Roam Mobility to offer cheaper alternative to high roaming charges (Canada)
In an attempt to counter the increasing roaming charges for Canadian mobile-phone users, Roam Mobility Inc is offering consumers a better alternative.
According to a report by Globe and Mail, the Vancouver-based upstart, marketing itself as a rogue mobile company, is aggressively ramping up its rollout of cellphones, SIM cards and other devices to entice Canadians looking for cheaper alternatives to high roaming rates the major wireless companies charge when customers travel to the United States with their smartphones in tow.
Roam Mobility’s chief executive officer Emir Aboulhosn, said that they will not tell users to switch from Rogers, Telus and Bell – they’re just asking users to stop using them when they cross the border. Roam estimates that Canadians spend $800-million a year on international roaming fees, with roughly $450-million spent on U.S. roaming alone.
As per the report, Roam Mobility launched its service in January, competing with the major carriers by offering Canadian travellers unlimited talk and text plans from $3 a day, including free calls to Canada. Its data rates start as low as 2 cents a megabyte.
With the summer travel season just around the corner, Roam is in expansion mode. It will announce a new partnership with Allegiant Air to sell its products during flights starting June 1. Allegiant is a U.S. airline that services border airports such as Niagara Falls, N.Y., and offers discounted fares to popular U.S. destinations.
Roam’s products are already available at a number of Canadian and U.S. airports and at major land border duty-free shops. They will also be sold at Future Shop starting next month. Its product line includes a cellphone for talk and text; SIM cards that can be used in a consumer’s own unlocked phone; and personal “hotspot” devices that provide a high-speed data connection for up to five wireless devices (like smartphones, tablet computers or laptops) at the same time.
The report reveals that Roam has already attracted close to 20,000 customers and is on track to hit the 100,000-subscriber mark in the second quarter of 2013. Even though the vast majority of its customers are people who travel to the U.S. in short spurts, Aboulhosn says Roam can afford to be aggressive with its pricing because its capital expenditures and overhead costs are relatively low.
Bell wins $41mn federal telecom contract (Canada)
Bell Canada has won a multiyear contract to maintain and support the telecommunications network that connects more than 200 Canadian government offices abroad.
The deal between DFAIT and Bell Canada is worth more than $42.21 million and will run for five years, with one two-year optional extension.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s calls the multipurpose integrated telecommunications network (MITNET), its digital backbone.â€
Carrying voice, video, data and providing Internet access, the network links Canadian government offices in more than 110 countries as well as various DFAIT offices inside the country.
According to solicitation documents, as per the agreement, Bell will provide telecommunications services, as-and-when-requested hardware and software, maintenance, support, and professional services.
Rogers profit misses expectation on competition (Canada)
Canada’s largest wireless carrier, Rogers Communications Inc. has reported fourth-quarter profit that missed analysts’ estimates as new carriers and rival BCE Inc. hurt growth in new subscribers.
According to the company, profit excluding some items was 65 cents a share. Analysts predicted 67 cents, the average of estimates. Sales rose 3.1% to $3.15 billion, missing the average analyst estimate of $3.17 billion.
Rogers, led by Chief Executive Officer Nadir Mohamed, is facing the threat of new carriers Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile as well as a resurgent BCE. Bell, BCE’s main consumer brand and Canada’s second-largest wireless carrier, added 156,708 new mobile phone subscribers on contract last quarter, a 43 percent jump from a year earlier.
Rogers today renewed its share repurchase plan for as much as 39.8 million shares, worth up to $1.5 billion. The company raised its annualized dividend by 11% to $1.42 a share.
Bell Canada possibly outsource jobs to India: Report
As per new reports, Canadian telecom giant Bell Canada, a subsidiary of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), is looking for suitable vendors as part of outsourcing key voice-based projects for its internet, Solo Mobility , Bell Mobility and satellite TV divisions to India.
According to reports, Bell Canada plans to outsource these projects via fixed payouts as part of a deal worth approximately $25 million to $30 million a year. The projects being sent to India will be largely inbound and Bell Canada is looking at outsourcing the work to an outsourcing partner with strong competencies in carrying out front-end work for international clients.
Bell Canada is a leading player in the Canadian wireless telecommunication industry, controlling about 30% of total wireless subscribers in that country. Wireless, the key revenue driver, makes up roughly 50% of Bell Canada’s revenues. Bell Canada’s holding company Bell Canada Enterprises has branched out into complementary business segments such as cable TV, VoIP, IPTV, broadband internet, and wire line phones.
With this, key divisions under Bell Canada include internet services provider Bell Internet, cellular wireless services provider Bell Mobility and direct-to-home satellite division Bell TV.
