Some Canadian communities, especially in rural and remote areas, may not have television service by this time next year.
On Jan. 1, CommScope, a U.S.-based company and third-party technology provider, will end support for Shaw Broadcast Services’ Quick Take Plus (QT+) system, according to a memo issued by Shaw to affected cable companies.
It is through the QT+ system that television signals are delivered via satellite to cable companies typically located in the most remote and rural areas of Canada, according to Jay Thomson, CEO of the Canadian Communications Systems Alliance (CCSA), who represented more than 100 independent companies.
“It may very well be that these communities are losing access to television,” Thomson said.
“And that’s extremely important because Canada’s broadcasting policy aims to ensure that Canadians, wherever they live, have equal and equitable access to high levels of truly robust and robust communications services.”
Shaw also said there is no viable technology replacement for the CommScope managed platform to allow Shaw to continue to support QT+ services beyond December 31, 2022.
When contacted by CBC News, a CommScope spokesperson said it referred all media inquiries to Shaw.
Limited options
Thomson said the affected companies rely heavily on QT+ service because satellite technology is needed to get TV signals in some areas of Canada.
Bell is another provider of satellite transmission of television signals, he said.
However, he said Bell uses very different equipment and that it would be “very, very expensive” and “just prohibitively expensive” for small cable companies to switch from their existing equipment to Bell’s equipment – hundreds thousands of dollars in some cases.
Thomson said the other reason smaller cable companies rely on this service is because they don’t have access to a fiber optic link and access to broadband services in rural Canada is a real challenge.
He said that with low-speed internet service, many communities don’t have the alternative of turning to a streaming service.
“If they lose their TV, they lose all of their programming options,” he said.
In Saskatchewan, the CCSA represents companies such as Regina-based Access Communications, which provides television to more than 235 communities and rural areas in the province.
Access has been working on a service transition for years – and none of its customers will lose their TV service, said communications manager Fran Moran.
“This news is not entirely a surprise,” Moran said. “The QT+ system is a legacy system, so we’ve been expecting it for some time.”
Moran said Access will use Distributed Access Architecture (DAA), adding that the nonprofit cooperative, not the customers, will fully cover all costs for network infrastructure upgrades.
Other cable companies in Saskatchewan that could be affected are based in Beauval, Ile a la Crosse, Buffalo Narrows and Imperial.
In a statement provided to CBC News, a Shaw spokesperson said QT+ is a legacy platform with end-of-life software and hardware components.
As a result, he stated that certain small cable companies that are Shaw customers will not be able to use QT+ to deliver content to their subscribers.
“While this is not the result of a decision by Shaw, our team has been in contact with the affected cable companies to work with them on a case-by-case basis and to explore potential options,” the statement said.
“Direct broadcast via satellite will continue to be an option in affected communities. »
The government may need to intervene
Thomson said his organization received the announcement late Friday and was still trying to understand its implications, including how many of its member cable companies would be affected.
The CCSA is also investigating whether there are solutions that can be found by working with Shaw or, if necessary, turning to the government or the CRTC for help, he said.
“If Canadians in rural Canada and in the North are losing access to television services, we are really uncovering a real hole in Canadian politics that needs to be fixed here,” he said.
The CRTC was unable to comment before the publication deadline.
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