手机费多付20元 中港台通话任讲
明报/新手机服务商Mobilicity看准加拿大城市族裔社区的需要，推出无限拨打和短讯服务，招徕经常与中国、香港、台湾、南韩、印度、巴基斯场、孟加拉等国家和地区保持联络的新移民。
Mobilicity公司周五在多伦多市公布手机服务细节，消费者无需签约、不必接受信用调查。
它向顾客提供划一15元到65元月费的手机服务，包括来电显示、无限的北美洲通话、无限的全球短讯收发。
免费无限全球短讯收发
该公司行政总裁多宾(Dave Dobbin)说：“你可以发短讯给中国、发短讯给印度，你可以发短讯给你想到的地方，没有额外收费、没有次数限制。”
多宾和Mobilicity公司向新移民推荐附加服务，他们多付一笔费用，可享用无限的多国电话通话。
顾客使用25元起码的通话服务，多付20元，可与东亚和南亚国家无限通话，包括中国、香港、台湾、南韩、新加坡、日本、越南、印度、巴基斯坦、孟加拉。
Mobilicity定于周六正式在多伦多市开业，旗下有35间分店，下周再公布大多区其余200间分店地址。
该公司希望与老牌无线运营商罗渣士(Rogers)、贝尔(Bell)及研科(Telus)竞争，继Globalive旗下的Wind Mobile手机公司去年12月开业后，加入手机服务商行列。
Mobilicity主席比托夫(John Bitove)在多伦多的开幕活动上说，公司今年将在渥太华、卡加利、爱蒙顿及温哥华4个城市开设分店。他说：“加拿大人应有便捷、价廉的无线服务。”
公司希望吸引那些喜欢廉价计划，而又不想签约的顾客。它提供6款手机，其中最昂贵的是499元的黑莓(Blackberry)9700。
公司手机月费15元到65元不等，15元月费服务仅包括无限收发短讯，65元月费服务提供无限的全球短讯、通话、拨打北美洲长途及发送数据、声讯留言(voice mail)等。
它的25元计划包括无限拨打本地电话，免费Mobilicity至Mobilicity通话，以及免费来电显示等服务。25元的月费计划多加20元，可在加拿大拨打中国或印度的长途电话，无限次数通话。这些计划全部要预付费，顾客每月底不会受到帐单。
Mobilicity的安省网络西起密西沙加，东至士嘉堡，北到枫树镇(Maple)，西北到卡利登市(Caledon)。该区之外的加拿大漫游服务由罗渣士无线(Rogers Wireless)提供，每分钟收费20仙，美国漫游服务由T-Mobile提供，每分钟收费50仙。
预料很快有更多无线运营商步Mobilicity后尘，加入竞争行列。新公司Public Mobile计划本月在多伦多及满地可开业，目标是尚未有手机的消费者。
Quebecor旗下的Videotron年底在魁北克省及安省东部推出新的手机服务，最后1家新运营商是卡加利的Shaw Communications，它预计2011年底投入服务。
Mobilicity reveals wireless plan details
Last Updated: Friday, May 14, 2010 | 1:33 PM ET
CBC News
New wireless carrier Mobilicity unveiled details of its cellphone plans Friday in Toronto.
Mobilicity, which launches officially Saturday in Toronto, will have 35 stores, with 200 additional Greater Toronto Area locations to be announced later in the week. Aiming to compete with wireless veterans such as Rogers, Bell and Telus, it joins Globalive’s Wind Mobile, which launched in December.
Mobilicity will set up shop in four other Canadian cities — Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver — later this year, according to Mobilicity chairman John Bitove.
The company is hoping to appeal to people who want less expensive plans without a commitment. To that end, it will not require consumers to sign a contract, nor will it conduct credit checks.
“Convenience and simplicity is what we’re looking for, for our customers,” said Dave Dobbin, president of Mobilicity.
The company will offer six phones, the most expensive being the $499 Blackberry 9700.
Plans will range from $15 per month for unlimited text only to $65 per month for unlimited global texting, voice, North American long-distance calling and data, along with voice mail. For $25, customers will be able to enjoy unlimited local calling, free Mobilicity to Mobilicity calls and free caller ID. Plans will be prepaid, meaning customers will not receive a bill at the end of the month.
Mobilicity’s Ontario network stretches from the western Toronto suburb of Mississauga to Scarborourgh in the east, north to Maple and northwest to Caledon. Roaming outside of that area will be provided by Rogers Wireless in Canada at a rate of $0.20 per minute and T-Mobile in the U.S. for $0.50 per minute.
More wireless providers will soon be following on Mobilicity’s heels. New company Public Mobile, aimed at Canadians who don’t already have cellphones, has said it plans to launch its network in Toronto and Montreal this month.
Quebecor’s Videotron will also launch its new wireless business in Quebec and eastern Ontario later this year, delaying a planned summer launch.
Last out of the gate for the new players will be Calgary-based Shaw Communications, which has said it will launch in late 2011.
With files from The Canadian Press
Mobilicity joins wireless battle Saturday morning
Jamie Sturgeon, Financial Post
Published: Friday, May 14, 2010
Mobilicity, a start-up rival to Wind Mobile and Public Mobile backed by entrepreneur and current fast-food magnate John Bitove, are to launch services across the Greater Toronto Area Saturday morning
TORONTO — Competition for wireless customers in Toronto is about to get even hotter as the last member of a new class of providers wades into a battle already pitting eight brands against one another.
Mobilicity, a start-up rival to Wind Mobile and Public Mobile backed by entrepreneur and current fast-food magnate John Bitove, are to launch services across the Greater Toronto Area Saturday morning, taking aim at a varied customer base that includes ethnic suburban communities and tech-savvy trendsetters in need of the latest BlackBerry Bold smartphone.
It will try to woo customers away from Wind and Public Mobile as well as steal existing ones from incumbents Rogers Communications Inc., Bell Canada and Telus Corp., each of which operate their own discount brands (Fido, Virgin and Koodo are owned by Rogers, Bell and Telus, respectively).
The addition of Mobilicity means no less than nine providers will be bombarding the market with promos and lower-priced plans in the immediate months ahead.
There will be one clear winner in the melee: the consumer.
“It’s heating up already,” said Greg MacDonald, analyst at National Bank Financial. “Take a look at some of the offers that are out there.”
Incumbent carriers have begun turning out incentives in recent months while slashing their long-scorned system access fees. Last week, Rogers introduced a “handset-protection guarantee” that will give customers a free or subsidized phone if they lose, break or have theirs stolen.
Wind has been particularly aggressive, offering a $150 credit to customers who “port” their accounts over, while Public Mobile is offering new subscribers long-distance in Canada “for life” for customers who sign up before its network goes live this month.
Analysts suggest the deals will get even better during the back-to-school season.
Mobilicity has said little about how it would win its share since it successfully bid on wireless licences for Toronto, Calgary and other major markets two years ago. But yesterday it revealed a strategy that will prove attractive for the many Asian communities across the GTA region, as well as a younger segment looking to cut the home-phone cord.
At a repurposed Mr. Sub restaurant in Scarborough – one 35 locations opening Saturday – chief executive Dave Dobbin and Mr. Bitove introduced a flexible plan that will charge between $15 a month for simple texting services to a $65 voice and data plan.
Mobilicity will also provide unlimited calls to south and east Asia for $20/month in a clear move to intice legions of expats that reside under its network footprint.
“Everybody can find value,” said Amit Kaminer, analyst at the SeaBoard Group of the firm’s pricing.
Financial Post
