CTV covers the Stop The Cell Phone Squeeze campaign

Visit http://www.StopTheSqueeze.ca and sign the petition.

On the eve of a critical new wireless spectrum auction, we have reports that the Big Three cell phone giants (who already control almost 94% of the market) are trying to trick the government into shutting independent competitors out of the market. They're trying to block competitors from being able to use essential wireless spectrum. These giant phone companies are going so far as to use high-priced lobbyists and one is even using a fake grassroots campaign.

If the Big Three succeed, they will:

- Squeeze independent providers out of the cell phone market.
- Squeeze Canadians into binding longer term contracts with disrespectful customer service.
- Squeeze more money out of your wallet every single month through new fees on your bill.

In short, they will kill independent competition and be the only game in town. This scheme will lock Canada behind the rest of the world on mobile communications, cripple essential innovation, limit social progress, and drain your wallet every month.

Canadians already pay some of the highest cell phone fees in the industrialized world and this is going to make it worse.

We've heard that the Industry Minister is about to make a decision that could iron this cell phone nightmare into reality. Please join Canadians from across the country in signing this urgent petition to send him a message: http://StopTheSqueeze.ca

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Find this story on CTV's website: http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120111/bc_open_media_wirel...

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• openmedia.ca
• open
• media
• Internet
• openness
• canadian
• canada
• digital
• divide
• broadband
• access
• penetration

[loadstart]

@partyhouse88 you said same shit in other vid

[jacobharasimo]

Virtually the same. not even. Take a closer look. I pay 110 for my LTE smartphone plan from Rogers. The same phone sold 50 dollars cheaper in the US and a comparable plan (actually the US plan has 2x the minutes and 5x the data) is worth 70 dollars. Thats 40 dollars off... near 40%. Clearly were getting screwed in Canada.

[partyhouse88]

Highest rates in the world??? Virutally the same as USA. PS: Wind mobile is complete junk. Tried them twice and had to quick due to poor service. Yes its cheaper, but you get what you pay for.

[ShadeC4]

@AgawaBay they have no reason to discount you because they are the majority of the market. Due to little to no competition in the various areas they can charge nearly anything they want. You want those big 3 to lower their prices? Then bring in more competition so they do. This is a situation where more options lead to improvements, not detriments.

Of course, ultimately, there are ups & downs to both - but there are more & better ups to there being more competition/options.

[hamildub]

Providing jobs is great! charging fair prices and encouraging competition would most likely stimulate job creation in the industry. Perpetuating a price-fixing oligopoly only limits our telecom potentials, consumers pay more for a lower quality product and employees are treated poorly.

[AgawaBay]

I don't feel I'm flogging the big 3. What I would like is to just have the big 3 but at a lower price. I pay 140.00 month for Rogers Rocket Hub Internet with 25 gigs and 1 smart phone @ 100.00 dollars month. Now add Bell Satellite TV for 89.00 dollars and yea you get the picture.

What I'm seeing on my package is that perhaps since I'm using 2 Rogers services couldn't there be some discount of 50.00 because I've been with them 5 years. But then again regardless of time a discount just the same.

[GingerbearNcub]

Hmmm, 3 big companies, high prices, not playing fair. There's a term for that, price fixing. If they truly competed then there would be some sort of relief, but there isn't which immediately makes me think that these big 3 have agreed to keep the prices high, juggling customers back and forth to keep maximum profits.

[iamLI3]

>poor customer service

>tried calling shaw for more than 3 hours last night cause i was getting 60ping 4/1.5mbps on a 20ping 25/2.5mbps connection

but then after a while the connection fixed itself back to it's right speeds , or at least it seemed to be , cause while i was pulling up 20mbps download i wasn't able to stream an hd video from yt in real time

i found this site while searching for independent isp's

broadconnect.c

which has good connections but i can't find their prices.....

[jimmyxtc69]

boycot bell

[coreymon78]

@Datavus I'm actually quite pleased that CTV is reporting this, despite being owned by Bell.

[coreymon78]

@dexterworks simple, because they are ripping is all off! You take a look at the US, and people are paying peanuts for countrywide unlimited talk, text and data plans. The only company to offer that in this country is Wind Mobile. Instead you pay over $100 with Rogers for a shared data plan with a 2gb cap! It is ridiculous!

Yes, they provide jobs, but at the cost of causing the entire country to pay some of the highest cell phone rates in the world!

[neilemac]

"They only call it class warfare when we fight back." Time for a revolution ....now.

[Datavus]

kinda funny that CTV (bell media) would report this eh! Open Media is fighting the good fight!

[dexterworks]

why are people slagging the big 3? They provide so many jobs.