A new national wireless carrier finally launched its services in Vancouver Thursday morning after rolling out in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa during the past six months.
Wind Mobile, which is the first new national wireless carrier in a decade, announced that its phone plans would start at $15 month, not including a launch promotion that offers consumers 50% off plans for the first six months if they sign up by June 30.
Wind, which is owned by Toronto’s Globalive, said that its plans have no activation fees, no contracts, no system access fees and no fees for enhanced 911 services.
It also doesn’t charge for incoming text or incoming long distance calls.
Wind has three retail locations in Metro Vancouver: Yaletown, Kitsilano and Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver. As well, it has kiosks at seven Blockbuster video store location in Metro Vancouver.
Anthony Lacavera, chairman of Globalive and Wind, previously told BIV: “People in Vancouver have told us that they want to see simple straightforward pricing. They don’t understand what they’re being told on their bill, and therefore they don’t trust their bill.”
The phones that are compatible with Wind are the BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Maple, Huawei U7519, Samsung Gravity 2, Huawei E181 data stick, Nokia 5230 and Huawei U1250 handsets.
For more on Lacavera and Wind Mobile, See “Upstart wireless carrier hits town” – issue 986, September 16-22, 2008.