Rogers to buy Shaw

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by gordonblue

you're right.

Too bad they don't care one bit about that. ####ers

"shaw ceo brad shaw, who would join rogers’ board along with another shaw nominee, said in a statement the two companies can unlock “tremendous shareholder value” by combining"

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

Everyone should let the government and the competition bureau know what they think of the buy out. The more feedback the government receives the better.

https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...%C3%89T-83KK9Y

Can I include my usual rant against the taxpayer funded, state owned, unaccountable CBC in my letter to the government complaining about how this private telcom deal should be blocked?

[FanIn80]

One thing we're all missing, which is even scarier than losing cell phone plan prices... Sportsnet is Rogers. Rogers will own Shaw.

The people that approve, budget and broadcast Sportsnet channels -- as well as hire the people that write and produce its content and anchor/host their shows -- will now be the same people we have to pay in order to watch those Sportsnet channels...

Not only do we have to watch Sportsnet, but now we have to also pay Sportsnet to watch Sportsnet...

[FlameOn]

So looks like Rogers borrowed $19B of $26B needed to acquire Shaw, and their rating is gonna get downgraded by S&P to a few steps above junk. Huge amounts of new debt means huge increase in cost savings or revenue expectations. Hm geez, I wonder wonder what Rogers is gonna do... Bad news for consumers, Shaw employees, and Canadians.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...g-s-huge-costs

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

So looks like Rogers borrowed $19B of $26B needed to acquire Shaw, and their rating is gonna get downgraded by S&P to a few steps above junk. Huge amounts of new debt means huge increase in cost savings or revenue expectations. Hm geez, I wonder wonder what Rogers is gonna do... Bad news for consumers, Shaw employees, and Canadians.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...g-s-huge-costs

The deal should be rejected on that basis alone, it's ridiculous that they can borrow more than half of the money needed to buyout another company

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

The deal should be rejected on that basis alone, it's ridiculous that they can borrow more than half of the money needed to buyout another company

Anyone say leveraged buyout? That debts gonna get loaded back onto the books if it isn't already contingent on Shaw assets and I can't see that going remotely well even from a financial standpoint.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by SebC

Ah, thanks. It's more internet than I need, so I won't be switching.

(Since sharing our deals only helps consumers, here's what I have: $30/month unlimited Canada+US calling, International Texting, "unlimited" data throttled after 5 GB with Freedom, $55/month 150/15Mbps Freedom Home Internet.)

Thanks for that, I like your phone plan but I need at least 300 on home internet. Is Freedom mobile now reliable, last time I looked at it the coverage map was poor and some friends complained about reception outside any of the city centres.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Thanks for that, I like your phone plan but I need at least 300 on home internet. Is Freedom mobile now reliable, last time I looked at it the coverage map was poor and some friends complained about reception outside any of the city centres.

Oh, my plan's super legacy, and it doesn't include any "nationwide" (i.e. Rogers) service. But it's value, so I'm hanging on to it. Connection has been dropping sometimes in areas where it shouldn't (in Vancouver), but I honestly don't know if that's an issue with the network or with my hardware.

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Thanks for that, I like your phone plan but I need at least 300 on home internet. Is Freedom mobile now reliable, last time I looked at it the coverage map was poor and some friends complained about reception outside any of the city centres.

Freedom coverage is excellent now in city provided you have a band compatible phone i.e. primarily 13/66/71. When you aren't in city coverage, you roam on the big 3 anyways on the Freedom Nationwide so whatever coverage problems are going to happen no matter your network.

Issue is in place just at the edge of the city coverage where you might be barely connecting to a Freedom tower, but it's not weak enough to drop completely for a robellus tower. Other issue is the Freedom Home vs. Nationwide use different data buckets allowances depending on the plan. If you are in city most of the time that doesn't matter though. My plan is 25GB/$25 in city, but only like 2GB when on the robellus network. I barely went over 3GB total pre-pandemic and that was streaming music constantly to and from work.

[Flamenspiel]

^^Thank you.

[#-3]

I use freedom, their coverage isn't a big deal $0.05 / minute outside of cities, unlimited nation wide inside cities. I use like 4 minutes / month on the highway and save more than $0.20 not being with Telus or Rogers.

[billybob123]

Originally Posted by #-3

I use freedom, their coverage isn't a big deal $0.05 / minute outside of cities, unlimited nation wide inside cities. I use like 4 minutes / month on the highway and save more than $0.20 not being with Telus or Rogers.

You must be on an old plan. I was on a ancient plan and had to switch to airplane mode at work where there was no signal so phone would constantly roam. I called Freedom with a good offer from Koodo at the time and they switched me. Had to threaten to cancel though. All their plans now include unlimited nationwide calling and texting. You can try calling in with a good offer from a national competitor and they may cave. I have 10 gb data (of which I use barely any) and 500 Mb of nationwide (roaming) data.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

The deal should be rejected on that basis alone, it's ridiculous that they can borrow more than half of the money needed to buyout another company

Not really.

Given how cheap it is to borrow, they would be dumb not to.

The problem is their overall debt to equity ratio, income, etc.

Anyone looking at the structure of the deal and the position Rogers is currently in, along with the cost of going to 5G knows that the only way they will pay for it is to increase prices significantly across the board.

Best way to do that is to buy out your competition and fortify the position of your triopoly.

From a shareholders perspective and from the perspective of owning the market, pretty smart move by Rogers.

Of course if the government steps in and mandates wholesale access to towers and spectrum, MNVO, greater access to whole rates on the internet level, foreign competition such as Verizon, AT&T, etc....Rogers would be screwed because the price will be driven down, and suddenly their income or profit won't be there to pay off their massive debt load.

Telus & Bell have got to be laughing right now. What a deal for them.

They'll be able to increase prices without needing spend any money.

Crazy.

[FlameOn]

Competition Bureau getting buried with complaints because of the Rogers Shaw buyout. Keep up the jihad CP lol.
https://www.newsoptimist.ca/competit...eal-1.24296715

Link to the site for ppl who haven't complained yet or who'd like to complain again.
https://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/...%C3%89T-83KK9Y

[FlameOn]

Analysts predicting regulators will force Freedom to split from Shaw and sold off. Likely buyer to be Quebecor/Videotron. Now if that combined company joined with Sasktel you'd have a viable national 4th player mobile network minus Manitoba and the maritimes.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...if-regulators/

[Fuzz]

So...no more free cellphone..Crud.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Can I include my usual rant against the taxpayer funded, state owned, unaccountable CBC in my letter to the government complaining about how this private telcom deal should be blocked?

Only if I can complain about the roads, highways, & infrastructure my tax dollars pay for that I don’t use or that I don’t agree with.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Thanks for that, I like your phone plan but I need at least 300 on home internet. Is Freedom mobile now reliable, last time I looked at it the coverage map was poor and some friends complained about reception outside any of the city centres.

I just got a crazy plan from freedom but I lose my signal half way to okotoks. Terrible coverage. Really regretting it.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Boreal

Only if I can complain about the roads, highways, & infrastructure my tax dollars pay for that I don’t use or that I don’t agree with.

I think its pretty likely you use goods transported on those highways.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I think its pretty likely you use goods transported on those highways.

And CBC has allowed thousands of Canadians to get into the entertainment industry in one form or another, so you've probably enjoyed one of their contributions somewhere down the line