wind mobile business plan

'A fresh start': Wind rebranded as Freedom Mobile, promises to free customers from contracts

CEO says the aim is to turn Freedom Mobile into a viable fourth carrier with launch of LTE network so there will be no ‘crazy' discounts

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TORONTO — Wind Mobile is changing its name to Freedom Mobile in an attempt to ditch lingering baggage associated with its brand before it launches its new LTE network in its biggest markets, Toronto and Vancouver.

'A fresh start': Wind rebranded as Freedom Mobile, promises to free customers from contracts Back to video

The Freedom brand unveiled Monday reflects a shift under Wind’s new owner, Shaw Communications Inc., which has spent millions on network upgrades since it bought the wireless upstart for $1.6 billion almost a year ago.

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“It was a chance for a fresh start with fresh new owners and a fresh new network,” CEO Alek Krstajic said in an interview on the new brand, which aims for likeability with a teddy bear mascot named Freddy and an upbeat jingle.

“It’s hard to say, ‘I don’t like Freedom,’” Krstajic joked.

Wind is trying to distance itself from the old Wind branding as it rolls out its LTE network in two markets on Nov. 27, well ahead of schedule, with an expected completion of fall 2017 across its entire footprint.

Poor network quality and customer service problems plagued Wind when it entered the market seven years ago as part of the Conservatives’ push for four competitors in each market. But Shaw gave it a chance to change its reputation by investing $121 million on network upgrades in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta in the first six months after the deal closed. Wind surpassed one million subscribers this summer.

While the Big Three still have network and handset advantages — Wind customers will need new handsets to use Freedom’s LTE network since most phones are not yet compatible with the AWS-3 spectrum band it uses — Krstajic said the upgrades help level the playing field.

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It was a chance for a fresh start with fresh new owners and a fresh new network

Freedom will continue to push Ottawa for advantages for smaller wireless competitors in the upcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction, Krstajic said.

“The three incumbents have had a big head start, they were given their big tranches of spectrum for free 30 years ago,” he said. “In order for us to be able to survive and have a sustainable offering, we need low band spectrum.”

Shaw plans to launch its own mobile service eventually, Krstajic said, but for now is setting up Freedom as a less expensive flanker brand, similar to Rogers-owned Fido and Telus’ Koodo.

“We’ve been pretty clear there’s going to be a need for two brands,” he said, although he kept silent on the timing.

• Shaw Communications’ annual profit up as company aims for ‘stable’ approach to wireless

Meantime, Freedom will follow Wind’s strategy with plans at an implicit discount to the incumbents. There are no plans for “crazy discounting,” Krstajic said, noting that the new entrants went bankrupt when monthly plans were in the $20 price range.

Freedom’s flagship plan will cost $45 per month for unlimited talk and text and 6 GB of data.

Analysts welcomed the rebranding and the earlier-than-expected LTE launch.

The announcement was a “milestone” that will give the carrier a shot at attracting more profitable customers in time for the holiday shopping season, Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan wrote in a note to clients. Shaw will also save money on the increasingly costly licensing agreement with former Wind owner Vimpelcom to use the Wind brand, he wrote.

Barclays analyst Phillip Huang noted the decision not to use the Shaw brand for wireless indicates it will take some time to close the network quality gap with the Big Three. “Rebranding to Shaw would dilute the brand for its cable business,” Huang wrote.

The announcement comes just before the federal government is expected to make a decision on whether to approve Bell’s proposed acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services. That could take the number of wireless players in Manitoba down to three.

Huang wrote that Shaw’s investments outside its traditional footprint “may reflect some success with lobbying the government in entering other markets” such as Manitoba.

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Netflix co-CEO explains why the company keeps increasing prices for ad-free plans

• Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained the streamer's price hikes for ad-free plans.
• He cited viewer demand for diverse, quality shows and adding value as the reason behind the increases.
• Netflix's strategy has led to a significant subscriber boost and $9.37 billion in Q1 revenue.

It seems that every year viewers are watching streaming prices climb more and more — and Netflix is no exception.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained the company's thinking behind the price hikes in a new interview.

Peters recently told The Verge that the multiple price hikes to its ad-free plans in recent years are an effort to offer consumers a wider range of options — which require added investment to add that value.

