I'd like to say I sympathize with the American public, but things are much worse north of the border. Contracts in Canada are typically 3 years long, plans cost more and include less than those in the US and two of the major carriers charge 15 cents every time you send or receive a text message unless you buy an even more expensive bundle that includes SMS.
On the surface it appears there is some competition, but in reality there's just Rogers (who also own Fido), Telus (who also own Koodo) and Bell (who own Solo and Virgin). Telus and Bell have a tower sharing agreement and identical pricing so they're more partners than competitors.
The only thing Canada has that the US doesn't is tethering for the iPhone, but unless you were an early adopter and got in on the 6GB deal when it was still available data pricing is so high that tethering doesn't make much sense.
This administration is bush-lite and will do nothing. The the GOP wll take over and it will get worse. Vz will buy sprint and ATT and we are cooked.
All one has to do is compare the USA to EU and se Asia and the problem is plain as day.
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
I think there is wireless competition, but suspect that it is muted by government regulation. I wonder if the FCC thinks more regulation is the solution.
Yes, the answer to too much regulation is even more regulation... in the mind of a bureaucrat.
plans cost more and include less than those in the US and two of the major carriers charge 15 cents every time you send or receive a text message unless you buy an even more expensive bundle that includes SMS
The US is the same, except it costs 20¢ to send or receive. If I send a text to my wife (who is on the same plan as I am) it costs us 40¢
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Actually the Democrats were in control of Congress since, what, 2004 or was it 2006?
But, honestly, it's not like either party is void of responsibility or void of stupid people...
It doesn't take a genius to figure out if all the wireless providers were forced to abandon $billions in infrastructure and use the same standard protocols, consumers would have to pick up the cost.
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Read my post I wrote this administration (democrats) will do nothing. How's that only blaming GOP?
Lesee. Incompatible networks and incompatible phones. Incomplete coverage for every network.
It's like they are all their own little, crappy, monopolies.
I think the feds should force them to have a national standard for cell phones, combine all their networks, and thus allow all phones to work on all networks. it might take a few years, but there you have it.
B..b..b..but that's SOCIALISM!!! and therefore not permitted in the 'Land of The Free(TM)'
Unlike public roads, public services, defence, air traffic management, municipal water & waste management, the high-voltage electricity line backbone...
Where were FCC in 2007 when there was no competition at all to iPhone.
So even now FCC sees Android as not an iPhone killer. LOLz!
A different Administration that miraculously believes true Capitalism has no boundaries and is self-regulating, even if each market is majority controlled by an oligopoly or less number of players.
A different Administration that miraculously believes true Capitalism has no boundaries and is self-regulating, even if each market is majority controlled by an oligopoly or less number of players.
Who, exactly, is forcing you or anyone else to have a cell phone, let alone data plans? The market dictates the price. Are you suggesting the government should take over the mobile phone and data industry?
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Let's see, how long did Bush blame Clinton? If I recall correctly, it was several years.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out if all the wireless providers were forced to abandon $billions in infrastructure and use the same standard protocols, consumers would have to pick up the cost.
I see. And how much extra would it cost to make them insure that their 4G networks are compatible? Oh, and if you wish to claim infrastructure costs, detail and justify any abandonment vs items they would have to invest in anyway.
Yes, the answer to too much regulation is even more regulation... in the mind of a bureaucrat.
That's right. We need to stop any form of regulation of business and industry - unfettered capitalism at its best - it worked so well for America and the world, just ask Goldman Sachs, Massey Mines, BP, and all the rest
To find that there is a lack of competition between the US cell carriers!
Duh.
ANYONE who has paid the least attention to the US infrastructures for the last several decades knows this - Congress knows it, the Senate knows it, the Presidential cabinets for each of the last 10 or so terms in office have known it. Information technology management people have known this as well. I mean fer cryin' out loud, most of our industries (energy, transportation, telephony/landline/RBOC to name just a few) only pretend at competition - usually at the public level so voters/consumers don't catch on.
Seriously kiddies - I spent three years doing corporate litigation support for some of the biggest industry fiascoes - you should have seen the documentation. Once you know what to look for and what the trigger words are, it all opens up for you like a popup reading book. Ironically it sounds so much like the conspiracy freaks fantasies that the average person easily dismisses it.
The Government already has their hands on the Automotive, Banking, and Energy Business. Now they want to control the Wireless carriers.
Is it that the US government now control Autos, banking and Energy..
Or was it rather that those companies couldn't control themselves and so the government stepped in to play parent for a bunch of greedy squabbling brats.
I'd suggest the only "issue" is that the brats got paid.
Comments
On the surface it appears there is some competition, but in reality there's just Rogers (who also own Fido), Telus (who also own Koodo) and Bell (who own Solo and Virgin). Telus and Bell have a tower sharing agreement and identical pricing so they're more partners than competitors.
