The Huffington Post is something that I don’t usually read. But one of my clients directed me to this story last night that got my attention. He sent me this story because he’s mad that Telus who are the new owners of Public Mobile are making him do this:
Public Mobile customers are being switched over to Telus’ 4G network, and their existing phones—meant to work on Public Mobile’s outdated CDMA system—won’t work on the Telus network.
On the upside, customers “will immediately benefit from national coverage, faster wireless data speeds, and better phones,” a Public Mobile spokesperson told HuffPost Canada in an email.
The company also said existing customers will get “special pricing” on new phones, but as some online commenters have noticed, some of those special prices on offer at Public Mobile are more expensive than the same models on offer at parent company Telus.
Okay. I can see why some Public Mobile customers (such as my client) might be ticked off. And Industry Minister James Moore is also questioning this move. Here’s a quote from The Globe And Mail:
Industry Minister James Moore questioned the wisdom of Telus’s move.
“Seems like an odd business decision to alienate thousands of Public Mobile users as you absorb Public Mobile itself,” Mr. Moore told The Globe and Mail, while on a trade mission in Germany. “Ultimately it’s a business decision I’ll leave for Telus to explain.”
Not to mention this:
Some Public Mobile customers are lodging grievances with Canada’s Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services, an Ottawa-based ombuds office that resolves complaints about telecom companies. Due to privacy rules, however, Commissioner Howard Maker cannot discuss specific complaints or providers.
Now I will be the first to admit that this sort of news isn’t something that generates the warm fuzzies. And that those on low and fixed incomes will be hurt to some degree by this. But what exactly is Telus supposed to do here? Are they really supposed to support a technology (CDMA to be precise) that Telus themselves have abandoned? Also, Public Mobile was in trouble and bleeding cash. Had Telus not bought them and they went under, these customers would still be having to buy a new phone on a different carrier.
I should also note that Telus is trying to take the sting out of this by doing the following:
- Giving Public Mobile customers one month of free service
- Giving Public Mobile customers “significant discounts” on new cellphones
- Public Mobile customers can also BYOD, assuming that the phone they bring works with the Telus network
And you can bet that competitors will also be trying to scoop up disgruntled Public Mobile customers. Thus Public Mobile customers will likely have options.
What do you think? Are Public Mobile Customers getting the shaft or is this issue being blown out of proportion? Post a comment and share your thoughts.
Judge Halts Sales Of Typo Keyboard
Posted in Commentary with tags BlackBerry, Lawsuit on March 28, 2014 by itnerdBlackBerry is having a good day. First they post numbers that weren’t as bad as everyone feared. Now they got a court to halt the sales of the Ryan Seacrest backed Typo keyboard that ticked them off so much. Here’s the details:
U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco said in a ruling today that BlackBerry is likely to prevail on its infringement claims and that Typo hasn’t made a strong challenge to the validity of the smartphone maker’s patents. Orrick also dismissed Typo’s concern that a temporary sales ban may put the company out of business.
So if the fat lady isn’t singing for Typo, she’s warming up as it looks like it’s game, set, and match for BlackBerry. One suspects that BlackBerry lawyers and execs will be knocking back a drink or two in celebration. As for Ryan Seacrest, he should likely go back to his day job.
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