[magnet]

Shaw Communications Inc. announced plans Friday to launch wireless services late next year, ending endless speculation about its crucial entry into Canada's wireless market.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...h-wireless-services-next-year/article1528765/

 

[Nanuuk]

Its about time. Hopefully it will be a reliable and competitive offering.

 

[magnet]

Like Shaw phone, my guess is they will be at the same price point as the competition with more features and/or cheaper long distance and data rates.

 

[billhome]

One of things I like about Shaw is that they don't lock you into a contract. This applies even to their special promotions. I hope they carry this over to their wireless services.

 

[outinthornhill]

I'll be happy if people in the Shaw service area get some benefit from this. The surprise is that it is taking Shaw so long to get out of the starting gate. As these things go, late 2011 probably means mid 2012.

Videotron in Québec and Shaw in the West pose more of a challenge to Bell, Telus and Rogers in that they also can offer discounts on bundles of services. If the big-three incumbents respond to the new competition, it will be to the strategies of their cable and telco competitors more than to the minor irritation of the single-sector wireless start-ups.

 

[Nanuuk]

Its my understanding (not sure where I read it) that Shaw will use a technology that will leapfrog the current 4G standard. I'm not too knowledgeable about this (I just want a phone with a reasonably priced talk plan), but that could explain their delay.

 

[17671]

everyone said they wont lock you into contracts at first, then they changed their mind down the road. who's to say shaw will not do the same?

 

[robsaw]

Its my understanding (not sure where I read it) that Shaw will use a technology that will leapfrog the current 4G standard. I'm not too knowledgeable about this (I just want a phone with a reasonably priced talk plan), but that could explain their delay.

The current "standard" is 3 or 3.5G, not 4G, otherwise known as HSPA(+) (HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS/WCDMA). There is speculation that Shaw will go directly to LTE (which is actually a pre-4G spec), which will really limit its phone line-up (assuming it won't simply focus on wireless data and avoid competition in the voice-phone market for a while).

 

[Dr.Dave]

Shaw answered this question on their last conference call, saying they were considering going straight to LTE and would make the decision closer to the roll-out.

They also emphasized their existing customer base and bundling possibilities, so I would expect heavy marketing to existing customers.

Shaw doesn't have contracts for anything else, so they have no reason to no reason to lock you in on cell phones.

 

[outinthornhill]

Shaw answered this question on their last conference call, saying they were considering going straight to LTE and would make the decision closer to the roll-out.

They also emphasized their existing customer base and bundling possibilities, so I would expect heavy marketing to existing customers.

Shaw doesn't have contracts for anything else, so they have no reason to no reason to lock you in on cell phones.

Going directly to LTE might explain the delayed launch and save Shaw a lot of money in the long-run. It's not going to be easy competing with Telus, especially in AB where the coverage is thick and deep, while Wind is picking the easy, low-hanging fruit in Calgary and Edmonton.

 

[robsaw]

Shaw answered this question on their last conference call, saying they were considering going straight to LTE and would make the decision closer to the roll-out.

Yes - "considering". Since they haven't confirmed yet, I am wondering how far along they really are towards roll-out. I mean, have they even contracted with a radio/network equipment provider yet?

 

[envirogeek]

Perhaps I'm being too cynical but...

I was a quadruple play customer for them at one time, with Shaw Internet, Digital Phone, Shaw Cable and Star Choice. By the time they deliver wireless I will likely only be a Shaw Internet customer. I think that upper management is starting to suffer from extreme patting themselves on the back syndrome over how profitable they have been, and they are losing their competitive/customer service focus while Belus seem to be improving theirs.

Based on previous publicly stated dates from Shaw corporate for updates to Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct hardware (Motorola external HD support stated in 2006, delivered in 2009 / DSR 530 firmware upgrade promised circa 2007 or earlier, delivered in ?), I'm not holding my breath for a 2011 delivery if they can't even lay out some kind of road map for wireless in 2010.

 

[Dr.Dave]

It looks like Shaw is getting the ball rolling on hiring a Senior Wireless Architect to design it's Next Generation Network.

It sounds a little more ambitious than what they talked about earlier.

"Next generation wireless encompasses much more than just cell-phones," said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications. "We're approaching wireless in an innovative, leading-edge way that will allow for a variety of exciting new mobile opportunities in and out-of-home for our customers."

 

[SomeRandomGuy]

Shaw answered this question on their last conference call, saying they were considering going straight to LTE and would make the decision closer to the roll-out.

They also emphasized their existing customer base and bundling possibilities, so I would expect heavy marketing to existing customers.

Shaw doesn't have contracts for anything else, so they have no reason to no reason to lock you in on cell phones.

Dave,

I would argue that the biggest reason for locking a customer into a contract is for the recovery of the hardware costs. Cellphones are that one item that the hardware is not recycled when a customer leaves the provider.

I think it is pretty safe to say that if Shaw does go the non-contract route that it will shake up the market a bit.

 

[Dr.Dave]

I watched an interview with Peter Bissonnette on BNN where he said that they were close to selecting the vendor for their network. Some of the vendors they are considering have a hybrid 3G/4G solution that will allow them to install the core network and move to LTE without upgrading all the transmission towers.

He also mentioned that one of the reasons that they purchased Global in Shaw rather than letting Corus do it, was to be at the table to negotiate digital rights for internet and mobile at the same time.

 

[Shaw Champ]

Shaw teams up with Nokia Siemens on wireless division

New article in the Globe and Mail link here

Partial Quote:

“The equipment from (Nokia Siemens) will be fully 3G and LTE capable, giving Shaw a variety of options to deliver broadband wireless services to customers.”

Interesting times ahead.

Do you think the partner choice was a wise one? who else could of there been?

 

[polaris]

The new Bellus network is also LTE ready, I am told by a Telus employee.

Shaw will have to do more than promote hot tech to lure a critical mass of customers.

 

[robsaw]

Yes, the Bellus network equipment was selected for ease of upgrade to LTE. But exactly what "LTE Ready" means is probably like what PC makers meant when saying their products were "VISTA Ready" or "WINDOWS 7 Ready"; still means work is required to get it fully functioning on LTE. Besides, who cares about LTE if there aren't any LTE phones!?

 

[polaris]

I think the work is minimal, as in push out command to turn the features on or upgrade firmware on the tower. Its not going to be a physical instalation from what I understand.

Sure, Shaw may get the latest and greatest gear. Thats the way tech rolls. Im stuck on Rogers right now and have seen how the Bellus network is blowing the pants off it since there is not many people using it yet, and they have wider 3G coverage than Rogers.

 

[Shaw Champ]

The new Bellus network is also LTE ready, I am told by a Telus employee.

Shaw will have to do more than promote hot tech to lure a critical mass of customers.

I think one just has to look at all the home phone switchers from other companies to Shaw' to see a decent potential trend that could fit the wireless model well. I think this scares the pants off western celluar companies (and so they should be). At the end of the day the tech doesn't have to be the best latest and greatest, it just has to do as advertised. If 50-60k home phone customers are switching every 3 months from other companies by the time wireless launches there will be a significant amount of people who could by tempted by having 4 products on 1 bill for additional savings.

......................
Shaw Employee but views/opinions are solely my own and do not represent or are in no way endorsed by any other party.