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Report: Canadians still feeling “frustrated” even with new wireless choices


An interesting report from Public Interest Advocacy Centre called “Waiting for the Dream, the Consumer brief for Telecom Reform 2010″. In this 218-page document it states that even though the wireless industry has seen more competition and restructured consumers are still feeling “frustrated”.

Executive Director and General Counsel Michael Janigan says that “All kinds of benefits were promised to consumers in terms of lower prices and better deals on packages. None of that came to pass… Wireless seems to be the cash cow of the industry… What we find is, as we’ve restructured the industry to put an emphasis on competition, there’s still problems associated with the influence of the big incumbent telecos on the entire process.”

Not sure where Janigan has been for the last year but there has been several options for consumers to choose from. New entrants Public Mobile, Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Videotron all launched their new wireless networks. As for subscriber numbers, Videotron announced 95,400 subscribers in Q3, Wind Mobile will reach “well over” 200,000 by the end of the year and Mobilicity recently claimed 50,000 new subscribers in Q4. Public Mobile has not declared subscriber numbers. All this to say that customers are making moves to give new competitors a chance. So competition is working and in some areas the new entrants are pressuring the incumbents to act.

As for pricing and better deals – every carrier (even Rogers, Bell and TELUS) now has some sort of Unlimited offering. Quebec is fine example of this as you can now get an Unlimited Quebec plan from any carrier for about $60/month. Even Solo re-branded and started offering Unlimited plans and Rogers launched their discount brand Chatr. All new entrants came out with lower prices than any of the Big Three. Both Mobilicity and Wind have an all-in Unlimited talk, text and data plan for $40 per month. Without the fierce competition in Canadian wireless these pricing plans would have never happened a year ago.

Even Telus spokesman Shawn Hall spoke up and called Janigan’s report is “self-serving mythology… The fact is that urban Canadians enjoy the benefits of one of the most competitive telecommunications industries in the world… Canadians have access to a dozen or more options for their wireless, home phone and Internet services, while rural Canadians are not far behind that.”

The Government wanted more “to achieve lower prices, better service and more choice for consumers and business” when they announced the auction back in 2008…. and that’s exactly what 2010 delivered. Every carrier in one way or another stepped up their game to earn their customers business. 2011 will be even more insane for wireless competition.

What are your thoughts on Janigans remarks. Even with all this new competition are you feeling “frustrated” or have you benefited from the lower prices and more choice?

Source: Canadian Press

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Discussion

72 comments for “Report: Canadians still feeling “frustrated” even with new wireless choices”

  1. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 34

    Posted by Mike | December 29, 2010, 10:21 pm
  2. That’s because not all the phones work on all the carriers.

    The Nexus One only works with Videotron/Wind.

    The iPhone only works with the Big 3′s network.

    There are also regional limitations. Wind is not available in Quebec. Videotron is not available outside Quebec

    We need carrier to be dumb pipe only and allow us to have control of our own mobile devices. Government needs to regulate how the spectrum are sold, so the Big 3 can’t lock new carriers out.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 45 Thumb down 7

    Posted by qibsss | December 29, 2010, 10:21 pm
    • the google N1 will work on Bell, Telus and Rogers (if you got it before the summer)

      apple are releasing an AWS iphone soon (most likely the iphone5)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4

      Posted by chall2k5 | December 30, 2010, 8:20 am
    • Because all people out there use a iPhone 4 or a Nexus One. Yes there are not as many AWS phones available out there compaired to the 850/1900 bands, but there is enough choices out there, besides, everyone gets a new handset when they change carriers.

