Tag Archives: canadian

Canadian government appoints Jean-Pierre Blais as new CRTC head

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The past five years have certainly been an eventful time for the CRTC -- with broadband controversies and foreign ownership issues garnering plenty of headlines, to name just two examples -- and we now know who will be leading the Canadian regulatory agency for the next five. The Prime Minister's Office announced today that it has appointed longtime civil servant Jean-Pierre Blais as Chairperson, with his five-year term set to begin on June 18th. Blais comes primarily from a legal background, and has previously held positions at Canada's Treasury Board, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the CRTC itself -- all of which Prime Minister Harper says makes him "well qualified" for the job, and gives him a "comprehensive understanding of the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors and the role of the CRTC." He replaces Konrad von Finckenstein, who's term ended in January, at which point the government indicated he would not be reappointed for a second term.

Canadian government appoints Jean-Pierre Blais as new CRTC head originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up

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If you live north of the 49th parallel, you're no doubt frustrated that Samsung teased a summer launch for the Galaxy S III in North America but made no initial mention of its Canadian plans. Don't fret, as virtually every Canadian carrier and its mother has now pledged to carry the giant Android 4.0 smartphone while you're on your summer vacation -- the first carrier commitments in North America that we've seen. Bell, Rogers, Telus, Virgin Mobile and Wind Mobile have all stepped up as national providers, while regional carriers such as SaskTel and Videotron have also signed on. The Galaxy S III is a special milestone for Virgin, as it's the first 4G LTE phone on the Bell-run budget network. We're still waiting for Mobilicity and other cellular services to hop on the Galaxy S III bandwagon, and details like pricing and exact ship dates are still elusive, but odds are that Canucks will have a wide choice of carriers when the 4.8-inch flagship hits stores. Update: Sure enough, Mobilicity is also onboard, which along with Wind Mobile makes it pretty clear that T-Mobile-friendly AWS frequencies are baked in.

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up

Samsung Galaxy S III gets a Canadian girlfriend as Bell, Rogers, Telus, Wind Mobile line up originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 14:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roku 2 XD and Roku 2 XS launch today in Canada with over 100 channels

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Having already debuted in the UK, Roku is officially undertaking the second stage of its international attack plan by taking on a new region of North America: Canada. Given the box's roots and popularity as a Netflix streamer it's no surprise that the international rollouts just happen to be in English-speaking countries where the service is available, but there's more to be had, since Roku says it's launching with more than 100 channels north of the border. Hardware-wise, Roku is kicking things off with two of its higher-end players in the Roku 2 XS and Roku 2 XD. Both can handle video in resolutions up to 1080p and feature built-in WiFi while the XS throws in a gaming remote plus Ethernet and USB ports just like their US counterparts. The XD and XS can be has for $89.99 ad $109.99 CAD, respectively, either online from the usual sources, while London Drugs and Walmart are expected to offer them at retail by the end of the month. There's a bit more detail on the launch channels in the press release after the break, we'll expect more firsthand impressions from our Canadian friends once the NHL playoffs are over.

Continue reading Roku 2 XD and Roku 2 XS launch today in Canada with over 100 channels

Roku 2 XD and Roku 2 XS launch today in Canada with over 100 channels originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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