Tech News Roundup for February 17, 2022
I try to keep the things I write about here relevant to the Canadian market, and today, a couple very specific Canadian market news items among the things I’ve found interesting over the last couple of days.
Groups Argue that a Rogers and Shaw Merger Would Hurt Local News
As the Rogers and Shaw merger winds its way through regulatory bodies, new arguments before the competition committee were made this week. One of the key arguments against the merger is the effect it would have on local news. Shaw, due to its relationship with Corus Entertainment (both entities are owned by the Shaw family), provides funding for Global’s News division in Canada. A merger would see that funding stop, and instead be redirected to Rogers’ CityTV news division. The arguments are that this will make Global News less competitive, and hurt smaller communities, as Global will not have the resources to direct towards them.
Will these arguments help keep the Rogers and Shaw merger from happening? They should, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Telus Starts Introducing Speed Caps on Mobile Plans
This one might be a first of its kind, and not in a good way. With 5G networks beginning to be rolled out, the theoretical maximum speed of mobile networks has the potential to be as fast or faster than wireline home internet. Telus is taking this opportunity to squeeze just a little bit more out of consumers, and is introducing speed caps on various plans on its Telus and Koodo brands. The Telus $80/20GB plan now lists a maximum data speed of 250mbps, while the more expensive $90/40GB and higher plans list a maximum data speed of 1gbps. Now, these are theoretical maximums, and right now it is unlikely anyone will see close those 1gbps speeds on mobile, my own 5G phone can definitely download at faster than 250mbps. But with most consumers rarely needing.. or using that kind of data transfer speed on mobile, it feels like pulling blood from a stone.
More concerning is on the Koodo brand. Koodo, which currently only utilizes 4G networks and speeds, is now advertising a 100mbps maximum speed on it’s data plans. In good conditions 4G is more than capable of reaching those speeds, so again, this is Telus trying to eek every penny it can from consumers.
I am not in the camp that thinks what Canadians pay for cellular phones is completely outrageous. It is high, but the reality of the Canadian market, with a large country and low population density, makes that something we have to deal with. But this feels like a company using a dominant market position to take advantage of consumers that have little choice in the matter. And with how this market works, I am certain I’ll be writing about Bell and Rogers implementing similar limitations within a few weeks.
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/02/17/telus-speed-caps-mobile-plans/
https://mobilesyrup.com/2022/02/17/koodo-100mbps-data-speed-cap/
Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla Browser Version 100 Might Cause Issues
Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox will all hit version 100 soon. The Chromium based Google and Microsoft Browsers in March, and Mozilla Firefox in May. A triple digit version number may cause some issues on the internet, as there are some websites that are only designed to read browser versions with two digits. This may cause some websites to incorrectly see the new versions as version 10, not 100. Google has been preparing for this for months, with options for developers to test their websites for any issues. Most major websites will be fine, but there is a chance that come March, some older, less maintained websites on the internet might start to have issues with Chrome and Edge.
https://www.engadget.com/firefox-and-chrome-versions-100-may-break-some-websites-085422307.html
Amazon and Visa Strike New Payment Deal
Disputes over credit card fees are something not heard about very often, but a big deal to many, even a company as big as Amazon. Last year Amazon threatened to stop taking Visa in the UK after Visa significantly increased its fee in the UK once the country left the EU and was no longer bound to EU regulations. There are reports that visa fees in the UK went from 0.3% to 1.5%, which is a significant increase. Amazon also charged a surcharge for Visa transactions in some regions of Australia.
Well, crisis averted. Amazon and Visa have struck a deal that covers all markets Amazon serves, meaning there will be no disruption to Visa payments on Amazon in the UK, and the surcharges in Australia will go away. Was Amazon really going to pull Visa from its payment options in any market? Now we’ll never know.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a visa card so I need to go celebrate the news on Amazon.
Spotify Doubles Down on Podcasting Technology
Spotify has purchased two more podcast technology companies, continuing the company’s push to make podcasts, and the ads that accompany them, a profit center for the company. Despite Spotify’s well documented trials with Joe Rogan, it badly needs the money his podcast brings in to keep Spotify profitable. Perhaps these purchases may help reduce the dependence on the power of Joe Rogan, but it is likely just to compliment it.