Rogers has nothing to do with either satellite provider. They are cable only (although do have broadcast stations in Toronto and elsewhere). They may have mentioned a free basic cable. Star Choice is now called Shaw Direct, and has since 1998 at least, been a subsiuary of Shaw communications. I have not heard anything of a free service from them. FreeSat-HD Canada has been pretty mum, but it has been strongly inferred that they will use their proprietary receivers and encryption. If they are starting in 2011, they will not be using spot-beams, for no satellite up there yet has Canadian Spot-Beams, nor is there work of one being launched, unless it will be part of the G1 satellite, which will be the one for Shaw Direct's extended Ku project. I haven't heard of anything from Bell since their proposal, which was based on a few regulatory situations being a particular way, which never happend. As for the somewhat recent CRTC ruling WRT to the DTV transition and a free locals from the provider, it s not that complicated, "BDUs" as they are called in the industry can provide locals for free, only for installation costs and equipment sale (or possible rental), with no obligation to pay for additional service to get the free locals.