Bell doubling data speeds on world-leading HSPA+ wireless network (Canada)
Bell today announced it has begun to double HSPA+ network speeds to a maximum of 42 Megabits per second (42 Mbps), and will introduce initial commercial service in Toronto with the launch of the Novatel Wireless U547 Turbo Stick – the first 42 Mbps product available in North America – on November 23.
“Canada’s Best Network just got better. By implementing HSPA+ Dual Cell technology, Bell Mobility offers clients the ability to access the Internet and other data services at what we believe are the fastest mobile data speeds commercially available from any wireless carrier in North America,” said Wade Oosterman, President of Bell Mobility & Residential Services, and Bell’s Chief Brand Officer. “Bell is leading the way in Canadian wireless investment and innovation, enabling the mobile ecosystem that supports the development of new apps and data services by Canadian developers for mobile users here and abroad.”
HSPA+ Dual Cell technology combines two wireless 21 Mbps data carriers through multiplexing techniques at individual HSPA+ cell sites, increasing top-end data speeds from 21 Mbps to 42 Mbps for compatible products. Bell will continue enhancing HSPA+ network with Dual Cell technology to serve more Canadian cities and towns through 2011.
Coordinated through Bell Development Labs, this HSPA+ Dual Cell network enhancement leveraged the technical expertise of chipset, radio and core network infrastructure manufacturers and suppliers, including Huawei, Novatel and Qualcomm. Already providing speeds up to 21 Mbps to consumer and business clients, Bell Mobility’s HSPA+ network provides a robust platform on which developers continue to deliver a wide range of innovative business, entertainment and productivity applications.
Bell introduced broadband HSPA+ service in November 2009, bringing high-speed wireless service to 93% of the Canadian population in rural and remote locations, small towns and major urban centres across the country. The new network has supported the development of industry-leading data services such as Bell Mobile TV and rapid wireless growth at Bell, including a 39% increase in mobile data revenue and a 74% increase in the company’s base of smartphone users year over year.
Novatel U547 Turbo Stick
The first product able to take advantage of 42 Mbps Dual Cell technology is the U547 Turbo Stick from Novatel Wireless, available at Bell retail locations, including The Source, in Toronto next Tuesday November 23. When paired with a laptop or netbook. Novatel’s latest Turbo Stick will allow Bell Mobility clients to experience mobile access speeds never before available for the fastest mobile Internet access, business applications, video streaming, gaming and much more.
Bell will also introduce new speed-based pricing with the launch of these Dual Cell compatible devices. A $10 add-on feature will be available on all Mobile Internet pricing plans to allow Bell clients to take advantage of speeds up to 42 Mbps. The pricing model aligns with the approach for fixed broadband services, which ensures clients benefit from the value associated with the highest access speeds available.
About Bell
Bell is Canada’s largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell Satellite TV and Bell Fibe TV, Bell Home Phone local and long distance, and Bell Business Markets IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services.
The Bell Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada via the Bell Let’s Talk anti-stigma campaign and support for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit bce.ca/mentalhealth. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For BCE corporate information, please visit www.bce.ca.
SaskTel to launch W-CDMA/HSPA-based 3G/3.5G network
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Commercial services over a W-CDMA/HSPA-based 3G/3.5G mobile network will be launched by Saskatchewan-based operator, SaskTel, on July 1, 2010. The aim of the network will be to cover 98% of the province’s population by the end of the year.
The network building work worth USD170 million is already under way. Company’s network sharing agreement with Bell and Telus is also in place to allow nationwide HSPA roaming for SaskTel’s customers. Currently, 3G/3.5G mobile services via CDMA2000 1xEV-DO/Rev A technology is provided province-wide by SaskTel.
According to Robert Watson, CEO of SaskTel, legacy analogue cellular network has to be shut down within the next twelve months or even earlier as it is a no longer supportable and 3,200 customer using the analogue network will have to be notified.
Telus files suit against Rogers over ad claims
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A legal action has been launched by Telus Communications against Rogers Communications for allegedly misleading ads claiming Rogers provides Canada’s fastest network.†As per the complaint, since a Nov. 5 upgrade, a network run by Bell and Telus offers faster and more reliable service than the Rogers network.
Rogers introduced the advertisement in 2007 and continued after November 5. Rogers claim of Canada’s most reliable network,†has also been declared as false by Telus.
A declaration has been seeked from Rogers by Telus confirming that its advertisements breached Canada’s Competition Act, in addition to injunction from distributing the ads, damages and compensation.
Telus, Bell and Rogers control about 90 per cent of Canada’s wireless telecommunications market.
