TORONTO – Two ex-WIND Mobile product architects are behind a “tiny” new wireless provider that plans to launch in Canada next year.
Operating as an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), dot.mobile will connect consumers and small businesses to existing national LTE networks. Built as a smartphone application for iOS and Android, dot.mobile is a completely digital service that says it has no plans for traditional retail stores or call centres. Rather, Canadians will be able to bring their own phone (BYOD) and get their SIM cards both electronically and through local delivery partners.
Co-founder and CEO Algis Akstinas said that the Data On Tap approach to mobile will take advantage of digital technologies like eSIM and machine learning “to serve the currently underserved – Canadians who want a service that works on their terms.”
“Big telecoms are unable to serve these people well because of one simple reason: they’re too big,” Akstinas said in the news release. “Tiny telecoms, on the other hand, run on innovative business models and foster competition. The mobile network operators get a fair wholesale rate and continue to invest in network infrastructure, and we offer affordable and awesome service to Canadians. Everybody wins!”
Conceptual features and pricing are proposed on the website, including pay per gig data with perpetual rollover, no additional roaming fees while travelling in the U.S., and a marketplace for buying and selling certified used phones.
“The big telecoms have fallen behind everyone else when it comes to digital experiences – the banks, insurance companies, online stores and streaming services are the innovators,” added co-founder and CXO Alex Bauman. “Our tiny telecom will change all that, and we’ll do it with the help of our members.”
Data on Tap Inc. owns the dot.mobile brand.
