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CRTC Bans Locked phones and unlock fees Starting Dec 1, 2017

V

Vic

Please help me with my bad english
Something gotta give though. I remember when most carriers here in Canada started to offer 2-year plans instead of 3 (I believe it was another rule enforced by the CRTC?), the monthly rates spiked up.
 
S

SRG01

Member
Vic said:
Something gotta give though. I remember when most carriers here in Canada started to offer 2-year plans instead of 3 (I believe it was another rule enforced by the CRTC?), the monthly rates spiked up.
Click to expand...

The likely effect is that carriers will simply drop phone incentives.

However, Koodo and other carriers currently have conditions that prevent people from canceling right away while keeping the discount, so this change may not have that big of an effect.
 
B

BTails

Member
I'm excited about this, but knowing the Big 3, they'll find a way to use this to justify cost increases. I hate these stupid telecoms.
 
S

SRG01

Member
Proteus said:
That's crazy.

That's mad crazy.



Only if we can get your superior plans. I bought a Tesco SIM for around 15 pounds and get myself 4gigs of data unlimited ca//text for a month.
Click to expand...

In HK, I prepaid for what was essentially an unlimited data SIM, in that they throttled instead of having a hard cap. O_O
 
F

firelogic

Member
BTails said:
I'm excited about this, but knowing the Big 3, they'll find a way to use this to justify cost increases. I hate these stupid telecoms.
Click to expand...

They'll just loop in the unlock fee into the plans. They're not going to accept losing out on profits. Forcing them to get rid of the monthly system access fee amounted to a notice saying "in order to improve our already amazing network, we've determined an increase of $X.XX is in order."

No more big cable bundles? That turned into chopping up channels and selling smaller blocks/individual channels that ended up costing you just as much, if not more.

The big 3 are so conniving that the only way to actually get good deals is to allow new entrants into the market but that's never going to happen. Even now, "new" smaller wireless/internet providers are all owned by Bell, Telus, and Rogers anyway. There's no competition.
 
K

killer rin

Member
The CRTC has slowly, yet surely started to become one of my favourite government agencies. They just need to keep on pushing. Fuck Robellus
 
NYR

NYR

Member
You're kidding yourself if you think telecoms won't come up with a way to get around this, hope you enjoy an additional $50 activation fee when you buy a new phone.

CRTC are toothless, they were straight up embarrassed with the way TV providers responded to the $25 TV and pay per channel plans, they still have yet to do anything about that.
 
E

Entropia

No One Remembers
NYR said:
You're kidding yourself if you think telecoms won't come up with a way to get around this, hope you enjoy an additional $50 activation fee when you buy a new phone.

CRTC are toothless, they were straight up embarrassed with the way TV providers responded to the $25 TV and pay per channel plans, they still have yet to do anything about that.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have a feeling that unlock fee is going to be re-routed in some way and impact ALL customers rather than just those wanting to unlock their phone.
 
T

thelatestmodel

Junior, please.
NYR said:
You're kidding yourself if you think telecoms won't come up with a way to get around this, hope you enjoy an additional $50 activation fee when you buy a new phone.

CRTC are toothless, they were straight up embarrassed with the way TV providers responded to the $25 TV and pay per channel plans, they still have yet to do anything about that.
Click to expand...

This did come to mind also. Bell and Rogers always find a way to fuck you over. Always. They are evil, evil companies.
 
S

shadowkat

Unconfirmed Member
The big 3 will still find a way to charge you for something to make up for the loss.

Just like I don't have much hope for our plans to get any better.
 
F

firehawk12

Subete no aware
I feel like this will just drive up the monthly fees, like when we went from 3 year to 2 year contracts even if you bring your own device. lol

Also all those tiny phone unlock stores going out of business. :p
 
NYR

NYR

Member
shadowkat said:
The big 3 will still find a way to charge you for something to make up for the loss.

Just like I don't have much hope for our plans to get any better.
Click to expand...
They have already said they will pass on the charge to everyone now, they aren't going to let that $40 million they made on unlocking just go away:

During a February CRTC hearing, Bell, Rogers and Telus all stood by their unlocking fees.

The big three warned that if they didn't charge an unlocking fee for the few customers who want it done, the cost would have to be passed on to everyone.

"We think it's a lot more appropriate that people who actually have their device unlocked bear the cost of the unlocking," said Howard Slawner, vice-president of regulatory telecom at Rogers.
Click to expand...
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/crtc-wireless-code-cellphone-1.4161711
 
D

Dazzler

Member
Next - PLEASE go after them over their measly data allowances

It's embarrassing I have to perform a shady Quebec plan loophole to get 6GB of data at a somewhat reasonable price

Even 6GB isn't enough
 
K

killer rin

Member
V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
I wonder how phone sales are gonna end up being handled going forward. As more and more of the West eventually moves toward this model of everything unlocked I wonder if eventually we will get to a point where cell phone companies don't even bother selling devices.

They will just cut that part out and just sell services.
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
Vanillalite said:
I wonder how phone sales are gonna end up being handled going forward. As more and more of the West eventually moves toward this model of everything unlocked I wonder if eventually we will get to a point where cell phone companies don't even bother selling devices.

They will just cut that part out and just sell services.
Click to expand...
IMO, this releases the shackles for departments and electronics stores to sell phones freely without being tied to the evil Telecoms.

like walk into a Wal-Mart and buy any Android phone without the Telecom poopery

phone sales will go up
 
F

firehawk12

Subete no aware
gutter_trash said:
IMO, this releases the shackles for departments and electronics stores to sell phones freely without being tied to the evil Telecoms.

like walk into a Wal-Mart and buy any Android phone without the Telecom poopery

phone sales will go up
Click to expand...
Couldn't you always do that?
 
V

Vibranium

Banned
Awesome, now we just need better priced plans with way more data offered at minimum.

NYR said:
They have already said they will pass on the charge to everyone now, they aren't going to let that $40 million they made on unlocking just go away:

During a February CRTC hearing, Bell, Rogers and Telus all stood by their unlocking fees.


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/crtc-wireless-code-cellphone-1.4161711
Click to expand...

Time to close that option too, I guess the CRTC will be hearing from us again when the Big Three screws around again. There needs to be a major crackdown on Bell and Rogers especially.
 
L

Lebon14

Member
Read that on DSLReports earlier today. That's amazing news.

Too bad that's just Blais' last gift to us when he departs from the chairman's position this Saturday. You'll be missed; we loved you giving the finger to the Big 3.
 
P

Pachinko

Member
Vic said:
Something gotta give though. I remember when most carriers here in Canada started to offer 2-year plans instead of 3 (I believe it was another rule enforced by the CRTC?), the monthly rates spiked up.
Click to expand...

This is true but that's because they were subsidizing the price of your phone. 900$ for the phone split over 3 years is 300 $ a year, split over 2 it becomes 450$ a year. The way they set up their taxes and financing fees, they want to make money off that lease too so , they make back their financing 75% of the way through , which is why upgrades were possible 6 months before contract end on a 3 year term and are now only possible with 3 months left.

I suspect being forced to sell unlocked new phones will mean a higher charge for the sim card if anything. "okay that iphone 8 will cost you 1100$ , split across a 2 year plan through us , it'll be financed for 1300$ plus our plan will run you 65$ a month + data and while the phone can be used with any carrier , should you bring one from someone else here that 12$ sim card will instead cost 45$ and we'll just lock out our cheapest plans to you"

I mean canadian telecom will find a way to screw over their customers no matter what happens but at least this will be one more thing they'll have to work at.
 
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