Bell – Page 6 – rgbFilter

It’s Rogers vs Rogers and Bell vs Bell at the CRTC

October 16, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, canada, CRTC, Rogers0 comment

Sometimes when you start researching and writing, it’ll take you to unexpected places. Those places could be far off lands only tangentially related to your initial interest (thanks to Wikipedia), or keep you focused on the matter at hand, while consolidating your position. The latter is true in the case of this article, which I thought was going to be just a bit of information on the CRTC Fee For Carriage (FFC) issue, which a couple of jabs at the ridiculous PSAs both sides are showing. It became something different……

Bell and Telus To Launch iPhone In November

October 5, 2009October 7, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, iPhone, Rogers, rumour, Telus10 Comments

As long as quasi-substantiated rumours are to be believed, anyways. The iPhone will be available from Bell and Telus in November, breaking a year plus exclusive deal with Rogers. November also marks the nation wide launch of the joint HSPA network from Bell and Telus, well ahead of the original schedule, which suggested it would be available around the time of the Olympics, and probably starting in Vancouver so the two telecom companies could take advantage of international roaming fees racked up by visitors from around the world. It’s little…

The Canadian Broadband Wars Heat Up

September 24, 2009September 24, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, broadband, CRTC, net neutrality, online rights, Telus2 Comments

A new initiative was recently launched to battle the CRTC rulings regarding Bell and Telus and access to network infrastructure. Competitivebroadband.com, which is comprised of a wide range of independent ISPs and coalitions, is aiming squarely at making the consumer aware of, and getting them involved with, the proceedings. From their mission statement… Following the decision by the CRTC, which was released on 11 December 2008, MTS Allstream decided to petition the federal Cabinet, which has the power to reverse this decision. Others have also made their views known in…

Cellular Code of Conduct

September 3, 2009September 3, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, CWTA, Rogers, Telus4 Comments

On Tuesday the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) released a new ‘code of conduct’ that will theoretically govern how wireless carriers will behave vis a vis their subscribers, which number over 23 million in Canada. On the face of it, the code of conduct sounds good. Part of the 3 page document includes allowing customers out of their contracts if, at any point, the carrier has made changes to said contract. I’m sure most long time mobile users are used to such shenanigans, where fees start creeping up, or there’s…

Palm Pre Launches On Schedule In Canada

August 27, 2009August 27, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, Palm Pre0 comment

Right on time, the Pre has hit the Great White North (or should that be Great Wet North given the weather lately). Instead of rolling with the US Palm ads (ironically starring Canadian actress Tamara Hope), Bell has launched a very iPhone-esque TV spot, and done some viral style ads via Facebook. Videos after the break:

Palm Pre Coming To Bell August 27th

August 4, 2009August 4, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, Palm Pre20 Comments

Bell originally announced the Canadian exclusive for Palm’s Pre some months ago, but they’ve finally announced availability… starting August 27th, you can walk into a Bell Mobility store, or select (and yet to be determined) retail partners. If you’re willing to commit to 3 years, it’ll cost you $199 + a 500MB/month data plan. If you can’t commit that long (and we’d totally understand that), you can pay the full retail price of $599. The official announcement says that ‘due to unprecedented demand’ you’ll be able to pre-order it.

Canadian High Speed Internet (Slowly) Trickles Out

July 9, 2009July 9, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, couch, Rogers2 Comments

Marketing Strategies Highlight Duopoly In announcements just a day or so apart, Rogers and Bell/Aliant are starting to offer up real high speed internet for Canadian consumers in limited areas. Rogers is bringing 50Mbps DOCSIS cable access to Toronto residents, for the price of $150/month. Besides the 150Mbps, you’ll also be looking at a data cap of 150GB per month, which is pretty anemic for the price. If you do the math, you could blow through your 150GB cap in about an hour 10 hours if you’re going full (non)throttle….

CRTC Bell Hearings Continue – Let your voice be heard!

June 12, 2009June 12, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, CRTC2 Comments

As we’ve covered many times in the past, Bell has continued to put a stranglehold on innovation in Canada’s DSL infrastructure, as we’ve seen our rankings in the world continue to slip further back. Although slow in coming, the CRTC hearings continue regarding Bell throttling 3rd party wholesale customer, and public input for round two is open, until June 22nd. To Fight The Power…

Twitter Back On Bell… For A Price

February 26, 2009July 28, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, twitter2 Comments

Some months ago, Twitter removed its SMS based service in Canada, citing high costs. Now the service is back on Bell, but will cost users 15 cents per message, sent or recieved, regardless of whether one has an unlimited SMS package with Bell. A spokesperson for Bell Canada said Twitter is considered a “premium” third-party service, so it’s not covered under its plans. Twitter is an online service that lets people communicate in 140-character status updates and subscribe to the “tweets” of other members. Many people subscribe to hundreds of…

New Bell ads channel Daft Hands, Apple Eater Bites

August 15, 2008July 25, 2009 drsquid advertising, Bell1 Comment

Along with the launch of Bell’s new advertising campaign, which seems like a mash up of Telus ads and a Daft Punk song, was the launch of their Apple iphone competitor, the Samsung Instinct. Boldly proclaiming it an ‘Apple eater’, and a slew of other adjectives (stunner, sexier, cooler, sleeker, everything-er), Bell is hoping this phone (judging by the amount of billboards and ads plaster around Toronto) will be the handset that turns around their flagging cellular arm. Early reports however from the popular cell-phone geek website HowardForums, and a…

Bell Beavers let go. Norm MacDonald fired again.

August 2, 2008July 25, 2009 drsquid Bell1 Comment

Bell announced on Friday that they are (finally!) axing their beaver mascots, Frank and Gordon. In newspaper ad’s run across the country the two lovable critters declared “It’s been a blast, nature is calling and we have been invited back to the forest to become teachers for a whole new generation of spokecritters.” Canada weeps.

The Great Canadian Telecom Duopoly roundup

July 9, 2008July 25, 2009 Doug Groves Bell, Rogers7 Comments

Yep. It’s the semi-weekly Great Canadian Telecom (GCT) Roundup, taking a look at what’s happened in Bell and Rogers are doing lately (this week there’s some bonus Telus news). To start it off, the Montreal Gazette is reporting (in a story who’s title “Consumers r skrood by ph compnEz – agn” can be considered either a painful attempt at 1337 speak, or a dig (not digg) at the literacy rate amongst internet users, that Bell and Telus are considering charging customers per sms received starting in August, with speculation that…