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Canada Wireless Service: Canadians Want Unlimited Plans, J.D. Power Survey Finds

The Huffington Post Canada  |  By Posted: 05/10/2012 4:37 pm Updated: 05/10/2012 4:37 pm

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Canadians are more satisfied with smaller “stand-alone” wireless companies like Koodo and Virgin Mobile than they are with full-service telecoms like Bell and Rogers, a new survey has found.

The study from J.D. Power and Associates finds that Koodo Mobile -- owned by telecom giant Telus -- has the highest customer satisfaction of any wireless carrier in Canada.

THE 5 CELLPHONE COMPANIES CANADIANS LIKE THE MOST

That’s followed by PC Mobile, the wireless service offered by the Loblaws supermarket chain, and Virgin Mobile, the joint venture between Sir Richard Branson and Bell Canada.

At the other end, Manitoba-based telecom MTS, Bell and Rogers ranked as the three wireless companies with the lowest customer satisfaction, in that order.

THE 5 CELLPHONE COMPANIES CANADIANS LIKE THE LEAST

The J.D. Power survey asked respondents to rank their level of satisfaction with their cellphone company for seven criteria: network quality; cost of service; account management; offerings and promotions; customer service; handset; and sales process.

Overall, customer satisfaction with their cellphone provider increased slightly from 2011, rising the equivalent of 3.7 percentage points.

"Carriers have clearly responded to this mainstreaming and increased competition by providing more cost-effective offerings that demonstrate superior value for both full-service and stand-alone customers," J.D. Power account director Adrian Chung said in a statement.

Chung suggested that the stand-alone wireless brands may be doing better in part because Canadians prefer unlimited usage plans.

"Customers prefer the monthly bill predictability of unlimited plans. With the proliferation of applications, Web browsing and streaming, unlimited plans can accommodate customers' increased data demands, which provides them with greater usage flexibility,” he said.

The survey also found that Canadians are taking up smartphones at a breakneck pace, and that RIM’s BlackBerry is shrinking in market share, even in its home country.

While 42 per cent of smartphones being used in Canada last year were BlackBerrys, in 2012 that portion shrank to 33 per cent, J.D. Power reported.

Apple’s iPhone had 30 per cent of the market, up from 26 per cent in 2011, and Samsung had 13 per cent of the market, up from 9 per cent last year.

Overall, 54 per cent of cellphone users in Canada this year had a smartphone, up from 36 per cent in last year’s survey.

THE 5 CELLPHONE COMPANIES CANADIANS LIKE THE MOST

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  • 5. SaskTel - 699

    Canadians are more satisfied with smaller "stand-alone" wireless companies like Koodo and Virgin Mobile than they are with full-service telecoms like Bell and Rogers, according to a survey from J.D. Power and Associates released in May, 2012. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/10/wireless-carriers-canadians-like_n_1507278.html" target="_hplink">Read the full report here</a>. Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 4. Fido - 706

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 3. Virgin Mobile - 725

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 2. PC Mobile - 730

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 1. Koodo Mobile - 752

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

THE 5 CELLPHONE COMPANIES CANADIANS LIKE THE LEAST

Loading Slideshow...

  • 5. Telus - 693

    Canadians are more satisfied with smaller "stand-alone" wireless companies like Koodo and Virgin Mobile than they are with full-service telecoms like Bell and Rogers, according to a survey from J.D. Power and Associates released in May, 2012. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/10/wireless-carriers-canadians-like_n_1507278.html" target="_hplink">Read the full report here</a>.<br> <br> Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 4. Solo Mobile - 680

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 3. Rogers - 668

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 2. Bell - 665

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.

  • 1. MTS - 663

    Source: <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/Y1JTKwn/2012-canadian-wireless-total-ownership-experience-study.htm" target="_hplink">J.D. Power and Associates</a><br> <br> Number represents score out of 1,000.


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Canadians are more satisfied with smaller “stand-alone” wireless companies like Koodo and Virgin Mobile than they are with full-service telecoms like Bell and Rogers, a new survey has found. Th...
Canadians are more satisfied with smaller “stand-alone” wireless companies like Koodo and Virgin Mobile than they are with full-service telecoms like Bell and Rogers, a new survey has found. Th...
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TwoTinCans
0 Fans
09:20 AM on 04/10/2013
This article seems to be unaware that Fido=Rogers, VirginMobile=Bell and Koodo=TELUS. If you try to read the article knowing this fact, it makes no sense.
There is a responsibility by the consumer to understand something about what they are signing an agreement for. The fine print is something you must read. That introductory price for six months or that low-to-nothiing handset fee does come with a catch. Falling victim with all that catchy and slightly misleading advertising is not their fault if you assume the fine print can be ignored. If you don't like these tactics, may I suggest you lobby the CRTC to force the big three to make straight forward, honest representative product offers that are easy to understand by a five year old. Good luck.
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Ame Tamashi
0 Fans
01:19 AM on 03/29/2013
I have a good advise to give, "Stay away from FIDO" They are scammers and they have horrible customer service. At the beginning I had to pay $100+ extra charge for ghost data bill. The moment my 3 year nightmare contract was over I called to cancel and they gave me better plan so I stayed.
After 2 years I decided to switch to wind with promotions and they again offered me a even better plan. Then the main story happened. They gave me unlimited incoming but kept charging for it. In the 1st month they resolved the issue. In the 2nd month they simply refused everything and said I was lucky the agent didn't check. It was outrageous and rude. I even had reference number. After talking to 5 agents I talked to the manager who simply said it was written in my file, but they will not continue it. I was speechless! I said ok give me anything that has unlimited incoming, I do not need any other feature and she offered me something with double the price. When I asked she said it was the only one. She was lying! On their site they had something with much lower cost.
If I was a lawyer I would sue them for lying and harassing. They find it too easy in Canada to scam people. I really hope karma would get back to them. Eagerly waiting to see that day.
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kjohn5
0 Fans
04:57 PM on 02/08/2013
I have heard that Bell is one of the better providers. Is that true? I visited http://storelocator.bell.ca/bellca/en/ON/Aurora/Bell-Yonge-and-Murray/53J38 and was able to get a little bit of information. What do you have to say? Have you been pleased having Bell?
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Mitchell Begin
24 Fans
12:27 PM on 12/05/2012
I don't like any of them, they are all the same...gougers with little return.
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Thalin Lea
24 Fans
12:07 AM on 05/20/2012
all of them are worthless
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Jessen Joseph
86 Fans
07:06 PM on 05/11/2012
Russell Peters would understand where I'm coming from.

