Here’s a question that I got in my inbox yesterday:
Hello. The CRTC issued a decision to cap roaming rates that Robellus charges smaller wireless carriers. Do you think it will lower rates for me as I am on Wind and I get significant roaming charges on my bill?
Thanks!
Thanks for the question. First, let me post a link to the CRTC decision that came out yesterday that forces Rogers, Bell, and Telus (aka Robellus) to limit how much they charge the Wind Mobile’s of the world for roaming onto their networks. The reason why the CRTC is taking this action is this:
The CRTC has found that there is an insufficient level of competition among the national wireless companies – Bell, Rogers and Telus – in the provision of wholesale roaming services. These companies can maintain rates and impose terms and conditions that would not prevail in a competitive market. Other Canadian wireless companies need to obtain these services under reasonable rates, terms and conditions in order to offer comparable broad or national wireless coverage to their own customers.
As such, the CRTC will regulate the rates that Bell, Rogers and Telus charge other companies for wholesale wireless roaming services. The CRTC has set interim rates for these services effective today, and is requiring the three companies to file final proposed rates by November 4, 2015.
Now, this will not make a difference at all. I’ve said it before and I will say it one more time. If you want to have a lower cell phone bill every month, you need to have real competition. That means that the government needs to encourage a big global telco on the scale of a Vodafone or a Deutsche Telekom to come into Canada, set up their own national infrastructure, and go toe to toe with the big three. That would make your bills drop because you’ll have an option that won’t be pushed around by the big three. Now the CRTC decision from yesterday may save you a few cents here and there, but it is not the game changer that Canada truly needs in the wireless market. After all as the CRTC said, there is an insufficient level of competition among the national wireless companies.
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This entry was posted on May 6, 2015 at 7:16 am and is filed under Commentary with tags CRTC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Hey IT Nerd! Does The CRTC Decision On Roaming Mean Lower Prices For Me?
Here’s a question that I got in my inbox yesterday:
Hello. The CRTC issued a decision to cap roaming rates that Robellus charges smaller wireless carriers. Do you think it will lower rates for me as I am on Wind and I get significant roaming charges on my bill?
Thanks!
Thanks for the question. First, let me post a link to the CRTC decision that came out yesterday that forces Rogers, Bell, and Telus (aka Robellus) to limit how much they charge the Wind Mobile’s of the world for roaming onto their networks. The reason why the CRTC is taking this action is this:
The CRTC has found that there is an insufficient level of competition among the national wireless companies – Bell, Rogers and Telus – in the provision of wholesale roaming services. These companies can maintain rates and impose terms and conditions that would not prevail in a competitive market. Other Canadian wireless companies need to obtain these services under reasonable rates, terms and conditions in order to offer comparable broad or national wireless coverage to their own customers.
As such, the CRTC will regulate the rates that Bell, Rogers and Telus charge other companies for wholesale wireless roaming services. The CRTC has set interim rates for these services effective today, and is requiring the three companies to file final proposed rates by November 4, 2015.
Now, this will not make a difference at all. I’ve said it before and I will say it one more time. If you want to have a lower cell phone bill every month, you need to have real competition. That means that the government needs to encourage a big global telco on the scale of a Vodafone or a Deutsche Telekom to come into Canada, set up their own national infrastructure, and go toe to toe with the big three. That would make your bills drop because you’ll have an option that won’t be pushed around by the big three. Now the CRTC decision from yesterday may save you a few cents here and there, but it is not the game changer that Canada truly needs in the wireless market. After all as the CRTC said, there is an insufficient level of competition among the national wireless companies.
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This entry was posted on May 6, 2015 at 7:16 am and is filed under Commentary with tags CRTC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.