What is Telus' vision for PM?

[MK78]

I have a weird feeling, and this might have been mentioned in the thousands of posts since the now infamous price hike threads, that Telus indends to further neuter PM into a "direct competitior" with Chatr & Lucky Mobile, by getting rid of LTE alltogether, and changing over to a "zone" provider.

PM so far has had a clear advantage over Chatr & Lucky, that they have no artificial talk zones, but it's provincial, which is good for the vast majority, and that they offer full speed LTE as an option for people in the prepaid area.

But we know how "competition" works among the Big Three, what they want is very little difference between themselves. I have a feeling PM is heading the way of Chatr & Lucky

What do you guys think?

[ShawnC13]

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@makkahn28wrote:

What's the alternative?

Stripping PM of everything EXCEPT JUST Basic service?

So, ONLY Can/Prov-Wide Talk + Global Txt + Data

That would make PM WAY TOO Basic, and as it is, We're already paying a steep fee for what it is.

If we're paying an arm and a leg, then surely they can afford to give more, instead of making us pay an arm and a leg and we get so little

Right now, it feels like Tel Us is treating PM like a Grocery store, The ONLY Thing is that they're Intentionally inflating the fees to make it almost Impossible for PPL to have EVEN the semblance of service

Plus, If PPL go on Postpaid, they have to do Credit Checks on you to determine IF you're EVEN eligible

What IF the Big 3 actually try to revert the Industry back to where ONLY the Higher Income makers can afford a Phone and Plan, and the Middle and Lower Income are left out in the Cold

Would that be considered fair?

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I have no idea where you have been as PM has always been a BASIC provider.  There is no FRILLS.  They just brought in US Roaming only a year ago.  Reading all of this reminds me of a saying I read in some article.  "A guy marries a girl hoping she never changes and a girl marries a guy hoping he will change"  This isn't meant to offend anyone that is just something I read but it seems so many people are  "Marrying PM and hoping it will change"

[makkahn28]

What's the alternative?

Stripping PM of everything EXCEPT JUST Basic service?

So, ONLY Can/Prov-Wide Talk + Global Txt + Data

That would make PM WAY TOO Basic, and as it is, We're already paying a steep fee for what it is.

If we're paying an arm and a leg, then surely they can afford to give more, instead of making us pay an arm and a leg and we get so little

Right now, it feels like Tel Us is treating PM like a Grocery store, The ONLY Thing is that they're Intentionally inflating the fees to make it almost Impossible for PPL to have EVEN the semblance of service

Plus, If PPL go on Postpaid, they have to do Credit Checks on you to determine IF you're EVEN eligible

What IF the Big 3 actually try to revert the Industry back to where ONLY the Higher Income makers can afford a Phone and Plan, and the Middle and Lower Income are left out in the Cold

Would that be considered fair?

[srlawren]

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@makkahn28wrote:

I think Tel Us would be making a Fatal Mistake by doing what their doing, OR even the Chatr 3G Only thing

They have more opportunities with growing Public into something that may revolution the Industry.

Taking away the LTE, They may as well at that point Kill off PM.

Tel Us is literally shafting itself in the foot

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@makkahn28 actually, revolutionizing the industry would be literally shooting themselves in the foot. They'd be stealing their own customers, and then Rogers and Bell would follow suit with Chatr and Lucky because they'd be bleeding valuable post-paid customers to Telus, which would stat another all-out price war, in which the only loosers are the carriers themselves.  I'm not sure of your logic here.

[srlawren]

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@makkahn28wrote:

What IF Tel Us MADE PM into a Hybred Postpaid with Prepaid Security measures, and No Call Centers, No Stores, No Selling Handsets, Perhaps a 14 Day Grace to pay, wonder, If that might actually work?

I think that IF it worked for PM Prepaid, It may work for Postpaid

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@makkahn28 well, the No Call Centers and No Stores and No Selling Hadsets are completely pre/post-paid ambivalent, so those are really not worth talking about (ie they could work fine for either, yes).  The grace period literally only works for post-paid though.  So what you're suggesting is actully that PM offer Post-Paid but with no call centres, no stores, no handsets.  Sure, why not.  They could offer both.  But there's little upside to getting on post-paid without at least having the options to get on a contract and pick up a phone on tab/subsidy.  I'm not sure what problem you're trying to solve here, to be honest.

[makkahn28]

What IF Tel Us MADE PM into a Hybred Postpaid with Prepaid Security measures, and No Call Centers, No Stores, No Selling Handsets, Perhaps a 14 Day Grace to pay, wonder, If that might actually work?

