Comments on: Competition, Canadian-style? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/ I am a mongrel - O ma! A gremlin... Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:34:17 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Yule http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/comment-page-1/#comment-9044 Yule Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:21:41 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/#comment-9044 Thanks for the Geist link/quote, Davin. . I just posted another entry <a href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/09/hey-canada-and-canadian-telcoms-get-your-head-around-this-how-mobile-boosts-productivity/" rel="nofollow">today</a>, which includes a pointer to documentation about mobile technologies and their impact on economic productivity. You'll find that's more fodder, I'm sure! We (Canada) really need to break the death-grip of monopoly thinking in this important industry. . It just occurred to me that mobile service in Canada is like health care in the US. Both are really lovely if you're getting them via a big corporate gig (say, you work for the government and are issued a Blackberry with a good plan [Canada], or you work for a big company and get a <i>great</i> health care plan [US]). But if you're on your own, not protected by some big boss, you're bleeding in the road, stuck with premiums that are way too high. Thanks for the Geist link/quote, Davin.
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I just posted another entry today, which includes a pointer to documentation about mobile technologies and their impact on economic productivity. You’ll find that’s more fodder, I’m sure! We (Canada) really need to break the death-grip of monopoly thinking in this important industry.
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It just occurred to me that mobile service in Canada is like health care in the US. Both are really lovely if you’re getting them via a big corporate gig (say, you work for the government and are issued a Blackberry with a good plan [Canada], or you work for a big company and get a great health care plan [US]). But if you’re on your own, not protected by some big boss, you’re bleeding in the road, stuck with premiums that are way too high.

]]> By: Davin http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/comment-page-1/#comment-9042 Davin Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:43:19 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/#comment-9042 A little bit of back-up from Michael Geist here: "Indeed, Rogers has a monopoly on the iPhone since it is the only Canadian carrier currently capable of carrying the device." http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3154/135/ A little bit of back-up from Michael Geist here:

“Indeed, Rogers has a monopoly on the iPhone since it is the only Canadian carrier currently capable of carrying the device.”

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3154/135/

]]> By: Davin http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/comment-page-1/#comment-9041 Davin Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:41:20 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/yulelog/2008/07/08/competition-canadian-style/#comment-9041 This is an interesting topic because the competition is between different carriers who have different requirements for the equipment offered. On one hand, Rogers is the only network with the capabilities in the network to technically handle an iPhone, so Telus' and Bell's data plans are irrelevant to consumers. On the other hand, I am sure the Competition Bureau doesn't see anything special about the iPhone but that is probably because none of them have ever used one and realized that an unlimited dataplan is integral to the user experience. So they are not qualified to make the distinction about the position that Rogers is now in with a monopoly on iPhone services. It ought to be pointed out to Marilyn that the iPhone is already being treated by software companies as a completely new application platform and "phone" is near the bottom of the list of the hundreds, if not thousands, of things you can do on one of these devices currently. Therefore, this being said, the only provider that can provide service for this platform is Rogers, and it is plainly unmistakable that there is a competition issue due to monopoly now. This is an interesting topic because the competition is between different carriers who have different requirements for the equipment offered. On one hand, Rogers is the only network with the capabilities in the network to technically handle an iPhone, so Telus’ and Bell’s data plans are irrelevant to consumers. On the other hand, I am sure the Competition Bureau doesn’t see anything special about the iPhone but that is probably because none of them have ever used one and realized that an unlimited dataplan is integral to the user experience. So they are not qualified to make the distinction about the position that Rogers is now in with a monopoly on iPhone services.

It ought to be pointed out to Marilyn that the iPhone is already being treated by software companies as a completely new application platform and “phone” is near the bottom of the list of the hundreds, if not thousands, of things you can do on one of these devices currently.

Therefore, this being said, the only provider that can provide service for this platform is Rogers, and it is plainly unmistakable that there is a competition issue due to monopoly now.

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