Novus Wireless
Novus Wireless Inc., formed with the sole purpose of participating in the spectrum auction, has placed a $17.6-million deposit for 340 eligibility points. The company will focus in select markets in the greater Toronto and Vancouver areas in an effort to combat high data rates.
Novus Wireless is owned by 503161 British Columbia Ltd., which in turn is owned by real-estate magnate Terrence Hui. Hui is also owner of Vancouver-based Novus Entertainment Inc., a broadcast distribution undertaking formed in 1996 which offers digital cable television, high-speed Internet and digital phone services to residential and commercial customers in the metro Vancouver area. Novus Entertainment competes, albeit on a smaller scale, with Calgary-based Shaw Communications.
Hui is also principal of Concord Pacific Group Inc., a real-estate company developing two community projects: Concord Pacific Place in downtown Vancouver and Concord CityPlace in Toronto. Hui began the Vancouver development in 1996 and then wanted to offer cable services to his customers through Novus Entertainment but was challenged by Toronto-based Rogers Communication, then operating in Vancouver. Following a public hearing, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission granted Hui a licence to offer cablevision to Concord Pacific customers.
That licence was eventually extended beyond the development.
Hong Kong-born Hui, 44, was educated in North America and spent his entire career in real estate development. He received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal for outstanding commitment to building new and sustainable urban communities. Hui was appointed by the prime minister to represent Canada on the business advisory council of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperative (APEC) from 1996 to 1997.
Canquest Communications
Canquest Communications (Canada) Ltd., a Chatham, Ont.-based service provider that resells swipe calling cards, has put down $80,000 for two points in the wireless spectrum auctions, and the company has an uphill battle, according to an industry analyst.
“A lot of these smaller companies will find out this is a very expensive exercise,” said Eamon Hoey, senior partner of Toronto-based Hoey Associates, adding the bidding process puts smaller firms at a disadvantage. He speculated a company like Canquest would have to pay at least $500,000 just to get through the auction, but there’s no reason a small company can’t provide local cellular service.
“This wireless service is really a local service,” he said, adding licences are “well beyond the reach of smaller companies.” For its part, Canquest isn’t saying what services it plans to provide – or at what prices – if it wins any spectrum. The company’s owner, John Smith, asked IT World Canada to call back “in a couple of weeks” because the company has “not finalized everything.”
He added the company was incorporated in 1995 as a service bureau and its customers included Bell Canada and Wall-Mart.
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