# New Cell Phone Rules



## sags (May 15, 2010)

It will be interesting to see what happens after December, when the new CRTC rules take affect.

Will limiting cell plans to 2 years increase the monthly cost on subsidized plans, to pay for the phones?

Will the service providers suddenly discover they do have the ability to block data over the limit after all...........when they can only bill an extra 50 regardless of the amount of data?

We will see how all the cell phone plans change, and how it affects the bottom lines.

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/crtc-unveils-new-set-of-rules-for-cellphone-providers-1.1308505


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## My Own Advisor (Sep 24, 2012)

Hard to say how this will turn out but I can only hope it's good news for consumers.


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## cainvest (May 1, 2013)

Probably good for consumers, as in they won't get locked in for so long and the small % of heavy data users might save some as well. I can see that the initial prices will rise as they have to recoup the cost of the phone over a shorter period of time but overall, not much difference. I think what they are charging now for data plans is crazy and I'm thankful there is lots of free Wifi around.


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## olivaw (Nov 21, 2010)

Other benefits to consumers include
- caps to data and roaming charges 
- phones can be unlocked when paid for 
- more readable contracts
- 15 days for consumers to change their minds


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## MrMatt (Dec 21, 2011)

I don't see much difference.
The mandatory unlocking is nice, the default caps are also nice.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

Also getting some visibility on the true costs of the handset will also make consumers more savvy buyers. There has been so much smoke and mirrors, most consumers have no idea what their handsets costs them. I expect the costs of used handsets to rise over time as well.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

I think that it can only be good.

I want the ability to buy a cell phone from any retailer of my choice, at competitive prices, notwithstanding whether or not the seller is a cell phone company agent. I believe that this will bring down the cost of phones.

Canadian cell phone companies have been sheltered for too long by CRTC rules. I guess that is why our cell phone bills in Canada are the highest in the world and why the three large cell phone company operations in Canada have some of the world's best financial results. Things are changing. After a eight month period without cell phones, we noticed that the rates in our area had gone down significantly and we no longer had to commit to a term.

We are about to move to a condo. For the first time in our lives we will not be bothering with a land line phone. Two cell phones and our international long distance phone card will serve our needs nicely.


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## LifeInsuranceCanada.com (Aug 20, 2012)

fraser said:


> I think that it can only be good.
> 
> I want the ability to buy a cell phone from any retailer of my choice, at competitive prices, notwithstanding whether or not the seller is a cell phone company agent. I believe that this will bring down the cost of phones.


You already have this ability with some carriers - the only restriction is the hardware needs to work with their network. Koodo lets you use whatever phone you want, and no contract. 

As soon as my kids are out of their contract, we'll be moving them and their existing phones over to Koodo.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

Exactly why we moved to Koodo. One phone two months ago and another this month. 

And before obtaining the second phone we went to the Koodo website a did a referral. As a result, we both got a $25. credit towards our phone tab. They pay the person who did the referring and the person who joins the program.

The service is excellent. 400 daytime minutes to or from anywhere in Canada, unlimited after 5 and weekends. Unlimited texting. Wireless. $35. plus GST. None of those pesky 911, 'system access' surcharges, or Canadian long distance charges. We don't need data.

It is certainly much more for less money that we were paying on our Telus program 9 months ago and we would never deal with Bell.


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## Guban (Jul 5, 2011)

I'm guessing that we'll see the cost of subsidized phones increase, as the payback to the phone company lowers from 3 years to 2 years.


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## praire_guy (Sep 8, 2011)

The cost will not increase. It's the same with a 2 or 3 year contract. 
I think the new rules are not needed. 

If you are stupid enough to go to a foreign country, and web surf while roaming, you deserve, and should pay the crazy bill you get.


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## fraser (May 15, 2010)

There is no such thing as a subsidized phones. What we have are phones sold with an exceptionally high margin and financed over 3 years at high rates in order to lock customers in to overpriced cell phone plans. That is why Canadian cell phone rates are the highest in the world and Canadian cell phone providers are making some of the highest margins in the telecom industry. The CRTC has made this possible.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

praire_guy said:


> ... If you are stupid enough to go to a foreign country, and web surf while roaming, you deserve, and should pay the crazy bill you get.


That's not always true ... case in point is the US roaming charges because the US tower in Port Huron is stronger than the Sarnia, ON tower.

