<--- Newest Sidekick. Like the iPhone, it isn't available in Canada...With great fanfares, the news went out: CTV News: Ottawa's wireless auction could cut cellphone rates.
The promise of a bigger pipe (spectrum), and a good chunk of it set aside for new wireless telcos... supposedly, this would promote competition and better quality of service and from there... lower price. My first thought was: Oh.... yeah ?!?
This is coming at the same time a cousin of mine living in France is teasing me (CTVNews: Apple's Iphone hits French stores).
To them, I live in "America". I'm "le petit cousin d'Amérique", even though I'm 6' 4". So much for the small cousin. To the French, it's no use to mention that there's Canada, or even Québec. This is America, and that's that. In a way, this is not entirely false, continentally speaking. :)
In America, we're supposed to bask in technology. He couldn't understand why I can't buy the iPhone, nor why the Sidekick is disappearing from the Canadian market, while it's immensely popular in the US and all across Europe (I've blogged about this recently: New Sidekick: Why Canada is still late in the game)
It is frustrating.
When I was in Seattle last July, I had a chance to test drive an iPhone, which just went out, at that time. I also remember at a shopping mall in downtown Seattle, there was a T-Mobile kiosk, and I asked for a few infos about their Sidekick. The guy was ready to sold one to me! Even when I mention that I'm Canadian, even when I say that the only street address I can give him is a street address in *Canada*.
Heck, unlimited MOBILE internet access at $30/month... a device that is portable and very well done (decent tactile keyboard, contrary to the iPhone which the keyboard is just "painted" on the screen), a decent screen, and a device that isn't too bulky... and to top it all, it's also a cellphone... the geek in me was saying: I want one! I want one! I want one!
But usage from a US Sidekick or iPhone from Canada would mean stiff roaming charges. It's only when I'm in the US that I could really enjoy these toys. Since I'm more often in Canada than in the US...
Frustrating.
The Harper government says that by auctioning more spectrum to cellphone companies, this would bring price down. Problem is... there's no such obligations to lower prices, so why they should?
Years ago, we used to have a very good cellphone service at a price that was cheaper than in the US and Europe.
However, the Canadian government has also authorized mergers of cellphone companies. So rivals were allowed to buy ClearNet and MicroCell (the "Fido" brand name). As soon as these companies were bought, prices went through the roof.
Since there's no mandatory rules, even less incentives put in place by the government to lower prices in exchange for that use of extra spectrum, why on earth any of the 3 big wireless telcos would budge?
They understood that they have a captive market, therefore they're milking us as much as they can.
Oh, there are laws in Canada against that? Sure. Mhhh... since the Conservative government is not willing to step in, to enforce its own laws, is there any citizen with some millions $ in spare change to sue these companies?
In the meantime, if things go according to plan, I'm going to return to Seatlle in a few weeks from now. I'll probably have some times to do some shoppings in the downtown area.
When I'll see those cool iPhones, or that even cooler new Sidekick on displays...
Usually, material belongings escape me. Usually. :) However, I'm a geek, and a geek is a geek is a geek. Rule #2, see rule #1. :)
So there are some exceptions, and this is one of those... exceptions that confirms the rule, as French-speaking people would say. :)
Sigh...
Travel wise, it just hits me that around December 15th, I'll be in Seattle, and not even 3 weeks later, I'll be... in France.
It all began with a small hop to Ottawa last May... and I kept travelling for 5 months all over the continent. When September arrived, I really thought that it was the end of it. At least for the rest of the year, maybe even more.
And look at what is happening... I'm on the go again!
I think that I'm hearing Félix Leclerc singing...
"Moi mes souliers ont beaucoup voyagé..."
You bet that my shoes have traveled a LOT ! That's the understatement of the year, I think. :)
Travel is sweet,
Human contact, unforgettable.
Cheers,
-E
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