241 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

Federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne is planning to approve the transfer of Shaw Communications Inc.’s 

SJR-B-T +0.59%increase

 

Freedom Mobile to Quebecor Inc. 

QBR-B-T +1.63%increase

 

 with conditions on Friday morning, paving the way for Rogers Communications Inc. 

RCI-B-T +1.49%increase

 

 to complete its $20-billion takeover of Shaw.

 

Mr. Champagne is scheduled to hold a news conference at 8:30 a.m. regarding the competitiveness of Canada’s telecom industry, the government announced late Thursday. A source with knowledge of the announcement said the minister is planning to approve the transfer of Shaw’s wireless licences to Quebecor’s Videotron Ltd. with a number of conditions attached, as well as financial penalties associated with breaking those conditions. The Globe is not identifying the individual because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

 

The takeover of Shaw by Rogers, which would combine Canada’s two largest cable networks, was first announced two years ago. In order to prevent the deal from eliminating Canada’s fourth-largest wireless carrier, Rogers and Shaw have agreed to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecor for $2.85-billion.

 

 

 

https://www.theglobe...akeover-friday/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 March 2023 - 12:58 AM.

[vortoozo]

Thank goodness. Rogers traditionally is more competitive against Bell is than Shaw has been with Telus. Prices for home services are generally lower in Eastern Canada. You can get Rogers 1.5 Gigabit service for $45 or 2.5 Gigabit service for $55 on a promotional offer in their service territory. Hopefully that eventually makes it's way west with the merger. The best new customer offer for 1.5 Gigabit on Shaw right now is $129. More than twice as much.

 

I'm not sure if it's still the case, but years ago Shaw was also known for underbuilding their networks compared to Rogers. More customers on each node, resulting in higher potential for service slow downs etc. We'll see if that brings quicker investment into the Shaw network here and potentially eventually fibre to the home. Shaw was unlikely to do that on it's own.

 

One thing I have noticed is that Rogers integrates their purchases quite slowly. Heck, Rogers purchased Source Cable in Hamilton in 2014 and it still has it's own branding and website: Home | Source Cable

Though I imagine the Shaw takeover will be integrated more quickly from a brand standpoint, who knows if they'll keep billing / call centres etc separate for a few years yet. Which could mean we won't get those better offers just yet.

[Victoria Watcher]

As part of the deal, Shaw's wireless business, Freedom Mobile, will be sold to Quebec-based Videotron.

 

The approval comes with 21 conditions that the government says are "legally enforceable," including that Videotron will start to offer plans that are comparable to those currently available in Quebec, and they can't sell the wireless assets to anyone else for at least a decade.

Videotron must also:

• Offer 5G service everywhere Freedom currently operates within two years;
• Offer service in Manitoba via MVNO;
• Increase the data allotments for existing Freedom customers by 10 per cent.

"Today, I am informing Canadians that I have secured on their behalf unprecedented and legally binding commitments from Rogers and Videotron. And, after imposing strict conditions, the spectrum licences of Freedom Mobile will be transferred to Videotron," Champagne said.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...roval-1.6797175

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 March 2023 - 05:24 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Freedom Mobile is adding 5G capability for some customers as its new parent company implements network upgrades in accordance with orders from Ottawa*.

 

The Quebecor Inc.-owned telecom provider said Thursday it will begin offering 5G service to customers with plans that cost $45 per month or more in the Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton areas along with select cities across Ontario, B.C. and Alberta.

 

It added it is planning 5G rollouts in other markets that are still to come.

 

Freedom Mobile announced in May it would offer a $50 monthly plan, its first with national coverage, that includes unlimited calls and texts as well as 40 gigabytes of data usable throughout Canada and the U.S.

 

On Thursday, it unveiled two more Canada-wide plans eligible for 5G service including 30 gigabytes of monthly data for $45, plus unlimited talk and text, along with 50 gigabytes of data usable in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico for $65 per month.

 

 

 

https://globalnews.c...obile-5g-plans/

 

*As part of conditions laid out by Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne in March, Videotron must offer plans that are at least 20 per cent lower than those of its competitors and spend $150 million to upgrade Freedom Mobile’s network.

 

_________________

 

The company committed to expand its 5G wireless network in Freedom Mobile’s pre-existing operating territory within two years. It must also increase data allotments of existing Freedom Mobile customers by 10 per cent in the short-term while it invests to bring down prices overall.

 

________________

 

Freedom Mobile said other technical enhancements have been made across its network, including the introduction of seamless roaming, and that it will also upgrade the monthly plans of existing customers to include nationwide data that can be used anywhere in Canada, free of charge.

 

________________

 

While Quebecor and Rogers had agreed on certain rates that Videotron would pay to Rogers when offering services using its wireless network, they had been unable to reach a deal on data rates.

 

The CRTC sided with Quebecor’s ask and directed both sides to enter into an access agreement so that Videotron “can expand competitive mobile wireless services to Canadians as quickly as possible.”

 

The CRTC said its ruling would help deliver more affordable cellphone plans and bolster competition in the sector.

Rogers has said it could appeal the decision.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 August 2023 - 03:36 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Are lower cellphone bills coming? What to know about the Quebec 'colossus' set to battle Rogers, Bell and Telus

 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hopes Vidéotron will cause wireless rates to drop across Canada

 

 

I guess we shall see if this 4th player amounts to something.

[Victoria Watcher]

Telecommunications giant Telus says it plans to trim 6,000 jobs, citing its need to remain competitive.