      The trouble lays that people know the prices are cheaper with the new companies but they want it here and now, and signing a 3 year contract that comes with a $50($500) handset, is better than dumping $500 to buy a handset out right, and that is what is making people fustrated.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 1

      Posted by Colin | December 30, 2010, 9:31 am
    • I don’t know where you read they are releasing a AWS iPhone?! Apple has said nothing of the sort, I work for them. Also, Rogers, Fido, Solo AND Virgin ALL have cheaper plans than you can get in the states! If you are proactive, you can get cheaper plans! I don’t know if anyone has ever lived in the states, but for unlimited everything with AT&T it costs about $150 and the limit on the Data is only 5 gigs. With Fido I pay $75 I get 6 gigs, unlimited calling to the us and canada, unlimited text, and if you complain about the amount of handsets that work on their network, you are a fool. Almost any phone will work on their network, just insert their sim card. Same goes for SOLO Virgin and the rest of them. I agree that progress is ALWAYS good, but we are far better off now than the states are! With the exception of perhaps Metro PCS. Anyways, just call up your phone company ask for a better plan, if they don’t have it (bell, telus) Go to Koodo, Solo, Virgin, Fido, Rogers. They ALL have an unlimited plan for a reasonable price, and if you add the unlimited long distance to the VIRGIN SOLO KOODO plans, you’ll have unlimited everywhere in Canada. The Rogers and Fido ones already include it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 5

      Posted by Mike | December 30, 2010, 12:14 pm
    • chall.. now now thats a fib. Apple has not said they will have an aws version.. be honest..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

      Posted by Rocco StiffReddi | December 30, 2010, 5:35 pm
  3. Please provide a link to the report.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 22 Thumb down 0

    Posted by catherine | December 29, 2010, 10:23 pm
  4. I think a true unlimited plan would be nice to see.
    ie: unlimited nationwide talk, text, data.
    It would be nice to see some of the old north american plans back from the big 3 also for the business clients that travel or have to be on there phone non stop with people other than a fave 5 or 10.
    Lets face it. Fave numbers aren’t going to work for a business person like they would for a regular consumer.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 12

    Posted by Danny | December 29, 2010, 10:28 pm
  5. Well said Catherine, a link to that report would sure be nice.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0

    Posted by tbr | December 29, 2010, 10:36 pm
  6. Danny: don’t both Mobilicity and Wind have such true unlimited plan for $40?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 23 Thumb down 0

    Posted by David | December 29, 2010, 10:38 pm
  7. I definitely benefited. I would have never got the $20 plan I have now, I’d be scammed just like everyone else. Know a guy who pays 25 dollars for unlimited text, no caller ID, no voicemail and MINUTES, i pay 25 for EVERYTHING that isn’t data or MMS. Talk about fail. I pay less yet I get more, and never got a dropped call. To be honest Wind and Moblicity ARE making a change, slowly people are coming out from the idiotic mentality that they’re network drops every second and you can’t make a call. And they’re both improving heavily. Kudos to them. People just need to open their minds a bit, because they only see the front price(OMG I CAN GET LIKE THE BEST PHONE EVAR AND LIKE O-M-G). I know a few people like that, which is actually sad. Then again their parents pay for the expensive a*s data plans that are with it and have no caller ID or nothing. Smooth.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Amar | December 29, 2010, 10:40 pm
    • Sorry I pay 20 dollars for everything not data or mms. Typo lol

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1

      Posted by Amar | December 30, 2010, 6:25 pm
  8. http://www.piac.ca/telecom/

    Catherine, I think this is what you are looking for.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

