Bell Canada seeks approval to expand VDSL network

Bell Canada appears finally ready to make its video-over-copper trials commercial. The carrier has filed applications with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for cable franchise licenses to offer service in 11 markets in Ontario and Quebec, including its trial market of Toronto.

Bell Canada has been fine-tuning its very high bit rate DSL (VDSL) service for several years, extending fiber far into the local loop in order to serve several multi-dwelling units in the denser areas of Toronto. While its filings with CRTC show its intentions to move toward a commercial rollout, Bell Canada hasn’t laid out its full launch plans. It has indicated that it could rollout service immediately once it received regulatory approval, meaning its aggressive rollout of VDSL technology over the last year is likely complete.

Bell Canada and Microsoft today also launched their new Web portal, Sympatic.MSN.ca, building off the partnership the two companies established last year. The portal comes in both standard and premium versions, with premium subscribers gaining access to a suite of tailored educational and search features and integrated e-mail.

Though Bell Canada hasn’t revealed the specifics of the technology it will rollout in its VDSL trials, it has been testing Microsoft’s new IP-TV platform, which combines a Windows-based operating system running in a set-top box with Microsoft’s own Media 9 proprietary video compression technology.