Here’s a sneak peek for you of the Jan/2008 survey of Canadian Wireless competitiveness.
The Blackberry Pearl is used as one price index to compare one competitive indicator, in this case subisidised handset prices, between Canada and the rest of the world. It’s difficult to find handsets that are carried consistently by mobile carriers around the world. The Blackberry is a good example however because of it’s near ubiquity, that it’s an advanced handset that is (actually) available in Canada, and because it’s made by Research in Motion, a great Canadian company.
All Canadian operators offer greater discounts on 3yr rather than 2yr contracts. Only 2yr subsidized rates are compared because there is no comparable data from international operators on 3yr contracts. No wireless operators in any of the countries studied were identified that offer contracts longer than 2years on any handsets.
In this respect, Canada is a world leader in lock-in contract lengths.
Australia and NewZealand are the most expensive countries studied to buy a Blackberry Pearl, as operators in these regions, when they offer RIM devices, typically do not offer them on a subsidized contract.
All figures are CAD, converted at current exchange rates.
This is just a sneak peak. Read the full report, next week on wirelessnorth.ca
