Canadian cell phone rates may go down?

[Sue M]

Was listening to Global News and they said the govt. just overturned a ruling letting an Egyptian cell phone company in the Canadian market. Wind mobile.

They expect the entry of this cell phone company would bring rates down.
I don't know how I feel about the govt overturning a ruling that cell companies have to be primarily Canadian investors, but would be happy to see our high rates come down. We have some of the highest in the world.

 

[cslittle999]

The news media really isn't covering this story very well. Industry Canada originally decided that GlobeAlive is a Canadian controlled company and let them participate in the spectrum auction. The CRTC came along later and said no they aren't. Bell and Telus are behind the push for the CRTC to do a foreign ownership review. Both are very scared about a new player in the cell phone business.

iPhoneInCanada posted to with leaked WIND calling plans.

http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/iphone-news/wind-mobile-monthly-plans-leaked/

If they are true we should hopefully be in for some big savings from the other companies or they are going to lose a lot of customers.

 

[Ham Ham]

We can hope for some changes but these new players may be swalled up by the big guys. Remember when Mike & Fido were one their own?

Here's my post about Fridays events that will let Globalive's Wind Mobile jump into the market.

 

[Sue M]

Should be interesting. But their rates don't seem that great. o.k,. $35 for unlimited data is good. We have $25 for 500 mb
But the phone plans, meh! Not as cheap as I would have hoped. With Bell we can get 300 anytime minutes, weekends aft 6 unlim. voice mail and caller id. for $17.60 Then add data for $25/500 mb my daughter has this plan.

I am with Telus and have 250 anytime min, aft 6pm & weekends unlim, voice mail caller ID, & 200 text in and out going. for $18.00

Wind is offering only a small amount of incoming text, but what about outgoing? Assuming a person responds to their text. Seems like you have to get the big plan for more features/minutes.
I don't need Canada wide. The few Canada wide long distance calls I make I do from home.

I do like the $20 add on for U.S. calling. The add on plans from Telus to enable me to use my cell in the states are expensive!

 

[Ham Ham]

Wind Mobile know has kiosks open in Calgary & Toronto at Blockbuster stores.

Press conference in Toronto tomorrow announcing pricing for their mobile devices.

 

[Sue M]

Heard that on the morning news, and they will be in B.C. soon. Should be interesting to see what, if any affect it will have on the Canadian companies.

 

[wdwtweets]

I sure hope that they help to bring cell phone prices down. The cheapest that I could find in my area was $25/month with a contract before taxes and system fees. It doesn't include any features other than call waiting and has an average number of day time minutes. I'm not one who uses my cell phone all that often but often enough to not want to pay as you go. So, cheaper basic rates would be welcomed by me.

 

[Sue M]

I sure hope that they help to bring cell phone prices down. The cheapest that I could find in my area was $25/month with a contract before taxes and system fees. It doesn't include any features other than call waiting and has an average number of day time minutes. I'm not one who uses my cell phone all that often but often enough to not want to pay as you go. So, cheaper basic rates would be welcomed by me.

I guess rate plans vary from prov. to prov. My daughter is with Bell and just got an amazing plan for $17.90/mo for 300 anytime minutes, free nights & weekends, and caller id & vioce mail. They have stoped charging system access fees and the 911 charge here.

 

[Ham Ham]

I guess rate plans vary from prov. to prov. My daughter is with Bell and just got an amazing plan for $17.90/mo for 300 anytime minutes, free nights & weekends, and caller id & vioce mail. They have stoped charging system access fees and the 911 charge here.

Info on Wind Mobile plans & devices.

Click on image for more info

 

[wdwtweets]

I guess rate plans vary from prov. to prov. My daughter is with Bell and just got an amazing plan for $17.90/mo for 300 anytime minutes, free nights & weekends, and caller id & vioce mail. They have stoped charging system access fees and the 911 charge here.

We basically have 2 options here and Bell is the worst. There are a number of dead zones. Rogers has great reception. Also, with Bell, they would have made me buy a phone (since I didn't already have one) and the cheapest they offered was over $100! With Rogers, the phone was free. So, I went with Rogers and have their MY5 plan. All-in-all it's crazy how much more cell phone plans cost in Canada compared to the US.

 

[Sue M]

Info on Wind Mobile plans & devices.

Click on image for more info

Thanks, I saw that, but don't think their rate plans are better, 100 minutes for $15, daughter has 300 min + nights and weekends, voice and caller ID for $17

 

[Ham Ham]

Thanks, I saw that, but don't think their rate plans are better, 100 minutes for $15, daughter has 300 min + nights and weekends, voice and caller ID for $17

Who is your DD with? Sounds like an excellent rate.

