Perception Problem: Wireless competition complaints drawn from too many simplistic conclusions

By Perry Hoffman

OTTAWA – There simply is not a wireless services competition problem in Canada, according to a report released today by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.Wireless Competition in Canada: An Assessment argues that it’s too simplistic to draw conclusions about the state of competition by comparing Canada’s high average revenue per user (APRU) and lower penetration rates with international carriers. For instance, many countries tend to have significantly higher prepaid subscribers than in Canada and have a calling-party-pays protocol, “both of which encourage inflated user counts.”During a press conference on Parliament Hill Thursday morning, one of the report’s...