For those of you who are not following us on Twitter and missed our tweet with WIND Mobile’s response to the CRTC’s decision I provide a few quotes for your reading convenience.
WIND Mobile will be delayed in becoming Canada’s newest competitive wireless operator in over a decade, Globalive Wireless Management Corp. announced today on the heels of a regulatory decision from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
In its decision, the CRTC came to a different conclusion than Industry Canada and has indicated that Globalive Wireless is not in compliance with the Canadian ownership and control requirements set out in the Telecommunications Act.
“Having already received approval from Industry Canada, we are extremely disappointed that the CRTC has come to a different conclusion,” said Anthony Lacavera, Chairman, Globalive Wireless Management Corp. “This is a bad day for Canadian consumers. Canadians deserve competition in wireless and this decision represents a major step backwards.”
“WIND Mobile had planned to launch in the coming weeks. We have pulled together an excellent team of more than 500 people and had built a strong network and operation across the country. We are ready to bring competition to the market.” said Ken Campbell, CEO of WIND Mobile. “We will be evaluating our options on how to proceed.”
Read the complete press release on WIND Mobile’s website. After doing so, be sure to follow us on Twitter so you do not miss another news update.
With the CRTC’s decision today to block WIND Mobile (Globalive Wireless) from launching in Canada at this time, HowardForums member “Windsider” decided it would be safe to leak some plan information.
Three plans were to be available at launch, sorry no monthly pricing was given:
Chat(basic plan)
100 province-wide minutes
Always Talk (mid range plan)
province-wide “local” minutes
Always Shout(high end plan)
province-wide “local” minutes
unlimited texting to Canada and the US
voicemail
All plans were to include: missed call alert, caller id, call waiting, call forwarding, conference calling, Wind-to-Wind Calling (Nationwide).
In addition to the three base calling plans, WIND mobile also planned to launch data and prepaid services. The data plan was to be called “Infinite Internet” featuring unlimited data (tethering, downloading, streaming, etc.). Prepaid service was to be referred to as “Pay Before” which gave the consumer access to the same monthly plans as the “Pay After” (postpaid) service.
The CRTC has finally published the results of the investigation into the ownership of Globalive Wireless, which was to operate under the name of WIND Mobile in Canada. According to the press release published on the CRTC website, it was determined that: “Globalive is controlled in fact by Orascom, a non-Canadian“. As a result, Globalive Wireless (WIND Mobile) is unable to launch in Canada at this time.
In this decision, the Commission sets out its determination in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2009-429, in which it undertook a review of Globalive’s ownership and control. In its review, the Commission considered whether non-Canadians do not own or control Globalive as currently structured. The Commission determines that Globalive does not meet that test. The Commission therefore determines that Globalive has not met the requirements of the ownership and control regime and is therefore not currently eligible to operate as a Canadian telecommunications common carrier.
We will have more on the CRTC’s decision in a future post. In the mean time, head over the the WIND Mobile section of HowardForums to discuss the ruling by the CRTC.
I recently had a chance to meet with Anthony Lacavera. Anthony is the CEO of Globalive, the company behind Wind Mobile, Canada’s newest mobile phone service provider. Check my interview out.
While Anthony wouldn’t really discuss their upcoming phone lineup I have some observations. First off Anthony is completely dependent on his Blackberry. He’s one of those guys who’s ‘berry spends more time in his hand than in his pocket (he’s a spiffy dresser so I don’t think he has a holster). I would be somewhat surprised if Wind didn’t launch with a Blackberry – probably the 9700 in their lineup. Secondly call it a hunch but I have a feeling the Galaxy – AKA the i7500, Samsung’s first Android with with an incredible AMOLED screen will also be there at launch.
![wind-mobile[1]](http://www.howardchui.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/wind-mobile1.png "wind-mobile[1]")
