The Spectrum Auction was developed in order to stimulate additional competition for the wireless industry within Canada.  The government wants to be able to get better prices for the consumer, and in addition, more choices.  They also want better services, with the latest cell phone selections and believe that competition will benefit everyone.  With all the new companies entering the market, consumers are already beginning to feel the impact of the additional competition.

Wind Mobile and Public Mobile have already increase their market share, and some relatively new.  Companies such as Mobilicity will be launching their services in the Toronto area very shortly.  Videotron will be will be launching their HSPA network sometime this summer.  Each of these companies will be putting the pressure on the top three, Telus, Rogers and Bell.  In anticipation of such competition, the big three will also be doing everything they can to make sure their customers stay with them.

The prices have already begun to reduce and some of the fees are either being lowered or eliminated entirely.  The big three are all waving their $35 activation fee and offering free evening services after six clock p.m.  Bell is going to give $150 credit to any Wind customers that come back to them.  In addition, there is a rumor that Fido will be doing the same.  Even though prices are dropping and everyone are getting a lot better deals, you want to make sure that you will not get locked into a three year contract.  This could be the perfect time to purchase an unlocked cell phone to avoid this type of contract.  There had to be some kind give or take with all the price reductions and companies are looking to keep you for longer periods of time.  It will be more important to make sure that you check every provider’s contracts extremely careful and watch out for early termination fees.

The new application for Blackberry mobile phones, known as Zoompass will allow Canadian users its first payment service to be used on their cellular phones.  This is also a project that Rogers, Bell and Telus have jointly entered into.  This payment application will also let users be able to send receive and ask for money.  You will also be a will to take a look at any of your transactions all through utilizing your Blackberry device.

It does not cost anything to download.  However, there will be some charges that you will have to take into consideration when you use the program.  There will be a $.50 charge in order to be able to send or withdraw money into a checking or savings account.  You will also be charged $10 for any overdrafts that occur.

For those Telus customers you will see the new Zoompass icon on your touchscreen.  If you do not see today, you will notice it within the next couple of days.  This will also include some of the other carriers such as Bell Mobility, Fido, PC Mobile, Solo Mobile and Virgin Mobile.  You will be able to add money to your Zoompass account quickly and easily the matter where you are and what the many security features you will not have to worry about security issues.

With the announcement that users will be able to start downloading the application, this starts a major portion for mobile banking, and we should be able to see many more uses in the near future.  The application will use real time and with the ability to quickly transfer funds as well as having access to your money will make this mobile feature extremely user-friendly.  So check out your Blackberry unlocked phone and keep an eye out for that new Zoompass icon and begin your free registration.

The Canadian cell service provider war continues as Rogers sues Bell over network claims. This lawsuit directly followed one where Telus Communications sued Rogers Communications for running advertisements that claimed Rogers wireless network was the fastest and most reliable network in Canada.

Telus had recently joined forces with Bell to launch a new high-speed packet (HSPN) network, which allowed them to match Rogers speed and capability. Once their network was in place, on November 5th of this year, they asked that Rogers stop using such claims in their advertising, but Rogers declined.

That launched the first lawsuit which Rogers Communications lost, and therefore lost the rights to use the term ‘most reliable’ when advertising. Prior to Telus and Bell uniting forces, Rogers was the only wireless network cell service provider that could support the Apple iPhone. Since the upgrade both BCE and Telus are reported to be selling the iPhone. That was probably an equally angering blow to Rogers’ executives.

Rogers has now filed their own suit trying to make Bell follow the same rules, and then some. John Boynton, the chief marketing officer of Rogers Wireless, says Rogers wants to prohibit Bell from using similar terms to the ones Rogers was banned from using.

Similar legal battles have gone on in the United States between providers such as AT&T and Verizon. It seems in these situations, however, that the United States is winning the reputation for peaceful relations, because those cases have been dropped while the Canadian companies wage on.

As Rogers sues Bell over the network claims, the company is still waiting for an appeal on the previous case they lost. A spokesperson for Rogers had indicated before the first case that Telus had not submitted any data proving their network performance matched their own. It is unclear if any of that data was made available in court, but Rogers is not giving up.

Forever does not seem as long as you think, because Samsung and Rogers Wireless have made Forever, now.  The Samsung Forever A886 is now available from the Canadian company, Rogers Wireless.  The release was announced on November 25, 2009 and available on November 26th at Rogers Wireless outlets and authorized dealers, just in time for the holiday.  Its chic and slender design along with its multitude of applications and widgets, makes this device a must have for those seeking an integrated smart touch screen phone to fit their busy lifestyle.

The Forever A886 has a three inch 240 x 400 full touch screen. The ease of the screen allows the consumer to easily surf the web, access other applications and other uses with quickness and a light touch.   It has a 2mp camera, and video capabilities.  The phone also has 72mb of internal memory and has 32mb of external memory expansion capabilities.  Complete with Touchwiz UI to allow the user to drag and drop widgets onto the user’s home screen.

