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TOTA Mobile/Wireless/Celluar/VOIP Thread (pg. 51)
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| dEsidEL |
| quote: | Originally posted by malek
Another example of how we get ripped off here in Canada:
iPhone delayed in France due to unlocking laws?
Posted Oct 6th 2007 10:46AM by Nilay Patel
Filed under: Cellphones
We're not exactly up on our French, let alone our French telecommunications law, but we're hearing that Apple's supposed launch of the iPhone in that country is being held up by two different regulations that prevent the iPhone from being the locked down revenue-generating machine Apple wants it to be. The first, a law passed in 1998, requires that carriers unlock any phone upon customer request -- for a fee during the first six months of a contract and for free after that. Notably, all three major French carriers -- including Orange, which was supposed to get the iPhone -- have lost lawsuits challenging this law. The second, which we're slightly less clear on, apparently requires carriers to sell both locked and unlocked phones. Tensions over the regulations have apparently strained the relationship between the companies to the point where Orange spokespeople are saying things like "the risk we're evaluating this week is that Apple crosses France off," but really, who expected Apples and Oranges to mix without someone getting a little bruised? |
haha that's awesome.. exclusivity like DRM needs to go!
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| FunkyCrew |
| quote: | Originally posted by exraver
I'm gonna do it in next few days, will post results.
PS, some ppl even got better deals, follow link. |
so what happened? did you get the mega deal? |
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| VERTiG0 |
| quote: | Originally posted by exraver
Not sure if it was posted before, but anyway: for existing Rogers wireless customers, you can call retention department and get a lot better deal on your cell plan than you have right now.
Sample: 250 daytime minutes
Unlimited wknights/wkends from 6pm-8am
125 Outgoing text msgs
Voicemail
CID
Call waiting/forwarding/3way calling
Rogers to Rogers
Free Motorola KRZR phone
$31.01 all fees/taxes included.
Source: http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/...ad.php?t=111887
Almost 12000 posts, more than million views. Good luck :)
PS, make sure to read few pages before calling Rogers. |
Hm, they offered me this as well but without the text messaging... Looks like I'm going to be calling back to modify it. I haven't gone with it yet, waiting for the Touch to be released on Rogers at the end of the month. |
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| monishb |
| quote: | Originally posted by VERTiG0
Hm, they offered me this as well but without the text messaging... Looks like I'm going to be calling back to modify it. I haven't gone with it yet, waiting for the Touch to be released on Rogers at the end of the month. |
http://www.telusmobility.com/on/pcs...htc_p3050.shtml |
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| MikeyN |
| quote: | Originally posted by exstasie
Check here...
http://www.selectgsm.com/
Don't know how how competitive their prices are, but they are legit as we process many of their payments. |
pretty competitive actually, i ordered a samsung U600 on eBay for 270, but that was a steal, considering they go for 320's and up sometimes, that site has it for 299.99
my seller seems kinda unreliable though, barely responds to emails, if it doesnt arrive this week, i am filing a paypal claim, and ordering from that site, thanks jeff ! |
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| VERTiG0 |
Yeah I know Telus has it, but there's no way I'm touching CDMA again. |
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| exstasie |
| quote: | Originally posted by MikeyN
pretty competitive actually, i ordered a samsung U600 on eBay for 270, but that was a steal, considering they go for 320's and up sometimes, that site has it for 299.99
my seller seems kinda unreliable though, barely responds to emails, if it doesnt arrive this week, i am filing a paypal claim, and ordering from that site, thanks jeff ! |
Check out this place. Some phones are more expensive then Select GSM, some are cheaper, some are the same price. (The U600 is actually more at this place)
www.sntradersonline.com
CAll them up. My friend bought a phone from them and they gave a $50 pay in cash and pick it up. They give you a receipt and everything. It's not in the nicest building, or the nicest office but they were very professional and it was quite busy.
When my friend got his phone, it worked fine for 2 days, then all of a sudden it would turn off randomly. Might of been somethign to do w/ the firmware. Anyway, he called them up and they gave him a new phone w/ out any hassle at all!
on the reciept it shows that you have a 14 day return period of the phone hasn't really been used.