    Posted by tbr | December 29, 2010, 10:42 pm
  9. @Mike thanks for personating me…I’m the real Mike…The real reason why people are frustrated is because everyone’s pissed off to see all that money they have waisted all these years and being ripped off, and now they are beginning to see true savings for a service thats worth paying for by Wind, and Mobilicity. It’s a out of this world plan for $40 per month for everything unlimited including Canada/ U.S calling, text and picture messaging, global text, and all you can use Data, its mind blowing that the big 3 charged over $150 per month for only 150 daytime minutes, unlimited 9pm calling which is rediculous specially whose awake after 11pm during a work week to make calls…LOl and only 2500 text messages, plus LMAO extra fees for voicemail, caller Id and LMFAO extra for rip off fee for 911 fee, system access fee, plus LMFAO extra for long distance and roaming. so you would probably see your bill go as high as $250 – $400 per month, My girlfriend who use to be with Bell and has a business use to have $600 bell bills every month because of overages of daytime minutes and long distance charges, and now she’s with Mobilicity and only pays $40 per month, and now she’s overly excited by these savings she’s getting. I use to be with Telus and I paid over $300 per month And I was utterly frustrated every month paying these high bills every month, and now I’m with mobilicity and I’m only paying $40 per month as well. And I got to say I’m 100% not frustrated now, I’m very very happy to save this kind of money to put my money to other useful things like more food for my kids, better clothes for my kids, paying off debt. If it wasn’t for wind or mobilicity I would have no hair on my head cause I would be pulling my hair out in frustration to keep paying the big 3 rediculous prices. Go Wind Go, Go Mobilicity Go..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 41 Thumb down 2

    Posted by mike | December 29, 2010, 10:59 pm
    • @Mike are you an i***t? When was the last time you had a phone on one of the Big 3, 1995? Who in the hell is paying $150 for 150 daytime minutes, evenings and weekends? Are you serious with this s**t? It’s $50 flat for that, with 500MB of data, SIX PM evenings and weekends, and usually some kind of my5 tossed in. Do some research before you just spout random s**t out of your a*s. No one except Rogers has 911 or the Government Regulatory Fees anymore, so again, you’re a tool. If anyone’s paying $250-$400 per month, they’re either calling Zimbabwe (guess what, that’s ALSO $7.50 / minute for WIND and Mobilicity too, trust me, they show it in the training video!) or are not activating the right add-ons on their plan, or picked the completely WRONG plan. Stop making s**t up, if anyone has bills between $250-$400, it’s no ones fault but their own for not selecting the right features they needed for THEM.

      Also, I used to work for Wind, and it’s definitely not as peachy keen as they’d have you believe. AWS spectrum is absolute garbage compared to the 850/1900, there’s a reason no one wanted it. The phones are pretty awful too, how many times do you hear Americans talking about how good T-Mobiles phone selection is? You don’t, because it’s absolute trash, excluding the unsibsidized-only Nexus One, which by todays Android standards, has already been outstripped 3 times over.

      “I use to be with Telus and I paid over $300 per month And I was utterly frustrated every month paying these high bills every month, and now I’m with mobilicity and I’m only paying $40 per month as well.”

      Wow, and how much is Mobilicity paying you for writing this comment? I know WIND pays up to $5 per comment. ;) Yes, these new carriers are actually hiring people to comment positive things and make other carriers look bad. Of course, Bell, Telus, and Rogers have been doing it for years, so who’s more evil?

      I guess what I’m trying to say is EVERY Telcomm, including these new garbage carriers, are still after one thing, and one thing only – your money. They do not give two shits about you or what you need, just how much they can milk you for. They’re no different than any business anywhere, the bottom line still takes priority over consumers or customers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2

      Posted by Josh | January 2, 2011, 9:16 pm
  10. No matter what companies will do, people will remain frustrated. Even if services were free (no catches, truly free) people would still find some reason to complain.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 19 Thumb down 10

    Posted by TGN | December 29, 2010, 11:03 pm
    • And that’s how they’re greedy morons. I don’t want to be rude but even stuff like the unlimited 40, they still find things to complain about it. “Oh…I don’t know if its gonna work… Like…. I know its everything but…I’d rather just stay on my contract….”
      It’s actually sad.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2

      Posted by Amar | December 29, 2010, 11:19 pm
    • Wow. That could be the dumbest post I’ve ever read.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3

      Posted by Me Ted | December 30, 2010, 2:21 am
  11. I plan to switch from Telus to a newer carrier once my 3 year contract is up. Not impressed with their pricey plans and seemingly greater concern for newer customers over loyal customers.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 3

    Posted by Mae | December 29, 2010, 11:11 pm
    • Are you sure you wanna wait? I saved $182 by breaking my contract with the morons at Robbers. And that includes a $300 cancellation fee! Find out your monthly saving and the cost of cancellation. It’s often worth it to tell them to take their contract and shove it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

