TORONTO, March 7 (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar
strengthened against the U.S. dollar on Thursday after data
showed Canada’s trade deficit narrowed in January as exports
grew at a faster rate than imports.

The currency also benefited from the greenback’s fall versus
the euro after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi gave
no indication the bank would cut euro-zone interest rates
further.

OTTAWA/TORONTO, March 7 (Reuters) – The Canadian government
said on Thursday it would start the process of auctioning prime
wireless spectrum on Nov. 19 and announced other steps designed
to stimulate competition and reduce high roaming charges.

It confirmed its intention, announced last March, to use the
auction of prime 700 MHz spectrum to assure at least four
competitors in each region of the country, limiting the
incumbents to three of four prime blocks in each area.

TORONTO, March 7 (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar
strengthened marginally on Thursday after data showed Canada’s
trade deficit narrowed in January as exports grew at a faster
rate than imports.

That compared favorably with a widening trade deficit in the
United States, Canada’s largest trading partner by far.

TORONTO, March 6 (Reuters) – Canada’s broadcast regulator
will open public hearings on May 6 on the proposed C$3 billion
($2.9 billion) acquisition of Astral Media by BCE Inc
, the country’s largest telecom company, and will focus
on whether the revised deal is in the public interest.

The regulator, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), rejected BCE’s original
takeover offer for Astral, a Quebec-based owner of specialty-TV
channels and radio stations, last autumn, saying the deal would
have given BCE inordinate influence.