I am sticking with PublicMobile.

:-)
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Wolfe2045
0 Fans
05:17 PM on 05/11/2012
I like how everyone goes on these so called "Unlimited Plans" however do you read the fine print? After so much use they charge you per minute and per kb. So if you dont use your phone much, than its great. Using a smartphone however you can burn through it all and then pay these $400 bills. So when people say they pay $300 to $400 dollars/month say with Rogers, are you following your plan restrictions or you using way more than your plan tells you? Being that I work for a company the sells phones, I see this all the time.
I do agree we get gouged when it comes to plans where in the UK they have true unlimited plans for the same price we pay for a simple data plan.
But when people want free phones on unlimited plans, you have to look at the cost of the phone say an Iphone. Retail is sells $650. Cost roughly $600. So when you see people that commit fraud on a daily basis, it does cost A LOT of money to have these. Not to mention companies have major restrictions on phones and way to sell them.
Gotta look at all the facts before you jump to rash conclusions about unlimited plans. Because your credit score is on the line.
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steveaustin1971
26 Fans
 
02:13 PM on 11/03/2012
On Wind my unlimited is unlimited. Period.
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Dave Cada
3 Fans
 
05:15 PM on 05/11/2012
Finally when my contract was ended, I thought I could go to another carrier but little did I know, they signed me back up for a new contract with my old Blackberry. No signature from me required. Again I argued with them and for a year they threatened me again with collections and court. Finally after a year of paying, someone told me to call CRTC and tell them my story. Within a day of calling, Rogers canceled my contract and I went to Wind. My life has been better and my phone bill, a hell of lot cheaper. Finally.
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Dave Cada
3 Fans
 
05:14 PM on 05/11/2012
Some people are dumb. Koodos is owned by the big three and so is Virgin. I went with Wind and have unlimited text, data and voice for 29 bucks and every one of my family that I bring it, it goes down another 5 bucks. I get a nice smart phone and no 3 year contract that forces me to stay with their plan. My phone works absolutely great and I have no missed calls. Roger, Telus and Bell can kiss my a__! All they do is rip of their customers no matter how long you have been with them. They are greedy, and don's appreciate their customers. When I was with Rogers they sent me text messages one time, which at first I ignored, that costed me a few hundred dollars in one bill. I called them and asked them why, they said because I didn't tell them to stop. For one I didn't read them, and for the second, I didn't agree to accept them. Rogers forced me to pay the bill and threaten me with collections if I didn't. This is how they run their business.
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bbertaud
Je ne regrette rien, rien de rien
305 Fans
 
04:10 PM on 05/11/2012
All of them are crap....and expensive...when it comes to mobile phones Canada is still in the Pre-Cambrian compared to Europe... as long as there is a monopoly in the business and foreign companies are not allowed to invest in the Canadian telcom sector there will be no competition, we`ll have crappy service and we`ll get shafted...I can`t even believe that there are still companies with CDMA technology
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Zork4
You can have your own opinion, not your own facts.
867 Fans
04:04 PM on 05/11/2012
Unlimited plans without nickel and dime add ons are the way to go. Three year commitments are ridiculous. The whole cell business in this country seems to be run so the big carriers can make big bucks, not to serve the interests of consumers.
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jbomb
2 Fans
05:00 PM on 05/11/2012
couldn't agree more!
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msyyz
28 Fans
02:45 PM on 05/11/2012
I hate Telus!! But they are better than Rogers!!
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thegirlnextdoor
632 Fans
01:52 PM on 05/11/2012
I don't know about this poll. Telus has always been really good to me. I've been with them since 1994. They even call me when an odd thing occurs to ask if it's ok. My cel bill is never over the base amount they have so many features, including 10 friends, that help keep it under control.
Great coverage, I get a connection when others do not, and good service.
Just saying.
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grinningdog
33 Fans
04:03 PM on 05/11/2012
Good luck with the job interview at Telus! Hope you linked this comment to your fb page so Telus HR can check.
Just saying.
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peanutflower
2 Fans
06:33 PM on 12/05/2012
I actually agree with you. I have no issues at all with Telus. Been a customer since 94 too. Nada. And no, I don't work for Telus and not applying, so grinningdog, suck it. I have Telus TV, two cells, internet and landline. Their service is excellent, price is nothing terrible. Not a problem here. I suspect people get huge cell phone bills because they sign up for the lowest plan and then pay no attention to the restrictions of the plan. That's just plain stupid.
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Johnny LaRue
political correctness is just incorrect
56 Fans
01:49 PM on 05/11/2012
Next poll add Virgin to the bottom half since the Bell take over. 1 tech person dosn't cut it.
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Rayma Allaby
82 Fans
01:35 PM on 05/11/2012
go with pay as u go........seems to be me more sensible..the phones are inexpensive...i personally don't need all the bells and whistles of the iphone...i just need a phone that is going to enable me to make a dammed phone call if something happens when i am out on the road.
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