My second podcast for the week was with Bogdan Materna, CTO of VoIPShield, an Ottawa-based vendors focused on VoIP security. This is a hot topic for sure, and Bogdan addressed many of the key issues and challenges faced by both vendors and carriers.
You can download the podcast and read more about Bogdan here.
For those of you attending VON Canada next month, Bogdan will be speaking on the VoIP Security session - hope to see you there.
My other podcast from this week was with Matt Stein of Primus Canada.
No Canadian IP Thought Leader pods next week as I'll be at Spring VON, but things will be back to schedule the week after.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Toronto's Muni WiFi Plans - More Questions than Answers
It's been a fun week in the Canadian IP space. Sure, there are lots of major tech stories everyone is following 24/7 right now - RIM, Intel, Google, etc. No shortage of ink to spill on these big ones, but you won't see much about them here. There are so many journalists covering these stories all day long - I'd rather focus on other things for the blog.
This week has seen not one, but two Canadian stories getting attention in broader blogosphere. How often does that ever happen?
- Vonage Canada challenging Shaw Cable's QoS surtax on third party VoBB services to their subscribers
- Toronto Hydro's announcement to offer muni WiFi in the downtown area later this year
You don't have to go far to find coverage of either, which is nice to see. Good posts on these include Mark Evans, Mathew Ingram, Rob Hyndman, Russell Shaw and IP Democracy.
The Toronto Hydro story has been getting a lot of attention locally this week, and not just among folks like us. My mother was asking me about this the other day - when it gets on her radar, I know people are talking about it! I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.
Another sign it's on people's minds is when the story becomes the lead item in the Editorial section of today's Globe & Mail, Canada's leading national daily. Note how I said "leading". We are such a literate country, that Canada has two national dailies - the National Post too - and both are way better pubs than USAToday. Our hockey teams may not be so hot, but hey, didn't we just beat USA at the WBC? There hasn't been much sunshine for the past 6 months, but it's not so bad up here!
Anyhow, I don't have online access to the full editorial piece, but here's what I could get off their site...
Will efficiency rule in this wireless plan?
Friday, March 10, 2006, Page A16
Toronto Hydro wants to turn Toronto into a wireless universe with low-cost Internet access for all, regardless of where they live, work or play. It's an ambitious plan that has merit. The Internet has become much more than a convenient research and communication tool, and wireless messaging is much more than a toy for BlackBerry addicts. Broadband access is becoming an essential part of urban infrastructure, every bit as important to the functioning of a modern metropolis as roads, sewers and electricity. No city can afford to be left behind in the digital age. And it may well make sense for a public utility to spearhead the effort to provide such a service to the most people at the lowest possible cost.
In a country where many institutions and vital services are still state-run, these are important issues. I note the Globe's editorial piece not just because it is so high profile, but because it raises some very good questions.
Nobody - myself included - would argue against bringing muni WiFi to Toronto. This is certainly one of North America's top tech centers, and the economic engine of Canada. The editorial is really focused on the basic question as to what is the appropriate role for Toronto Hydro to play. The U.S. cities looking at WiFi struggle with the same issue, but unlike these cases, Toronto's is being driven by a state-run electrical utility. There are many issues to weigh here, and it's great to see public debate developing around it.
I'm of the view that Toronto Hydro should just provide the infrastructure, and let the private sector provide the service, with some form of revenue share that makes it fair for everybody. We know what Bell and Rogers think, and they won't stay quiet on this one. So, for anyone who's been following or blogging about this story, I'd say stick around, it's going to get interesting.
This week has seen not one, but two Canadian stories getting attention in broader blogosphere. How often does that ever happen?
- Vonage Canada challenging Shaw Cable's QoS surtax on third party VoBB services to their subscribers
- Toronto Hydro's announcement to offer muni WiFi in the downtown area later this year
You don't have to go far to find coverage of either, which is nice to see. Good posts on these include Mark Evans, Mathew Ingram, Rob Hyndman, Russell Shaw and IP Democracy.
The Toronto Hydro story has been getting a lot of attention locally this week, and not just among folks like us. My mother was asking me about this the other day - when it gets on her radar, I know people are talking about it! I'm sure I'm not alone on that one.
Another sign it's on people's minds is when the story becomes the lead item in the Editorial section of today's Globe & Mail, Canada's leading national daily. Note how I said "leading". We are such a literate country, that Canada has two national dailies - the National Post too - and both are way better pubs than USAToday. Our hockey teams may not be so hot, but hey, didn't we just beat USA at the WBC? There hasn't been much sunshine for the past 6 months, but it's not so bad up here!
