Guest Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 I've been with Telus ever since I got my first cell phone, and I've never had problems with them. I just wish I wasn't paying $8 a month for call display, and another $10 so I can text to the US >_> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 8, 2013 Author Share Posted August 8, 2013 The Big 3 are ramping up the lobbying to keep Verizon out, because what's 'fair for Canada', (ie. the Big 3 being allowed to scoop up all these smaller wireless providers in order to maintain their oligopoly, while a company outside of the Big 3 shouldn't be allowed to do the same thing), is fair for you too. Right? Oh, if you're a shareholder, that is. Big 3 telecoms launch 'Fair for Canada' campaign against Verizon Bell, Rogers and Telus are really going all out with this PR blitz against Verizon. The Canadian wireless industry may be on the verge of a major shakeup, with U.S.-based Verizon Communications reportedly eyeing Canada's mobile market - but the country's three largest service providers are doing everything they can to ensurethat the cards fall in their favour. Fair4Canada.ca - Sweetheart deals for U.S. Giants are a bad call for you. The Government of Canada is risking the future of the Canadian wireless industry by giving American corporations an unfair advantage. You may have seen newspaper ads warning of "unfair loopholes" for American companies, heard talk of an impending "bloodbath" in wireless competition if federal communication rules aren't changed, or notice telecom shares falling in the wake of Verizonrumors. Bell, Rogers and Telus - which combined own about 90% of the Canadian cellphone market - are working hard to combat Verizon'spotential takeover of startups Wind Mobile or Mobilicity, claiming that federalrules put them at a competitive disadvantage. In a series of two-page newspaper advertisements circulating this summer, Bell lays out what it calls "loopholes" in the rules that Verizon would be able drive through: - Verizon could bid on two blocks of Canadian spectrum set aside for new entrants to the market in auction later this year. Because the big three Canadian firms are not permitted to bid on these blocks, they are likely to be sold at a lower price. - Verizon would not have to build its own networks to remote or rural communities, but would be able to piggyback on existing networks. - Verizon can bid to acquire small Canadian companies such as Mobilicity or Wind, but Bell, Telus and Rogers are forbidden from bidding on them. Bell has become the latest Canadian wireless company to cry foul over telecom rules, taking out a two-page newspaper advertisement. The reaction to Bell's ads was mixed, with many refusing to show any sympathy for the massive telecommunications company. Rogers and Telus, meanwhile, have been putting out similar messages through radio ads and in interviews with media outlets. The response to these ads online has, once again, been less than welcoming. And yet, the Canadian wireless oligarchy does have supporters. Many of their thoughts and statements can be found on fairforcanada.ca, a campaign site launched by Telus, Bell and Rogers together in an effort to drive their message home and reach even more Canadians. The sleek website's tagline reads "Sweetheart deals for U.S. giants are a bad call for you" above a video featuring employees from all three companies addressing the camera and expressing their concerns over the government's "special treatment" of American companies. What are your thoughts on Verizon entering the Canadian telecommunications market? Is Verizon really the 'bogeyman' Canada's telecom giants claim? Canada's three big mobile-phone providers have been ramping up their campaign to sway public sentiment against the potential entry of U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 On one side, I do try to support Canadian companies and employers and don't particularly like the idea of a giant American company suddenly showing up on our doorstep with a giant @#$%-eating grin on their face. ...On the other hand, if Canadians hadn't been bent over and arse-raped for their wireless services for a few decades now, they might be more inclined to be supportive of those Canadian companies and less so of this American intruder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I can't believe how many radio commercials I've heard about this in the last week. Somebody's scurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted August 8, 2013 Share Posted August 8, 2013 I can't believe how many radio commercials I've heard about this in the last week. Somebody's scurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Money Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I just heard one of those awful "what about the small communities?" ads for the first time. What a crock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Common sense Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 So what about the small communities that Telus/Bell/Rogers has been screwing over for years with sketchy mobile coverage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 I can't believe how many radio commercials I've heard about this in the last week. Somebody's scurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 9, 2013 Author Share Posted August 9, 2013 I read we were 2nd place in the world, but this article has us as having the most-expensive cell phone bills in the world in 2010. Data plan prices have certainly come down in recent years in Canada, but things aren’t all peachy-keen north of the 49th parallel. In fact, a recent survey has revealed that Canadians are actually paying the highest cell phone bills in the world. The global telecom report comes courtesy of Bank of America Merril Lynch and it shows that among more than 50 developed and developing nations around the world, Canada comes out on top… but this isn’t the kind of “leader” that we really want to be. This is based on ARPU (Average Revenue Per User), so it includes your base voice and data plan, as well as any “value packs” or “feature packages” that you may have added. In many countries, things like caller ID are included; that’s oftentimes not the case for us. Looking here, Canadians are paying an average of over $50 a month for the privilege of using a cell phone. Compare that to the sub-$40 a month that the Dutch pay, the $30 a month that Italians pay, and the sub-$10 that Russians pay. This also hurts mobile penetration too. Something needs to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightHawkSniper Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Phone companies and banks legally rob the average citizen every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted August 9, 2013 Share Posted August 9, 2013 Also love Telus contracting 3rd party people in the US to harrass me on my cell. Yup, i'm really going to dig deep to buy into whatever scam they're offering. Yesssss! Party on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DYU3ster Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Anyone know when they have to make the decision by? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amish Rake Fighter Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 I can't believe how many radio commercials I've heard about this in the last week. Somebody's scurred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Holy Crap, those horse sh!t, over dramatic propaganda spots are all over the place now, I wonder how many millions they're spending on this PR offensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 Since these are all public companies, let's take a look at some earnings numbers... Verizon - Employees: 188,200 Revenue: $110.875b Net income: $2.4b Telus - Employees: 41,100 revenue: $10.4b Net income: $1.2b Rogers - Employees: 28,745 revenue: $12.42b Net income: $1.56b Bell - Employees: 55,150 revenue: $19.49b Net income: $2.159b _______________________ Big 3 - Employees: 124,995 revenue: 42.31b Net income: $4.919b Interesting. Despite having far less of a revenue stream as Verizon, and almost as many employees, the big 3 makes over twice as much in net income. Well, no wonder they're scared. That's a pretty freakin' sweet deal. I wouldn't want to lose it either. However i don't think Verizon's introduction into Canada will impact this. If Canadians have sat idly by while telecom and banking corporations rob them daily for this long, why would the gravy train be derailed by another big corporation coming in? Speaking of banks... RBC has a revenue of $29.7b and a net income of $7.5b TD has a revenue of $23.1b and a net income of $6.275b Bank of Montreal has a revenue of $13.7b and a net income of $3.2b Bank of America has a revenue of $100.1b and a net income of $4.1b Citigroup has a revenue of $70.17b and a net income of $7.9b Banks up here are soaking us even harder than the telecom giants up here. No surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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