The only thing Canada has that the US doesn't is tethering for the iPhone, but unless you were an early adopter and got in on the 6GB deal when it was still available data pricing is so high that tethering doesn't make much sense.
This administration is bush-lite and will do nothing. The the GOP wll take over and it will get worse. Vz will buy sprint and ATT and we are cooked.
All one has to do is compare the USA to EU and se Asia and the problem is plain as day.
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Bingo! My biggest complaint is an $100+ iPhone bill every month. It's too much!
Maybe you should look into Sprint. They are cheap and they suck.
I think there is wireless competition, but suspect that it is muted by government regulation. I wonder if the FCC thinks more regulation is the solution.
Yes, the answer to too much regulation is even more regulation... in the mind of a bureaucrat.
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans?
Just a guess, but maybe around the time the Republicans stop obstructing and dragging out for months on end every attempt to do something?
plans cost more and include less than those in the US and two of the major carriers charge 15 cents every time you send or receive a text message unless you buy an even more expensive bundle that includes SMS
The US is the same, except it costs 20¢ to send or receive. If I send a text to my wife (who is on the same plan as I am) it costs us 40¢
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Actually the Democrats were in control of Congress since, what, 2004 or was it 2006?
But, honestly, it's not like either party is void of responsibility or void of stupid people...
EDIT: Checked, it was 2006.
This kind of pricing made sense when the data was being sent of a circuit-switched network. These days it doesn't.
Please tell us how you arrived at the "2-3x what you pay now" cost estimate.
Common sense...
Common sense...
I see, so they are just meaningless numbers.
I see, so they are just meaningless numbers.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out if all the wireless providers were forced to abandon $billions in infrastructure and use the same standard protocols, consumers would have to pick up the cost.
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Read my post I wrote this administration (democrats) will do nothing. How's that only blaming GOP?
Lesee. Incompatible networks and incompatible phones. Incomplete coverage for every network.
It's like they are all their own little, crappy, monopolies.
I think the feds should force them to have a national standard for cell phones, combine all their networks, and thus allow all phones to work on all networks. it might take a few years, but there you have it.
B..b..b..but that's SOCIALISM!!! and therefore not permitted in the 'Land of The Free(TM)'
Unlike public roads, public services, defence, air traffic management, municipal water & waste management, the high-voltage electricity line backbone...
Where were FCC in 2007 when there was no competition at all to iPhone.
So even now FCC sees Android as not an iPhone killer. LOLz!
A different Administration that miraculously believes true Capitalism has no boundaries and is self-regulating, even if each market is majority controlled by an oligopoly or less number of players.
A different Administration that miraculously believes true Capitalism has no boundaries and is self-regulating, even if each market is majority controlled by an oligopoly or less number of players.
Who, exactly, is forcing you or anyone else to have a cell phone, let alone data plans? The market dictates the price. Are you suggesting the government should take over the mobile phone and data industry?
Democrats have been in power a year and a half and how much longer are you going to keep blaming Republicans? At some point, you kind of have to put on your big-boy trousers and take a little responsibility.
Let's see, how long did Bush blame Clinton? If I recall correctly, it was several years.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out if all the wireless providers were forced to abandon $billions in infrastructure and use the same standard protocols, consumers would have to pick up the cost.
I see. And how much extra would it cost to make them insure that their 4G networks are compatible? Oh, and if you wish to claim infrastructure costs, detail and justify any abandonment vs items they would have to invest in anyway.
Yes, the answer to too much regulation is even more regulation... in the mind of a bureaucrat.
That's right. We need to stop any form of regulation of business and industry - unfettered capitalism at its best - it worked so well for America and the world, just ask Goldman Sachs, Massey Mines, BP, and all the rest
Duh.
ANYONE who has paid the least attention to the US infrastructures for the last several decades knows this - Congress knows it, the Senate knows it, the Presidential cabinets for each of the last 10 or so terms in office have known it. Information technology management people have known this as well. I mean fer cryin' out loud, most of our industries (energy, transportation, telephony/landline/RBOC to name just a few) only pretend at competition - usually at the public level so voters/consumers don't catch on.
Seriously kiddies - I spent three years doing corporate litigation support for some of the biggest industry fiascoes - you should have seen the documentation. Once you know what to look for and what the trigger words are, it all opens up for you like a popup reading book. Ironically it sounds so much like the conspiracy freaks fantasies that the average person easily dismisses it.
The Government already has their hands on the Automotive, Banking, and Energy Business. Now they want to control the Wireless carriers.
Is it that the US government now control Autos, banking and Energy..
Or was it rather that those companies couldn't control themselves and so the government stepped in to play parent for a bunch of greedy squabbling brats.
I'd suggest the only "issue" is that the brats got paid.