Will new players finally mean lower cellphone rates?
If you’re shelling out $100 a month or more to Rogers or Bell for wireless service, don’t expect your bill to drop in half.
But Globalive Communications, the newest player on the block, may finally spark some cost cutting from established wireless carriers.
The federal government has paved the way for increased cellphone competition by allowing Globalive to finally set up shop, despite the CRTC’s initial misgivings about the company’s failure to meet Canadian ownership rules.
This means a fourth national carrier could be up and running any day now, at least in Toronto and Calgary, with the initial retail thrust coming through small "stores within a store" at a number of Blockbuster Video outlets.
The firm’s WIND Mobile service won’t be available in other areas until next year (Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver are next on the list) where it will compete for attention with other new players like Public Mobile and DAVE Wireless.
However, unlike these other upstarts, WIND is not planning on simply offering cost-conscious consumers discounted talk-and-text packages, focusing instead on trying to steal market share from Bell, Rogers and Telus.
All of which should mean significant price cuts for consumers, predicts Deloitte Canada analyst Duncan Stewart, which is why the Big Three fought to keep Globalive out of the Canadian market in the first place.
How much can you really expect to save? You be the judge.
With no system access fee for starters, here’s an “unofficial” WIND pricing list, courtesy of the mysterious Windsider.
If these prices hold up, do you see yourself making a switch anytime soon?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Frank | Dec 15, 2021 12:50:41 PM
If these prices hold true, I'll switch in a heartbeat. Even with cancellation costs, I still be ahead
Posted by: Darrell | Dec 15, 2021 1:17:14 PM
It seems to me there was a lawsuit against the carriers relating to repayment of access fees they apparently were not suppoesed to be charging. Can anyone comment on where this is now?
Posted by: Don | Dec 15, 2021 1:27:32 PM
This is half of what I am currently paying. i will believe it when it is offered in my area. I live in northern Alberta and although not everyone here makes oilfield wages we pay inflated prices as companies feel the market can support inflated prices.
Posted by: wig | Dec 15, 2021 1:50:11 PM
sign me up...goodbye Bell
Posted by: manetcat | Dec 15, 2021 3:24:58 PM
I will switch in a heartbeat! My plan just expired with Rogers and I am not signing with anyone until Globalive starts up. Since I am in Toronto, it won't be long.
Posted by: Cost aware | Dec 15, 2021 3:42:01 PM
If those prices are true they will get a huge market share out of the gate. What will be interesting is if their network and customer support can hold that share. Although I am a happy Telus customer having compared frequently between the big 3 in Canada, and to the American profit margins, I know Telus makes twice what Verizon does per share (which is the best comparative). When that is the case their price points are WAY too high. I know I am oversimplyfying a very complex issue, but nonetheless, no way they can justify that much higher earnings per share. I don't want to leave Telus, but being in Calgary, if they don't amend their prices in line with this new start up I will be switching.
Posted by: Salty | Dec 15, 2021 4:25:40 PM
How quickly some forget. In canada we pay higher mobility phone and internet rates than any commercial country in the world. Rogers, bell and telus have been gouging Canadians way to long.
People will be stupid not to change. The cost to average consumers is about half of what they pay now. But even if it wasn't, just think about the arrogance of customer service from the big three. I'll be changing rapidly and I to live in the Toronto area. It's about time!
Thanks for coming Globalive!
Posted by: John | Dec 15, 2021 4:26:13 PM
See Ya to the big three. Just try getting anything unlimited from those three, in these price ranges.
Posted by: sharolyn north | Dec 15, 2021 5:08:45 PM
if i can save money somewhere else will switch to another cell phone company for sure rodgers is way to expensive and i hate being locked into a contract too
Posted by: Vance Lyons | Dec 15, 2021 6:30:39 PM
Will be glad when Glogalive arrived in prince george bc so i can switched........tank's
Posted by: Dan | Dec 15, 2021 9:10:06 PM
If these guys start up.. You bet I will switch. Telus and Bell and Rogers can kiss my butt good bye. I have had enough with the uppity CSR's and gouging rate plans and hidden charges.
And for what? To have a hippo dance across my TV screen?
Enough is Enough.
