With wireless number portability hitting the market in two weeks, there are actually signs of competition between Canada’s major carriers – Bell, Telus and Rogers. Bell, which has been struggling with billing and subscriber growth problems for the past two years, blinked first yesterday when it unveiled Bell to Bell calling plans that let consumers make unlimited local calls between Bell wireless phones and residential business lines. Meanwhile, Rogers has launched My Home Connections plan that allows free calls between Rogers customers, including long-distance calls. You know the major carriers must be worried about WNP and the concept of losing customers when they offer consumers deals, which have become an almost extinct concept in Canada. Meanwhile, Virgin Canada, which has apparently enjoyed stronger than expected subscriber growth since it entered the market two years ago, plans to be extremely aggressive about WNP. Who knows, maybe competition is alive and well in Canada – the land of hockey, maple syrup and an obsession with ARPU.
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Rogers plan (i.e. free local/LD calls between any of its wireless or home phone customers) is very clever because Bell and TELUS will never copy it.
I think that we will see what will be called “competition” within the oligopoly, but this will also cause lots of confusion with the average consumers as to what is more profitable for whom. Canadians will need to start reading that fine print so as to not have a heart attack when getting those first bills.
Compare to Rogers? Why? What’s better, unlimited calling to half a million subscribers (Rogers) or 42 million subscribers (Bell)? I’d say Bell’s option makes more sense for those on the fence than Rogers’ plan does…
Wait, it’ll turn to nation-wide soon enough – Bell still has the upper hand in Ontario and Quebec…
Since there are fees attached to these new plans, the only clever thing is how they bundle and charge consumers.
The wireless divisions would have to be in practice at playing oligopoly, and their incentives would have to be aligned. The more players the less likely this is to happen, and as you say, both Virgin and Bell are very hungry in this space.
Bring it on. Canada’s pricing is just obscene compared to the UK and US.
Yeah, I think virgin is being the most agreesive. I saw this ad, http://www.flickr.com/photos/duanebrown/410893999/ , last night on the way to a friends house. Also they are promoting the site YouCanSwitch.ca as well. I see Virgin and Amp’d, when they get here, being the most agreesive when it comes to WNP. I’m moving over to Telus on the 14th.
This isn’t competition, people, this is a big joke. But we are Canadian and so we haven’t seen real competition so we know not what we are talking about. Thank God the CRTC has opened up a new spectrum for auction and Rogers, Bell & Telus are not welcome to bid because of their predatory behaviour – especially Rogers.
When the new competitor arrives from who knows where, I will cancel with Rogers and NEVER deal with them again. I will have the last laugh, Rogers. My family and friends will cancel you – LOT’S of people will severe their ties with you and your stock prices will drop.