Canada's Koodo Mobile lights up
As expected, Telus has rolled out its young, fresh, "fat-free" (their words, not ours) Koodo Mobile brand this week, targeting Canadians looking for a no-frills way to get wireless on the cheap. In light of all the unlimited action we've seen stateside as of late, we're not necessarily blown away by the offerings -- but $65 CAD for 1000 minutes plus unlimited incoming calls, 50 text messages, and per-second billing is alright... we guess. The phone selection is positively barebones, too, reflecting the mantra of the company itself; buyers can choose from a Samsung U410 for $75, a Motorola KRZR for $200, and a W385 -- also from Moto -- for $125. Any Canadians want to chime in here? Is this a blessing, or a Telus-backed fleece?[Via Howard Chui]
Filed under: Telus Mobility
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Waltzy @ Mar 18th 2008 7:26PM
Why the hell are we Canadians so content with this monopoly that the big 3(Rogers, Telus & Bell) have.
For years I have shaken my head at how much we Canadians are more than happy to bend over and take it.
And they say this is opening up the market?
hahahahaha excuse me while I go smash my head with a brick out of frustration
gil @ Mar 18th 2008 8:27PM
Sadly I think this is the only other per-second billing (Fido being the other) available in Canada.
TEG @ Mar 18th 2008 8:35PM
Everything in Canada is a monopoly, it is not just cell phones. Blame the CRTC as they are about as effective a retarted baboon at preventing monolopies, otherwise there would be more nationwide TV networks, besides CTV and CBC.
TEG
Mark @ Mar 19th 2008 12:26AM
It's actually oligopoly. Since Fido got bought off, there's nothing good coming out. They are still trying to squeeze everything from the subscriber.
moe @ Mar 18th 2008 8:45PM
even with the low priced packages it touts it is no match for fido.
Mike @ Mar 18th 2008 8:52PM
This is stupid. This takes aim at virgin as "Low Cost".
Canada is brutal for prices and brutal on competition. I pay $40 (grandfathered), I get 400 Anytime mins, Unlim even/week starting at 6. This does NOT include text messages, nor voicemail, so add another $12 and the $7 access fee and $0.50 for 911 and what you get is a bigger a$$hole.
-M.
Riley Freeman @ Mar 18th 2008 9:14PM
its as bad as amp'd canada. may they both burn in hell. lets open that foreign ownership so these bastards get bought out
Jesse @ Mar 18th 2008 9:24PM
ill give credit where its due 5 dollar unltd text is nice robbers charges 20 for 2500 which i would burn through in a week and koodo even offers unltd long distance to canada AND the us for 30 bones or just canada for 20 other then that telus gives voice mail and call display for free but just raised my mobile browesr from 5 cents a page to 10 cents :( and koodo now gets 5cents a page :(
mark @ Mar 18th 2008 9:47PM
i think this is not a great deal. we do well for the low end, but what about the high end? why should i pay $200 for a plan that in the US i can get for 100? why should i pay 200 times more than a roaming US customer on my own network for data!!! (see below). i was one of the lucky ones and got a 2yr student plan with telus ($25/mth for my fav 8 and then $7 extra for call display and 100anytexts, total plus fees its $45). So a good plan can be found, but i am not happy with the gsm monopoly, rogers is the ONLY gsm provider in the whole country (own fido)...WTF? Which is why rogers charge 3c a KB when ATT using rogers network on roaming charge .015c per KB. Absolutely disgusting *spit*. I would create a gsm provider from scratch if i could, our market needs US providers desperately or at least new operations. For too long the game has been essentially Rogers or Bell, and with todays global traveler the service you want is gsm. Too bad your bill is going to be in the thousands just because you logged on facebook to see your wall everyday...
Tired_ @ Mar 19th 2008 12:07AM
I don't get the networks in Canada. I'd be willing to pay around $100 for a high-limit data plan on a mobile device (in the 20GB/month range), but they don't seem to want my money.
Looks like I'll wait to get that N810 with WiMax, toss it on to Bell's Sympatico Portable network, add a VoIP provider and roll my own. It's mindblowing that I have to do all that rather than them just selling me a damn iPhone with an acceptable data plan.
Simon R @ Mar 19th 2008 1:18AM
Wow, that seems to be a good idea
I really like the N810 but I seriously don't like Bell. I know too many people who received random bills charging them from 40$ up to over 100$ for no apparent reason. One of them called them and they said right away it was a mistake but how many people didnt call to question and just paid right away...
