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?
