Here in Canada, we pay some of the highest prices amongst so-called developed nations for cellular services.
That's mainly due to the lack of competition. There are only 3 main carriers, and 2 of those focus on different parts of the country. Rogers is everywhere, whereas Telus is mainly in the West, and Bell Media in the East.
Oh, there are plenty of self described discount carriers, but gradually they have all been bought up by the major 3. The last, remaining, independent carrier, Freedom Mobile, was just bought out by Rogers. So, while the government is publicly stating that they want more competition, and lower prices, they are creating an environment where the opposite is the case.
Now, hot on the heels of their last acquisition, Rogers has announced that they will be increasing all non-contract cellular plans by $7 to $9 per month - that's anywhere between 10-20% or more! Bell Media sources have indicated they will be doing the same. And surely, Telus won't be far behind (although if they were smart, they'd wait a bit and snare all those leaving the other carriers).
These carriers all provide Internet services, and I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and prices to increase for those services as well.
It's ironic to see that the fundamentals of capitalism work well at the beginning, until they work too well, monopolies emerge and then everyone gets screwed.
It's because they know everyone is addicted to smartphones and they will go without food then a smartphone. They can get away with it. Used to be that a home phone from Bell when they had the monopoly were regulated by the government and couldn't just charge what they want, it had to be approved. A phone was a necessity and you couldn't have someone not affording a home phone.
But mobile and smartphones are a convenience, a want, not considered an essential need and is not regulated as the government got out of the regulating business to encourage competition.
That's capitalism...you want something, they got it and can charge whatever they want and everyone will pay. You have a choice, 10 years ago there was no smartphone...what did you do then? So why do you need it now? Just to be "modern" and do what everyone else does.
This is why it costs so much...you are addicted and you will pay.
Yes, you know I hate these things!
Oh yes another point, everyone has the money to pay for it. They may not like it but they are paying it so they can afford it and the companies know that.
Smartphones don't have to be evil.
I use a smartphone as my home phone. It's cheaper, easier and portable.
Aside from the occasional phone call and text, I use it as a music player. I compressed a great deal of my music and OTR library using OPUS, and transferred it to an SD card that I installed in my phone. The music can be listened to through earphones, or streamed through the car radio via Bluetooth.
I can also stream Artisan Radio and listen the same way. Particularly handy when the station fades out in the car (which isn't after very long) and I want to continue to listen.
I can see the addictive nature of the screen, which is why I use a flip smartphone, not one of the latest from Samsung or Motorola, but an older one imported from Asia. It has a single screen that is not normally visible unless you flip the phone open. The temptation to look at the screen is just not there, as the phone is closed most of the time.
I also turn off all the notifications and alerts. I'll deal with things at my own time and place.
Smartphones are tools, and can be very convenient tools, as long as you use them wisely.
@artisan-radio By saying "you" are addicted I didn't mean you personally, but everyone or virtually everyone. There's a few exceptions.
But the point was that cellular is a convenience, it's a want, and used to be a luxury and therefore not government regulated as to what they can charge. So the companies can buy out all the smaller ones and charge whatever they want. That's capitalism, a company has what everyone wants, and by choice won't live without and they will make as much money as they can. And they know that all will pay.
What scares me is that they will eliminate home land lines or if I move and the place is not wired for a landline I will be forced to have a cell phone as a home phone and with no regulation on how much it can cost. Then I will get the cheapest flip one and it will only even be turned on if I need it. Someone wants me they can email. But the government should step in and not allow contracts.
By the way all the small competing companies don't have to sell out so why do they? They can charge less than half of what the big ones do and get all their customers.
I just have home internet and home phone together unlimited use and no long distance charges for $39.95 a month with Worldline, an alternative company that charges 1/4 of what Bell and Rogers do and no contract and never a price increase as long as I remain a customer.
But if the companies stop landline home phones then cellular will become a necessity and then the regulation has to come back. I mean, you have to have a home phone for an emergency. You can't have someone not being able to afford a phone.
As long as they replace them with something for someone without a smartphone to be able to go to and call if an emergency.