Tired_ @ Mar 19th 2008 1:20AM
Roger's sells WiMax too, albeit more expensive with a lower cap (last time I checked).
mark @ Mar 19th 2008 10:44AM
on the contrary they do want your money, by charging you tens of thousands for using it that much. (on rogers)
Zak @ Mar 19th 2008 3:09AM
I used to be w/ Bell, and yes I can confirm that they will randomly charge you.
My bill regularly exceeded $200, because their system would forget what my plan was!
I had to call every month and wait on hold just to get them to fix my bill!!
On Halloween, I received a bill for 479.82!!!!!! I thought it was some sort of a joke, but nope.. same old story.
I can only pray that T-Mobile comes in and shakes things up!
Dan @ Mar 19th 2008 8:01AM
I dont really know what all the fuss is about.
it has the BEST rate plans in Canada, it does NOT charge SAF, unltd text for 5, per second billing, at least they have a KRZR (not the best but it will do), it is on telus' network so we know there is good coverage, call canada for $20 (unlimited nationwide calling), all plans at least include 50 texts, and they have the most minutes for the cheapest price (of the major carriers and popular MNVO's)
mark @ Mar 19th 2008 10:41AM
the point is that it isn't good enough, compared to our neighbours to the south. it still seems as though the telecoms want to take all the profits while screwing us in the ass.
Adam @ Mar 19th 2008 6:51PM
I think that this is not to bad. What you have to do is create your own package. If you use Koodoo's pre-made packages it sucks. But if you get a 20 dollar starter 100 mins daytime by the sec and then add 10 dollars for the call display, voicemail and unlimited text message and then add the 5 dollar free after 5pm then you have a great phone package cheeper than anything else on the canadian market.
Dan @ Mar 19th 2008 10:58PM
exactly!
this is what im talking about... people are complaining about this company, when its the best one out there to date.
At least they are providing the best value in the canadian market. What is fido, solo, rogers, or bell doing? Not this...
MBR @ Mar 27th 2008 2:17AM
I was about to get myself a phone through Fido. I NOW FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT FOR EVEN CONSIDERING PAYING FOR A FIDO PLAN!!! This is so awesome, once they get some publicity and some stores here in Alberta, i'll go crazy!! Koodo, Here I come!!!
mik @ Mar 19th 2008 11:16PM
definately a welcome addition to the canadian mobile market place. i built the same plan i have for $60 compared to $85(about 93 after SAF) from rogers. contracts been up for a year with them so theyre gonna need to work their asses off to prevent me from churning.
vlad.m @ Apr 1st 2008 10:42AM
I want to boycott them. I just want to be the one responsible for them failing. Until we get unlimited data and 1000 weekday minutes with unlimited 4 pm evenings and weekend, no charge on incoming calls, voice mail, caller id, unlimited text messages and more for $50 per month, I will actively try to make every company fail! Anyone, if they really wanted to, could make so much bad publicity and possibly do other things....to make a company fail. Until we get what we want, we will resort to this!
B.A. @ Apr 9th 2008 10:41AM
Its a bit better but still a joke when in the states they fight for your biusness, and you can get 1000 any time min + free nights / weekends for like $35 a month. Were being reamed and not a damm thing we can do about it short of not using the damm things.
Dragonmouse @ Apr 28th 2008 8:52PM
Have any of you really checked out the plans in the US or are you going by the commercials that you see on TV? My husband is on Nextel in the US and he gets reamed rather frequently when he calls me on his cell as I am in Canada, I am not sure that there are any plans in the US that are of a decent rate to call Canada.
Oh, as for the comment that the companies fight for your business, BULLROT, as with all US companies, they are not fighting for your business, they just want your almighty buck.
DM
kritty @ May 1st 2008 7:57PM
I've been looking into Koodo, but I had no idea it was actually Telus in disguise until I read up on it. I'm currently with Roger's on a very basic plan (150 anytime minutes and unlimited txt) for about $40-45 per month (plan is $20, plus the system access fee and add ons).
For the near exact same plan (50 less minutes), Koodo charges $25 ($5 more than Rogers)+ $10 for the call display/voicemail/unlim text package.. so $35plus applicable tax. They say 'pay no access fee' ($6.95 with Rogers) but its just included in all packages. At least they're being up front about it. In the end, I would only save about $5/month. Its 'non-contract', but you can only leave once the phone is paid off in full (the "Koodo Tab").
I might keep it in mind once my latest phone goes, but right now, its just not worth the hassle to switch companies, and personally, I've had far better service with Rogers than Telus.
earpick @ May 19th 2008 2:18AM
Oh brother. Just look at all the bitter canadians. Engadget authors beware - never mention Canadian cellphone providers. It's like riding the train with Soviet seniors - one way or another their discussion is bound to arrive at how things were just better when USSR was still strong.
And being Russian allows me to make that joke.