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WIND Mobile: “We’re not about selling out”
Even though Globalive/Wind Mobile are getting the interest of Bell/Rogers/Dave Wireless to eventually buy their spectrum, Chris Robbins, CCO (Chief Customer Officer) of WIND stated on their company blog that they are “not about selling out”.
Robbins goes on to state “We’ve always been about being here for the long term, not – like some of the other potential new entrants – about a quick sale to one of the incumbents. We’ve been listening to Canadians for over a year as we’ve built out a network, and stores and services and platforms. Our goal is to be here to stay. Rogers and others should invest their money in adding value back to their own customers, before they look at “buying spectrum.”
On the same post titled “What’s Next for Us…” also gives an update about how they are taking the time now to focus, do more testing and training and “ensure that everything we bring to market will be as perfect as it can be”.
He also writes that the WIND team will be hitting the streets soon and doing “Random Acts of Kindness”… which sounds nice and hopefully will come back to them in a “pay it forward” kinda way so they can launch this year!
This news came on the same day that TELUS and Shaw submitted an open letter in the Hill Times to Industry Minister Tony Clement that he should obey the law and not overturn the CRTC’s decision that Globalive does not meet the ownership rules. (Last week Clement stepped in to review the situation and asked telecom executives for further insight and gave until November 18th to submit their thoughts)
In the joint letter TELUS and Shaw said “Under the law, the CRTC had no choice but to find Globalive non-compliant. The evidence as presented in an open hearing is irrefutable. Globalive’s majority owner, Egyptian carrier Orascom, controls 82% of Globalive’s capital structure. That is way offside of the law… For the CRTC to have interpreted the law in any other fashion would have rendered meaningless Canada’s foreign ownership laws, not just as they apply in this case, but as they apply to all Canadian wireless, telecommunications, cable and broadcast companies currently operating in our country”.
So the saga continues… what are your thoughts on the Globalive/WIND Mobile events. As Canadians would you like to see WIND launch their brand before the year is over?
Discussion
28 comments for “WIND Mobile: “We’re not about selling out””
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Absolutely!
I agree 100% that the big 3 (Especially Rogers) should focus on themselves, investing their own money on improving their own networks and everything else. Just shows you how greedy they are.
Just shows you how threatened all of the carriers are. I feel like it’s highschool with them lol
Wind, I hope you launch, and I hope it’s very soon.
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Look, I’m tired of the incumbents and s**t talking about buying out, preventing launch, and compliance with foreign ownership.
WIND can’t do much damage at first anyhow. And the incumbents can definitely focus on their own customer satisfaction, but the fact remains they rather spend millions of dollars preventing a single new entrant, over putting that money to good use in making a stable, reliable network.
WIND is here for the long term, and the big 3 know it.
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The only thing preventing Wind from launching is in fact Wind. They ignored the law on purpose and are paying the price.
The solution is simple: comply with the law and launch. Its not difficult.
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One govt agency said it was ok to bid on the wireless spectrum. Another angency said it’s not allowed to use them.
I’m sure the Wind lawyers are having nice discussions with the govt over possible fraud.
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As ignorant as this may sound, because I don’t quite understand it all fully, if they (Globalive/Wind) can’t be majority Canadian owned and operated, then they can’t represent Canadians! “dey took our jurbs”!
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The company will launch. The government will overturn the decision. Possibly there would be new conditions attached such as deadline of one year for new Canadian funding.
Just my 2 cents.
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The Government cannot simply overturn the decision because it would have serious serious ramifications.
First it would basically remove foreign ownership restrictions for all media and telecommunications companies in Canada. While some may want this the way to do it is NOT with a knee jerk reaction. There are many things to be considered and planned for.
Second it would mean that all other spectrum auction participants were unfairly discriminated against because they were not given the opportunity partner with foreign investors. The government would be creating a liability for themselves.
The only remedy is for Globalive to become compliant, which I expect they will eventually. There is no shortage of capital out there. It just means certain foreign billionaires in Egypt will have to give up some control. I don’t think many people will shed a tear for him.
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Agreed. Even Virgin when they came here (before they soldout to Bell) had to find a way to be compliant, and that meant finding a canadian partner (in that case Bell).
I don’t have alot of love for the incombents re: service rates, but I would not for a minute trust a random foreign cie. with my personal telecoms either…
Wind will find a way to launch (too much money spent…), but they have only themselves to blame. I have no pity for them and nobody should be blaming the CRTC for simply applying the law.
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This sounds straight out of a Telus of Rogers press release.
Cabinet action wouldn’t remove foreign ownership restrictions for telecom — it would say that the CRTC got it wrong when they looked at Globalive’s structure. As for media, that’s under a whole different Act.
The CRTC didn’t “simply apply the law”. It made a decision. The decision was that Orascom controls Globalive. If you actually look at the facts — only three Orascom employees in Canada, Globalive making all of its own decisions and hiring all of its own staff, Orascom having a minority of voting shares, etc. — I don’t see how you could possibly repeat the line that Telus and Rogers keep pushing, that the CRTC “had no choice”.
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It’s actually very simple, CRTC is part of BIG-FAT THREE
. most probably CRTC guys are fiends of BELUS-ROBBERS group.
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Overturning the CRTC ruling would set the precedent by which all other foreign ownership reviews would then be measured. It would effectively remove foreign ownership limits.