Related stories

"[T]hey want a higher diversity of shows, they want more quality shows, so that's our job," Peters said. "If we do that well, we'll go back and occasionally ask members to pay a little bit more to keep that flywheel running."

Last July, the streaming giant dropped its Basic plan, previously its cheapest ad-free option at $11.99 a month, leaving subscribers to choose between the Standard ad-free plan, which costs $3.50 more, or the more affordable Standard with Ads plan, which costs $6.99 a month. They could also opt for Netflix's priciest plan, Premium ad-free, which increased from $19.99 to $22.99 a month last October.

When asked if Netflix is aiming to increase the number of viewers in the ads tier, Peters responded that "it's definitely not the goal."

"What I would say is that our job is to add more value to the entertainment service that we are offering," he said.

While Netflix may not intend to steer people to its ad-supported plan, those members receive some more good news: the co-CEO hopes to decrease the ad load over time to "provide higher-relevance, higher-value ads."

Peters said that the costs and ad distribution come down to having "a set of prices with the right features so that basically we can attract more members around the world, and they can enjoy the incredible stories that we have available."

And it seems to be working. Netflix smashed expectations for its first quarter earnings, increasing subscribers by 9.33 million worldwide and earning $9.37 billion in revenue.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

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Wind energy project in Southeast Saskatchewan to begin in 2027

The Canadian Press Staff

Colin Gruending, Executive Vice President of Enbridge, speaks during a press conference about a wind energy project in Saskatchewan in Regina, Monday, June 24, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu)

Enbridge Inc. and Six Nations Energy Development LP announced plans Monday to develop a massive wind energy project in southeast Saskatchewan.

The Seven Stars Energy Project, located near Weyburn, is slated to produce 200 megawatts of clean electricity, enough to fuel more than 100,000 homes for a year.

A wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Enbridge is to develop, construct and operate the facility, expected to come online in 2027 should it meet regulatory and investment criteria.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

"We're co-investing alongside our Indigenous communities. These communities are near our current pipeline operations and with whom we've gradually strengthened relationships with over time," Colin Gruending, an executive vice-president at Enbridge, said Monday during a news conference in Regina.

Six Nations Energy Development, a consortium of First Nations in southeast Saskatchewan along with Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, have an opportunity to acquire at least a 30 per cent stake in the project. A $100 million loan guarantee from the Saskatchewan government's Indigenous Investment Finance Corp. will help achieve that, Six Nations says.

"It's very momentous for us, as Treaty 4 Nations, as Métis Nations," said Chief Matthew Peigan of Pasqua First Nation.

"I credit Enbridge for kicking the door open, for allowing (this partnership) to grow. I don't like to call it building bridges, I like calling it fill in the gaps, because bridges crumble."

Project costs have not been disclosed, but Peigan said during the conference that it would be in the "hundreds of millions of dollars."

Once complete, revenues from the project will help fund housing, education and health care for members of the First Nations and Métis Nations, Peigan said.

"At the end of the day, it's not about you and I. It's about the wrongs that were created yesterday and how we can plan today and how we can make tomorrow better."

Enbridge is working on a long-term power purchase agreement with SaskPower, the province's Crown utility company, before making final investment decisions on the project next year.

Jeremy Harrison, the provincial minister responsible for economic development, said it's these kinds of partnerships that will form a template for future energy projects in Canada.

"We wanted to make sure we had a great project, and this is a great project that is going to be deeply successful and deeply impactful for all the partners involved," Harrison said.

Peigan said he hopes the federal government sees what's possible when industry and First Nations work together.

• Read more: 2023 was a record year for wind installations as wind ramps up clean energy, report says

He noted Ottawa's recently announced $5-billion loan guarantee program for Indigenous communities.

"I say show me the cash," the chief said with a chuckle.

"That's the intent: to proceed to the federal government and look for that partnership."

Gruending said a generational opportunity awaits should Ottawa's program look like Saskatchewan's.

"Industry is ready to lead the way, and from what we can see, Indigenous partners are ready to join," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2024. 

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Can a Wind Turbine Ever Be Mobile? Yes, Say Octopus Energy

A key motive of sustainable and renewable energy moving forward is meeting demand, both when it comes to quantity and its physical location.

