Wow! Did you see the full page Open Letter to Canadians in today’s newspaper from Bell with regards to letting Verizon hang out a shingle in Canada?
Not being a politician, shareholder or otherwise connected to Bell I have to look at the potential impact (benefit) to the Canadian consumer.
Let’s take a look Ma Bell…
You currently advertise an Unlimited Anytime Local Minutes and 3 GB of Data for $85.00 per month. Long Distance minutes are another $0.50. For another $10.00 per month I can call anywhere in Canada that brings me up to $95.00 a month. If I go over the 3GB you will charge me $15.00 per GB. When I’m in the US you’re going to charge me $1.45 per minute unless I get a monthly plan for $50.00. (50 min talk, 50mb data and 200 text) It’s also going to cost me $35.00 to activate my services.
Now Verizon….
In the US Verizon offers “$70 Plan includes Unlimited domestic calls only, Unlimited Texting* to anyone on any network in the U.S. and participating carriers in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico” and 4GB of Data. For $3.99 per month they can call Canada for $0.09 per minute. When visiting our great land they, like ET, can call home for $0.69 per minute or $0.89 without the monthly plan.
Ma, you have been pretty quiet while Lowes, Target and a host of other US Retailers have come to town. I guess they don’t threaten the bottom line the same way Verizon will. Do you think when Verizon gets here they may offer a North American Plan? Don’t say that I won’t be able to sleep!
Ma…I haven’t seen you this worked up since Direct TV said they were coming to town!
It’s not just Bell….
Telus’ senior vice president of regulatory affairs, Ted Woodhead, stated in a recent blog post “Canadians pay very competitive rates for some of the best wireless technology in the world” he went on to state “Canadian pricing is better than the U.S. in 12 of the 15 wireless pricing categories”
I gotta get that calculator out again I’m having a hard time trying to make $95.00 a month better than $70.00 a month!
AT&T has a plan for $60 you have 450minutes you can use in the US or Canada. No Roaming charges at all. $80 for 900 minutes. This includes infinity minutes to any other AT&T phone #. + 1,000 minutes for nights and weekends. $2/MB roaming data in Canada per day.
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/voice/sku4030223.html#fbid=xTfm0RaDEO5
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/plans/familyplans.html?taxoPlan=POSTPAID-FAMILY-CANADA&source=IC95ATPLP00PSP00L&wtExtndSource=spfamcanada#
At Verizon, for $15 you get 1,000 minutes with no roaming anywhere and you can share that with other phone numbers.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/plan-information/?page=canada
If you are Canadian and needed just voice, you would save a lot of money getting a US plan and roam in Canada. Even if you never went to the US.
I’d be worried if I was Bell, Rogers or Telus as well. Rogers Net Income from wireless has gone from $6.3 Billion in 2008 to $7.2 billion in 2012. That “free” infrastructure that they are complaining about Verizon using is being paid for by their customers in spades.