      Posted by copolii | December 30, 2010, 3:35 pm
  12. Im on the 40 dollar unlimited everything plan and my sons on the $20 unlimited talk, text, voicemail, call forwarding, three way calling and caller ID. Glad I can see plans so cheap while being this young(34) because I lived with a horrible plan for too long, retentions can get you only so far. Haha my son has actually made fun of his friends who are trapped with 3 year contracts. Every year he saves up for a new phone from his own job, so he’s never going to be outdated. Pretty smart for a 15 year old.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Moe Arkanhine | December 29, 2010, 11:13 pm
  13. Their* not they’re. lool

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 4

    Posted by Amar | December 29, 2010, 11:15 pm
    • Lol not lool. Don’t go after people’s typos. It’s a real sign of weakness. In other words, eff off.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3

      Posted by Me Ted | December 30, 2010, 2:23 am
    • Hey jackass, I was referring to my own post, go back to it. It says they’re i***t.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1

      Posted by Amar | December 30, 2010, 6:27 pm
  14. I switched from one of the big 3 to Wind i am very very happy with my service. their network is better then the one i was on even though home zone coverage isnt nationwide it doesnt really matter since I live in a home zone and dont have plans to move out of one any time soon. I also enjoy having no contract and not being locked in even though i am happy with them its nice to be able to switch to another provider and not pay about $600 to get out of a contract.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Pickles | December 29, 2010, 11:16 pm
  15. Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 29

    Posted by Kee | December 29, 2010, 11:22 pm
  16. There has been more competition and prices have come down which is great. However, we are still paying the most for cellular service than anyone else in the world. Until we are on a more even playing field i agree with the report 100%.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 3

    Posted by Mattymo | December 29, 2010, 11:25 pm
  17. Because the BIG 3 make it so hard for people to leave, cancellation fees, confusion on when its acceptable to port numbers without getting charged. (Even though they all charge you an extra month because of some BS)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Dan | December 29, 2010, 11:49 pm
  18. I’ve yet to see an unlimited plan that actually was.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 11

    Posted by Brrr | December 29, 2010, 11:53 pm
  19. I just arrived back in Canada after spending much of the last 2 years overseas and am pleasantly surprised to see the affects of more competition. While it’s still only in major centers and the Maritimes seem to be left in the cold, it’s a step in the right direction.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 0

    Posted by bchrus | December 29, 2010, 11:55 pm
  20. Um, well, not everyone lives in a major city…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1

    Posted by someoneelse | December 29, 2010, 11:56 pm
    • EXACTLY!!! Not everyone lives in the most densely populated area of Canada. It is a little more spread out when you get to the Prairies and BC where coverage would be $#!+ without the big 3 out here, which is very unfortunate. I would love one of these unlimited plans, but I don’t see towers popping up all over the prairies anytime soon. Until these companies get much much MUCH better coverage outside of the east, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, it means nothing to millions of people.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0

      Posted by monsterduc1000 | December 30, 2010, 8:23 am
  21. I am mostly on the road for work around the GTA and make a lot of long distance call. My average bill with Rogers were over $300 per month. I switched over to Mobilicity, I am now paying $40 per month for everything unlimited. I am no longer scare of looking at my phone bill. I am all smiling!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Archangelca | December 30, 2010, 12:00 am
  22. bell have ripped me off over one thing is voicemail which I cannot use due to being deafness and I don’t use that at all but otherwise, everything is just fine with me.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0

    Posted by James Arsenault | December 30, 2010, 12:18 am
  23. You guys keep talking about these unlimited 40$ plans but you don’t realise that not everyone can get it. I live in quebec and while its ice that everyone has competition with their 60$ unlimited plans a lot of people don’t want to pay that much. There has been no change in the lower end plans and thats why people are frustrated. The people who pay for the more expensive plans now never had a problem paying for them in the past. If i had the option of the 40$ unlimited I would jump on it but unfortunately Quebec has nothing new on the cheaper end of things.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Cory | December 30, 2010, 12:40 am
  24. The study must be from Manitoba… we still only have MTS & Rogers (everything else here is a joke). ughhhh….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0

    Posted by j.mo | December 30, 2010, 12:41 am
  25. Canadians will be frustrated as long as people keep telling them to be frustrated. If lazy groups like the PIAC keep telling Canadians that everyone else gets better deals then Canadians will continue to believe it, even though its not true.