And this could not be more true for UK-based Octopus Energy , setting a global example of how renewable power can, literally, be delivered to where it’s needed most.

In partnership with Infinite Renewables , five Bestwatt 45kW wind turbines along with five battery energy storage systems (BESS’) and 3.6KW solar systems were delivered at COP28 . These fully movable structures — working thanks to the BESS and solar system being integrated in a trailer for plug-and-play mobile deployment — are built in the Netherlands and Germany, with the mobile base design developed by Infinite.

Mobile wind turbines ‘can lead the future of energy’

Gillian Jones , Head of Operations and Project Delivery at Infinite, said: “Can a wind turbine ever be mobile? We think so! At the request of Octopus Energy we designed and developed an above ground mobile foundation base that allows a 45KW turbine to be erected in a day.”

“To showcase how a renewables energy system can lead the future of energy, we wanted to install wind, solar and battery storage on the global climate stage,” Paul Loran , Director at Octopus Energy Generation, added. “We have some really exciting projects in line with Infinite which will continue to showcase their global network and unrivalled ability as we look ahead into 2024.”

Welsh company Infinite sees these structures further deployed where demand is temporarily high.

“We believe they have potential across the UK for temporary events under permitted development rights,” Jones continued, alluding that there are possibilities of them appearing at the likes of Glastonbury , the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world, to reduce reliance on diesel generators. Octopus delivered this at the festival in 2023 .

Octopus mobile wind turbines first of their kind

The movable turbines are the first instance where steel mobile turbine bases have been used to form mobile ballasted foundations for infrastructure of this kind. Weighing more than 120 tonnes, including the concrete ballast, each base is reusable and is applauded for its minimal environmental impact, thanks to the fact they sit atop the ground, not disturbing what’s underneath and making them easy to move.

As well as this, each turbine has the capacity to generate more than 100KW per day, when operating at full output.

Andrew Crossman , Director of Infinite Renewables, said: “The mobile energy centres are a first of its kind installation and feature unique mobile ballasted bases for the wind turbines and trailerised battery storage integrated with solar PV. The mobile energy centres showcase how renewable energy can be deployed quickly — whenever and wherever it is needed.

“The purple and pink turbines created huge interest in Dubai and we are now looking to expand our operation into the Middle East.”

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Freedom Mobile

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Popular Plans

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What you need to know.

Owned by Shaw Communications, Freedom Mobile (formerly WIND Mobile) is the fourth-largest mobile carrier in Canada.

Though the carrier was once known for its slow speeds and limited coverage, investments by Shaw have led to increased 4G LTE availability and an expanding network offering more coverage around major urban centres.

They offer both postpaid and prepaid plans. Prepaid plans start at $9 with postpaid options starting at $15. Top-tier plans reach as much as $115 per month, per line.

If you need a phone, the MyTab program offers device subsidies in exchange for a two-year Pay After plan agreement.

You can also bring your own device to Freedom Mobile and enjoy service credit on most plans.

What’s Good?

• One of the most affordable carriers
• No-contract plans available
• Bring your own device discounts
• Canada-wide calling on all plans
• Unlimited texting to US and Canadian mobiles
• Generous data packages

What’s Bad?

• Limited coverage outside of major cities
• Most customer service is self-serve or store-based
• Ranked last in Tutela's " Mobile Experience Report " for 2018
• Ranked last in PC Magazine’s “ Fastest Mobile Networks in Canada ” study for 2016.
• Ranked last in network speed in Ookla’s 2016 “ Speedtest Market Report - Canada ”
• Ranked #6 out of 9 in J.D. Power's " Canadian Wireless Customer Care Study (2017) "
• Ranked #7 out of 9 in J.D. Power’s 2016 “ Canadian Wireless Customer Care Study ”
• Ranked last in J.D. Power’s 2016 “ Canadian Wireless Network Quality Study ” for the Ontario region.
• Current F rating with the Better Business Bureau with 393 complaints closed in the past 3 years - most due to coverage complaints.

CONTINUE READING

Notable Features

MyTab: Enjoy a discount of up to $650 on a new device in exchange for a two-year term agreement.

Better Together Savings: Bundling lines and mobile internet packages offers a monthly discount over keeping each service on a separate account.