I'm currently with Rogers I have an iPhone with no data my plan is around $30 a month. Regular voice mail, number id on incoming calls, 200 minutes, 18:00-08:00 Weekday & 18:00 Friday to 08:00 Monday free. Also they charge me for incoming texts then credit my account with the amount. Rogers charges me the access or GRF free then discount the amount.

Last time we upgraded the DD 15 phone Rogers charged an upgrade fee of $35 then credit my account for $35 when I ask if their was any way around the fee.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We've heard this all before...doesn't anyone remember when Virgin Mobile came to Canada???? The rates were supposed to be nearly cut in half at that time and it never happened.

That's why I stick to my pre-paid....only costs me $10 per month, total. Just my opinion, but I think most people have gone over board with cell phones, etc. I have numerous friends that are stay-at-home mothers and they all have Blackberrys. Would I like to have one...sure...but do I need one...no.

 

[Sue M]

Who is your DD with? Sounds like an excellent rate.

I'm currently with Rogers I have an iPhone with no data my plan is around $30 a month. Regular voice mail, number id on incoming calls, 200 minutes, 18:00-08:00 Weekday & 18:00 Friday to 08:00 Monday free. Also they charge me for incoming texts then credit my account with the amount. Rogers charges me the access or GRF free then discount the amount.

Last time we upgraded the DD 15 phone Rogers charged an upgrade fee of $35 then credit my account for $35 when I ask if their was any way around the fee.

My DD is with Bell. But I think cell plans differ Prov to Prov.

 

[cslittle999]

We've heard this all before...doesn't anyone remember when Virgin Mobile came to Canada???? The rates were supposed to be nearly cut in half at that time and it never happened.

That's why I stick to my pre-paid....only costs me $10 per month, total. Just my opinion, but I think most people have gone over board with cell phones, etc. I have numerous friends that are stay-at-home mothers and they all have Blackberrys. Would I like to have one...sure...but do I need one...no.

Virgin really couldn't impact rates at the Bell/Telus/Rogers since they were partly (now totally) owned by Bell. At least Wind is a totally separate company. Really we need three or four new major players to make a difference.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Virgin really couldn't impact rates at the Bell/Telus/Rogers since they were partly (now totally) owned by Bell. At least Wind is a totally separate company. Really we need three or four new major players to make a difference.

It was a change in legislation that allowed Virgin to operate in this country and those changes were also supposed to lower the rates. It had very little to do with competition.

 

[Salinger]

It was a change in legislation that allowed Virgin to operate in this country and those changes were also supposed to lower the rates. It had very little to do with competition.

What was the change in legislation?

 

[dancin Disney style]

What was the change in legislation?

Can't remember exactly but it was something to do with allowing competition into the Canadian market. It was all over the news for a few days and they kept saying that it would result in much, much lower rates for Canadians. The expectation was that rates would be nearly cut in half. I think that may have come from the VM rates being a little lower to start with but now they are pretty much in line with the others.

 

[trivial]

Should be interesting. But their rates don't seem that great. o.k,. $35 for unlimited data is good. We have $25 for 500 mb
But the phone plans, meh! Not as cheap as I would have hoped. With Bell we can get 300 anytime minutes, weekends aft 6 unlim. voice mail and caller id. for $17.60 Then add data for $25/500 mb my daughter has this plan.

I am with Telus and have 250 anytime min, aft 6pm & weekends unlim, voice mail caller ID, & 200 text in and out going. for $18.00

Those definitely aren't regular rate plans; most likely they're "save" plans that were offered after threatening to leave. Bell's posted rate plans are much more expensive. It stands to reason that WIND would have save plans as well, so it's important to compare apples to apples.

 

[Salinger]

Can't remember exactly but it was something to do with allowing competition into the Canadian market. It was all over the news for a few days and they kept saying that it would result in much, much lower rates for Canadians. The expectation was that rates would be nearly cut in half. I think that may have come from the VM rates being a little lower to start with but now they are pretty much in line with the others.

Are you referring to the spectrum auction where a portion of spectrum was set aside for new entrants? Though, that was barely a couple of years ago. There has been no new legislation with regard to telecommunications for many, years. In fact, the last change in legislation was to actually limit foreign ownership which reduced the ability of new competition, not increase it.

There was a report to government in 2006 with recommendations to relax foreign ownership rules, but there was never any action taken upon those recommendations.

Virgin Mobile was/is a virtual network, ie they never built their own towers, but instead simply purchased/rented spectrum from Bell. No one, but perhaps an overly optimistic Richard Branson, would have speculated that their entry into the market would have any significant effect. Far less now that they are 100% owned by Bell.

Wind's entry is a whole different ball game. They are building an actual new network, with their own towers and transmitters across the nation (with the exception of PQ). They are backed by Orascom, who has more than double the number of subscribers than Rogers, TELUS and Bell combined! Don't expect something like half price rates or anything, but I think you will see (and in fact we have already seen) an impact on the market place.