By The Canadian Press
A growing number of Canadian consumers are expected to give up their landlines for mobile phones, continuing a trend that some industry players say will gather momentum as new companies enter the market with competitive packages.
Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX:RCI.B), which owns the Fido and Rogers services, already has a couple of plans that are targeted at consumers giving up their landlines, Rogers Wireless president Rob Bruce said Tuesday.
""I think it's going to be a huge future growth opportunity from a wireless perspective," Bruce told the annual BMO Capital Markets media and telecom conference in Toronto."
Bruce noted that some Fido customers, about nine per cent nationally, have given up landlines in favour of plans that offer, for example, 2,000 minutes a month (33.3 hours) for $40.
"We believe that it's a trend that going to continue to accelerate going forward, particularly with the proliferation of plans," Bruce told the conference.
Bruce also noted that the new mobile phone services that will launch in the coming months are also going to push consumers to get rid of their landlines.
"From what I can tell about the new entrants, I think they're going to be squarely in the market of bringing in plans that will, I think, tempt lots of people to jettison their landlines and move to wireless as a substitute."
Jean-Francois Pruneau of Quebecor Inc. (TSX:QBR.A), which owns one of the new entrants, told the conference that at some point consumers are going to switch over to just having a wireless phone.
He said he expects growth in both wireless and voice to also come from consumers migrating to Quebecor's Videotron services over the next few years from incumbents, such as Rogers and BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada (TSX:BCE).
Quebecor should have its wireless network for mobile phones up and running in the second quarter of 2010, said Pruneau, vice-president of finance.
The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association said at the end of last year there were 21.5 million wireless phone subscribers, representing a national wireless penetration rate of 67 per cent.
The industry group estimates that in major urban centres, penetration rates have exceeded 70 per cent with some large metropolitan areas approaching the 80 per cent mark.
It also says that two-thirds of Canadian households have access to a wireless phone.
A growing number of Canadian consumers are expected to give up their landlines for mobile phones, continuing a trend that some industry players say will gather momentum as new companies enter the market with competitive packages.
Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX:RCI.B), which owns the Fido and Rogers services, already has a couple of plans that are targeted at consumers giving up their landlines, Rogers Wireless president Rob Bruce said Tuesday.
""I think it's going to be a huge future growth opportunity from a wireless perspective," Bruce told the annual BMO Capital Markets media and telecom conference in Toronto."
Bruce noted that some Fido customers, about nine per cent nationally, have given up landlines in favour of plans that offer, for example, 2,000 minutes a month (33.3 hours) for $40.
"We believe that it's a trend that going to continue to accelerate going forward, particularly with the proliferation of plans," Bruce told the conference.
Bruce also noted that the new mobile phone services that will launch in the coming months are also going to push consumers to get rid of their landlines.
"From what I can tell about the new entrants, I think they're going to be squarely in the market of bringing in plans that will, I think, tempt lots of people to jettison their landlines and move to wireless as a substitute."
Jean-Francois Pruneau of Quebecor Inc. (TSX:QBR.A), which owns one of the new entrants, told the conference that at some point consumers are going to switch over to just having a wireless phone.
He said he expects growth in both wireless and voice to also come from consumers migrating to Quebecor's Videotron services over the next few years from incumbents, such as Rogers and BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada (TSX:BCE).
Quebecor should have its wireless network for mobile phones up and running in the second quarter of 2010, said Pruneau, vice-president of finance.
The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association said at the end of last year there were 21.5 million wireless phone subscribers, representing a national wireless penetration rate of 67 per cent.
The industry group estimates that in major urban centres, penetration rates have exceeded 70 per cent with some large metropolitan areas approaching the 80 per cent mark.
It also says that two-thirds of Canadian households have access to a wireless phone.