Bell hints at launching a new discount wireless brand

Remember Solo Mobile, Bell’s uber-entry carrier that offered affordable talk, text and data plans?

The company shuttered that brand in 2012, stating it didn’t need to have three wireless options for its customers and instead referring consumers to Virgin Mobile of Bell Mobility.

However, the times might be changing.

During its Q3 quarter earnings call, Phillip Huang, research analyst at ‎Barclays Investment Bank, asked Bell CEO George Cope, “regarding on the Wireless side, the discount segment, Rogers has Chatr and Telus has Public Mobile. Is there a third brand to address the value segment? I was wondering what your views are of the discount wireless segment? Could we see maybe BCE address that segment perhaps more fully going forward?”

Cope candidly replied, “There’s clearly some growth in the prepaid segment that is in the midst of going on and […] we are looking at that segment. I think I mentioned that last quarter as well. And I think to investors, stay tuned in terms of what we do in the marketplace there to make sure if there’s any space that we are not participating in proportionally, we have to look at that and although it’s a very low revenue space, it’s one we want to make sure distribution-wise we are maintaining our right share. So I think you’ll see something from us in the future in that space. Stay tuned on that.”

Bell could be set to position itself against rival competitors Rogers’ Chatr and Telus’ Public Mobile. In addition, another possibility is to compete against Freedom Mobile, or its rumoured new wireless brand ‘Shaw Mobile.’

Time will tell.

Source: Cartt, Seeking Alpha