To spaceJello: If you consider the old law of supply and demand, lowering the price of a thing increases demand. In the case of wireless data rates in Canada, we currently have a very high price, hence most people do not use the data parts of their phone. (OK, maybe they do once, but after they see the bill, they make sure never to use it again.) Right now, I bet very few people are using data plans. As soon as Rogers/Fido opens it up by offering reasonable prices, they will get 10 or 100 times as many customers, and they will make MORE money, not less. I can't figure out why they are not doing this.
I understand the law of supply and demand. Believe me, I have been a customer of Bell, Rogers, Fido, Cingular and AT&T.
However, I can't help but to question some business practices within Canadian cellular companies. I remember the days of 2 year contracts for a subsidized phone in Canada. Now if you want similar priced discounts, you would need a 3 year contract instead of the 2 year one. Wouldn't the law of supply and demand be that they should decrease or at least maintain the maximum of a 2 year lockdown as more and more people use cellphones, with more competition, when compared to people 5 years ago? Increasing the years, doesn't necessarily increase demand.
Similarly, this goes to the evening and weekend unlimited calling. I use to have an older Rogers contract that started at 6pm for unlimited evening calling. Today, it doesn't start until 8 if not 9pm. If you would want to have unlimited calling starting at 6pm, you would need to pay more $. Wouldn't that decrease demands for early unlimited calling or even new customers switching?
With that said, I feel that cellphone companies are constantly trying to milk us as much as they can, increasing charges and NOT decreasing it.
I have a friend using her dad's contract back from the late 80s. YES! It's that old. Unlimited calling for mere 15$ or so. She gets a laugh when sales people react in shock when she goes in to register a new UNLOCKED phone she got for the plan. They can't believe such plans even exist. The prices of cellular plans aren't decreasing. They are increasing.
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If Bell Canada or Telus uses GSM, I am sure the iPhone would be in Canada now. Or if Fido wasn't allowed to be bought up by Rogers. The GSM network has become a monopoly.
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On that note, is Indigo and other bookstores still charging the "CAN" price of the book instead of the "US" price?