Complete with a virtual QWERTY keyboard which will make instant messaging and emailing more fun for the user.  The phone also has a MP3 music player with FM radio.  A-GPS application comes with turn by turn directions and other standard GPS abilities.  The phone comes with a long list of many other applications for entertainment, personal and business usages.  This 3G wireless network phone has full html browsing at a much faster speed.  The phone also comes with stereo Bluetooth to enjoy hands free use for talking and listening to music.

Rogers Wireless stated that the price of the Samsung A886 is $79.99 with a three year contract.  All customers interested in this phone need to contact an authorized Rogers Dealer or go to a Rogers Wireless Store.

Telus Corporation, a leading telecommunications company from Alberta Canada is suing Rogers in hopes it will stop its claims that it is Canada’s fastest and most reliable cell phone network. The company filed suit in British Colombia on November 12th, 2009.

Several factors have led to Telus’s recent decisions. Telus began upgrading its system and completed the transition on November 5th. The company believed that Rogers statements about its fastest and more reliable services were no longer true. Telus company officials had asked Rogers to stop using the claims. Of course Rogers declined to do this.

Believing that Rogers is making false claims, the company pursued the lawsuit. The lawsuit states that Rogers is making false statements and should cease doing so. Rogers officials have denied the claims and have indicated that Telus has no research or factual basis to its suit and looks forward to defending themselves in court.

Many people in the industry wonder if this is some kind of marketing ploy to bring consumer awareness to Telus with the upcoming holiday season. The timing of the lawsuit and the attention to network reliability will most certainly make consumers more aware of Telus’s services. With Telus’s recent upgrades, they are now able to offer the iPhone cell phone to its consumers, thus tightening the competition with Rogers and Bell. Bell is not a part of the lawsuit.

With the economy in such disrepair, consumers are searching for the best plans and pricing as well as reliable services and extended networks. With the upgrades Telus has made it has certainly put pressure on Rogers and the industry as a whole. Network speed has become a huge selling point for consumers who are now using smart phones as well as network coverage. Having the claim as the fastest tends to sway customers to that particular companies services.

With the attention of Teles suing Rogers over network claims during the holiday season, it is sure to have consumers question each companies merits and claims. Telus is seeking through its lawsuit for Rogers to cease its claims as well as seeking damages. Holiday shopping is upon us and the battleground has been set for cell phone companies.

Rogers Communications have recently stated that they would be interested in purchasing WIND spectrum from Globalive after reports were raised that telecom setup may not be possible after regulatory ruling found that WIND does not meet Canadian ownership.

In August of this year, Globalive announced that it would soon be launching its network under the WIND brand in order to shake up the wireless industry in Canada. However, in order for this to happen, it must meet the Canadian ownership rules. These rules being that the sum of 80 percent must be owned and controlled by Canadians. This however is not possible, considering Orascom; an Egyptian company currently owns 65.1 percent of WIND equity, plus the WIND brand rights in Canada.

As a result, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) stated that major changes needed to be implemented to the ownership structure before WIND could launch its network.

If Globalive does not launch there will be less competition entering the market. CEO Nadir Mohamed of Rogers Communications who are the country’s largest wireless service provider as well as Telus Corp and BCE Inc, two other large carries in Canada, would be provided with great benefits due to the unsuccessful launch of Globalive.

In 2008, WIND’s spectrum was purchased from Industry Canada for a total of $442.1 million Canadian with plans to offer mobile phone service later this year or in early 2010. Now, there is talk that the Big Three may buy the company in parcels if the launch does not happen.

While the launch of Globalive hangs in the balance, Rogers Communications, BCE and Telus Inc, will continue to look on in order to learn whether they have a new contender amid the field or if they will split WIND into three, thus sharing it among themselves.

The HTC touch2 coming to Rogers will make the company the first in North America to use a version of the Smartphone technology. A potentially lucrative alternative to the HD2, images of the HTC touch2 in a plethora of candy colors have been released to drive up anticipation for Rogers’ at an early stage the launching process. The Windows Mobile 6.5 model phone, if picked up by the Canadian brand, may also have 3G capabilities lacking in the original phone.

The intense reporting by electronics blogs despite the early stage of the Rogers decision is notable, for the excitement far outpaces the amount of information available at this time. In addition to the aforementioned features, the phone replacing the Touch will have a 2.8-inch touchscreen, as well as Wi-Fi, GPS and updated Microsoft OS. The high level of anticipation over the features, and the colors they phone may come in, is an encouraging sign for Rogers at this point.

Currently Rogers offers the HTC Magic and the HTC Dream White, in addition to a variety of phones by Blackberry, Sony, Samsung, and other brands. The Magic offers Google apps, built-in GPS, built-in Wi-Fi, and fast download speeds. Their largest product category when it comes to cell phones is the Smartphone, with no fewer than 27 different model smartphones available via their website. The HTC Touch2 will be a versatile addition to their stock, with its support for various social networking sites, Bluetooth 2.1, zoom bar, and 3.2 megapixel color camera. Consumers in North America have a lot to look forward to with the HTC touch2 coming to Rogers in the near future.