Bundled International Calling: Many of Freedom Mobile’s upper-tier plans include drastically discounted rates on international calling without the need for add-ons and extra fees.

Awards and Recognitions

Unfortunately, awards and recognition for this carrier are scarce. This might be due to their different approach from many other carriers.

They're not trying to offer the most coverage or fastest speeds.

Their focus is serving the customers in their areas who don't need cutting-edge features but want lower rates.

How is Their Network Coverage and Speed?

According to Freedom Mobile, their network and extended partner networks cover up to 98% of Canadians. However, be sure to note the considerations below.

However, since their purchase by Shaw in early-2016, Freedom Mobile has contracted Nokia to rapidly deploy a new 4G LTE network. 

You can check coverage and network types in your area using their Coverage Map .

Notable considerations include:

• Outside of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Toronto, you’ll be relying on partner networks. Depending on your plan, this could limit how you use your phone or the data available to you.

Ranked last for download speeds in both the 4G and 3G network categories in Tutela's 2018 " Mobile Experience Report ", tests showed an average speed of 10.79Mbits/sec for 4G downloads and 4.70Mbits/sec for 3G downloads. Uploads speeds averaged 6.56Mbits/sec across both 4G and 3G networks.

It should also be noted that while these speeds aren’t ideal from streaming HD video or other bandwidth-intensive tasks--and they are undeniably slower than the rest of Canada’s major carriers--that doesn’t mean that data isn’t usable. It’s simply slower.

Do They Charge Roaming Fees?

As of April 4th, 2019, Freedom Mobile has changed the way they bill calls, texts, and data when outside your local network. While you'll still need to worry about International roaming, use across Canada is now much simpler.

There's no longer per-minute fees for calls and texts in your "Away" area -- now known as the "Nationwide" network. However, you'll still have a separate data allotment for "Nationwide" use.

For extended travel in the US and Mexico, Freedom Mobile offers roaming add-ons to help limit costs. Options range between $10 and $96 depending on the time you plan to be away and how much data you need.

For international travel, you’ll find three different options:

• 1GB Freedom Nationwide + U.S.: For $20 per month, this add-on adds 1GB of data to your plan for use in the U.S.
• Big Gig Roam Extra: Multiple packages make it easy to keep costs in check with options ranging from $5 to $10 per day for unlimited talk and text with extra data to use abroad.
• World Traveller Discount Plan: For $8 per month, you can unlock reduced pay-per-use roaming rates in 60+ destinations around the world.

For more information on international roaming rates and charges, see their International Roaming page .

What About Long Distance Fees?

All Freedom Mobile plans include Canada-wide calling to keep your monthly bills low. 

Calling the US? Unlimited calling is only $5 per month extra.

Looking to call internationally? Freedom Mobile’s Big Gig World Saver Add-on offers substantial savings over per-minute rates to more than 200 destinations for $5 per month.

You can find more about specific calling rates and options on their International Calling page .

Does Freedom Mobile Offer Wi-Fi Calling?

Yes. However, they do not guarantee support for models not purchased from Freedom Mobile.

Current options include a range of phones from Apple, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, and ZTE.

You can check the exact models supported on their their Wi-Fi Calling page.   

How About Voice over LTE (VoLTE)?

VoLTE is currently available for a range of newer phone models.

For the latest list of supported phones, check their VoLTE support page.

Can I Tether My Mobile?

As long as you have a data plan, Freedom Mobile allows tethering. Instructions for most phone models can be found in your My Account dashboard.

Keep in mind that mobile devices are optimized to use less data than laptops, gaming consoles, and other devices. Monitor your data usage if you plan to tether to avoid any billing worries.

Do They Offer Data Rollover?

No, neither Pay Before or Pay After plans offer data rollover.

Do They Offer Add-ons or Bundles?

Yes! If you need to add features or usage to your plan, add-ons and bundles are a perfect choice!

Popular add-ons include:

• Unlimited U.S.-wide Calling: For only $5 per month, you can call across the border without keeping track of time. 
• 1GB of Full Speed Data: Data bucket running low every month? For $15 you can add 1GB of data to any plan that is good for 30 days.
• Visual Voicemail: Upgrade your voicemail with transcription and increased storage for only $4 per month.

