As you may have heard, OpenMedia.ca launched a grassroots movement in support of wireless competition in Canada. In just one month, it has quickly become one of their largest online campaigns of the past year. Its petition, asking the federal government to set aside spectrum for new wireless entrants at the upcoming auction, has now received 60,000 signatures.
The campaign has clearly struck a chord with Canadians because they can see the progress that competition has made over the past two years. Prices have come down for consumers, customer service is improving and many of the unfair practices – like termination fees for contracts – are starting to be eliminated because of competitors like WIND. But competition is still in its infancy and there is still a lot of work to be done. Last week, The SeaBoard Group came out with a report urging the government not to renege on their commitment to foster competition – specifically by providing spectrum set aside at the next auction and by lifting foreign ownership restrictions.
As I noted last month when I wrote about the launch of OpenMedia.ca’s campaign, the progress of competition is at risk for consumers if the government does not set aside spectrum for new entrants at the 700 MHz spectrum auction. This spectrum is essential for new entrants to build out LTE networks and the reality is that the incumbents already have a similar band of spectrum that can be used for their LTE networks.
I want to thank the 60,000 of you who have already shown your support. We anticipate the federal government announcing the rules of the spectrum auction within the next few weeks. Now that we are on the last, most important leg of our efforts, I encourage you to spread the word and share the http://stopthesqueeze.ca/ petition with your networks. The greater the volume of our voices, the greater the opportunity is for us to be heard. This is the only way Canadians will truly feel the real benefits of wireless competition.
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As of my writing, the links currently link to items within your email’s inbox. Please fix.
The change was quick! Thanks!
Yes, Rogers is already using 2600 MHz and AWS for its LTE network. The company also claims that the 2600 MHz band alone provides about a 15 Mbit/s enhancement. It’s clear that they don’t need AWS if they can use bands like 2600 MHz instead!
60 thousand. Out of a population of 34 ***MILLION***. That is less than 1 fifth of 1 percent. Negligible.
@somebody- dead wrong. Isn’t there some statistic like for every person who signs a petition or write as letter, there are 5 others who have the same view but just never bothered to sign.
MacMan156: The implication of your statement is that there are 34 million *minus* (60000×5) = 33.7 million people who are opposed or indifferent.
In fact, I would suspect that IF there is such a statistic, that it only applies to populations who have ALL read it.
In fact, if only 60 thousand have signed it, I would **SINCERELY HOPE** that there are FAR FAR MORE than 300000 people who ACTUALLY SUPPORT competition in this country.
In other words, why don’t you put a survey up on a ROBELUS board asking who supports a MONOPOLY. Of course, word it like Robelus does to make pretend that a monopoly means lower prices and better service. I guarantee that you’ll EASILY get 200k signs = 1 million support. But that petition/survey/whatever won’t be any more meaningful than this one.
Right! Let’s stop wasting time with petitions and do… sorry, what was brilliant and thoroughly-described idea you put forth as a course of action, Somebody?
60,000 people is a huge number to have signed a Canadian petition. One the biggest in the last year for sure.
If I remember correctly I read something quit a while back about how the “big three” were sitting on all kinds of spectrum that had actually been given to them by the government. Supposedly to help them be able to provide more “cheaper” service??? And because they weren’t using it, they kept crying “congestion” to verify raising there prices!!! Maybe the government should “give” the equivalent amount of this new space to the newcomers????
That does make perfect sense.
FYI: Robelus has far far more spectrum than ATT and Verizon, yet a population only 1/10th over a larger area. If ATT can do it, Robelus should be able to do it with a TINY FRACTION of what they have. They certainly don’t need any more.
http://mediawrench.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/fair-play-and-the-crtc/
http://mediawrench.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/fair-play-and-the-crtc/
thankyou for trying to create awareness on the issue
I think there ought to be a law on how much unused spectrum a company is allowed to sit on.
Tammy!!!! Where y’been hidin’?
Unless someone hijacked your handle. . . .
It’s me. I am just busy with another “project” at the moment. I am still hear lurking in the dark pockets of the battle
I think Open Media is doing a fantastic job. Not sure there is much more I can do that they aren’t already doing. I am concerned about this whole mess. 60,000 voices need to be 600,000.
You see… I still have typos and all
I meant I am still here LOL
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