Majority owner of Wind Mobile calls Canada a backwater
In a exclusive interview with the Globe and Mail published yesterday, Naguib Sawiris, Executive chairman of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE and Weather Investments SpA has called Canada a telecom backwater.
For those that don’t know, Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E is an Egyptian corporation which operates wireless networks in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and holds a 65% interest in Wind Mobile.
In his interview with the Globe and Mail, Mr. Sawiris calls Telus Mobility, Bell Mobility and Rogers Wireless a “joke,” and says that two of the three companies have already tried to buy Wind Mobile from Oracom for a “very significant profit.”
Although Digital Home can be a fierce critic of the CRTC and Industry Canada, we respect democratic institutions and the decisions made by those institutions even when we disagree. Our belief is that telecom companies operating in this country should respect those institutions and strive to work within the laws of this country.
We can only assume that Mr. Sawiris is used to operating in countries autocratic regimes (North Korea, Egypt, Algeria) or countries whose democratic rule comes through support from the military (Pakistan) so perhaps he is not used to the fact that in democracies, things operate much differently.
At Digital Home, we want to see more competition because it benefits our economy and consumers, however, we want competitors that respect the rule of law and Canadian institutions.
If Wind Mobile considers Canada a backwater, then perhaps it’s time for Wind to sell out for that big profit and invest the proceeds in a country whose political institutions are more to its liking.
Discuss Wind Mobile’s majority owners thoughts in Digital Home’s Canadian Wireless forum.
– Hugh Thompson Digital Home Blog
Maybe it’s time for this “backwater” country to nationalize wind, and tell that $^&&*^@% that he’s just lost his investment.
Dude not sure where you’re going on with your rant against Naguib Sawiris and not working within the laws of this country.
If your topic is about a report in the GnM then stick to that and don’t ramble about how maybe the Executive Chairman of Orascom is used to working with autocratic regimes. imply a lack of respect for institutions or understanding of the democratic process. Wind operates across Europe which has a low number of autocratic regimes these days but I guess that fact doesn’t fit the point you’re trying to get across — whatever that may be.
We’re talking cell phones here not government change…
Co signing Canadian telecom is backwater.
Overpriced with little choice.
Free incoming is what I want in Canada. Mostly every country or continent has that. Canada is way behind. No one does anything about it because there is too much politics and debates in this country, its nonsense. If Stephen Harper wants to allow foreign cellphone providers to compete in Canada then he is going to have to rearrange the rules and regulations of the CRTC, otherwise the foreign wireless carriers won’t be able to do much. There will be no competition in Canada if this continues. This is why foreign countries do not want to invest money in the wireless sector in Canada because they will get ripped off and no one wants that. In Canada there still is no competition and I don’t know whats it going to be like in the future. So far its 2010 and no surprises are heard of from the wireless sector
First – your article commented on the CRTC’s decision, but gave no indication of what had really been said. Then it went off in a totally unrelated direction.
Second – To be a little more constructive: I agree with another comment that all incoming calls should be free! Many countries already have this, and I believe that it would assist the fight against phone-spam! The person who chooses to make the call (send the text message, etc.) should be the one to pay for it. As a user, I would then have more control over my costs. And that should apply to ALL phone systems! The only exception is when the recipient has approved for “Reversed Charges”.
Telecom backwater! Telecom backwater! Not “backwater”. Watch your reporting.
Canada totally IS a TELECOM backwater. Cellphone penetration rates here are at 3rd world levels. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find another industrialized nation with a penetration rate as low as ours.
Part of that is because of the unique physical challenges of operating in Canada – it’s basically a 2000 mile x 100 mile populated strip with a whole chunk of other lowly populated space that costs a fortune to cover.
But a lot of it is down to the protected nature of our corporations and the way they’ve taken advantage of that and screwed the customer. More power to Sawiris.
I agree with investor. I lived in Austria as a Canadian for 6 months and I paid 40 euros for talking on prepaid and still have the service active until mid 2011 with 1 euro credit on the card.
Rogers, Bell and Telus plans all have the minimum recharge. Everything is overpriced. I don’t give a rat’s arssss if there is no Canadian company operating in ONTARIO>….I AM CANADIAN AND I WANT CANADIAN COMPANIES OUTTT!!!! THANKS
Relax yourself Hugh! Canada IS a wireless “backwater”!! Don’t only choose the facts that support your argument, you’re making it seem as if Naguib has an agenda of political change, you’re way out of line. the only thing Canada needs in terms of telecom is more competing companies, that is all.