Wireless carriers hike prices across CanadaSmartphone plans now begin at $80/month
 

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2575886

Canada’s big three wireless carriers have hiked the base prices for new plans by $5 in most markets over the past two months.

Rogers, Telus and Bell Mobility now all charge $80 per month for new smartphone plans with a new contract, $5 more than those same plans cost when they were introduced last year. The prices for other smartphone plans with more data cost upwards of $145.

The price hikes affect every province except Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

The $80 a month plan includes 500 MB of data, unlimited nationwide calling, unlimited messaging, voicemail and call display.

No reasoning was given for the price increase, and no press releases were issued. Existing plans are unaffected.

Last summer, in response to the incoming wireless code of conduct, the three wireless carriers simplified their pricing models for new plans. Instead of choosing different plans based on minutes, data and messaging, customers instead pay a baseline fee depending on the type of phone they have, and then add a basket of data which can be shared by members of the same household.

Initially, those base prices were $55 per month for regular smartphones, $45 per month for other smartphones, and $35 per month for already unlocked smartphones. The prices for all three of these base prices has been increased.

Push for more competition
The three companies came under fire by the federal government last year, which is pushing for a fourth wireless competitor in all four markets.

Quebec-based Videotron was awarded 700 MHz licences in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta, and may emerge as a fourth wireless competitor in those markets.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan, however, have more competitive pricing. Due to strong regional competitors in SaskTel and MTS, Bell and Rogers plans start at $65 per month with five GB of data. An equivalent plan elsewhere in the country costs $55 more per month.

When asked for comment, a Rogers spokesperson told CBC News that "needs of our customers are changing as they’re doing more than ever before with their connected device."

Telus said while it has raised the cost of its base plans in January, it has decreased the cost of its most widely used data add-ons last week.
Posted via RS Mobile

Plan expires in a few months.. looks like I'm going from Rogers to Wind. $40 unlimited everything ftw.

Fuck Rogers. That's who I'm with now
Posted via RS Mobile

Fido here! less than $60 a month
unlimited nation wide calling
Unlimited text message Canada and US
2GB data
voice mail and caller ID with Who call.

Good thing I got the plan when it came out as it lasted only a month and then I call in to get a discount off it. Looks like I will be keeping my plan for a long time and just purchase a phone outright from apple or samsung or a Nexus phone in the future.

i have a similar plan, but for $50 (before tax). you might be able to it even cheaper

People should go back to using pagers.

For those who plan on subsidizing a new phone they require you to change to one of their plans if your plan does not currently have a monthly charge of around $70 before tax.

I had to fight hard to keep my grandfathered plan and still get a subsidized phone.

Not looking forward to that conversation with Rogers in sept...

Plan currently @ $70/mo all in, gonna try to keep my plan while upgrading to note 4

FS - Motorola Flex and Bravo


Ramindeep was awesome doe.

143

man fuck the big 3...my grandfathered plan expiring this year
nexus off Google store + Wind plan must be a very popular option going forward

Going to just buy the phone outright lol. A phone like the Nexus is only $450 for the 16GB. The savings I get just by buying the phone is more than if I were to get a phone on contract.

2318008

I'm satisfied with WIND, but that's only because I don't usually travel east of Coquitlam, south of Richmond or north of the inlet.

When they announced 2 years plan, I knew they would shaft us over with higher monthly fees to compensate.

Koodo
$49.50 (10%BYOP)
unlimited canada wide
unlimited sms/mms
5GB data
voicemail, call display


Loving this plan.. Switched over from Wind $29 unlimited everything and no regrets..

Thank god I got onto the BC Public Sector plan this shit is getting out of hand.

My plan is 75 bucks all in and i will never go over because it has everything I could need. That said, very steep still.
Posted via RS Mobile

I remember when I renewed with Rogers, 75 bucks was considered highway robbery. I have the 17.50 EPP plan + $30 for 6 GB of data. I don't think I'll ever pay more then 50 bucks for a cell phone. I'm surpsied more people arent using data only tablet plans. 30 bucks gets you 5gb from bell which is pretty good value when compared to cell phone plan.
I think I grew out of the phase of owning the next new phone, when I calculated how much that actually costs in the e d.
Posted via RS Mobile

I'm just going to renew my retention plan with Fido. $55 (before tax) for unlimited north america calling/sms/mms, 6gb data, caller id, voicemail :D

Don't be surprised if they tell you they can't renew your plan because its no longer available. Rogers did that to me for a long time before a rep finnally let me renew my plan.
Posted via RS Mobile

When Wind gets taken over. It's Shaw Open + Voice plan for me. :rukidding:

lol good luck renewing

As long as you aren't singing a new contract or getting a hardware upgrade there is no way to can just cancel your plan. In fact if you have no contract and isn't getting a phone with them they should even give you a 10% off your bill for bring in your own hardware. After your contract is over the phone is consider yours and they can't just cancel your grandfather plan.

^except some plans have credits, when the plan "expires" those credits would most likely be gone too!