Wireless Competition On Hold, For Now
The CRTC’s recent ruling prevents another provider from entering the national Canadian wireless marketplace, to the detriment of consumers but all is not lost, yet.
Hot on the heels of Bell & Telus’ launch of their HSPA networks (along with the iPhone), the CRTC recently ruled that Globalive didn’t meet the ownership/control rules for a Canadian telecommunications provider and as such, could not launch their highly anticipated new (almost) national (it’s missing Quebec) wireless network.
From a consumer standpoint, this is disappointing news — but all is not lost, yet. In an interview conducted by MobileSyrup.com, Globalive CEO Anthony Lacavera vows to keep fighting to bring renewed competition to the Canadian wireless marketplace.
As a communications engineer, I have sat and watched as my friends from Europe & Asia played with the newest phones, paid for purchases by tapping their phones on RFID readers (similar to contactless credit cards, PetroPass/EasyPay, etc.), watched live mobile television on their handsets and even taken calls while riding in their respective underground public transit systems.
While arguments can be made for the high cost of deploying, upgrading & maintaining a wireless network that extends over a large geographical area, a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development finds that the U.S., Canada & Spain have the highest costs for mobile telecommunications.
Competition breeds innovations and eliminates inefficiencies. So many things are going mobile and I believe that it will be the ubiquitous access to information — from wherever you are, at any time, on any connected device — that will help drive new research & development, media, marketing & other services. For example, only recently have Canadians banks started exploring mobile banking.
As previously reported on Sync, nearly a third of Canadians now own a smartphone. The objection that is holding back many consumers from adopting is arguably the high cost of mobile data. While my voice plan is under $50/month, add in data and my bill is usually over $100 after taxes.
With new entrants into the smartphone arena, most notably Google and its open-source Android operating system, consumers are eagerly awaiting a chance to get their hands on a plethora of new smartphones from Motorola (Droid), HTC (HD2) and Sony (X10).
Here’s hoping there’s a little more friendly competition…
Filed Under: Current Affairs > News
Tags: cellular phones, cellular service, data plans, mobile, mobile data, Smartphones, Wireless
This is a disgracefull decision at a time when we need not only competition but job creation for canadians. But onh no lets just allow usual the old ratpack to continue to dominate with overpriced services and poor customer service and little choice of the products out tthere.
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Unbelievable! But I’m not totally surprised by the CRTC’s backroom politics on this very important issue. After all, only in Canada and the US do the monopoly based networks get to ‘double dip’ their clients by charging them for both the outgoing as well as the incoming call or text, even though a call/text might be placed on the same carriers network! We went to Ireland a number of months ago and bought mobile phones off the shelf and we were making calls & texting just seconds later and we were NOT charged for any incoming calls!! Wake up Canada! The motive of this forced and unexpected change at the 11th hour is driven by this very basic understanding, existing monopolies are burdened with existing aging and legacy based networks in Canada. Therefore, they can’t keep up with new and emerging competition at both higher speeds and more importantly, much cheaper rate plans for Canadians. It’s like, the CRTC forcing us keep using slower secondary roads instead of being permitted to use the new Hwy 401. Something stinks at the CRTC and a full parliamentary committee hearing should be put in place to examine this self serving decision!!
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It is time to open up the cell phone market to anyone who is willing to invest the capital to allow fair pricing and fair competion in Canada.
The big three rip-offs are hiding behind the Canada ownership content laws.
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Same crap, different day. Candadians keep getting hosed over and over again. Were told what channels we have to take on cable/sattelite, pay corrupt gas prices and the list goes on and on.
Out of this world airline rates make it expensive to go anywhere in Canada.
Open everything up to REAL competition, and let the weak/innefficient fall by the wayside!
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Disgraceful! Smash the duopoly NOW! CRTC is in the pockets of Bell/Rogers. Canadians want unlocked smart phones with competitive voice/data plans but the duopoly has been shielded yet again and they continue to rape us with outrageous pricing and dismal service. This is hurting our economy and our productivity. When will the dark veil be lifted?
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Like I stated in another forum, while in Japan a few months ago my friend who lives there pointed his phone at a vending machine and bought both of us a bottle of water. He did with a few key presses what I, WE can only DREAM of doing and while we do so the same is being done in European and Scandinavian countries and this has been so for several YEARS! What is wrong with us? WE have some of the most powerful tools that society historically has ever had, WE CAN bring the CRTC, BELL, TELUS ..etc. to their knees. Complacency breeds same old same old.
With my wonderful BB I can go anywhere in the world and be connected but I cannot buy a simple bottle of water from a vending machine in one of the most sophisticated cities in the world, Montréal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver.
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That is so cool. No wonder we are so far behind the Japanese when it comes to this technology. We have no exuses, we are supposed to be more than enough competition for Japan big cities.
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