TORONTO – The official press release didn’t mention the big red machine, but Rogers Communications today officially unveiled its new brand, chatr wireless.
Offering Canadians unlimited talk and text “on a trusted network,” is the closest the release got to mentioning Rogers, “chatr will offer cost certainty with zone-based plans including unlimited talk for just $35 per month and unlimited talk and text for just $45 per month, without term contracts,” reads the release.
The service will be available in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and soon in Montreal with future plans for other Canadian markets.
The brand is an offensive by the largest wireless company in Canada against low-price, no-contract newcomers Public Mobile, Mobilicity and Wind Mobile. In fact, Mobilicity, as we reported, plans to take legal action against Rogers for launching the low-cost brand, citing anti-competitive behaviour.
"Canadians have indicated they want unlimited talk and text with simple, worry-free plans on a network that is trusted to deliver quality service," said Garrick Tiplady, senior vice-president, chatr. "With chatr, customers will have a no worry, talk happy experience."
Operating on Rogers’ GSM and HSPA technology platforms, chatr customers can pick from four phones, starting at $60: Nokia 1661, Nokia 2680, LG GB125r, and Samsung Gravity.
"With chatr, customers can use their phones freely, never having to think about how many minutes they’ve used or how many texts they’ve sent," said Tiplady. "They’ll benefit from cost certainty knowing that when they use their phones within their chatr zones, they’ll pay just one low flat fee without any extra charges."
The service will be available for purchase at chatr stores in major malls and through hundreds of retail locations. Partners include Wireless Wave, Future Shop, Best Buy, Telephone Booth, London Drugs, Costco, and Zellers.
