Startup cellphone carrier Wind Mobile says it will sell handsets at cost while offering customers pricing plans for unlimited voice and data services for far less money than its rival incumbents.
But perhaps most attractive to Canadians who are well-accustomed to being locked into multi-year plans, Wind will not ask subscribers to sign any contracts.
On Wednesday, the firm opened its first stores in Toronto, introducing its lineup of cellphones and smart-phones, including the BlackBerry Bold 9700, as well as the firm’s wireless pricing plans.
Stores will open in Calgary on Friday, followed by the launch of services in Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver in the new year, said Ken Campbell, chief executive of Wind.
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Wind will offer three voice and text plans starting at $15. The top two plans will cost $35 and $45. All plans offer unlimited calling between Wind customers, while the two most expensive options allow for unlimited calling across Canada within Wind’s “home zones,” or where its network is present.
Wind’s network covers the Greater Toronto Area as well as the five cities it will introduce services in next. Outside of those areas, Wind holds a national roaming agreement with Rogers Communications Inc.
Wind will also offer four data options for smartphone users who wish to surf the web on the go.
Starting at $10, users will have unlimited instant messaging and access to sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
For $35 a month, customers will have unlimited web access.
Wind opened the stores less than a week after the federal cabinet overturned a decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that had originally prevented its entrance into the market.
The country’s regulator ruled in late October that Globalive Wireless Management Corp., the firm that operates the Wind brand, was controlled by Egyptian carrier Orascom and therefore did not meet Canadian ownership rules.
The carrier plans to sell individual handsets to subscribers at cost.
The move means Wind will not subsidize any device and, in turn, not offer term contracts.
The company will not charge fees for “system access,” emergency 911 calls or any incoming text and long-distance calls.
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