For more information on add-ons and bundles, check their support page .

Do They Offer Bring Your Own Device/Sim-Only Plans?

Yes! Not only do they support bringing your own device, they offer a small monthly discount for doing so.

Freedom Mobile offers an online compatibility checking tool to start the process. However, if you want to bring your number with you to Freedom Mobile, you’ll need to stop by a store to finish things up.

Do They Require a Credit Check?

There are no credit checks for prepaid service. However, monthly service agreements may require a credit check. At the time of writing, this is a "hard" credit check. This means the check will likely appear on your credit report.

Items needed include 1 of the following:

• Canadian Driver's Licence
• Canadian SIN Card or Letter
• Canadian Credit Card

Plus 1 of the following:

• Valid Canadian Driver’s License (Not applicable if used as one of the items above)
• Valid Canadian or Foreign Passport
• Department of Defense ID
• Permanent Resident Card
• Native Indian Status Card
• Valid, Government-Issued Provincial/Territorial Photo ID
• Possession and Acquisition License (PAL)

NOTE: Credit checks from carriers that pull your credit bureau report may impact your credit score. If you're not sure the best options for your credit profile, we suggest contacting the carrier directly before attempting to obtain service.

For more information on credit check requirements and how they might affect your account, consult their Joining Freedom Mobile FAQ page.

What About Activation and SIM Fees?

Freedom Mobile charges a $10 activation fee for all new prepaid accounts and $45 for all postpaid / pay monthly accounts. 

SIM kits are an additional $10 and are available through customer support or at retail locations.

NOTE: Fees often differ between retail stores and websites. Be sure to check both before signing up or adding a line to your account to maximize savings.

Do They Charge an Early Termination Fee?

This will depend on your plan and situation. In their  Terms of Service , Freedom Mobile says:

“You agree to pay to us all charges that you’ve incurred up to the date we stop providing the Services, including for any Services provided or for any equipment that you’ve purchased including any unpaid MyTab balance.”

Can I Port My Number To or From Freedom Mobile?

Yes! However, you must stop by a store to port your number to their service. While specifics aren’t listed on their site, general requirements include:

• The account you’re porting from must be active and in good standing
• Freedom Mobile must offer service in the area from which you’re bringing your number

For help finding a nearby Freedom Mobile location, consult their Find a Store page .

Will They Unlock My Phone?

Yes! According to CRTC Wireless Code regulations effective December 2017, they must unlock your phone free of charge upon request.

Requirements include:

• You must have active service with an account in good standing
• For subsidized devices, you must have had service for at least 90 days

You can find additional information on their Device Unlocking FAQs .

For additional questions about Freedom Mobile pricing, features, and coverage, be sure to check our Freedom Mobile Q&A Forum . It’s filled with questions and answers from people like you looking to get the most out of their mobile service!

If you spot any errors or missing information, please let us know ! It's appreciated and will help make this page better for everyone.

Voice network: UMTS (AWS 1700/2100 MHz), LTE 600 / 700 / 1700 / 2100 / 2600 Data network: HSPA+, LTE

Mailing Address: 207 Queens Quay West Suite 710 PO Box 114 Toronto, ON M5J 1A7 Canada

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India's Jio to hike tariffs on some of its plans from July 3 (June 27)

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China's manufacturing activity fell for a second month in June while services activity slipped to a five-month low, an official survey showed on Sunday, keeping alive calls for further stimulus as the economy struggles to get back on its feet.

Is Wind Mobile worth it?

Where I live, there are two choices for mobile service: fast but expensive; and slow, but far less expensive. The former category dominated by three companies, Rogers, Bell, and Telus, along with its myriad flanker brands like Fido, Virgin Mobile, and Koodo. The latter is comprised by a single provider — Wind Mobile — on which many Canadians increasingly rest their hopes for a low-cost alternative to the Big Three.

The city is Toronto, and like many large cities across the world it contends with a density problem. Wireless carriers have to deploy thousands of antennas on rooftops and sides of buildings on wireless spectrum that is increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. The Big Three control some 90 percent of the wireless market share in Canada, but there is a clear understanding between the companies that competition does not extend to downward pressure on price.

