Wireless Long Distance

My daughter has been studying overseas for the past year and will be returning to Canada in about a week. She has a cel phone in one of the world’s most competitive markets for mobile service, with 5 carriers driving penetration in excess of 100%.

When she phones home, it costs 10 cents (US) per minute, including the airtime. When we call her, we use 10-10-100 (Telehop) and pay 5 cents (Canadian) per minute. She pays nothing to receive the call.

I found it surprising to open my Canadian cel phone bill this week to learn that my Canadian and US long distance rates will be increasing to 30 cents per minute, effective September 1, unless I want to buy a long distance bundle of minutes. Excess minutes are at the extorionary rates in any case.

The going rate for North American wireline consumer long distance is 4-5 cents per minute. And cel companies find that 5-6 times that amount isn’t enough. On top of the airtime.

It is no wonder that the CRTC plans to look at the issue of wireless equal access next year.