Mobilicity to launch this spring

Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises aka DAVE Wireless, has announced that when they launch their new wireless service in Toronto this spring, it’ll be under the much more consumer friendly Mobilicity brand, a contraction of ‘Mobile’ and ‘Simplicity’.  According to their homepage, if you say it fast it sounds like “Moblissity”, but that remains to be seen.

Instead of being a national carrier, they plan on focusing on those who ‘live, work and play’ in Canada’s major cities. Some time this spring, Toronto will be the first to get a chance to sign up for the new service. Although short on details, it seems that Mobilicity is taking a similar approach to Wind Mobile, in that there will be no contracts, and focus on unlimited plans. Phones will be sold without subsidy, and they will be carrying devices from Blackberry, Sony-Ericsson and Nokia.

In fact, other than the colour choices, there’s a lot of similarity in the branding and web design of the two companies, with their simple, bubbly approach to design, and a strong emphasis on the word balloon motif.

Press release

Toronto, ON – February 2, 2010 – Wiarton Willie isn’t the only sign of spring in Canada this Groundhog Day. Data & Audio Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc. (DAVE Wireless) today announced it will launch its service in Toronto this spring.

Chairman John Bitove and President Dave Dobbin also revealed the company’s go-to-market consumer brand name is Mobilicity – incorporating the mobile carrier’s focus on simplicity for city-based customers.

In addition to offering simple, value-packed unlimited plans, Mobilicity will feature an outstanding lineup of reliable, name-brand handsets from leading manufacturers, like Research In Motion (BlackBerry) and Nokia – without any contracts that lock customers into service plans.

“Mobilicity will kick the value equation up a notch this spring,” said Dobbin, reaffirming the company’s commitment to bringing down the cost of wireless. “If you live and work in one of our cities and you’re looking for the best wireless deal around, you’re going to love Mobilicity.”

Last year, according to Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada had the third-highest wireless rates in the developed world, citing medium-usage average costs of $500 US a year, compared to the Netherlands, which at $131 US, had the lowest average rates.

Mobilicity: My phone. My city. My way.

All aspects of the new corporate identity were designed to bring a “refreshingly simple” narrative to life, said Sara Moore, vice president, marketing. “Mobilicity will stand for a simple, straightforward, customer-friendly way of doing business. Our clean brand design and crisp colours clearly convey that,” she explained.

The corporate identity was created by Verse Group, an award-winning design firm whose principals have also established successful corporate identities for RBC and Microsoft.

Mobilicity will roll-out its service in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa later this year. The company can now be accessed on the Internet at www.Mobilicity.ca.

About Data & Audio Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc. (DAVE Wireless)

DAVE Wireless is a Canadian wireless carrier, which will operate under the Mobilicity brand name. The company is led by Obelysk, a diversified Canadian holding company, and Quadrangle Capital Partners, a global investor in the telecommunications and media sectors with more than $3 billion of capital under management. Following the Canadian wireless spectrum auction, DAVE Wireless holds licenses which cover more than half of Canada’s population in 10 of the 13 largest markets including Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.