Bring on the Cellular Auction

Canadians don't realize it, but they're getting massively ripped off by the cell phone companies in comparison to other countries, especially America. I lived in the US for 6 year and always had much cheaper service there than here.

For instance, no cell phone company in the US charges for long distance. You can call anywhere in the country, land line or cell without being charged anymore than regular airtime minutes. In Canada you have to pay extra.

Not only that, the number of "anytime minutes" in Canada is peanuts compared to the number you get in the US for the same price. From my recent experience with Rogers, the most I could get for any reasonable price was just 200 anytime minutes. In the US, most basic rates give you at least 500 and some up to 1000 for just $40 a month (T-Mobile).

The Conservative Party's plan to bring in more competition in the cellular market will be a bonus for everyone. It'll bring costs down, increase options, broaden competition, and provide jobs and opportunities for entrepeneurs.

"The introduction of new service providers will help to make Canada's wireless market more dynamic, more competitive, and more innovative so as to meet the needs of Canadians," Industry Minister Jim Prentice said.(source)

The big boys, Rogers, Bell, and Telus are against the idea. Big surprise, they know they're over charging and underservicing and want to continue. But look what happened when Bell was forced into competition for long distance rates on land lines... prices magically went down. Prices will likely drop further as Vonage and other internet phone companies widen competition further.

The government also plans to mandate tower sharing to minimize the number of eyesores. With the GST cut, income tax reductions, and more competition to lower consumer prices, working Canadians have much to be thankful to the Tories for.