    “What we find is, as we’ve restructured the industry to put an emphasis on competition, there’s still problems associated with the influence of the big incumbent telecos on the entire process.”

    Seriously?? The big 3 have nearly 20 million wireless customers between them… of course they are going to have influence on the wireless market!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5

    Posted by TNSF | December 30, 2010, 12:54 am
    • What are you 9 years old. PIAC is a non profit agency who works for Canadian’s rights. Click on the link and you will see a bunch of sentences half with quotations which are hand picked from a lengthy report or reports. Canadian press is a joke if this is how they report.

      Before making stup*d comments against these groups you need to be able to think which you obviously can not.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

      Posted by tbr | December 30, 2010, 1:10 am
  26. h**p://www.piac.ca/telecom/

    Catherine, I was only able to find this but no reference to this article.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

    Posted by tbr | December 30, 2010, 12:59 am
  27. I canceled my BS Rogers contract, paid the ECF, and switched to Mobilicity. Best wireless decision I’ve made so far.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0

    Posted by crayjay | December 30, 2010, 1:11 am
  28. “The fact is that urban Canadians enjoy the benefits of one of the most competitive telecommunications industries in the world… Canadians have access to a dozen or more options for their wireless, home phone and Internet services, while rural Canadians are not far behind that.” -Shawn Hall

    And Shawn Hall has the most convincing hyperbole in the world!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1

    Posted by ghurley | December 30, 2010, 1:13 am
  29. K, so the prices have come down some. But what about plans like in Australia where you can get what I pay 50$ a month+ SAF + taxes on for 25$ AUS a month?! Yeah the plans are getting a bit better but they still aren’t as good as plans internationally. Especially since we’re locked into 3 year plans- the only country in te Western world that does that. And what about ppl stuck in contracts? The big 3 aren’t coming out with competitive plans we can switch to. It’s gettin better- but it’s not there yet.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Lana | December 30, 2010, 1:18 am
  30. Those frustrated people have to for sure grow some guts and break contract and join WIND because trust me at the end it is worth it. Stop looking that those ETF because in the long run you are still going to save money for getting more… I am not frustrated no more. Thanks to WIND!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by 5Gs | December 30, 2010, 1:19 am
    • Not everyone can switch to WIND or MOBI…since they are only in all of like 5 cities..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

      Posted by JCE | December 31, 2010, 2:02 am
  31. The only people who are not happy are the morons still with the big three. It’s disgraceful actually.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Zeake | December 30, 2010, 1:26 am
  32. It’s one step forward, two steps back. For every “unlimited” plan there are $25 upgrade fees, activation fees, plan change fees and so on. Profits lost from system access fees are regained in government reclamation fees and soon SIM cards will start back up to the $20 and up prices they used to be at. Prices on plans will go down while options like call display will rise (this one boggles my mind considering it costs the telcos NOTHING, but hey, profit is profit, right?)

    We’re not getting screwed like we used to, we’re just getting screwed in a different way.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2

    Posted by werD | December 30, 2010, 1:28 am
  33. Hey Ian,

    Maybe you should mention the fact that the new entrants are on a completely different band. So for those of us with handsets on the UMTS II band we’re SOL. We have to either sell the device or stay with the incumbents. For those still on contracts, they could be looking at $400 in penalties. Tell the whole story next time before you condemn the report.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2

    Posted by Me Ted | December 30, 2010, 2:19 am
  34. I can understand how people can be still frustrated. Less than half a million people have switched to the new carriers. That means millions are still on the big 3, the companies that haven’t really do anything yet to be more competitive. Their prices and contracts are still stupid.