At the CRTC hearings there was a wealth of information from which only conclusion could be drawn. Globalive has no control over any of the business. They can’t choose handsets, network technologies, price plans, staff levels, marketing campaigns etc. Every single decision was governed by veto agreements held by Orascom. Globalive and its employees are merely puppets to try and look Canadian. There was no other way to interpret the facts.
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I hate the big 3.. I am with ROGERS and I want to get out of my contract.. I hate them and I also hate Bell and Telus!! Come on CRTC let WINDMOBILE launch and let them prove them selves!!!I cant wait till they launch!!! Rumours got it that WIND will buy out contracts from the BIG 3 to get new customers and make them happy!!!
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Just curious as to where you got that source form?
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This is the same thing people were saying when Bell and Telus launched HSPA.
It’s not happening.
Even corporate clients with $50,000 bills seldomly get bought out for their business – so I doubt a couple folks paying $200+ for their bills will either.
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Maybe some other Canadian’s are thinking the same question as I am, but no one is mentioning it… who CARES if foreign companies own Canadian companies anyway? This is a capitalist country, is it not? I demand a better phone company, and I should be supplied. Let Canadian companies collapse! Screw them anyway. You can’t be “mostly” capitalist. It should be all or nothing.
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Allowing foreign companies to own our infrastructure is akin to you never owning the home you live in. If you were forever required to rent your home then you would be reliant on your landlord to protect your interests. A lot of people have good relationships with their landlords, but when push comes to shove can you rely on them to do what is best for you? Or will they only do what is best for them?
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Of course this would be so much worse than the current situation, where Rogers, Bell and Telus all look out 100% for the customer and never arbitrarily increase fees or conduct shady dealings to keep any competition out of the marketplace.
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Read the law. In canada you don’t own the land your home is on The goverment does and they can take it away anytime they want.So still think you own your home?can you take it with you?I don’t care who I’m making rich the big fat 3 or someone else
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I could understand how people would be upset about WIND skirting the law but for one thing – Globalive asked Industry Canada if their ownership structure would be allowed before they bid on any spectrum, and the government said it would be fine. It was only after the incumbents complained AFTER the auction was over that the CRTC launched a review. If anyone was really concerned about their ownership structure, as opposed to, say, the increased competition they may facilitate, wouldn’t people have complained before the auction began?
So basically, they’re Canadian enough that the government can take their money, but not Canadian enough to do anything with what they bought. Where’s the fairness in that?
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“Random Acts Of Kindness?”
It was a good idea the first time – when Telus did it over two years ago. They gave out free flowers and stuff all over Toronto.
Pathetic.
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I really hope that WIND launches. Im from Europe and I KNOW how cheap cell phones should be. I hate the big three and I would do anything to get out of their grasp and switch to WIND.
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To all those of you who think that control is not already lost, consider that foreign companies already own a great deal of company capital and control. Just think of all the shareholders of telus/rogers/bell. Do you seriously believe this control nonsense, that Canadian shareholders have all control? foolish.
And to Hugo petit naïf who said having a problem with a foreign company having access to personal information, your information including medical history, records etc is already in the hands of multinationals courtesy of our lovely gvmt which cannot afford to manage, store our personal info. If you don’t believe me do your research.
We all know who controls the CRTC so let’s stop taking people for dumb asses by feeding them the typical corporatist bs. Yuk this makes me sick.
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Wind Mobile lacks leadership. The rules and regulations are available for everyone to see. The fact that they built a half billion dollar business that obviously does not conform to Canadian law is just incompetent. This was not a small oversight, it was either intensional or pure idiocy. If they have this much disregard for the laws of Canada, what else are they up to.
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This issue is funny as our prime minister is visiting different countries for investment and here we have rules which dont support foreign investment.
CRTC rules were made in 1993, business rules have changed, why would another country invest in canada when we are so closed minded.
We would like to see competition….
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Why complain about another company investing in Canada now? We bloody well sell everything we own to foreign investors. Nothing is truly Canadian. Our prime minister doesn’t have the grapes. Our dollar surpasses the states and everyone starts freaking out. “We should raise interest rates, so that our dollar will drop” they say. We’re Canadian and we’re underachievers. Be proud. Bell, telus and rogers don’t give a crap about their consumers. You ever argue with them about some of their warranties or lack there of. It’s like talking with someone from another planet.
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I really wish that WINDMOBILE launches soon..Orascom telecom has the biggest network in Egypt and they are continuously improving their network to satisfy their customers..also wireless service there is very cheap, unlike here in Canada. And Orascom has investments in many places all over the world. Unfortunately Rogers, Telus, and Bell don’t want WINDMOBILE to launch because they know that they will loose so many customers to them..so, I really hope they launch soon
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you should all know Canada is not run by Canadians…its run by the gov. general and the Queen/England…
…if you dont relize that you should wake up and smell the cell phone reception…
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I don’t care where they come from. I’m tired of Bell and Rogers ripping off Canadians. why do we give Canadian business that rip us off so much power over are Money if we all went to wind and screwed Rogers and Bell. they would be crying over the loss of money
they ripped off from us.over so many years I worked for both companies if they can charge there employees 1/2 price for everything and still make profit on us then why are they charging every other Canadian double they are crooks end of the story.
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