Anyhow, I don't have online access to the full editorial piece, but here's what I could get off their site...
Will efficiency rule in this wireless plan?
Friday, March 10, 2006, Page A16
Toronto Hydro wants to turn Toronto into a wireless universe with low-cost Internet access for all, regardless of where they live, work or play. It's an ambitious plan that has merit. The Internet has become much more than a convenient research and communication tool, and wireless messaging is much more than a toy for BlackBerry addicts. Broadband access is becoming an essential part of urban infrastructure, every bit as important to the functioning of a modern metropolis as roads, sewers and electricity. No city can afford to be left behind in the digital age. And it may well make sense for a public utility to spearhead the effort to provide such a service to the most people at the lowest possible cost.
In a country where many institutions and vital services are still state-run, these are important issues. I note the Globe's editorial piece not just because it is so high profile, but because it raises some very good questions.
Nobody - myself included - would argue against bringing muni WiFi to Toronto. This is certainly one of North America's top tech centers, and the economic engine of Canada. The editorial is really focused on the basic question as to what is the appropriate role for Toronto Hydro to play. The U.S. cities looking at WiFi struggle with the same issue, but unlike these cases, Toronto's is being driven by a state-run electrical utility. There are many issues to weigh here, and it's great to see public debate developing around it.
I'm of the view that Toronto Hydro should just provide the infrastructure, and let the private sector provide the service, with some form of revenue share that makes it fair for everybody. We know what Bell and Rogers think, and they won't stay quiet on this one. So, for anyone who's been following or blogging about this story, I'd say stick around, it's going to get interesting.
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Skype for Business is Here
Today Skype has announced its formal entry into the business market. Branded "Skype for Business", it's rightly targeted at the small end of the spectrum - under 10 employees. This makes sense in that there will be fewer firewall traversal issues here, and this demographic should overlap nicely with current Skype users.
BusinessWeek's online edition ran a nice piece about it this morning, and were nice enough to cite me.
The article does a good job of focusing on the under 10 market as being underserved for VoIP,and notes how other IM vendors like AOL, Yahoo and MS are already or will be offering voice for small business as well as other business applications like file sharing.
So, Skype will certainly not be alone in this space, and it was nice to see the article also include Tello, one of Jeff Pulver's latest launches. I mention Tello because I really see Skype as an entry level small business tool - it's a great deal for low cost voice with IM - but that's about it for the most part.
Tello is pushing the envelope further by offering an instant collaboration platform, that in addition to voice and IM, supports business apps like spreadsheets. Furthermore, it operates across IM platforms and all types of phone networks. It's much more of a Web 2.0 solution, where voice is just one application instead being the main attraction.
That said, today's story is about Skype, and I think it's great news for them. I'm sure their brand will translate nicely into this market, and I know their offerings will expand as they gain traction here.
BusinessWeek's online edition ran a nice piece about it this morning, and were nice enough to cite me.
The article does a good job of focusing on the under 10 market as being underserved for VoIP,and notes how other IM vendors like AOL, Yahoo and MS are already or will be offering voice for small business as well as other business applications like file sharing.
So, Skype will certainly not be alone in this space, and it was nice to see the article also include Tello, one of Jeff Pulver's latest launches. I mention Tello because I really see Skype as an entry level small business tool - it's a great deal for low cost voice with IM - but that's about it for the most part.
Tello is pushing the envelope further by offering an instant collaboration platform, that in addition to voice and IM, supports business apps like spreadsheets. Furthermore, it operates across IM platforms and all types of phone networks. It's much more of a Web 2.0 solution, where voice is just one application instead being the main attraction.
That said, today's story is about Skype, and I think it's great news for them. I'm sure their brand will translate nicely into this market, and I know their offerings will expand as they gain traction here.
Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Canadian IP Thought Leaders Podcast - Matt Stein, Primus Canada
This week is a podcast double-shot as I won't be doing one next week since I'll be Spring VON.
The first segment is with Matt Stein of Primus Canada. Matt and I spoke about the residential VoIP market in Canada, and how it compares to the U.S. We also touched on net neutrality in the context of this week's news about Vonage Canada contesting the QoS surcharge that Shaw Cable is offering for third party VoIP services going over their network. It's familiar ground for Matt, as Primus Canada addressed this issue with Shaw last year.