    Then there’s consumer protection. Contracts are a blatant scam to keep consumers locked in with massive financial reprucussios if they try to leave.
    Companies are also still allowed to hide the true cost of the plans with small print like 911, government regulator (lol) fees and so on (except in Quebec recently)

    I keep saying more competition helps, but this country needs WAY stronger rules and regulations to protect consumers with telecommunications.
    Don’t even get me started with cable and Internet.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Terry | December 30, 2010, 3:46 am
  35. The report is correct. 20 million people are still locked into multi-year contracts, at terrible prices, and are being offered “slightly better contracts” if they extend their lock in.

    They don’t see any difference. Do you wonder why the big three have flanker brands, and Roger’s big response was to start “evening and weekends at 6″ instead of later – because with 20 million big three users in momentum, they are taking the average user and extending their lock in, and users are still frustrated.

    The big 3 have changed their phone prices to relock users: they used to have equally tiered discounts for 1,2 and three year, now it’s $50 off, $100 off, then the phone for $50 – the large jump shows (1) They are focusing on the 3 year lock in (no value proposition for 1 and 2 year) and the easiest to do this are consumers that don’t have time to “do all the research”, they like “brand” and they trust “brand” so they go that way, with the 3 year lock in.

    As well, the big three are only offering some of the best phones and plans on 3 year. People are frustated because they see themselves being bullied into the three year. Wanted that hot new IPhone – only on 3 year originally.

    Absolutely consumers are frustrated. The average person doesn’t see any change.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0

    Posted by canadaboy | December 30, 2010, 4:10 am
  36. Well I for one am frustrated with the Big 3. I’ve been a $100/month paying customer with Rogers and they give me no benefits for being a loyal customer. The only reason why I stayed with them is because I had a sweet deal but now that my data plan and other extras cost me about $120/month, I’m tired of it.

    I’m going to Wind today and signing up to their $40 unlimited plan – $400 contract breakage fee be damned.

    Whenever I go out way out of their zone, I will forward my number to where I will be or get a pay as you go phone if the rates are too high. Regardless, I will be saving about $80/month.

    Also, they (or Mobilicity) may not have the phone I want but with the money I’m going to save every month, I will be able to buy it outright and unlock it when it does come available (and no, it’s not an iPhone).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0

    Posted by slype | December 30, 2010, 8:59 am
  37. All I know is that here in the Maritimes we haven’t seen any improvements so don’t think just cause you switched to wind or mobi that we all have that option. And even if they come here if I have to roam on the Rogers network when I’m not in their home zones I might as well not bother having a cell phone at all.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1

    Posted by Joel | December 30, 2010, 9:14 am
  38. I live in Manitoba, so there hasn’t really been any change. I am still frustrated.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Toteek | December 30, 2010, 9:21 am
  39. I am significantly less frustrated now than I was 9-10 months ago when I made the switch from Bell to Wind. I get a better signal in my home, I can even make calls from my basement which I was never able to do before and I’ve never had a dropped call. CSRs have been great, although I’ve only had to speak to them twice and the $40 plan kicks some serious butt! We need to see this report in its entirety and figure out how the data was collated. Everyone I know who’ve switched either to Wind or Mobilicity are very happy with their decisions.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Jonesy1966 | December 30, 2010, 9:23 am
  40. Another reason that everyone is fustrated, is because all of us living in small cities (300,000+) can’t get the great $40 deals.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Colin | December 30, 2010, 9:40 am
  41. “…Canadians enjoy the benefits of one of the most competitive telecommunications industries in the world…”

    Mmmm, just like we have competition with gas pricing, 4 different gas stations on a single corner.

