Vmedia Internet TV Launched Across Canada

[HotHotHeat]

VMedia, which operates an internet-based TV service in Ontario, has been approved to offer the same service across Canada.

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission has awarded VMedia four licences for TV services across Canada.

VMedia is an internet service provider and provides access to television signals through an settop box.

CRTC rules cable companies must offer pick-and-pay channels, $25 basic package
In Ontario, it provides a basic package of 50 channels starting at $30 a month, and a premium package of 70 channels for $45. It could take three to six months for the service to roll out in other provinces.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/vmed...nada-1.3067318


I hadn't heard this was a thing. I like that this is a thing.

[underGRADFlame]

Interesting... i wish the sports packages were pick and pay too.

[Finger Cookin]

I only recently heard of this company when I was looking into alternative ISPs in Calgary. As it turns out, they only offer home phone service in Alberta currently, with internet service starting this summer. Sounds like TV service may follow later this year based on this news. Their internet service looks OK - no data caps, good upload speeds (all but the slowest plans offer 5-10 mbps), but download speeds cap at 50 mbps (DSL) or 60 mbps (Cable).

More competition is a good thing.

[FlameOn]

Are these guys building out their own infrastructure or doing the techsavvy buy bulk from Telus and Shaw thing? I hope it's infrastructure otherwise the plans won't be much better than tech savvy

[RW99]

50 channels for $30 isn't bad, but it doesn't help if you are having data limit issues. I would hope they would take this further if they are trying to get the younger generation and go for 20 channels for $20. I'd pay $20 for 5 non-premium channels of my choosing.

[FlameOn]

I took a look at their TV offerings, it's not that much different in terms of pricing compared to Shaw and Telus once you start adding a bit in so I'm not sure how people will be enticed to move off of them. The internet on the other hand though, way better than it is in Calgary. Though I'm wondering how much of that is the cheaper bulk rate because of the internet price war out east atm.

[Cheese]

standard Cable is around the same price...just dont see much diff if price is the sticking point for getting rid of cable.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Are these guys building out their own infrastructure or doing the techsavvy buy bulk from Telus and Shaw thing? I hope it's infrastructure otherwise the plans won't be much better than tech savvy

How could they build their own?

Unless they are getting access to unused fiber. Hard to believe that someone would invest money into building out new infrastructure.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Azure

How could they build their own?

Unless they are getting access to unused fiber. Hard to believe that someone would invest money into building out new infrastructure.

Trenches someone could invest money into if municipalities were trying to open up competition. Fiber can be bought or bandwidth leased through bigger providers and on things like the Axia supernet and other provincial fiber networks... ISPs would just need to build the last leg and do fiber to home. Or something crazy like municipal internet comes along.

I thought there were guys out east in Ontario are stirring up the pot and providing lots of competition (which is why Rogers came out with the very well priced Ignite packages), but they are really focusing more on the population dense areas like high rises though. That and along with resellers like Mediabox and Techsavvy, the competition out East is much better than Calgary.