The Canadian wireless industry has come a long way in just 3 years. From the world’s crap hand-me-down phones, years behind the curve on 3G, and worse pricing on data than some 3rd world countries to…

  • From zero to not one, not two but 4 (and soon to be more) national 3.5G HSPA GSM-standard networks in Canada
  • New price plans from Wind, DAVE and Public shaking up the landscape.
  • Fiercer competition between the major carriers now that they are all on the same network technology with all the same devices
  • FAST 3G networks at 21MBs (and 4 of em!) that’s faster than any 3g network in the US
  • Suddenly great deals on rocket sticks everywhere. And tethering that works and portable hotspots and other fun things.
  • ATT&T is not in Canada, count your lucky stars
  • Unlike on ATT&T, a 30% rate of call dropping New York or 100% anytime at SXSW in Austin, is not considered normal
  • Not one but 3 choices of carrier for the iPhone, and more choices for the latest Androids and Blackberries
  • Number portability, at last it was mandated and it gives consumers more power to switch
  • Wireless penetration rates rising rapidly, and the appetite for smartphones by consumers that is taking even the carriers by surprise
  • SIM cards on every network. (the market for unlocked phones is coming to Canada). Just wait for the Google phone store to get to Canada, unraveling the relationship between carriers and devices, sometime this year we can hope. And if we ever get Google voice, be ready for the perfect storm of telco disruption.
  • And skype is starting to work well on mobiles, just to turn the screws on the legacy telcos a little more

If I were a carrier, I’d be a little stressed out by this heightened level of competition in the sleepy old wireless north (aka Canada). For anyone else working with mobile, it’s a great time to be Canadian. Call it pent up demand, leap-frogging, or sweet redemption for years spent at the back of the pack, but suddenly Canada is looking good at wireless. Expect big things this decade.

Agree, disagree or flame away.

Carriers, competition, wireless View Comments