That leaves Wind Mobile , a potential bright spot in the Canadian mobile sector, as the last hope for low(er) prices in the five regions it operates. But it also begs a big question, and one that I am asked more often that perhaps any other in this job: Is Wind Mobile worth it?

What is Wind Mobile?

Without getting too caught in the weeds, we need to go back a few years — back to when the Canadian government decided that it wanted to pursue a strategy of allowing smaller wireless carriers, dubbed "new entrants," to compete in the mobile space.

It did so by setting aside a small amount of wireless spectrum in the 2008 AWS auction for these new entrants to bid on. Wind Mobile was one of the successful bidders, alongside Mobilicity, Public Mobile, Eastlink and Videotron. While the latter two remained set on regional dominance, and are still around today as a result, Wind, Mobilicity and Public all set their sights on pseudo-national wireless coverage, offering service in big cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Wind's network is built on previous-generation 3G technology, so it's slower than the LTE networks offered by Canada's Big Three.

In the ensuing years, it was Wind Mobile — through its consistent message of unlimited data, generous subsidies through its WindTab program, and a great relationship with all of the Android OEMs, especially Samsung — that generated the most goodwill among consumers. It was also the most steadfast about staying independent, working with external partners (and affecting change in Canada's antiquated corporate foreign ownership rules in the process) to raise money and stay solvent.

As Public Mobile was scooped up in 2013 by Telus, and Mobilicity in mid-2015 by Rogers, Wind Mobile seemed to be the last remaining independent holdout — until a surprise announcement in December of last year when we learned Wind would be purchased by Shaw Communications for $1.6 billion CAD . Now that the deal is closed, Wind Mobile, though still run independently by new CEO Alek Krstajic, is ostensibly the wireless arm of Calgary-based Shaw Communications, destined to be included in bundles alongside home internet and cable television indefinitely.

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Where does Wind Mobile operate?

Wind Mobile operates in three provinces :

• Mississauga
• Kitchener/Waterloo
• Peterborough
• Whitby / Oshawa

British Columbia

Outside those so-called "Home" zones, Wind users have access to partner networks, where they can make calls, send texts, and use 3G data at per-MB costs. Some plans include Away zone bundles, but they will always be billed separately to Home zone usage.

These Away zones comprise the remaining parts of Canada not covered by Wind's own network, so you won't have to worry about lack of coverage while traveling — just how costly that coverage will be.

How does Wind's network compare to the Big Three?

Wind Mobile's network is 3G-only, based on the HSPA+ standard. It operates on a single frequency, Band 4 (AWS-1), which is optimized for bandwidth over coverage.

In plain speak, here's what it means: Wind's network is built on previous-generation 3G technology, so it doesn't have the spectral efficiency and high potential speed of LTE. While the Big Three's networks increasingly offer download speeds approaching 150Mbps, Wind Mobile's network tops out at a theoretical 42.2Mbps, and is often significantly slower than that.

Moreover, Wind only operates on a single frequency, AWS-1, which is not optimized for coverage. What this means is that signals sent to phones on the Wind network occasionally have trouble penetrating through thick walls, or reaching basements. The company has been doing a lot of work to fill coverage gaps, and things have improved significantly in the past couple of years, but dead spots are still an issue in many parts of the GTA.

Future upgrades

There is good news on the horizon, though: Wind is systematically replacing all of its old network hardware with newer, faster equipment provided by Nokia. Upgrades have already been completed in Vancouver and Calgary, and are moving eastward. These improvements have positively affected coverage, reliability and speed.

Towards LTE

Toward the end of 2016, Wind Mobile plans to launch an LTE network based on AWS-3 spectrum it acquired in one of the government's most recent auctions. Combined with some of the AWS-1 spectrum Wind plans to repurpose for LTE, the company should be in a good place to compete with Rogers, Bell, and Telus in its home markets. However, because the AWS-3 standard is still relatively new, there are no supported devices yet; Wind will have to wait until at least the beginning of 2017 for new products to launch with support for Band 66, which unifies AWS-1 and AWS-3 under a single standard.

How do Wind's prices compare to the Big Three?

This is where things get compelling. Wind Mobile typically charges significantly less for data access than the Big Three.

