Public Mobile is one of Canada’s new wireless carriers and they’re not for everyone. They cater to a specific demographic who hates spending tons on money on wireless. During the 2008 Spectrum Auction Public invested over $52 million and gained coverage from Windsor to Quebec City.
There’s no word official word on their subscriber numbers, rumours circulating reveal they are above the 150,000 mark. If true, those are solid numbers for their limited coverage and limited device selection, especially since analysts at one time stated the G-band was unwanted and could never work. An interesting interview today from with Bruce Kirby, VP of Strategy & Business Development, at Public. Kirby says that “We’re still not profitable … but we’ll get there far ahead of anyone else” (Wind Mobile and Mobilicity).
When Public initially launched CEO Alek Krstajic said they are going after the “low income value conscious” customers. It was originally their intent to only offer talk and text plans and devices, but customer needs evolved and they soon released their “Buzz” data phone, along with a $5 unlimited email add-on. Kirby noted in the interview that they are currently “testing three or four new handsets, possibly low-end phones running Google’s Android software it can sell for less than C$200 without a subsidy”.
Personally, I never thought I’d write Public Mobile and Android in the same sentence. But wouldn’t it be amazing if they did release and Android device, most likely it’ll be a ZTE.
Source: Reuters
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