As expected, Bell has shifted their offering by giving customers the option of signing a wireless contract on a 2-year term. An internal doc we we previously posted indicated that today (July 17th) would see Bell “replace all existing Consumer rate plans with a new line-up designed for 2 year contracts to offer greater choice and flexibility. Also as of July 17, 2013, hardware pricing will be determined by the plan the customer selects.”
The three rate plans are Voice; Voice and Data Lite; and Voice and Data Plus. These all range in price and can be used on entry level to flagship smartphones. Overall, the monthly plans increase by $5/month and if you choose to sign a 2-year contract, versus a 3-year, the device hardware will increase by minimum of $20 to $30. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is currently $229.95 on a 3-year, but if a 2-year is selected it’ll increase to $249.95. The same is true for the BlackBerry Q10 – on a 3-year it’s $199.95, but a 2-year will rise $30 to $229.95. The iPhone seems to be the only one stuck on a 3-year with no 2-year option. It should be noted that Bell will keep the 3-year contract pricing available until July 29th, 2013.
We have a list of the full Voice, Voice and Data Lite, and Voice and Data Plus plans here, or more info on the 2-year terms here. All carriers, including TELUS, Virgin and Rogers, will be transitioning to a 2-year contract term by December 2nd as this is mandated by the CRTC new Wireless Code. TELUS will be going live on July 30, Virgin is set for August 1st, and Rogers ‘shortly.’
Source: Bell