You can download the podcast here, and find out where Matt is speaking at Spring VON next week as well as VON Canada next month.
My second podcast for this week should be posted tomorrow.
The first segment is with Matt Stein of Primus Canada. Matt and I spoke about the residential VoIP market in Canada, and how it compares to the U.S. We also touched on net neutrality in the context of this week's news about Vonage Canada contesting the QoS surcharge that Shaw Cable is offering for third party VoIP services going over their network. It's familiar ground for Matt, as Primus Canada addressed this issue with Shaw last year.
You can download the podcast here, and find out where Matt is speaking at Spring VON next week as well as VON Canada next month.
My second podcast for this week should be posted tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
BCE/Aliant Deal - the AT&T Effect Already
It's been a busy day in the Canadian telecom market, and you have to wonder about the timing of this news in the still foaming wake of AT&T's deal, where the ink hasn't even dried yet on all the press around it.
BCE isn't quite on the scale of AT&T, but they certainly occupy the same role in Canada, and share a lot of the same telecom DNA. I'm just going to hit the high points here, as the press release is quite long.
The main idea is this - BCE recently announced it was going to form an Income Trust for their non-urban subscribers - translation - households with limited upside potential for high margin broadband service. With today's news, these lines would be added to the access lines for all of Atlantic Canada to form a consolidated Income Trust that would be controlled by BCE. By adding the whole pot of landlines under Aliant's control, this new entity would represent 3.4 million lines, which includes 400,000+ broadband subscribers. So, in one fell swoop, 4 of Canada's 10 provinces just got lumped into the BCE fold.
What I find so interesting about this is how BCE has managed to treat all of Aliant's landlines the same, and on par with the non-urban lines in their home markets of Ontario and Quebec. Gee, last I looked, Atlantic Canada has some vibrant urban markets - albeit small compared to the rest of Canada, but urban nonetheless. I would love hear what subscribers in places like Halifax or St. John think about all this.
This isn't quite a dramatic as the AT&T deal since BCE already owns 53% of Aliant. But still, with this deal, BCE essentially extends its residential landline monopoly across 6 provinces, and virtually everything going east from Ontario.
The second key announcement - which was only mentioned in passing (hmmm) - was that Bell Mobility will acquire Aliant Mobility - just like that. Boom - there goes another wireless operator. Hey, didn't I just post the other day about the CRTC talking about wanting to see more wireless competition as part of their updated telecom review?
Of course, all of this is subject to CRTC approval, and it will be real interesting to see how this plays in Ottawa. The CRTC has enough telecom issues to deal with as it is - and now this.
The parallels to the AT&T deal are uncanny, and I'm not sure who's doing a better job of consolidation - BCE or AT&T - but they're both on a pretty strong track. Is bigger really better? It's too soon to tell, but if BCE gets its way here, you can be sure that Telus will start lobbying pretty hard to ease or eliminate foreign ownership restrictions. This is probably their best shot at keeping up with BCE in their relentless quest to become - again - a national carrier. Verizon used to have a stake in Telus, much like SBC did with BCE. Just as Canada has lost any semblance of economic sovereignty in the retail sector, the day could soon come for telecom, at least in Western Canada.
BCE isn't quite on the scale of AT&T, but they certainly occupy the same role in Canada, and share a lot of the same telecom DNA. I'm just going to hit the high points here, as the press release is quite long.
The main idea is this - BCE recently announced it was going to form an Income Trust for their non-urban subscribers - translation - households with limited upside potential for high margin broadband service. With today's news, these lines would be added to the access lines for all of Atlantic Canada to form a consolidated Income Trust that would be controlled by BCE. By adding the whole pot of landlines under Aliant's control, this new entity would represent 3.4 million lines, which includes 400,000+ broadband subscribers. So, in one fell swoop, 4 of Canada's 10 provinces just got lumped into the BCE fold.
What I find so interesting about this is how BCE has managed to treat all of Aliant's landlines the same, and on par with the non-urban lines in their home markets of Ontario and Quebec. Gee, last I looked, Atlantic Canada has some vibrant urban markets - albeit small compared to the rest of Canada, but urban nonetheless. I would love hear what subscribers in places like Halifax or St. John think about all this.
This isn't quite a dramatic as the AT&T deal since BCE already owns 53% of Aliant. But still, with this deal, BCE essentially extends its residential landline monopoly across 6 provinces, and virtually everything going east from Ontario.