I think that IF it worked for PM Prepaid, It may work for Postpaid

[mimmo]

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@MK78wrote:

How is support handled at Chatr & Lucky, if anyone knows, just for comparison? Do they have a call center or is support done via online ticketing of some kind?

I still wish that PM would have a proper ticketing support system in My Account, and the community would be just for information and people as well as mods discussing various issues.

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chatr has call in support. not sure about lucky

[makkahn28]

I think Tel Us would be making a Fatal Mistake by doing what their doing, OR even the Chatr 3G Only thing

They have more opportunities with growing Public into something that may revolution the Industry.

Taking away the LTE, They may as well at that point Kill off PM.

Tel Us is literally shafting itself in the foot

[MK78]

How is support handled at Chatr & Lucky, if anyone knows, just for comparison? Do they have a call center or is support done via online ticketing of some kind?

I still wish that PM would have a proper ticketing support system in My Account, and the community would be just for information and people as well as mods discussing various issues.

[srlawren]

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@torontokriswrote:

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@zoomzoom87wrote:

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@MK78wrote:

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I think it's going to be Telus version of Chatr without zones and no customer support. 

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Isnt PM already that? Chatr without zones & no customer support? 

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@torontokris if you consider the "3G" data speed plans, then yes that's effectively correct.  Many of us suspect Telus will eventually take hte 4G data speed plan offerings away and grandfather anyone on a 4G speed plan already.  This would effectively turn them into Chatr without zones and no support other than community.  Purely conjecture of course, but this is the direction I do believe they will go. 

[torontokris]

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@zoomzoom87wrote:

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@MK78wrote:

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I think it's going to be Telus version of Chatr without zones and no customer support. 

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Isnt PM already that? Chatr without zones & no customer support? 

[zoomzoom87]

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@MK78wrote:

I have a weird feeling, and this might have been mentioned in the thousands of posts since the now infamous price hike threads, that Telus indends to further neuter PM into a "direct competitior" with Chatr & Lucky Mobile, by getting rid of LTE alltogether, and changing over to a "zone" provider.

PM so far has had a clear advantage over Chatr & Lucky, that they have no artificial talk zones, but it's provincial, which is good for the vast majority, and that they offer full speed LTE as an option for people in the prepaid area.

But we know how "competition" works among the Big Three, what they want is very little difference between themselves. I have a feeling PM is heading the way of Chatr & Lucky

What do you guys think?

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I think it's going to be Telus version of Chatr without zones and no customer support. 

[dzvision]

I am feeling this:

BIG THREE receive message from CA government that they will enforce real-name registration for phone number any time soon.

That is the reason why Rogers/Chatr have similar offer.

So what's Telus vision on PM?

Nothing.  ZERO Asset.

[makkahn28]

Personally, Tel Us BETTER NOT touch Public with those grubby fingers. We already paid dearly ONCE, we don't wsh to do so for the second time

[poutinecity]

I guess you can get a medium tab with that $45/4 GB plan at least in Ontario.

[nrg_svr]

Okay, I'm in

🙂

[torontokris]

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@nrg_svrwrote:

I like PM and am not changing

Koodo is a dumb name too, lol

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The brand name is a variation of the Ancient Greek word "κῦδος" (the ascendant to the English word "kudos"), meaning "praise, renown, glory" and more recently "acclaim for something well done

[MK78]

Maybe they'll still offer LTE option, but will convert to a zone style like the others.

Nobody knows of course, but we're just spitballing.

[torontokris]

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@Aahanwrote:

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@MK78wrote:

Yeah thats I was saying, they are probably aiming to compete with Lucky & Chatr and want to rid themselves of accounts that "don't fit", and Telus wants those people moved up to postpaid.

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+1.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if PM started to phase out LTE and become a 3G only carrier.

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They are still advertising LTE plans. I even saw a web banner for them advertising me 2GB LTE plan.

Nobody knows what the future is of pm other than Telus

[Aahan]

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@MK78wrote:

Yeah thats I was saying, they are probably aiming to compete with Lucky & Chatr and want to rid themselves of accounts that "don't fit", and Telus wants those people moved up to postpaid.

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+1.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if PM started to phase out LTE and become a 3G only carrier.

[MK78]

Yeah thats I was saying, they are probably aiming to compete with Lucky & Chatr and want to rid themselves of accounts that "don't fit", and Telus wants those people moved up to postpaid.