Posted by: without a cell | Dec 17, 2021 12:01:45 PM
I still have no cell phone. Since I moved from the US back to Canada, I was shocked to see the prices here. That's ridiculous! Very unfair to Canadians!
I deliberately do not want a cell phone. But thank God, there is some hope!
Posted by: JackB | Dec 17, 2021 3:48:30 PM
Well the big three Gougers, Rogers,Bell and Telus say they are not afraid of the competition, they say it will fizzle out and the people that switched will just come back to them.
Talk about a bunch of Arrrogant bastards, listen big three, the average comsumer isn't stupid, they know how you guys operate, you had us because we had no other choice, and you knew that, so up went the costs, and hiddens charges and all the other crap we had to put up with you three.
Client Loyality!, you three have none what so ever, you'd gouge someone who's been with you for years.Glad to see more wirleess providers coming in, its about time we stick it to them, so lets make
a hole in the profit and all switch, hell let to the internet service and cable as well, another rip off!.
Posted by: Ralph Rack | Dec 18, 2021 10:32:42 AM
Prices won't change except to go up, service will be still a reflection of no customer service and all the companies are afraid to make the jump to the 5 G phone system. They want us to buy 4G then 5G. Just sales money in their pocket. GREEDY. Dropped all cell phone and other phone devices. People can wait till I get their message on my answering machine. I will deal with it then. Nothing is in that big a hurry.
Posted by: ckim | Dec 22, 2021 9:15:56 AM
Yay for options!
Posted by: BigD | Dec 22, 2021 9:41:48 AM
If there is no change in the cell industry, I for one will not be continuing my service! I am sick an tired of getting ripped off by Telus or Bell. And Rogers won't offer a package that suits our needs. They still have pay phones don't they? Even at that it is still too expensive! Time to move to the USA where they have fair pricing and let a person watch a tv show over the internet! Time to rid ourselves of the CRTC!
Posted by: Doug | Dec 22, 2021 10:20:04 AM
Darrell, if you hear anything about the system access fee suit, let me know.
Last year I signed my name to a lawyers petition, but nothing.
Isn't Bell currently running no system access fees to new customers.
What about rest of us?? douglamb6@hotmail.com
Posted by: Doug | Dec 22, 2021 10:25:46 AM
Roughly year and half ago, federal gov't auctioned off several licenses for new cell phone companies. Finally some action. Took long enough.
Posted by: Fred | Dec 22, 2021 10:55:55 AM
Well, just last week Rogers tried to switch me from the old (6.95 system access fee + 911) to a new (no system access fee or 911 charge) plan. What I found REALLY interesting was that they tried to surcharge me $2.58 cents/month for a "Government Regulatory Fee" which the agent insisted was a 'government fee'. I even recorded the call, because sometimes they deny they agreed to whatever arrangement I've made with them.
I've been with Rogers continuously sine 1985 and have been paying these 'fees' (which started at $48/year in advance) since day one. I signed up for the class action, but so far have heard absolutely nothing.
What I'm likely to do is to sign up for an 'all inclusive' plan with an NVMO US carrier that includes Canadian coverage and then arrange tpo forward a free VOIP line to get my Canadian local number.
That way Rogers will get nothing.
I already have something lsimilar for when I'm in the US:
I have a prepaid phone with Tracfone (less than $10 for the phone, less than $0.10 a minute for calls to and from 27 countries) PLUS they give me up to 3 no charge local numbers in various cities in Canada and Mexico (I have 2 in different cities in Mexico and 1 in Montreal) in addition to my US number.
Unfortunately, the phone only works in the US - so I forward my Rogers cell phone to my Montreal number for the US phone when I head south . . . .
Posted by: Doug | Dec 22, 2021 11:08:12 AM
If you hear any news regarding that class action suit, please notify me.
Last Spring, I believe it was Dave FM did a radio show on these fees, the calls into the show
were amazing. All the different stories told to them by the telephone operators of the Big 3 as to why the addition of the System Access fee.
TRY MAGIC JACK, latest internet phone. I like it. But I need a cell phone for the small business I operate. It was that or hire a secretary to answer phones.
the advertising of the BIG 3 is quite brainwashing, telling us we need a cell phone, can't live without one.
email me if you hear anything, douglamb6@hotmail.com