Bell’s most awaited HSPA network is now here and Canadians who are planning to change coat and go from Rogers Wireless to Bell; well it is a free country. Now Canadians have a choice between two networks and choice is always good.  As with any launch by any network, a couple of awesome handsets and data cards were on display and that is without the rip off plans. If you were not able to check, it out here is what you might want to know about:

Data Sticks from Novatel Wireless come in many shapes and forms, the Novatel Wireless U950 is at $24.95 for a 3-year contract, the U998 is at a price tag of $74.95, and the X950 is at $24.95 all for a 3-year contract. Sim cards are free if you get a contract, if not; you pay a $5 fee.

For those interested in getting data sticks with no strings attached, get the X950, U998 or the U950 for $174.95.

As for smartphones, the Apple iPhone 3G is at $99.95 for a 3 year contract while the Apple iPhone 3GS (16GB) is at $199.95. For those who want a bigger internal memory, get the Apple iPhone 3GS with 32GB capacity at $299.95. If you do not want strings attached you can get the Apple iPhone 3G at $599.95, the 3GS with 16GB at $699.95, and the 32GB one at $799.95.

BlackBerry fan? Do not worry, the BlackBerrys are included as well. For a BlackBerry Bold 9700 you pay $299.95 if you get a 3-year plan. If you want to get it with no attachments whatsoever, you have to pay the full $599.95 price. The BlackBerry Bold 9000 comes at a higher price with the contract but only a little bit. It sells with no strings attached at the same price as the BlackBerry Bold 9700.

Non-Smartphones such as the Nokia 6350, 2730, Samsung Impact, and LG Xenon are also available. For more information, visit Bell.

According to the grapevine, Canada’s Rogers Wireless will be one of the first carriers to offer the very first android device from LG -the GW620. Now that is some exciting news especially for those who have been trying to get more information about LG’s android phone. It has been spotted in the wild a lot of times to excite android aficionados but with no clear-cut release dates whatsoever. Rogers Canada offering the said android phone in the very near future is particularly good news for many Canadians because it means there will be a version of the handset at retail that will work on Bell and Telus; theoretically that is.

There are no updates if AT&T will join in the bandwagon for the LG GW620 craze and it seems they have no plans of offering an android gadget for that matter. For those who are into the full QWERTY slide (in LG GW630’s case it is an AZERTY), super sleek phone with a 5 megapixel camera and 7.2 Mbps HSDPA capability -better get ready to do some unlocking. The phone has a standard headphone included in the package.

For Rogers’ clientele, there is no release date as of the moment but rumor has it that the android will be yours at a reasonable rate of CAD $49.99 for a three year contract once the phone is launched.

With this android phone about to be launched, many AT&T and Verizon customers are considering to jump ship. Apart from not offering androids, customers are fed up with overpricing and for these big carriers refusing to compete with other carriers’ much lower prices.

Sprint on the other hand is looking much better in the eyes of potential clients because it tries to compete with the new prices on androids and even other handsets. Sprint is also revamping its portfolio of phone and is now offering more phones to choose from.

[Image Source: Engadet Mobile]

Good news to all Canadians who are in love with everything BlackBerry. Rogers Wireless has started selling BlackBerry’s BlackBerry Bold 9700 online available at $299.99 for a 3 year voice and data plan. Now that is nifty! For those who do not like strings attached, get the BlackBerry Bold 9700 at $599.99 at Rogers.

HSPA newcomers TELUS and Bell will also be offering the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Rumor had it that the new phone will have its Bell and TELUS launch when the two networks launch themselves in the Canadian market. Bell was rumored to start carrying iPhones and BlackBerrys in early November and it has been confirmed because it has already happened with Bell l launching November 4th -thank goodness for news from the grapevine. TELUS’ launch is rumored to be November 5th just a day after Bell’s.

The TELUS website has confirmed this and has announced their launch for November 5 -the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will of course be available.

As far as prices are concerned, Rogers’ no strings attached of about $600 is costly compared to T-Mobile’s $200 offer. This however is not bothersome since as all Canadians know, Rogers Wireless has the largest coverage all over Canada. Rogers Wireless has comprehensive plans -from business plans to personal plans to family plans and anything else in between that will fit your family’s and your lifestyle.

What is the BlackBerry 9700?

For those who are not yet familiar with this newest craze in the cell phone scene, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 is Wi-Fi ready, has 3G support and it runs on the newest BlackBerry Operating System 5.0. The resolution display is 480 x 360 -it is one of the phone’s defining features apart from its TeleNav GPS Navigator that will guide its user turn by turn. It also has a 3.2 megapixel cam, a 256MB flash memory, and a 624MHz processor.