    ALL charging the same price. Some competition. Likewise, why can’t I get a really, really cool phone with one of the new entrants? Because Bell et al have all the cool phones. Again, so much for competition (Granted, I can purchase a phonee & go where I want, but most Canadians still do the contract thing.)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0

    Posted by GatVlieg | December 30, 2010, 9:56 am
  42. Voice and text plans are bad enough in Canada right now but if you want a data plan there is no worse market than Canada in the world. We have the most expensive data plans in the world. The competition with the big 3 is sparse or non-existent outside of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. 3 year contracts are robbery. Plus the carriers just stick us with plan changes, extra charges even fraudulent charges, they can charge us for problems even when it is their fault and there is nothing we can do about it. We are poster child of how not to rollout a wireless industry. The government has just thrown us to the wolves and all we can do is go out without data plans or bend over.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by Keith | December 30, 2010, 10:17 am
  43. All I know is I can’t wait until Shaw launches, a company with a history of catering to the rural communities. Hopefully they launch with plans that match Wind and Mobilicity. However I expect to see plans matched closer to the big 3, if they could somehow get in between Robellus and the discount brands I could see them very well in the west at least.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0

    Posted by farmerpete | December 30, 2010, 10:57 am
  44. frustrated that with new companies (besides wind who I don’t like for reception and other reasons) they have no top-up option so yes oyu hav eno contract but you HAVE to pay with a credit card, otherwise pay $3.00 in a store to pay your bill – yuck.

    reception issues = frustarting that never got resolved in downtown Toronto..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

    Posted by Luke | December 30, 2010, 11:20 am
  45. I hafta agree i’m frustrated. Because I am one of the vast majority of canadians that do not have access to one of the new carriers.. I’m left with the big three. And while it is true they are reducing plan prices forfetures such as text and minuites… I hafta be honest.. I don’t give a rats behind about anything but data. I never use anything else. With out unlimited data plans I will continue to be an the verge of jumping ship the very moment Wind gets here. I hate my carrier very much.

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    Posted by Len | December 30, 2010, 12:52 pm
  46. I’m pretty amazed that no one here has mentioned RETENTIONS plans. THAT’s how you get better plans with the Big 3–yeah if I was paying an in-market plan with Rogers I’d be frustrated too! It’s not fair to say that the incumbents haven’t been giving incentives to their customers in the form of better pricing and more services.

    I am paying $42 a month on Rogers and I have 6 GB data (essentially unlimited), unlimited texting and MMS, unlimited calling Canada-wide to 10 people, and I’m working on getting even more free stuff. I negotiated with Rogers Retentions using a variety of tactics (twice price-matching to the new companies offerings) and I’m happy to be on the largest network in Canada. I’ve done this for my family’s contracts as well. I get an iPhone, my family members get top of the line Blackberries.

    Yes it sucks that you have “work for it” and negotiate, but hey, it has worked for me and many of my family members so there’s no need for me to jump ship to one of the upstarts.

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    Posted by Peter | December 30, 2010, 1:03 pm
  47. Frustration is 3-year contracts and confusing phone prices.

    A phone that costs $100 with a 3-year contract costs $450 with a 2-year contract, $499 with a 1-year contract, and $599 without a contract.

    Drop the contracts down to 2-years maximum and people’s frustrations would be significantly reduced. Make sure the phone price subsidies are realistic and fair and people might actually be happy.

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    Posted by Greg | December 30, 2010, 1:09 pm
  48. The frustration is that not everyone lives in Quebec. The plans from Solo, Chatr, and the likes, are just mimic of each other. In the telecom backwater place, like BC, the new entrants network coverage is like swiss cheese, and Shaw has not launched here yet. All the newbies are launching unlimited plan, but what about limited but cheaper plans? Not everyone needs unlimited plans.

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    Posted by Breeze | December 30, 2010, 2:04 pm
  49. Please,how many customers tried the Newbies and returned to the incumbents WILLINGLY/HAPPILY paying extra knowing this is what you have to do to get better service and to be on a more solid network in order to use those expensive phones…the reason many are frustrated is because they expected superior quality/performance and dirt cheap prices.

