On March 14th, 2007, almost four years after it was implemented in the United States Canadians will finally be able to take their phone number with them when they switch wireless carriers. (http://www.digitalhomecanada.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=898&Itemid=34)

All I can say is "About bloody time!!". Our cellular phone rates and packages have been to high for far too long. Maybe a little competition will wake these guys up a bit. Here in Saskatchewan especially, it is terrible the way Sasktel treats it's subscribers because they are the only game in town. I'll be taking my number and walking as soon as possible.

All I can say is "About bloody time!!". Our cellular phone rates and packages have been to high for far too long. Maybe a little competition will wake these guys up a bit. Here in Saskatchewan especially, it is terrible the way Sasktel treats it's subscribers because they are the only game in town. I'll be taking my number and walking as soon as possible.

SaskTel has a killer plan now - $20, 200 daytime minutes, unlimited evenings/weekends (6 pm start for evenings), 10 cent Canadian long distance... they're feeling some pressure from the competition, I assure you. Jump onto that plan today if it makes sense for you.

I'm on Rogers and I'm actually pondering going to SaskTel for that plan.

I think WNP is good but I'd also like to see the floodgates open to allow US carriers into this country, that would stir the competitive pot!

In speaking to wireless folks last year, WNP was a nightmare for them because they expect it to raise churn substantially.

We can let US carriers in, but there is no spectrum to give to them. It is all allocated in the major centres. There is some spectrum available in parts of Atlantic Canada, the North and Saskatchewan, but I don't see Verizon or Cingular as being that desperate to serve Saskatoon or Edmunston.

Time to find new spectrum or open it up to the highest bidder. At least then the taxpayer could benefit!

We're only 4 years behind the Americans on this one. Gee, that's surprising.

Time to find new spectrum or open it up to the highest bidder. At least then the taxpayer could benefit!

What are we going to give up to get the spectrum? There is no empty spectrum.

The US is opening up analog TV spectrum to many deployments, including wireless, as of 2007. Canada hasn't committed to doing that yet.

PhotoJim, I understand but as they are doing in the US, we can choose to either auction off the existing spectrum or repurpose other parts of the spectrum

Thanks for the heads-up PhotoJim I checked it out and they want a three year contract to be signed. Again I think that once you are free to take your numb er with you this type of thing will change.

Thanks for the heads-up PhotoJim I checked it out and they want a three year contract to be signed. Again I think that once you are free to take your numb er with you this type of thing will change.

You expect the contracts to change? I would think they will try to make the contracts longer to try to prevent some of the expected churning.

Personally I think that this number portability will cause greater competition and greater competition is good for the consumer. I am really curious how the contracts will be structured. I think a three year contract is already a long time. Will they try to make it 5 years?

SaskTel has a killer plan now - $20, 200 daytime minutes, unlimited evenings/weekends (6 pm start for evenings), 10 cent Canadian long distance....

I find its not so much the air time that makes cell phones expensive these days. Its all the add ons. Add call waiting, call display, voice mail, service free, 911 fee etc etc and its amazing how a $25 airtime package becomes $50.

I am VERYlucky in that I am on a corporate plan that has all of that included but most consumers are really getting it in the rear with the add on costs.

The US is opening up analog TV spectrum to many deployments, including wireless, as of 2007. Canada hasn't committed to doing that yet.

The current analogue TV spectrum is not suitable for wireless phone communication, though. The higher bands are. They need to open up and licence the 2100 MHz band for 3G services, which is the frequency that the rest of the world is using.