Big Telcos Offer Bonus-Data Deals But 3 Provinces Get The Best Bargains | CBC News

The holiday season has sparked another round of wireless wars: Rogers, Bell and Telus are all offering double the data (or more) on select mobile plans across the country. But not all customers are thrilled because of glaring regional price differences: the best bonus-data deals by far are in Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan — provinces which typically see better wireless plan prices. Read full story here: Big Telcos Offer Bonus-Data Deals But 3 Provinces Get The Best Bargains | CBC News

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Big Telcos Tell CRTC They Put Customers First And Shun Shady Sales Tactics | CBC News

Canada’s big telecom companies are fighting back against allegations of shady sales practices, defending themselves as ethical corporations relentlessly focused on customer satisfaction. “Our customers are treated in a fair and respectful manner when purchasing the services we offer,” Rogers wrote in a submission to the CRTC. The broadcast regulator requested information from the telcos after launching an inquiry in July into allegations of  misleading and aggressive sales practices. Over the past two months, the CRTC has received more than 1,000 comments from telecom customers, complaining about everything from misleading promotions to being…

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CRTC’s Unlocked Phone Rule Has Sparked A Crime Spree, Bell And Rogers Say | CBC News

Bell and Rogers say new rules mandating all Canadian wireless carriers sell unlocked phones have triggered a rise in phone thefts. “There have been multiple instances of armed robberies at our stores targeting unlocked, new devices,” Bell said in a submission to the CRTC. The broadcast regulator had requested information from carriers to assess how its new rules are working out. To help spur competition, on Dec. 1, the CRTC mandated that all carriers unlock phones for free and only sell unlocked phones going forward. Previously, telcos sold customers phones locked to their networks and charged a…

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CRTC Investigating ‘Possible Misleading’ Telco Sales Practices After First Rejecting The Idea | CBC News

The CRTC has launched a public inquiry into “possible misleading or aggressive” sales practices used by telecom companies, a move the regulator flatly refused to make just six months ago. “It was definitely discouraging when the CRTC rejected it the first time around,” said Laura Tribe, executive director of consumer advocacy group Open Media. “It is also encouraging to see that they’re taking this opportunity to get it right.” Monday’s announcement included an invitation for Canadians to go online to share their personal experiences involving questionable telco sales tactics. The CRTC also plans to conduct…

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Big Telco’s Lower-Cost, Data-Only Plans Are ‘Embarrassing,’ Critics Say | CBC News

Bell, Rogers and Telus’ proposed lower-cost, data-only wireless deals are no deal at all, say critics. The offerings include half a gigabyte (GB) of data for $30 a month. “It’s embarrassing and quite frankly it’s rude to think that these are functional plans,” said Laura Tribe, executive director of Open Media, a consumer watchdog group. In March, the CRTC announced that it would ensure Canadians have access to cheaper, data-only wireless deals. The plans are meant to fill a void while the telecom regulator reviews a recent decision that effectively hinders smaller, WiFi-based, national discount wireless carriers from operating in Canada. The…

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Big Telcos Not Required To Sell Wholesale Network Access To Tower-less Rivals, CRTC Says – Business – CBC News

The CRTC has once again refused to mandate the big telcos sell wholesale access to their wireless networks to fledgling rivals without towers of their own, a decision critics call a blow for competition and for Canadians fed up with big cellphone bills. At the request of Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains, the regulator spent months reviewing its ruling from last March that threatened to put Sugar Mobile out of business. On Thursday, the CRTC reaffirmed its decision that the discount Wi-Fi-based provider has no right to resell access to Rogers’s network to keep its…

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