Mobile Rates Going Up Due to 2 Year Plan Changes

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Julio

A view that Verizon isn't exactly a savior for the Canadian market: http://opinion.financialpost.com/201...et-for-canada/

The reactions of Rogers, Telus, and Bell are telling. If they thought Verizon would come in and charge higher prices, treat customers like crap, and generally draw the ire of consumers like that article suggests, then they wouldn't be mounting this laughable PR campaign (which I suspect might include having their employees troll article comment sections based on what's written in that article's comments).

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Rathji

What preferred treatment are they getting? The ability to bid on spectrum without interference from the big 3?

Isn't that the same thing that the people bidding on the spectrum originally got?

There are 4 blocks of 700MHZ spectrum.

Verizon as a new entrant would be allowed to access 2 of the blocks on their own, while TELUS, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Sasktel, and MTS are capped at 1 block of spectrum and would only have access to the other two blocks.

Technically you are giving Verizon an advantage as they have preferred access to what is seen as the prime spectrum.

Buy twice as much new wireless spectrum in the upcoming auction of Canada's 700 MHz airwaves as Canadian carriers at a lower overall price.

Canada is getting ready to auction 700 MHz spectrum - the best airwaves for carrying your future mobile calls and data. Able to operate equally well in both rural and urban areas, 700 MHz is the most technologically advanced spectrum ever auctioned by the Canadian government. There are 4 prime blocks of this spectrum available. Canadian carriers like Bell can only buy 1 each - but big US carriers like Verizon can actually buy 2. The way the auction is structured, American companies would pay less and get more spectrum, reducing the government's auction revenues at the expense of Canadians. As well, one of Canada's own major wireless carriers could be shut out of the auction for our country's airwaves entirely.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by Rathji

What preferred treatment are they getting? The ability to bid on spectrum without interference from the big 3?

The ability to buy more. The 700 MHz spectrum is highly prized for its reach, but there's only enough to build two fast LTE networks out of it. The big 3 can't buy enough to build a fast LTE network by themselves, but Verizon can.

The big 3 also has some stringent requirements for rural coverage with the new network if they get a 700 MHz license.

[accord1999]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Technically you are giving Verizon an advantage as they have preferred access to what is seen as the prime spectrum.

Yes, and in the American auction, the 4 prime blocks obviously ended up in the hands of AT&T and Verizon.

[SuperMatt18]

Plus in an ironic twist Verizon is actually fighting against the U.S. restricting Verizon and AT&T in the U.S. wireless auction next year...the same restrictions they hope to capitalize on in Canada.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/bu...anted=all&_r=0

[DoubleK]

Does any of this skulduggery really surprise anyone? This is a very lucrative, yet capital intensive government regulated market.

For the low cost of a few lobbyists and a media campaign, a company can set itself up for millions upon millions in profits.

They will lie, cheat, misrepresent in whatever fashion they see fit, to allow themeselves the greatest opportunity possible to make more money.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Thanked for using skulduggery.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by accord1999

The ability to buy more. The 700 MHz spectrum is highly prized for its reach, but there's only enough to build two fast LTE networks out of it. The big 3 can't buy enough to build a fast LTE network by themselves, but Verizon can.

The big 3 also has some stringent requirements for rural coverage with the new network if they get a 700 MHz license.

Telus and Bell share towers and spectrum. All three have been hoarding spectrum for years. Eff em, who cares. One thing doesn't go their way and they whine and try to appeal to my patriotism?

Eff em in the A.

[Bob]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Does any of this skulduggery really surprise anyone? This is a very lucrative, yet capital intensive government regulated market.

For the low cost of a few lobbyists and a media campaign, a company can set itself up for millions upon millions in profits.

They will lie, cheat, misrepresent in whatever fashion they see fit, to allow themeselves the greatest opportunity possible to make more money.

I'm amused to see them join together like Voltron to fight the big bad Verizon, but nothing surprises me about how they act.