[nrg_svr]

Yes, I have autopay enabled, so in fact, my plan cost is $38

but would decrease this year to $37 and so on, in theory right down to $33

I have (currently) no use for extra data, I can't use 6 already in 90 days

Getting Canada wide calling is of minimal use to me, but is handy

being able to get a phone on a tab is not particularly handy for me

So, $7 a month more gets me data I can't use and an expanded calling area I could use 2 months a year perhaps, but just as easily with an add on that would cost less than the $84 plus tax more

It's probably a really good offer for some folks though

Just wonder if after Telus keeps scraping customers away from PM, will I be left with just another 'legacy' type plan that will change in the future...

Telus has some strange strategies - as I essentially abandoned a Telus plan for PM

They are cannibalizing their own customers over and over... is there some tax advantage corporately we're not catching onto? I'm all for them doing things to get costs down... but it does make one scratch their head

I like PM and am not changing

Koodo is a dumb name too, lol

[mimmo]

fido has a similar offer for chatter customers to move them up the value chain. 

so have no fear PM is not going anywhere it just might be retooled untill we don't recognise it.  as mentioned above and becasue of the walmart situation.  I think PM might be moving away from its self serve model into one that is more similar to chatr and lucky.  just my 2cents not that they are worth anything.

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@MK78wrote:

Yeah weird...

I think maybe its to get those with LTE access to move over? or those that have autopay on credit cards?

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[MK78]

Yeah weird...

I think maybe its to get those with LTE access to move over? or those that have autopay on credit cards?

[nrg_svr]

Hey, interesting, I am NOT on the fall plan, but, I did just get atext 5 minutes ago from PM.

The offer is for a $45.00 Koodo plan, with 4 GB, unlimited intl text and unlimited CANADA wide calling

Code for offer is GOKOODOR454

I am on a 90 Day $40 PM plan with in province calling only and a total of 6GB 4LTE

It's getting me wondering what is the game plan for PM if they keep offering somewhat attractive deals to get everyone to switch, although I must say, I like the data spread over 90 days, and don;t have much interest in post paid

[mtfolks]

Telus’ vision for PM is to use it as a feeder brand to funnel people into their more lucrative post-paid brands. They’ve said as much. 

I expect we’ll only see more migration offers as they continue to target PM customers on certain packages and certain prices points. 

They’ll likely continue to keep the PM price point competitive with other similar budget brands but the days of $40/4GB are long gone. 

[will13am]

Since receiving the text message, I have thought long and hard about what this brand is up to.  Until the day I am asked to help run the company or an opinion on how it should be run, anything I say or think about the Public Mobile's future is pure conjecture.  After some time, I realize that I need to focus on my own future rather than something I have no control over.  Roll with the punches, do what you think is best for yourself with what you know. 

[dr-et]

I agree with with you,

relax ,if there is a gand plan we will see it.

Everybody has to show their hand in the end.

as of now      i am satisfied with what i have later we will see

[Korth]

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@mimmowrote:

No one here knows what the grand plan is, and we wont till it is anounced.

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+1 on this.  Nothing has been announced, nothing is known.  Only rumours and speculations.

I have no idea what the "plan" is.  PM and Koodo under one umbrella is a bit of a conflict of interest, a lot of overlap and redundancy both on what they offer and on who they want to offer it to.  Although both have niche offers and niche customers who aren't going to budge until forced, I think the real question is just "how many" because if the number of subscribers are high enough then it would be a blunder for Telus to sweep them all away.

I wouldn't be surprised to see PM restructured into some other kind of prepaid value brand, modelled as a compelling alternative to the other value brands, though just different enough in some way to make direct point-by-point value comparisons difficult.  But to do that successfully they have to be lower cost and/or they have to accurately target exactly what they offer at exactly the customers demanding it.  Not sure Telus can pull that off, they're too busy massaging money figures at stockholder meetings, too focussed on their image of the ideal customer, too disconnect from the "on the street" common consumer.  Corporate dinosaur stuff worked in past decades, not so effective in today's internet and social media age.

To be honest I don't worry about it at all.  Maybe my PM plan will continue being perfect for me across years to come, so yay, I stay with PM.  Or maybe PM will finally inflate prices or change things up enough that staying with their new ideas isn't worth it, so boo, I have to go shopping for cellphone service again - but until it actually happens it's just negativity and stress which doesn't contribute usefully towards my life, so I ignore it.

[guinness22]

All will be Grand.  They will keep Pm. As they get income from people with no credit and folks on vacation for a free weeks.   They will have 4 G . For 40  a month 1 GB.  They will have Basic 3 G. They have a market for pre pay. 

[mimmo]

No one here knows what the grand plan is, and we wont till it is anounced.

but i do agree with your assesment.