WNP starts today!
March 14th, 2007
It’s about f*#cking time.
As announced back in December, wireless number portability (WNP) is to be available today in BC, AB, ON and QC. The rest of the country (and population wise, that’s probably less than a quarter of the country) will likely have to wait a while (probably until at least September 12, 2007 or for one provider to try to beat their competition to the punch) for port-in facilities since they are currently only being offered port-out facilities; “here’s your number, you can’t use it”.
I can’t wait to stick with my current provider while knowing that if I wanted to I could switch providers, go through the hassle of finding, and of course buying, a non-flip/slide/stupid GSM phone while getting to keep the number I’ve had for a long time. Really, it’s good news. No really, it is, I just don’t imagine there’s much to gain (for me) from a different providers’ rate plan. Technology isn’t an issue… I like CDMA. I like that my CDMA phone also has analog capabilities (which could stop working everywhere in a year or less anyway). In the event that I ever find myself in GSM only land, well, I hope it’s on vacation.
Anyway… I can’t wait to see all the people who switch between Bell Mobility and Telus or Rogers Wireless and Fido looking for better call quality from the same cellular network, rather than for rate plan/whatever else reasons.
Entry Filed under: Technology
2 Comments Add your own
1. Jeroen | March 23rd, 2007 at 2:47 am
Ye gods,
that’s like 5-7 years after The Netherlands made this mandatory for all mobile operators.
On CDMA and GSM:
GSM outnumbers CDMA by a bizarre ratio. GSM is deployed in 217 territories (countries) . (source: http://www.gsmworld.com/about/index.shtml)
GSM subscription growth beat the nearest competing technology CDMA by 10 : 1
(source: http://www.gsacom.com/news/gsa_fastfacts.php4)
2. Dave | June 3rd, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hello,
I would like to introduce you to a new grass-roots Canadian Telecoms Oligopoly information and protest site at TeleGopoly.com.
What is TeleGopoly?
Telegopoly = Telecom + Oligopoly
A market scenario where there are minimal, dominant, major telecoms companies serving the wireless (cellphone) market. Due to their oligopolistic nature and ‘coopetition’, the wireless telcos act like monopolies in a ‘competitive’ market. Side effects are minimal innovation and high service fees.
An example of this market situation is Canada where there are only three network based wireless carriers (which created tightly controlled MVNOs to create illusion of competition) serving the wireless market.
The Telegopoly.com objective is to educate Canadians about the Advanced Wireless Spectrum (AWS) Auction.
Next year, Industry Canada will hold the AWS Auction. Industry Canada set up a call for comments which ran from mid-February to May 25, 2007. Unfortunately the Call for Comments was not well advertised and the only time the press spoke about the process in any really visible manner was near the end of the process. It is now too late to make commments.
The Department will also provide interested parties with the opportunity to reply to comments from other parties. Reply comments will be accepted until June 27, 2007. We as consumers must be heard! It is important to rebutt comments made by business organizations which are acting as defacto lobby groups for the incumbent carriers.
The carriers want “free market” open auctions via which the incumbent carriers will be able to outspend potential market entrants which could bring innovation and competition to the Canadian market.
Visit the site and let us know what you think.
Sincerely,
Dave and the Telegopoly.com team
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