It's located at Dixie & Eglinton so its not far from you're place (I believe).
I am goign to buy my phone from there when I end up getting one (who knows when that's goign to be). |
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| Zeidoo |
Nokia N95 8gb (includes a GPS just in case you get lost in the Guv)
• Network: HSDPA / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
• Size: 99 x 53 x 21 mm, 96 cc; 128 g
• Disply: TFT, 16M colors; Size: 240 x 320 pixels, 2.8 inches
• Ringtones: Polyphonic (64 channels), Monophonic, True Tones, MP3
• Vibration: Yes
• Phonebook: Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall Call records
• Detailed, max 30 days
• Card slot: No
• Internal memory: 8GB
• Data: GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
• EDGE: Class 32, 296 kbps; DTM Class 11, 177 kbps 3G HSDPA
• WLAN; Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
• Bluetooth: Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
• Infrared port: Yes
• USB: Yes, v2.0 miniUSB
• OS: Symbian OS 9.2, S60 rel. 3.1
• Messaging: SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
• Browser; WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
• Camera; 5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, video(VGA 30fps), flash; secondary CIF videocall camera
• Additional Features
-Built-in GPS navigation
-Installed Maps application covering over 100 countries
-Dual slide design
-Java MIDP 2.0
-MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+/WMA player
-3.5 mm audio output jack
-TV out
-Stereo FM Radio
-Organiser
-Office document viewer
-T9
-Push to talk
-Voice dial/memo
-Built-in handsfree
• Battery: Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200mAH (BL-6F)
• Stand-by: Up to 6 h
• Talk time: Up to 240 min |
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| dEsidEL |
^^^ yah it's a pretty sweet upgrade from their first gen N95s ..
they've got a touch version ala. iPhone clone coming out too
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| dEsidEL |
nice first step .. now let's open the industry up to foreign competition as well ..
| quote: |
Ottawa opens door for new cellphone competitors
STEVEN CHASE AND CATHERINE MCLEAN
Globe and Mail Update
November 28, 2007 at 10:21 PM EST
OTTAWA, TORONTO — Big changes are ahead for the wireless industry after Ottawa decided to intervene and help new cellphone entrants break into the market.
In next year's auction of new spectrum for wireless services, Industry Canada said it will reserve 40 megahertz of spectrum for new entrants to buy. That means they won't have to bid against the ruling cellphone carriers, Bell Canada, Rogers Wireless, and Telus Corp. for wireless spectrum.
The remaining 65 MHz of spectrum is open to all companies.
The government is also forcing existing carriers to open up their networks for roaming, including to the customers of the new entrants at commercial rates. Moreover, all will also have to share their cellphone towers and sites.
The auction rules, released on Wednesday, are good news for communications companies such as Quebecor Inc. division Vidéotron Ltée and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., which had pushed for government help to allow them to move into the wireless market. They had argued that their entry would pave the way for greater competition in Canada's cellphone industry, which has been criticized by some as being too cozy.
In a statement late Wednesday, Pierre Karl Peladeau, President and CEO of Quebecor said he was "pleased" by the decision to expand competition in Canada's wireless business to the benefit of consumers.
"This policy in favour of greater competition will translate into better technology, more services and lower prices for Canadian consumers," Mr. Peladeau said.
Quebecor said it will participate in the spectrum auction and is "confident that the outcome will allow the company to invest $500 million to build a broadband wireless network using the latest-generation technologies."
"Our telecom subsidiary Videotron is committing to the creation of a regional network in Quebec and, in light of the policy to encourage new competitors with national scope, we are considering all the options," said Peladeau. "Our next steps will be to explore the best business opportunities to give Canadians the latest in mobile broadband."
Such breaks are contrary to pure free market principles but in keeping with the Conservative government's populist approach and its focus on consumers. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, for instance, has pressed banks to cut automated banking machine fees and has lobbied retailers to cut prices to reflect the strengthened Canadian dollar.