    Mobi may be the old new provider that is trying to give you superior quality/performance for a fair rate,yet they are in their infancy and you will have to deal with a few problems until they get established…it’s clear Wind/PM are just in it for the money and their main/only goal is for profit.For this reason Mobi should be supported and pushed to do better.

    Still,in reality the Newbies have done nothing for our future and ANY new entrant would have caused the slight change we have seen at lower rates…I can assure you that if rates were higher the Subs would drop dramatically and all you Fanboys would turn into Incumbent supporters.In short,the only way you will produce real change is to dismantle the CRTYC and force the government to act on our behalf…considering this may never happen keep thinking the Newbies are our saviors until they become like the incumbents and enjoy your lower rates.It’s not Rogers/Bell/Telus…it’s the broken system they operate in.

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    Posted by JAWG | December 30, 2010, 5:34 pm
  50. contract lengths are still a big issue, I’d be a lot less frustrated if I didn’t have a few hundred dollars hanging over my head preventing me from switching from Rogers to one of the new guys. Also, locked hardware means jumping carriers is still very difficult, telecom’s should make it easier for customers to unlock the devices they paid for when they signed up for their service.

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    Posted by Eric Houstoun | December 30, 2010, 8:19 pm
  51. 3 years contract are a fraud

    Plus phone sould be unlocked for free upon customer’s request

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    Posted by IAMTHEMAN | December 30, 2010, 10:39 pm
  52. Hate to plays devil’s advocate but welcome to capitalism. It’s the telco’s job to be as profitable as possible. The real kicker is the 3 year contract. As a rogers customer i pay 96 for everything unlimted, nationwide calling, 6gb data, messageing caller id vm the whole package and macleans magazine. Yeah it’s not winds $75 plan, but i don’t have to worry about zones or any of that garbage, i get a network that’s been in use for years and I can use an iPhone.

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    Posted by Oms | December 30, 2010, 10:44 pm
  53. There are three components to this puzzle.

    1. Actual functionality
    2. Pricing
    3. Customer service

    To date I have yet to get all three from anyone!
    For me all three are critical…..and in the end, the company offering real customer service will win.

    Having to wait an hour or more to ask a question, or having your services or agreement change without your input, having urgent messages arrive as much as a day and a half late, I just don’t get it! It was never like this when Bell had a monopoly! It was supposed to get better when Rogers etc gave service NOT! It was supposed to get better when Wind et al came online NOT!

    Until Canadians both reward good service AND impose consequences for bad service we will forever get poor service and so poor value.

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    Posted by Art | December 31, 2010, 5:44 am
  54. @Oms: Unfortunatly not true capitalism.. this one is a semi-monopoly. It’s regulated to keep American companies out and even restrict the number of Canadian companies. Yet, the goverment is fairly hands off when it comes to regulating the carriers with things like net neutrality. Its lose lose, CRTC needs to either take over or get out compleatly.

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    Posted by Len | December 31, 2010, 10:44 am
  55. The CRTC made a decision on Wind/Orascom,then Clement comes in claiming like Superman he will save the Canadian Mobile Industry by reversing the decision and what happened…NOTHING.Just proves that under the table deals exist and that the CRTC has to be removed and the government is not acting in our favor where it’s time we pushed them united.It’s not the incumbents fault,it’s a badly flawed system and soon the Newbies will be worse if they grow enough…in short aside from temporary lower rates nothing has changed and actually technology is suffering.

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    Posted by JAWG | December 31, 2010, 1:14 pm
  56. A lot of the good deals didn’t start surfacing until December. Prices and plans are much different than they were 2 months ago and anyone who took advantage of them I’m sure is a very happy camper. I can’t exactly complain that my current phone bill is < $30 month with all taxes, fees, add-ons, etc :)

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    Posted by Dogg | January 1, 2011, 8:24 pm
  57. That’s great that all of you urbanites have tonnes of cheap plans to choose from now, but that doesn’t help anyone outside of Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton.

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    Posted by John | January 5, 2011, 6:09 pm

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