Canada’s major telecommunications companies have signed on to a formal agreement that could stave off the worst effects of a major outage such as the one that hit the Rogers network in July, the federal government announced Wednesday.
As part of the deal, the major carriers have agreed to support and assist their competitors during any future major network outages so customers can still make calls, access 911 emergency services and conduct business transactions.
The companies also agreed to provide “clear and timely communications” to customers during outages.
“The telecommunications companies complied with our request to take meaningful actions to increase and improve network reliability in our country,” Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne told a news conference in Vancouver.
“The Rogers outage of July 8 was clearly unacceptable and we must continue to do everything possible to ensure something similar does not happen again in the future.”
The Rogers outage, which started early on July 8 and — for some customers — lingered for days, left millions without cellphone and internet service. The company later said the failure was caused by an error during an internal system update.
Champagne said he was unhappy with the level of communication offered by Rogers during the outage.
“They should have been more forthcoming,” he said.
WATCH: Champagne speaks to CBC’s Power & Politics about the telecom agreement
‘I do not expect them to pass any costs on to consumers’: Innovation & industry minister
7 hours ago
Duration 11:25
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne says wireless network outage improvement costs will not be passed on to customers.
Champagne said he was visiting Japan during the outage and reached out to Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri to discuss what happened.
“I don’t think it should be the minister trying to reach the CEO of a telecommunications company when you have a major outage in the country. I think it should be the other way around,” he said.
Agreement may not restore service for all affected customers
While Champagne is touting the agreement as a way of keeping Canadians and businesses connected to critical networks during outages, an industry expert says that won’t be possible during major failures.
The new agreement calls for “emergency roaming” on a competitor’s network to be made available to customers affected by an outage.
John Lawford, executive director and general counsel of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Ottawa, said carriers probably won’t have the capacity to provide services to everyone without service in the event of an outage like the one Rogers recently experienced.
“It’s very unlikely that all of the customers of an affected provider will be able to find roaming on another carrier,” he said. “It’s not going to be like a backup network when there’s a true outage like in July.”
Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri and Ron McKenzie, chief technology and information officer, appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, Monday, July 25, 2022 in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
“It’s something that should have been in place for a long while already,” he said. “Our CRTC regulator was asleep at the switch.”
Champagne described the new binding agreement as merely the “first step” in Ottawa’s plans to improve reliability and accountability in the industry.
The government says it has given the Canadian Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee six months to come up with further measures “to ensure robust and reliable telecommunications networks across the country.”
Champagne said Ottawa will also forge ahead with a plan to build a new public safety broadband network to be used in emergency situations.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