[Anduril]

Looks like the Canadian government will stand pat. Hopefully Verizon does come up to Canada. I don't see any huge price benefits but at least it'll shake things up for the companies who have been sitting on our cash for years.

[MrMastodonFarm]

http://mobilesyrup.com/2013/08/09/pr...les-will-stay/

Rogers, Bell and TELUS were all calling for a “level playing field’ over the past couple weeks, directly taking aim at ‘policy loopholes’ that would allow foreign investors to enter the wireless market, and specifically give ‘giant American corporations an advantage in the wireless spectrum bidding process.’ Without directly stating Verizon Wireless in their advertising, the Big 3 were pulling out all the strings and informing the government of the ‘massive consequences for Canadians.”

The message was heard loud and clear. However, Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared today that he’s not budging or making any changes to the current policy framework. “Our government has pursued this very consistently… a policy of fostering greater competition in this industry for the benefit of Canadian consumers over the past few years,” said Harper in a report in the Globe. “While I appreciate some companies have interests that are very important, our government’s first priority is the wider Canadian public and Canadian consumers and we are convinced this is where they want to see us go.”

Of course, there’s still time and politicians have been known to quickly shift their viewpoint. If any changes were to be made they would need to in place by September 17th – this is the final day for interested parties to submit a deposit to participate in the upcoming 700Mhz spectrum auction in January 2014.

[SHOGUN]

Pay as You Go on Rogers is enough for me, I only pay 15 bucks a month for unlimited texting.

[Igster]

Nicely done Harper. Very nice indeed.

[sclitheroe]

If nothing else, it's fun to talk with Telus. Conversation from this morning:

TELUS (@TELUS): “Competition can only occur when gov stops providing regulatory favours” via @fpcomment. Learn more: ow.ly/nKCtd. #CDNpoli

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUS Is a 3 message voicemail inbox on a $80 a month plan competitive?

TELUS Support (@TELUSsupport): @scott_clitheroe Depending on your business needs 3 may be sufficient. Many iPhone users find that Visual VM negates the need for more.

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport right on..offer the barest minimum because it may be sufficient, on a plan costing nearly $1k a year 5 msgs would kill you eh

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport Verizon basic voicemail is 20 msgs, btw

TELUS Support (@TELUSsupport): @scott_clitheroe Please follow us and DM your mobile number. I’d like to look further into this for you.

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport Look into what? Voicemail 3 has 3 message limit. Want 7 more messages? pay another $60 a year.

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport And the visual voicemail making 3 msgs sufficient? That’s another $60 a year too..to effectively manage the 3 msg limit

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport Visual voicemail on Verizon is $2.99 a month, plus the 20 msgs..compared to $10 a month on Telus for 10 msgs and vvmail

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport Oh my mistake, that $2.99/month gets you FORTY messages

TELUS Support (@TELUSsupport): @scott_clitheroe Thank you. I will submit feed back to our pricing team, but I cannot promise you anything.

Scott Clitheroe (@scott_clitheroe): @TELUSsupport Which is why more competition in Canada will be a good thing. Thanks for your time, appreciate it!

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Just got an iPhone 4 through Bell and I'm actually paying $10 less per month on a two-year contract than I was with my old crappy HTC phone.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Legislation to require (and compensate the company that originally put up the tower) is desperately needed. While I'm entirely for more entrants into the market, I'm not for mass proliferation of towers. There's room for many providers on some of these towers - share!

[sclitheroe]

Telus wants to protect you from the big bad NSA, by blocking Verizon's entrance into Canada

http://blog.telus.com/public-policy/...acy-in-canada/

[Anduril]

Isn't our data already routed through the States?

[keratosis]

N/m....
Again.
Should just keep watching Top Gear!

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Anduril

Isn't our data already routed through the States?

It's funny, because they actually have a point about the data, but they only refer to the stuff that is totally irrelevant, which is the phone record stuff.

Just shows they are grasping at straws frantically.