CNCP Telecommunications

The new company also began several expansions into new markets, first with a Montreal to Vancouver microwave relay network carrying voice and data, and later, its replacement with fibre optic links.

The network was taken over entirely by Rogers in 1990, and renamed it Unitel Communications in a bid to enter the commercial long distance market.

[7] On May 17, 1979, the CRTC released its breakthrough Telecom Decision 1979-11, allowing CNCP to interconnect with the Bell Canada network.

[9] A month later, Bell Canada announced that it intended to appeal the decision, stating that they would lose $140 million a year from competition with CNCP.

[11] Due to changes in technology towards electronic communications and fewer telegrams being sent, the company closed seven telegraph offices in Canada in January 1980: Prince Rupert, Vernon, Cornwall, Sherbrooke, Rouyn-Noranda, and the Gaspe region.

[12] Infotex, a new service introduced in 1980, used dedicated word processors connected to the Bell Canada–CNCP network to enable speedy transmission of documents across the country.

[13] Telenews, on a trial basis to 500 customers, featured The Canadian Press newswire service, with regular updates every hour.

the CRTC and the Department of Communications built a policy framework to accommodate future pay television services.

[19] During the Canada Post strike of 1981,[20] telecommunications carriers noted an increase in long-distance voice, data and fax usage.

[25] CNCP announced in April 1986 that it had connected Toronto and Montreal with 12 strands of fibre optic cable and that implementation of this technology would lead to a 30–40% reduction in long-distance telephone costs to consumers.

[28][29] At the same time, CNCP completed Dialcom, a digital microwave link which extended from Toronto, Ontario, to Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta.

Initially a store and forward fax service was provided over an X.25 data network, and presented to the market with all the traditional "value added" arguments; it peaked at $2 million revenue and 2,000 subscribers.

A year later, the regulator allowed real time FacsRoute, which attracted $40 million of revenue and 50,000 subscribers of the 300,000 fax terminals then in Canada, doing so in nine months.