How do you like Wind? - Shaw Purchases Wind

[Azure]

So, someone on reddit posted that if the CRTC actually has any balls they might let Bell actually buy all of MTS, but sell of the wireless side of the business to another bidder. Idea was that it would give Shaw, who already has a big Manitoba presence on the internet/TV side a way into the market. Shaw already owns Wind, but does not have spectrum in Manitoba, and this would be a great way for them to get some, plus get 500,000 subscribers.

Shaw bought Wind for $1.6 billion and they got a pretty decent network in major cities across Canada, plus a million customers so good cash flow. They also have decent amount of spectrum but no 700mhz if I remember right. If they bought MTS they would have 700mhz spectrum in Manitoba, plus grow to 1.5 million customers overnight, combine the Wind/MTS networks since MTS has roaming agreements across Canada, and the result would be a viable 4th carrier in Manitoba and across more of Canada. Also, because MTS sold their internet/TV business to Bell, it would create more competition in that space for Manitobans as Bell and Shaw would have to compete with each other.

Thoughts?

[fleuryisgod]

I was thinking about making the switch to Wind using this plan here...

http://www.windmobile.ca/plans-and-d.../everywhere-60

It seems to me that if I'm out of their coverage zone I'd still have 1 gig of data with unlimited texts across Canada and USA. To me this just seems to make a lot of sense. Currently I'm using the Koodo Saskatchewan plan which is the same price (I'd bring my own phone) but it seems to make sense to upgrade to double the data and free roaming in the USA.

Anyone have any experience with there everywhere plans and if they actually get decent coverage out of the cities?

Thanks!!

[ken0042]

My SIL is in the States with Wind and says the service has been OK. We do run into some issues in the city; which is why we switched my son to Koodo last summer.

I'd ask yourself the following:
- How often do you come close to 5 GB of data?
- How often do you limit yourself because of the 5 GB limit?
- How often do you go to the States?

IMHO you are giving up a better network in Calgary (and Canada) for the extra data and the US roaming.

[Resolute 14]

Re-launched as "Freedom Mobile" - which is an incredibly stupid name - and Shaw is begginning to roll out LTE. Calgary and Edmonton to be upgraded by spring 2017:

http://mobilesyrup.com/2016/11/21/wi...n-november-27/

[Violator]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Re-launched as "Freedom Mobile" - which is an incredibly stupid name - and Shaw is begginning to roll out LTE. Calgary and Edmonton to be upgraded by spring 2017:

http://mobilesyrup.com/2016/11/21/wi...n-november-27/

That has to be the cheapest re branding in history just order a couple new letters and keep the same color .Driving around in the boon-sticks that is okotoks last nite I had no internet.

[Resolute 14]

I also hate that "$40 (for 12 months)" garbage on the promo. That they are making it damn near impossible to see the real price is pretty much ending any thought of switching.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Wow that's corny. Only thing that would make it worse is if a cartoon William Wallace was their mascot.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I also hate that "$40 (for 12 months)" garbage on the promo. That they are making it damn near impossible to see the real price is pretty much ending any thought of switching.

Also the LTE won't be here until "summer" 2017 so I'm not sure I want to go back to 3G either.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I also hate that "$40 (for 12 months)" garbage on the promo. That they are making it damn near impossible to see the real price is pretty much ending any thought of switching.

Ya I expect that of TELUS. The exact company people are trying to leave.

[Resolute 14]

I guess the scratched out price above ($5 over the promo) is likely the ultimate price. Wish they had made that clearer.

Incidentally, I'm not sure anyone should get their hopes up on actually getting LTE speeds any time soon. Shaw's spectrum is AWS-3/band 66, which almost nothing supports right now. Probably not until iPhone8/Galaxy 8 before Apple and Samsung jump on board. Band 4 - which is widely supported - is rolled into band 66, but I have no idea if AWS-3 is backwards compatible.

[OldDutch]

Too bad as I was hoping Shaw could bundle their other offerings with solid wireless service. Would be great to have a solid network and all the benefits of bulk pricing.

[worth]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

Too bad as I was hoping Shaw could bundle their other offerings with solid wireless service. Would be great to have a solid network and all the benefits of bulk pricing.

The three incumbents have had a big head start, they were given their big tranches of spectrum for free 30 years ago,” he said. “In order for us to be able to survive and have a sustainable offering, we need low band spectrum.”

Shaw plans to launch its own mobile service eventually, Krstajic said, but for now is setting up Freedom as a less expensive flanker brand, similar to Rogers-owned Fido and Telus’ Koodo.

“We’ve been pretty clear there’s going to be a need for two brands,” he said, although he kept silent on the timing.

http://business.financialpost.com/fp...-a-fresh-start

[Azure]

Do they even have any low-band spectrum?

The strength of Shaw is with their fiber backbone and WiFi Access Points across the country. Wind never had that kind of footprint. Would be foolish to not use it to their advantage.

Not sure why it is taking so long to combine the use of the Shaw WiFi with Wind plans.....

[Resolute 14]

Not for LTE, Nope. So far as I know, they only have the AWS-3 spectrum that Wind bought. The lower band spectrum they previously bought in 2008 lied dormant and was eventually transferred over to Rogers. Whoops.

[Azure]

I am honestly amazed they got to a million subscribers...

[DoubleK]

I'm enjoying it while it lasts. I can't imagine it will be long before they cut the US roaming.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Incidentally, I'm not sure anyone should get their hopes up on actually getting LTE speeds any time soon. Shaw's spectrum is AWS-3/band 66, which almost nothing supports right now.

Nexus 6P doesn't support this?!

[darockwilder]

Has anybody switched to their LTE service? Supposedly it's live now in Calgary and Edmonton.

[Southside]

We dumped Freedom Mobile about 1 month back. We had 3 lines with them and over the last year or so, more specifically the last 3-6 months we found thier coverage starting to fail us. Delayed text messages, dropped calls, roaming where we never roamed before, etc. We thought about their LTE, but honestly after considering the monthly rates and price of phones, the Big 3 looked a lot better.

Wind was great for a few good years. We were very satisfied, advocated for them in fact. I don't know what happened (perhaps the Shaw purchase), but between the network that seemed to be falling apart and comparing plans and phone prices, they lost us.

[Azure]

Strange time to drop Wind IMO. Their LTE network is apparently pretty great.