As most of you have come to know, we keep our community in the loop with changes at WIND Mobile, and today marks a change…

As competition intensifies in Canada’s wireless market the three new entrants – Mobilicity, Wind Mobile and Public Mobile – have a long and complicated battle ahead of them. Not all are expected to survive, at least in their current form.

Several of the new Canadian mobile operators that acquired spectrum in the country’s 2008 auctions switched on their first mobile networks in the first half of the year and have reported early subscriber numbers. According to the latest Wireless Intelligence research, new market entrants WIND Mobile (Globalive), Public Mobile and Mobilicity have all launched services using the new spectrum so far this year, while Quebecor’s Videotron subsidiary and cable firm Shaw Communications are scheduled to launch soon. While the new players have yet to report significant customer numbers, Canada’s three incumbent operators – Rogers, Bell Mobility and Telus – are already developing counter strategies in response to the new competition.

The most significant new player is WIND Mobile, backed by Egypt’s Orascom Telecom, which holds spectrum covering every part of the country with the exception of Quebec. WIND switched on its first services in Toronto in December 2009, and has subsequently launched in Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Vancouver. The operator is expected to publish subscriber numbers on 12 August and – following some bullish recent comments from its chairman – it is thought that WIND will have hit the 100,000 connections mark by early July. This would give the new operator almost a 0.5 percent share of the total Canadian mobile market, according to our data (see table). WIND is targeting 1.5 million subscribers within three years from launch with a long-term target of 3.5 million

Wind is showing ‘encouraging’ signs, says Wireless Intelligence, while Mobilicity and Public Mobile have modest sales. However, another analyst says those two startups are doing better.

Wireless startup Wind Mobile has signed up about 100,000 subscribers in just under seven months of operations, an industry analyst estimates, suggesting early teething problems haven’t hindered its debut.

“It’s expected they crossed the 100,000 mark some point around the beginning of July, maybe the first week or two,” said Will Croft, an analyst with British-based Wireless Intelligence, which tracks wireless carriers around the world. It is also a unit of the GSM Association, an industry group for carriers using the GSM/HSPA wireless standard.

At the rate that Canadian mobile wireless service providers are popping up and offering new deals to consumers, you’d think the battle to bend the ears of cell phone users – and open their wallets – has gone to the dogs.

Well, hotdogs at least, in the case of major wireless company Rogers Communications Inc. and Egyptian-backed upstart Wind Mobile of Toronto.

This week’s person to know is Anthony Lacavera, the Chairman of WIND Mobile.

What’s next in store for WIND?

WIND will continue to rally for increased wireless competition in Canada and are doing everything we can to give Canadians the kind of wireless service they want and deserve. We recently launched in Vancouver and we will continue to build out the network in each of our Home Zones. Right now our goal is to strengthen our existing network so we’re adding towers everyday.

Back-to-school season is the new Christmas for Canada’s cellphone providers, but although this September will see plenty of giving and receiving, no one expects the affair to be festive.

The wireless industry is preparing for its most disruptive back-to-school period ever as companies prepare to defend their existing bases of cellphone customers and win new ones during the industry’s most crucial sales season. The mayhem has already started and, especially at the low-priced end of the market, it is only going to intensify.

“It’s ‘go’ time now,” said Ken Campbell, Wind Mobile’s chief executive officer. “We’ll see where the dust settles.”

Canadian wireless startup, Wind Mobile, is extending its $150 porting credit to Bell and Telus subscribers, so as to encourage an influx of new customers from all three major Canadian carriers.

The $150 credit was initially available only to Rogers Wireless customers, and was seen as preemptive counterstrike against Rogers’ forthcoming discount brand, Chatr. Now that Wind has made its point, however, it makes competitive sense to extend the offer to as many people as possible.

Wind Mobile has backed off targeting Rogers with a promotion that seeks to lure its customers specifically, with Bell and Telus now included in the deal.

The upstart wireless carrier on Thursday announced a promotion that offered Rogers customers — including those on its Fido and yet-to-be-launched Chatr brands — a $150 credit for taking their business to Wind. The deal, a continuation of a promotion previously aimed at all three major carriers, is intended to alleviate the early termination fees some customers face when cancelling their existing contracts.

Wind Mobile will be announcing today a retail distribution agreement with Value Mobile locations in the GTA. There will be 4 locations in total that are specifically targeting “newcomer communities”:
- York Gate Mall, Etobicoke – 1 Yorkgate Blvd
- Malvern – 31 Tapscott Rd, Unit T41B
- East York – 45 Overlea Blvd, Unit 161
- Cedarbrae – 3495 Lawrence Ave East