The second key announcement - which was only mentioned in passing (hmmm) - was that Bell Mobility will acquire Aliant Mobility - just like that. Boom - there goes another wireless operator. Hey, didn't I just post the other day about the CRTC talking about wanting to see more wireless competition as part of their updated telecom review?
Of course, all of this is subject to CRTC approval, and it will be real interesting to see how this plays in Ottawa. The CRTC has enough telecom issues to deal with as it is - and now this.
The parallels to the AT&T deal are uncanny, and I'm not sure who's doing a better job of consolidation - BCE or AT&T - but they're both on a pretty strong track. Is bigger really better? It's too soon to tell, but if BCE gets its way here, you can be sure that Telus will start lobbying pretty hard to ease or eliminate foreign ownership restrictions. This is probably their best shot at keeping up with BCE in their relentless quest to become - again - a national carrier. Verizon used to have a stake in Telus, much like SBC did with BCE. Just as Canada has lost any semblance of economic sovereignty in the retail sector, the day could soon come for telecom, at least in Western Canada.
Toronto Hydro Jumping into Muni WiFi
It's been a busy day in IP land, and I haven't even gotten to the Bell Canada news yet.
Today, Toronto Hydro announced plans to offer municipal WiFi later this year, much like what Philadelphia is doing with Earthlink. Well, for all the talk about a lack of competition, you knew it was just a matter of time before the utilities started looking at muni WiFi. Toronto Hydro actually has a pretty extensive fiber network, and has been marketing IP connectivity to businesses for some time, so this isn't as huge a leap as it sounds. Bet you didn't know they have a telecom division that offers VoIP.
Mark Evans posted about this yesterday, and has a nice article about it in the National Post. Mark's article rightly notes that for all the fiscal problems Toronto is facing, why get into WiFi?
The business model is not proven, and naturally the incumbents are not welcoming the news. Is this really the best use of taxpayer dollars in a market that is pretty well served already? Toronto has always been fiscally conservative, and does not have many options for supporting new ventures like this. For the benefit of readers outside of Canada, it's important to understand that Canadian cities are not allowed to issue bonds, which are vital to the growth plans of American cities. Toronto is totally dependent on tax dollars and subsidies from provincial and federal government agencies. With so many other pressing infrastructure issues, and limited sources for funding, one really has to wonder about the viability of this venture. If it works, great - it puts Toronto on the map as a wireless tech leader - which will hopefully attract investment, jobs, etc. That's the plan, but if doesn't pan out, well - that's another blog posting.
Today, Toronto Hydro announced plans to offer municipal WiFi later this year, much like what Philadelphia is doing with Earthlink. Well, for all the talk about a lack of competition, you knew it was just a matter of time before the utilities started looking at muni WiFi. Toronto Hydro actually has a pretty extensive fiber network, and has been marketing IP connectivity to businesses for some time, so this isn't as huge a leap as it sounds. Bet you didn't know they have a telecom division that offers VoIP.
Mark Evans posted about this yesterday, and has a nice article about it in the National Post. Mark's article rightly notes that for all the fiscal problems Toronto is facing, why get into WiFi?
The business model is not proven, and naturally the incumbents are not welcoming the news. Is this really the best use of taxpayer dollars in a market that is pretty well served already? Toronto has always been fiscally conservative, and does not have many options for supporting new ventures like this. For the benefit of readers outside of Canada, it's important to understand that Canadian cities are not allowed to issue bonds, which are vital to the growth plans of American cities. Toronto is totally dependent on tax dollars and subsidies from provincial and federal government agencies. With so many other pressing infrastructure issues, and limited sources for funding, one really has to wonder about the viability of this venture. If it works, great - it puts Toronto on the map as a wireless tech leader - which will hopefully attract investment, jobs, etc. That's the plan, but if doesn't pan out, well - that's another blog posting.
Dr. Seuss on AT&T/BellSouth - the Video Version
Jeff Pulver posted a terrific satire on this yesterday, and for those of you who are visual learners - or don't remember the wonderful cadences of Dr. Seuss, this video is for you.
Cat-in-the-hats off to Jeff, Carl Ford and Jonathan Askin for this fireside chat-style rendering of what's destined to become an IP classic!
Cat-in-the-hats off to Jeff, Carl Ford and Jonathan Askin for this fireside chat-style rendering of what's destined to become an IP classic!
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