Time to stop dreaming about the new carriers?

[urbnlgcy]

With Globalive being stunted by the CRTC, Public Mobile launching only in Eastern Canada, and DAVE wireless still fairly unknown, is it time to stop having such high expectations for the new carriers and what they may do to the landscape of Canadian wireless? Will the average consumer truly benefit all that much? Even the States only have 4 large national carriers and it has definitely taken them a long way and lots of competition to bring them to where they are today. Discuss.

[dougfriessen]

Dave wireless might be good still. they just have to get a new name and have some sort of presence to people can get to know what they'll offer

[kmusky]

I don't think that we have unrealistically high expectations of the new guys, we just have very low expectations of the incumbents. I personally don't mind only have 3 carriers, provided they actually compete. Unfortunately, there is an unwritten code amongst the Big 3 that they will not mess with each others (bloated) profits. A new carrier, who actually offers fair value, is desperately needed here.

[underwhere]

Rogers, Bell and TELUS rake in so much dough and people are happy/unhappy with them that any new player at any size is competition and it gets them scared. WIND is prob. the biggest threat since they are backed/funded by a wireless company. Dave is unknown but followed the rules and Public uses technology that nobody cares about and is yet to be reliable. Videotron will also be a bigger threat in Quebec and grow into Ontario also

For whatever reason the Gov't from the start wanted new competition, it could have been for more money, to actually have more choice or to grow wireless in Canada. The only thing I want is freekin' lower prices. It's getting so expensive to have a cell now. My work doesn't even pay for it. Over the next few months we'll see all the new players launch but in a few years I think the top 3 will look like this:

Rogers is the leader
Bell/TELUS merge
WIND Mobile