Why do I have to either turn off roaming or call the cell phone carrier to reverse the changes when I haven't left Canada?

The carrier clearly hopes I'll pay the charges either because I don't notice or can't be bother to call in.


Cheers


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Eclectic12 said:


> That's not always true ... case in point is the US roaming charges because the US tower in Port Huron is stronger than the Sarnia, ON tower.
> Why do I have to either turn off roaming or call the cell phone carrier to reverse the changes when I haven't left Canada?


There should be a _Home_ mode setting in your cell phone.
If you are planning to visit or drive through a border city, set your roaming to Home mode and that will ensure it picks the Canadian tower and not the US tower.

I am close to Niagara Falls and we often go there to spend an afternoon/evening.
I got dinged with roaming charges a couple of times many years ago.
When I called to complain, they reversed the charges and told me to change this setting.
Since the, I've never had a problem.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Yeah I cross in Ogdensburg all the time, I can use my phone on Rogers there as the tower is strong, but if I enter the wal-mart and leave then the signal drops and doesn't come back (goes into roaming). I turn off roaming mobile data to save me.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

HaroldCrump said:


> There should be a _Home_ mode setting in your cell phone.
> 
> If you are planning to visit or drive through a border city, set your roaming to Home mode and that will ensure it picks the Canadian tower and not the US tower.


I'll see if I can find it ... the settings I've seen include "Data Service", which provides choices "on" or "off", the "While Roaming" provides choices "on", "off" or "prompt" and "Network Selection" provides "automatic" or "manual".


Cheers


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## praire_guy (Sep 8, 2011)

Eclectic12 said:


> That's not always true ... case in point is the US roaming charges because the US tower in Port Huron is stronger than the Sarnia, ON tower.
> 
> Why do I have to either turn off roaming or call the cell phone carrier to reverse the changes when I haven't left Canada?
> 
> ...


Turn off data roaming. Problem solved. 
Why do we need the govt to step in?
I knew to do this, and any 13 year old kid should know about it too. 

Maybe this setting should be turned off by default and put the onus on the consumer to turn it on if they want to roam. 

But everybody should know to turn this off and stick to wifi while traveling, or get a roaming package.


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

praire_guy said:


> Turn off data roaming. Problem solved.
> Why do we need the govt to step in?
> I knew to do this, and any 13 year old kid should know about it too.
> 
> ...


Or have an unlocked phone and just grab a new sim card at 711 when travelling. That's what I do.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

praire_guy said:


> Turn off data roaming.
> Problem solved ... But everybody should know to turn this off and stick to wifi while traveling, or get a roaming package.


Work requires I have it on, wifi is not available and I am *in Canada* when this happens.
Why should the onus on me or work to be making changes or buy a roaming package? 




praire_guy said:


> Why do we need the govt to step in?


Why do you think they need to step in?




none said:


> Or have an unlocked phone and just grab a new sim card at 711 when travelling. That's what I do.


I can see your point if I had left Canada or was traveling.

I don't see such a request for an unlocked phone to use in Canada going over well with my manager. :biggrin:


Cheers


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## none (Jan 15, 2013)

What brand of cell do you have?


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

none said:


> What brand of cell do you have?


Rogers, Blackberry ....

Cheers


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## Jaberwock (Aug 22, 2012)

I don't see the two year contract making a lot of difference. The price will simply go up to cover the phone cost over two years instead of three. People will change phones every two years instead of every three years and the phone companies and phone makers will make even more money than they do now.

I like the mandatory unlocking. I travel a lot, I need an unlocked phone and it has always annoyed me that I even if I buy a phone outright, it comes locked to one carrier.

However, what annoys me more than anything else is if I turn my phone on with the Canadian SIM card in it while I am overseas, I get an unwanted and useless message saying welcome to the network, and I get charged a roaming fee for receiving that message


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## LondonHomes (Dec 29, 2010)

Jaberwock said:


> I don't see the two year contract making a lot of difference. The price will simply go up to cover the phone cost over two years instead of three. People will change phones every two years instead of every three years and the phone companies and phone makers will make even more money than they do now.


Most of the rest of the world works on 2 year contracts .. I'm sure they will adjust just fine.

Not to mention after 3 years your phone feels ancient. Rogers / Bell should be able to sell more phones and end up getting them cheaper from Apple / Google due to a bigger volume discount.


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