Rogers, for example, charges $125 per month for unlimited nationwide calling, texting and 9GB of sharable data, as long as you bring your own phone — it's $135 if you buy one on a contract through Rogers.

Wind Mobile offers its so-called Everywhere Plan, which includes 10GB of Home zone data and 1GB of Away zone data (which includes U.S. roaming), along with unlimited Canada- and U.S.-wide calling and texting, for $60 per month.

Wind Mobile typically charges significantly less for data access than the Big Three.

On a sheer price-per-gigabyte scale, nothing touches Wind Mobile in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. In regions like Manitoba and Saskatchewan that have regional incumbents, the Big Three charge significantly less than they do elsewhere, but in the provinces Wind operates, the Big Three don't consider it a big enough threat to warrant lowering their prices.

Should you go with Wind Mobile?

Wind Mobile is a very different beast than the Big Three — or even its flanker brands, such as Fido, Koodo and Virgin Mobile. It doesn't offer LTE, nor are its 3G speeds as fast as Rogers, Telus, or Bell.

What it does offer is decent coverage in certain cities with occasional but frustrating pockets of poor service. Its prices are also significantly cheaper, especially for data, which is an increasingly desirable commodity.

But while you're spending less, you're also getting less for that money — the Big Three have nationwide, ultra-fast LTE networks that are consistently fast throughout the country. Depending on your travel and coverage needs, that may be a deal breaker.

The best candidates for people to move to Wind Mobile are:

• People who tend to stay within their Home zones most of the time
• People who don't require ultra-fast LTE download speeds
• People who tend to do a lot of mobile video streaming (at lower quality)
• People who want to use cellular data to upload a lot of photos and videos in the background

If your usage pattern fits within those margins, you should be fine with Wind Mobile.

What are your experiences with Wind Mobile? Let us know in the comments below!

Daniel Bader was a former Android Central Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor for iMore and Windows Central. 

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Wind Mobile cuts down offerings to just two plans

Wind Mobile is replacing all wireless phone plans with just two plans that both include talk, text and data.

The new plans can be customized with new add-ons like the World Saver International Talk & Text add-on which the company introduced today.  

The new plans include:

• The WIND 25 Plan unlimited local talk, unlimited text and 100 MB of data for $25/month
• The WIND 40 Plan unlimited Canada-wide talk, unlimited text and unlimited data for $40/month

Wind is also updating its prepaid service, Pay Your Way with unlimited incoming calls.

“It’s a mobile world and we want to offer all Canadians the simplicity, transparency and flexibility to manage it,” said Anthony Lacavera, CEO of Wind Mobile. “These plans cater precisely to their needs without breaking the bank.”

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Wind also introduced World Saver International Talk & Text add-on. It includes unlimited global text and up to 90 per cent off international calling rates for just $8/month. The World Saver add-on can be combined with any monthly plan and there is no need of use calling cards, special numbers or download an application. Some of these rates include (full list of countries on www.windmobile.ca ):

• China for $0.01/min
• Hong Kong for $0.02/min
• India for $0.02/min
• Pakistan for $0.03/min
• South Korea for $0.03/min
• Bangladesh for $0.04/min
• mobile devices
• mobile phones
• mobile plans
• wind mobile

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Wind Mobile unveils new $39/month plan, offers up unlimited data, talk and text [Update]

Wind Mobile has released a new plan today that wants to “cell phone horror stories,” according to the company, which is somewhat similar to its “bill shock” plans from yesteryear.

Citing a Google-commissioned survey, the carrier says that 36% of Canadians believe their cell phone bills are too high. Its proposal is to remedy this by releasing a new $39 per month plan that includes unlimited data, talk and text – a reduction of $6 from the current $45 plan.

Here are the complete details of the plan:

• Unlimited data (up to 5GB at full speed)
• Unlimited calls to Canada and the USA
• Unlimited global texting
• International calling rates starting at 1¢/min
• Unlimited picture and video messaging to Canada and the USA

The fine print states that the promo ends September 30th, or when the carrier decides to remove it from its website. In addition, the promo is compatible with the Better Together savings and BYOD.

Update: Wind Mobile announced today that it has extended its back-to-school promo until Sunday, October 18th.

[source] Wind Mobile [/source]

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