 

The cuts will involve 4,000 positions at its main Telus business and 2,000 at Telus International and will include offers of early retirement and voluntary departure packages, the Vancouver-based company said Friday.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...yoffs-1.6927701

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 August 2023 - 04:49 AM.

[lanforod]

Lack of seamless roaming is why I know several folks who dropped Freedom as fast as their calls were getting dropped. I doubt they'll go back anytime soon.

[Mike K.]

After leaving Telus for Rogers because of the lack of Telus signals along Highway 14, I have to say Rogers stinks. I have blackouts all over the place I didn’t have with Telus.

Super lame.

[Victoria Watcher]

By the time kids are in middle school, the pressure from kids can be intense, and parents worry that their child will feel isolated if other kids have phones and they don’t. According to Common Sense Media, 42 percent of kids have a phone by age 10. By age 12, it’s 71 percent. By 14, it’s 91 percent.

 

 

https://childmind.or...ur-kid-a-phone/

 

 

 

I had a pager when I was 16 or 17.   I found it quite useful for work (when there was extra work or an extra shift to be picked up, I was the go-to person as I could be reached) and social connections.  But I paid for it myself.  Cellphones were not around yet and even when they first came in, they were much too ecxensive for me.  The pager was only something like $12 per month.

 

I think kids should have smartphones, it seems odd to withold it from them.   But I truly do not know how you would regulate the use or make the usage responsible from kids, especialy rebelious ones.  It might be tough for many parents.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 February 2024 - 12:11 AM.

[vortoozo]

After leaving Telus for Rogers because of the lack of Telus signals along Highway 14, I have to say Rogers stinks. I have blackouts all over the place I didn’t have with Telus.

Super lame.

 

Dang, you were quite excited about the switch.

Now that Telus has access to those towers, have you switched back?

[m3m]

There’s a very unsightly cell tower atop the PL James building downtown now. I don’t think it’s been there for more than a couple weeks. But I may be wrong.

[m3m]

I was wrong. After diligent investigation, it’s been there for years. Its still ugly though.

[Mike K.]

Dang, you were quite excited about the switch.
Now that Telus has access to those towers, have you switched back?

No, Telus was unwilling to move on price. The Roger’s plan was just too good, for two lines.

I’ve learned to live with the Roger’s black-out zones and plan accordingly to not get dropped calls. Rogers has to step it up a little. Hopefully they can now tap into some Telus towers they didn’t have access to before.

[Ismo07]

By the time kids are in middle school, the pressure from kids can be intense, and parents worry that their child will feel isolated if other kids have phones and they don’t. According to Common Sense Media, 42 percent of kids have a phone by age 10. By age 12, it’s 71 percent. By 14, it’s 91 percent.

 

 

https://childmind.or...ur-kid-a-phone/

 

 

 

I had a pager when I was 16 or 17.   I found it quite useful for work (when there was extra work or an extra shift to be picked up, I was the go-to person as I could be reached) and social connections.  But I paid for it myself.  Cellphones were not around yet and even when they first came in, they were much too ecxensive for me.  The pager was only something like $12 per month.

 

I think kids should have smartphones, it seems odd to withold it from them.   But I truly do not know how you would regulate the use or make the usage responsible from kids, especialy rebelious ones.  It might be tough for many parents.

 

Ha I had a pager for the same reasons.  Other friends had pagers and we had a whole 'code' system to communicate...

[lanforod]

By the time kids are in middle school, the pressure from kids can be intense, and parents worry that their child will feel isolated if other kids have phones and they don’t. According to Common Sense Media, 42 percent of kids have a phone by age 10. By age 12, it’s 71 percent. By 14, it’s 91 percent.

 

 

https://childmind.or...ur-kid-a-phone/

 

 

 

I had a pager when I was 16 or 17.   I found it quite useful for work (when there was extra work or an extra shift to be picked up, I was the go-to person as I could be reached) and social connections.  But I paid for it myself.  Cellphones were not around yet and even when they first came in, they were much too ecxensive for me.  The pager was only something like $12 per month.

 

I think kids should have smartphones, it seems odd to withold it from them.   But I truly do not know how you would regulate the use or make the usage responsible from kids, especialy rebelious ones.  It might be tough for many parents.

 

It's a tough problem. It's not a phone per se thats the issue. It's social media. Unfettered internet. Addictive mobile games, especially with microtransactions. etc.

[vortoozo]

No, Telus was unwilling to move on price. The Roger’s plan was just too good, for two lines.

I’ve learned to live with the Roger’s black-out zones and plan accordingly to not get dropped calls. Rogers has to step it up a little. Hopefully they can now tap into some Telus towers they didn’t have access to before.

 

You get what you pay for...

 

Telus offers do pop up, particularly around Boxing Day, Black Friday.

They also offer discounts for Home Services customers.

It would also be worth checking if someone in your household qualifies for Telus EPP (employee purchase program) by working for an organization that Telus has opened that program to. You can check eligibility here: Mobility Exclusive Partner Program (EPP) | TELUS

 

I do qualify for Telus EPP but I actually got a better deal as a Telus home services customer so that's not always necessary.

[Mike K.]

You get what you pay for?

 

I can deal with a black out in a neighbourhood I don't live in, and save hundreds of bucks a year, thank you very much  

[Victoria Watcher]

Are Smartphones A Major Cause For Depression In Teens?


https://m.timesofind...w/106995672.cms

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 February 2024 - 10:04 PM.

[lanforod]

I don't even really get complaints about blackout/call drops. Who actually uses a phone to TALK today?

[Mike K.]

That’s maybe because you have a sedentary job. I’m on my phone for hours a day.