Mobilicity gets the green light from CRTC, looks to launch in Toronto soon
By Darren Murph 
posted May 9th 2010 3:32AM
posted May 9th 2010 3:32AM
Right on cue, the artist formerly known as DAVE Wireless has been given approval to begin operations in Canada. Just as we heard earlier in the year, Mobilicity is looking to add some much-needed competition in the mobile operator space up north, and as predicted, the CRTC has given the initial stamp of approval needed for it to move forward with business operations. The company has to make a few minor changes up the ladder in order to appease the Canadian overlords that regulate this stuff, but the outfit's top brass have stated that they have "no issues" whatsoever in complying. If all goes well, the carrier plans to start up service in Toronto before the summer swings in, with Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa to get covered later in the year. Here's hoping those blasted three-year contracts vanish for good, eh?[Thanks, Adam]
Good stuff. What about Montreal?
@buoy
It sucks to do business in Montreal due to the oppressive laws.
So.. just like all the contests... offer valid everywhere except Quebec.
@Darkroom arg videotron. why bid so much and make no effort to offer data plans?
@charlienail
Because the majority of the money used to buy the spectrum was with money the Quebec government gave them, because the people in government sill haven't gotten over 1763
@alexz Can I find out more info about those laws, and who finally won the spectrum licenses, at least for Quebec (province)?
We already have enough carriers in Canada.
@engadget123 are you daft. We have 3 main carriers up here (Bell, Rogers and Telus) with the many BS division and a few local telcos. We definitely do not have enough carriers up here to have actual good coverage AND competitive prices.
Do you really think that?
@engadget123 haha! really?
Maybe you think Fido, Solo , Virgin Mobile or Koodo are considered mobile operators? well guess what they are owned by BIG 3
@ROFL It's true, companies like Koodo, Fido, Verizon and I can't remember the other one's are actually just Telus, Bell, and Rogers re-branded. I don't remember if Virgin won any Spectrum a while back when they were in the Spectrum bid but I don't believe so. They should still be piggybacking off of Bell.
@Jergos Isn't Virgin part of Bell now? I swear it's just another one of those companies with a different name and the same rates to make people have a choice, when they don't. There is little competition in Canada, the only thing carriers have against each other is coverage, the rates are the same. Rogers goes even so far as to raise their rates to match the other carriers!
Mob Illicity ??? Òô
Three year plans aren't that bad if you go somewhere that has decent early cancellation fees. I love getting a discount on a phone for a carrier that I am going to be with for a while.
@casik
Yeah, makes sense but unfortunately in Canada, it's "get a 3-year contract or bust" which is bullshit.
I am really hoping for 2-year max contracts to come in effect. I don't know anyone under 30 who has stayed on a contract for a whole 3 years.
@casik The pricing is ridiculous when going from 3 year plans to 2 years. With a 3 year plan a phone might be $100 or even $50, but for a 2 year plan it shoots up all the way to $450, if not more. Obviously they're bent on locking you down for 3 years. The funny thing is, I wouldn't have a problem staying with the same carrier for way more than 3 years if they had a good selection of phones, and if, let's say, every year or two they'd allow you a really cheap (or even free) upgrade for a new phone. That's the crux of the problem, instead of encouraging people to stay with them by offering great service, plans and phones, they try to force you to stay with them. It's like they forgot business 101.
@2late2die It's a lot tougher than you may want to believe. Sure you may be paying $100 a month for a bill racking a whole $1200 a year to the company. But a nice new phone now, depending on what you consider is nice, if it's a $100 a month assume you have a data plan, So minimum upgrade is looking to be $450 without taxes for the phone. Yes they actually are $450 and above, don't believe me check out a site like gsmarena.com
Anyhow on average phones will cost anywhere from 500-800 dollars of your 1200 dollars which is 50-75% from there they need to pay staff and technicians for their services. It's nice to have a pretty cellphone that only works in Vancouver.
But still I think maybe they could introduce a Buy-Back offer which will offer you a trade in price on a phone thereby, people who keep their phones in immaculate condition don't get screwed. And people who break their phones every month can at least buy the Newest model pre-used by someone else.
@Jergos Sorry I should make my first point a little clearer, $450 is payed via the company, be it Rogers, Telus, Bell for the physical phone. Not you, who then resells the phone at $800 (buying direct from the company) and or you can sign a contract with them for 1 yr pay the $450 price for the phone, 2yr $299, 3yr probably free (with Data), 3yr $200 (without Data). I'm placing this off of memory of a Blackberry curve about 2007.
Anyways Longstory short about pricing. ALL new phones are really expensive, anywhere from $250-$1200. Thats why your hardware upgrade is so expensive. They just can't hand out a new phone every 6 months to a year for free. It Financially doesn't make sense in much the same way you wouldn't give your Kid a new bed every 6 months, You keep paying for kid day to day, but you don't buy them new things every 6 months because it becomes really damn expensive.
@Plazmic Flame You have the ability to sign up on Month to Month plans with certain carries. You just pay the retail price for the phone. Fido is really good for that. The only thing that could be better is if Canadian carriers made 1 year plans available with appropriate subsidy. For example... a $700 iPhone drops to $450 on a 1 year, $350 on a two year or $200 on a 3 year.
Interesting name.
Dammit! We had that *city thing first!
Bloody Canadians...
http://www.sydney.com/
Worst name EVER!
Come on a 5 syllable name? From a marketing perspective it sucks, and will be difficult to win consumer mind share with.
@KC What about pubic mobile?
Awesome! Windmobile and now Mobolicity should make things much better for us canucks :)
@Jake88 Yep. With any luck, in a year or two, Windomobile and Mobolicity are gonna be big enough to pose a real threat to the big three and they'll be forced to drop the 3-year contracts, and maybe even offer better plans and service *gasp*
As predicted? I'm honestly very surprised that the CRTC failed to veto a move that might introduce more competition. That's what they're there for, isn't it?
@Shunnabunich
I use to think that too but when the first overturned the decision against Wind Mobile, it was like the story where the Grinch who tried to steal Christmas had a change of heart and started to do good things. In this case. the CRTC saw the mafia-type shenanigans Robellus were running and finally allowed change. I'm loving the "no contracts" approach by the new carriers. It's well needed.
Are they using the 1700 MHz UP / 2100 MHz DOWN AWS system just like T-Mobile US and Wind Mobile?
Is so the 3G roaming agreements between the 3 will get better and better.
@JoeyButts
Yes, they use the same 3G freqs (1700/2100) as T-Mobile, although the downside is that there is no lower freq like EDGE service.
@JoeyButts No it won't 3G agreements are based upon each individual network and the costs involved in running them. Sorry but you'll still be paying 20 dollars for a 3 min phone call.
Well look like they do have a roaming agreement with T-Mobile US at the very least for the Yanks going north or the Canucks going south:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE55365P20090604