom