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MP's lower Cell Phone Charges

Patrick_R
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

I encourage all of you to contact your new MP after the election since this was brought up by the current Liberal Leader and the previous NDP leader to lower the costs of Canadian Cellphone Services in Canada.

If we all send letters, emails and phone calls to our respective MP's to keep this matter fresh on their minds to be introduced in the House of Commons and benefit all Canadians.

13 REPLIES 13

Patrick_R
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

We have to do something instead of doing nothing.

Patrick_R
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

Well it does not hurt to contact your MP and the govt can try work with the companies to make things better for customer's.

88cranston
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@computergeek541 wrote:

@Patrick_R wrote:

I encourage all of you to contact your new MP after the election since this was brought up by the current Liberal Leader and the previous NDP leader to lower the costs of Canadian Cellphone Services in Canada.

If we all send letters, emails and phone calls to our respective MP's to keep this matter fresh on their minds to be introduced in the House of Commons and benefit all Canadians.


Many times, the argment is used that cell phone service is more expensive in Canada than the U.S. because of a lower population density. Comparing things in Canada to Australia, I was having a conversation with a friend who lives there. In Australia, this is the type of stuff they get at a carrier called Belong:

calls, texts,1GB $10

calls, texts, 10GB $25

call, texts, 30GB $40

 

I'm shocked at the difference.


We have friends from Australia. 

Things are cheaper.

Interest rates for investing are higher. 

Lots of good stuff. 

People are well taken care of

BUT do your homework as your info is correct BUT

Government is very different

Taxation is very different 

Economy is different 

 

So it would be hard to make a good comparison with such different economies. 


@Patrick_R wrote:

I encourage all of you to contact your new MP after the election since this was brought up by the current Liberal Leader and the previous NDP leader to lower the costs of Canadian Cellphone Services in Canada.

If we all send letters, emails and phone calls to our respective MP's to keep this matter fresh on their minds to be introduced in the House of Commons and benefit all Canadians.


Many times, the argment is used that cell phone service is more expensive in Canada than the U.S. because of a lower population density. Comparing things in Canada to Australia, I was having a conversation with a friend who lives there. In Australia, this is the type of stuff they get at a carrier called Belong:

calls, texts,1GB $10

calls, texts, 10GB $25

call, texts, 30GB $40

 

I'm shocked at the difference.

Korth
Mayor / Maire

They can easily lower cell bills.

By lowering quality of service or quantity of service. $10 Limited Talk/Text Plans galore.

Or by opening Canadian market to (USA-based) competition.

 

I'm sure the Big Three/Four would get the CWTA to lobby hard against any upstart politicals who threaten to break their oligopoly privilege or drive down their ever-precious ARPU swag. Things could go either way if either side is willing to invest big time and money and effort... and could get messy if government fiat imposes can-of-worms regulatory precedents which might be (unintentionally) extended to other industries. And if things ever get really, really dirty the gov still has to buy phone service from someone but the phone company doesn't have to sell it to people they didn't vote for. 


@srlawren wrote:

@NDesai wrote:

They don't even take Climate seriously lol


@NDesai amen.  That's definitely far more important than how much we shell out for our mobile service!!!!

 

 

@Patrick_R politicians make a lot of claims and promises to try to get elected.  Rarely are they able to deliver on all of them.  Take everything with a grain of salt.  (Much like with what you hear from salespeople.  Politicians and salespeople are a lot alike.)

 

Even if whatever gov't ends up in power somehow manages to legislate a slash in cell plan cost, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Big 3 will continue to be very creative and find new ways to recover that revenue.  Can I give you an example? (you are surely asking yourself.)  Yes.  Remember years and years ago cell companies used to charge activation fees and then they went away?  Remember over the last few years the CRTC has taken away the ability for providers to charge early cancellation fees and device unlock fees?  Did you notice that the activation fees (a total BS charge; COA is a cost of doing business!) have magically returned in that same timeframe?  Have you noticed that plan minimums went up for various tab levels (e.g. at Koodo they've creeped up at least twice in the past 2 years.)  Have you noticed that Roam Like Home/Easy Roam/Whatever the provider calls it have gone up from $5/day in US to now $8, and international has crept up to $12?  Have you noticed that data overages skyrocketed to $10/100MB (normalized to $100/GB)?  The government may force telcos to lower plan prices, but they will turn around and find other ways to collect their paycheques, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!!


@srlawren  Sadly and abosulutely agree.  Big corporations will always find other ways to make consumers pay more in the end and politicians (without exception) will always promise things they cannot deliver upon.

srlawren
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@NDesai wrote:

They don't even take Climate seriously lol


@NDesai amen.  That's definitely far more important than how much we shell out for our mobile service!!!!

 

 

@Patrick_R politicians make a lot of claims and promises to try to get elected.  Rarely are they able to deliver on all of them.  Take everything with a grain of salt.  (Much like with what you hear from salespeople.  Politicians and salespeople are a lot alike.)

 

Even if whatever gov't ends up in power somehow manages to legislate a slash in cell plan cost, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Big 3 will continue to be very creative and find new ways to recover that revenue.  Can I give you an example? (you are surely asking yourself.)  Yes.  Remember years and years ago cell companies used to charge activation fees and then they went away?  Remember over the last few years the CRTC has taken away the ability for providers to charge early cancellation fees and device unlock fees?  Did you notice that the activation fees (a total BS charge; COA is a cost of doing business!) have magically returned in that same timeframe?  Have you noticed that plan minimums went up for various tab levels (e.g. at Koodo they've creeped up at least twice in the past 2 years.)  Have you noticed that Roam Like Home/Easy Roam/Whatever the provider calls it have gone up from $5/day in US to now $8, and international has crept up to $12?  Have you noticed that data overages skyrocketed to $10/100MB (normalized to $100/GB)?  The government may force telcos to lower plan prices, but they will turn around and find other ways to collect their paycheques, you can bet your bottom dollar on that!!


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Patrick_R
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

That is my point of stating it  here if everyone on this discussion group would contantly contact their MPs and the party leaders including the PMO the squeeky wheel would get the grease.

Patrick_R
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

Why take years to finalize if it was a priority it would be done?

88cranston
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@Patrick_R wrote:

I encourage all of you to contact your new MP after the election since this was brought up by the current Liberal Leader and the previous NDP leader to lower the costs of Canadian Cellphone Services in Canada.

If we all send letters, emails and phone calls to our respective MP's to keep this matter fresh on their minds to be introduced in the House of Commons and benefit all Canadians.


It all depends who forms the majority or a coalition and who has already made the commitment. 

Never the less what  will happen as they form and have everything in writing and responses will be a copy and paste of mumbo jumbo with no commitment.  They will want to be all on the same page. This has happened to me on a much more important issue. And also keep in mind the MPs will become slaves, useless to us, to the new Prime Minister. I can give examples of two female MPs. 

You would add some pressure if thousands did this but unfortunately I feel it won’t get you anywhere. 

hairbag1
Mayor / Maire

@Patrick_R wrote:

I encourage all of you to contact your new MP after the election since this was brought up by the current Liberal Leader and the previous NDP leader to lower the costs of Canadian Cellphone Services in Canada.

If we all send letters, emails and phone calls to our respective MP's to keep this matter fresh on their minds to be introduced in the House of Commons and benefit all Canadians.


I don't disagree with you....I will say that my cell bill went way down when I came to PM. Compared to cell bills from 5 or 6 years ago, I think we're starting to see some competitive pricing.

Still lotsa room for improvement though...fer shur.

cellphoneuser1
Mayor / Maire

@Patrick_R Nobody will argue against lower cell phone bill.  Anything could take years to finalize.

NDesai
Oracle
Oracle

They don't even take Climate seriously lol

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