TORONTO – Farewell Wind Mobile and welcome Freedom Mobile.
The once plucky wireless upstart, now owned by Shaw Communications, announced the rebrand Monday morning in Toronto plus committed to launch LTE service in Toronto and Vancouver on November 27 using its AWS-3 spectrum band. LTE service will expand to all of the Greater Toronto Area and Greater Vancouver by spring, while Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton will join by summer. The company’s remaining 3G coverage areas (including southwestern Ontario, the Hamilton-Niagara corridor, Barrie, Kingston and Peterborough) will join by the Fall. LTE roaming will be available in the U.S. and Canada in early 2017.
"As Wind Mobile, we built a strong foundation of more than a million customers," said CEO Alek Krstajic (pictured), in a statement. "And as Freedom Mobile, we are reaffirming our commitment to them and to the core principles of our business – value, transparency and fairness."
Krstajic added that new name reflects what the company stands for. “Freedom to connect and communicate, freedom from excessive and unfair prices", he said.
The inaugural Freedom Mobile LTE rate plan is available immediately for $45 per month and includes unlimited calling to Canada and the U.S., and unlimited global messaging from within Freedom's 3G and LTE coverage areas. The plan includes 3GB of monthly data plus an additional 3GB of bonus data through the end of January 2018, and is usable on both its LTE and 3G network.
Existing Wind Mobile customers, accounts and rate plans will be seamlessly transitioned to Freedom Mobile.
Freedom Mobile will stock two handsets compatible with its LTE network: the LG V20 (in stores now) and the ZTE Grand X 4 (to be available in early December), though the lineup of devices compatible with its LTE network will expand substantially and quickly in 2017.
The speed at which the company has been able to get its LTE network up and running was a pleasant surprise for Bay Street, too. "The launch timing of LTE in Toronto and Vancouver was faster than expected, which we believe reflects wireless management’s focus and execution, and Shaw’s commitment," wrote Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan in a note to clients.
"The Freedom Mobile (FM) rebranding marks the beginning of a new growth phase and ended what would have amounted to an increasingly costly licensing arrangement for the WIND brand. A quick comparison shows that the FM plans are approximately 30%-33% lower than the incumbents’ flanker plans for 3GB and 51%-53% lower on the promotion 6GB (3+3) offer (adjusting for subsidy). "
