TORONTO – About 18 months after abandoning some of its multi-product bundles, Bell Canada has re-launched a new quad-play bundle.
The new Bell Bundle is a package of Sympatico high speed Internet, Bell ExpressVu HDTV, Bell long distance and Bell Mobility wireless. Local phone is not included in the new bundle because local phone market deregulation (local forbearance, to use the lingo) hasn’t happened just yet.
The inability to offer discounted local phone was part of the reason Bell dropped the former bundles in the first place. Without local phone, it’s simply an incomplete package.
"We’ve developed the Bell Bundle to meet the growing demand of customers who want to combine products and services to satisfy their household communication and entertainment needs," said Kevin Crull, president Bell Residential Services, in the press release.
Even without local phone, this is a crucial response to its primary competitors, Rogers and Videotron, who successfully offer such service bundles to their customers and who are claiming Bell customers by the thousands. The difference with the cable bundles is that they can also offer local phone.
With the Bell Bundle, new and existing customers can save between $5 and $20 every month. To qualify, customers need at least two of the following products: Long Distance, Internet, Mobility, or to be a high-end TV customer.
Customers can then save $5 per product when they choose from these bundle-eligible plans:
* Long Distance: One of Unlimited Canada/US Long Distance, 1000 minutes Canada Long Distance or Unlimited Province Long Distance calling plans
* Internet: Any Sympatico High Speed plan over 500 kbps
* TV: ExpressVu programming with the addition of HD or PVR services
* Mobility: Consumer postpaid wireless voice plan with a data package, or membership in a Family Share Plan
According to findings from a consumer survey company IDC Canada Ltd., almost two-thirds – 62% – of consumers surveyed expressed a preference to subscribe to bundled communications services, says the Bell release.
"With its new multiple offering bundle, Bell remains part of a highly competitive marketplace that is an outcome of the transformation of communication services and products driven by the evolution of voice, the Internet, wireless and digital television," said Lawrence Surtees, vice-president of communications research and principal analyst at IDC Canada, in the Bell release.