Privately, federal officials have said that the Harper government believes there is a need for more business competition in Canada and setting aside wireless spectrum for a fourth player would be in keeping with that philosophy.
"We are looking for greater competition in the market and further innovation in the industry, Industry Minister Jim Prentice said in a statement.
"At the end of the day, our goals are lower prices, better service and more choice for consumers and businesses. That is why we are setting aside a portion of radio spectrum exclusively for new entrants into the wireless market."
The entry of a new player would upset the status quo that has allowed Rogers, Telus and Bell to post fast-growing revenue and profit in recent years, albeit after spending billions building their networks. In a report this year, Dvai Ghose, an analyst with Genuity Capital Markets, calculates that Bell, Rogers and Telus could lose $1.4-billion, $2-billion and $1.5-billion in value, respectively, if customer turnover rises and prices fall.
The three big carriers had said that helping a new entrant would be unfair to taxpayers and to the existing players who have made big investments.
Canada's wireless industry has been the subject of intense debate in recent years. The country's cellphone penetration has slipped in the past decade to second-last place behind Mexico among countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. As well, new products, such as Apple's iPhone or dual-mode services that switch between WiFi and cellular networks have been slow to arrive here.
Pricing is also controversial. Although the OECD ranks Canada more or less in the middle of the pack when it comes to rates for cellphone services, others find it far more expensive. A recent report from SeaBoard, for example, found that Canadians pay far more for wireless data services than consumers in the U.S. and Europe.
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source:
http://www.reportonbusiness.com/ser...ry/robNews/home
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| dEsidEL |
| quote: |
Lower cellphone rates ahead?
Ottawa opens up wireless competition
November 28, 2007
Chris Sorensen
Business Reporter
The federal government is opening up Canada’s wireless communications industry to more competition, a move that could lead to lower cellphone rates.
A three-week auction of wireless spectrum - or capacity - to be held next May should foster competition between telecommunications companies and ultimately result in lower prices, better service and more choice for consumers, Industry Minister Jim Prentice said today at a news conference in Toronto.
In the auction, about 105 megahertz of new spectrum will be made available for bidders, with 40 megahertz of that set aside for newcomers to the industry. Foreign companies will not be able to make independent bids on spectrum, but may do so in partnership with a Canadian firm.
“A more competitive wireless market is in the best interests of all Canadians,” Prentice said.
“The amount of spectrum takes into account the need for new entry in all regions of Canada while considering the interests of incumbent operators and their current spectrum holding.”
To be eligible to compete for bandwidth set aside for new players, companies must currently hold less than 10 per cent of the national wireless market based on revenue.
Prentice’s move comes amid rising concern about the state of wireless competition in Canada, where there are only three major national players. They are Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Telus Corp.
In a bid to challenge what some have referred to as an oligopoly, Quebec media and communications giant Quebecor Inc. and Manitoba-based MTS Allstream Inc. have both expressed interest in entering the wireless market on a national basis, and were among a handful of players hoping Ottawa would set aside spectrum for new entrants.
Cable firms may also be among the bidders as they look to add another element to their businesses, which already include home phone and Internet services in many regions.
Toronto Hydro Telecom had also spoken out in favour of setting aside spectrum.
Amit Kaminer, an analyst with consulting firm The SeaBoard Group, said in an interview in advance of the announcement that a spectrum set aside was a historic “opportunity to change the landscape” and that nearly every sizable phone or cable company in the country was likely to consider a bid.
“Having a wireless play in your company is a great thing,” Kaminer said. “Profits are huge and there’s so many other advantages such as the ability to bundle (different) services.”
Kaminer added that he wouldn’t be surprised if the government quietly makes it more difficult for the incumbents to simply purchase a smaller upstart as was the case in 2000 when Telus bought Clearnet Communications, or in 2004 when Rogers bought the parent company of Fido. “I can’t see Ottawa liking the idea that all their ideas will go down the drain with a post-announcement purchase.”
