MOBILICITY

My cell phone provider for over three years has been Mobilicity, one of the smaller and newer companies in Canada who has tried to take on the “big three”, Telus, Bell, and Rogers. Mobilicity was attractive to me as a consumer for two main reasons: no contracts and significantly cheaper rates than the “big three”. As many of you know, Canadians pay some of the highest prices for cell phone service in the world.

Unfortunately, Mobilicity has been suffering from financial difficulties for several long months now. Everyone had been waiting for them to be bought by one of the healthier competitors in the telecom market. Rather than jump ship, I steadfastly remained a customer with them because I happy enough with their service and prices (which never increased for me). This week though, various governmental agencies approved the sale of Mobilicity to Rogers Communications.

The deal is somewhat complicated but in the end, Mobilicity customers are now with Rogers. Everyone knows that Rogers did the deal to get valuable spectrum, not because of the 150,000 new people they have to serve now. I expect the worse now for me and my fellow Mobilicity subscribers. Rogers has extravagant rates and a terrible reputation. As unfortunate baggage that came with the sale, there is no reason for Rogers to give us any semblance of a fair deal going forward. We will be forced into a contract should we want to remain with Rogers, a contract that will undoubtedly be of a much higher price than what I am accustomed to paying.

I already have an exit strategy if one is needed. I will take my business to Wind Mobile if things go bad with Rogers. They are now poised to be a stronger fourth national carrier in the next few months and years. I’d like to help them with that. Interesting times ahead for the Canadian telecom landscape.