Proponents of a set aside had argued that an open auction for airwaves would allow the deep-pocketed incumbents to gobble up the additional spectrum in a bid to keep competition out.
In addition, potential new carriers had asked the government to mandate “reasonable” roaming arrangements and cellphone tower sharing practices in order to give them time to establish their own networks.
Rogers, Bell and Telus, by contrast, had argued that a set aside would be nothing more than an unfair subsidy since several of the companies planning to bid on spectrum were multi-million dollar businesses.
Rogers, for example, said it would bid on spectrum because it needs more airwaves as customers migrate to things like wireless video and email, which eats up bandwidth.
While the wireless segment is widely-considered to be a promising growth business, critics have complained that a lack of competition means Canada is lagging several other developed countries, and even some developing ones, when it comes to offering consumers innovative wireless pricing and services.
A recent study by J.D. Power and Associates found that overall customer satisfaction with their contract service fell nearly 3 per cent in 2007, compared to a year earlier. The study’s authors blamed the year-over-year decline on a perception among cellphone users that they are paying too much compared to people in the United States and elsewhere.
Another study, published earlier this year, by consulting firm The Seaboard Group suggested that “average” cell phone users in Canada pay up to 33 per cent more than their U.S. counterparts, while “heavy users” pay up to 56 per cent more.
In fact, the Seaboard study found that the only category in which Canadians were better off were so-called “light” or “survival” users, which paid about 27 per cent less on average than they would in the U.S., but still more than in some European countries.
However, a recent follow-up study by the Seaboard Group found that the price of transmitting wireless data such as email and browsing the Web was beginning to fall at two of the big three Canadian carriers, a finding the study’s authors attributed to the inevitable arrival of data-hungry devices such as Apple Inc.’s iPhone in Canada.
The run-up to Prentice’s decision was characterized by a war of words between would-be entrants and established players.
Pierre Karl Peladeau, the CEO of Quebecor, has accused the big three wireless players of maintaining a “stranglehold” on wireless competition and customers’ wallets.
Ted Rogers, meanwhile, lashed out at potential challengers’ calls for spectrum set asides, calling them “scallywags” that are trying to “rip off the system and get spectrum at half-cost and have taxpayers pay for it.”
However, critics of Rogers’ position noted that the cable giant wasn’t required to pay up front for access to the airwaves when it first started out in the business.
– With files from The Star’s wire services
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source:
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/280679
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| rabbitjoker |
Lonely Canadian shocked to get $85,000 phone bill
Thu Dec 13, 2007 2:52pm EST
By Claire Sibonney
TORONTO (Reuters) - A Canadian oil-field worker, stunned to get a C$85,000 ($83,700) cell phone bill, has had the charges reduced to C$3,400, but is still fighting them.
Piotr Staniaszek, a 22-year-old oil and gas well tester in rural northwest Alberta, became a figure of international media attention this week when his father went to the press to complain about the size of his son's bill.
Staniaszek's father, also named Piotr Staniaszek, said his son thought he could use his new phone as a modem for his computer as part of his C$10 unlimited browser plan from Bell Mobility, a division of Bell Canada.
He downloaded movies and other high-resolution files unaware of the charges they would incur.
"He's working in the field sometimes, alone, in the shack. What to do? Drink vodka or go on the Internet?" Staniaszek senior told Reuters on Thursday from Calgary, Alberta.
"Now it's $85,000 and nobody told him," he said.
According to the invoice, his son rang up C$60,000 in charges in November, and they have since climbed to C$85,000.
Staniaszek senior said Bell has agreed to reduce the charges to C$3,400 for "goodwill".
"It's still high...Who can afford it?" he said, adding his son can barely make payments on a new truck he bought for work, and will continue to fight the charges.
A Bell spokesman said the plan is not intended for downloading files to a computer, and that's clear in his contract.
Staniaszek said his son did not want to talk to the press after the interest his story has received and that he is afraid to use his cell phone and incur more long-distance charges.
http://www.reuters.com/article/tech...ogyNews&sp=true |
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