If you were wondering where else in the world you can get expensive wireless services, then look no further. Canadians pay a lot for cell phone plans, but a report says that it’s all worth it.
The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) published a report that was commissioned by the federal government and completed by Nordicity (consulting firm). They have compared wireless prices in 2017.
The study found that the cellphone rates in Canada are the highest of eight countries that were part of the survey.
However, MEI claims that the study is misleading because it didn’t consider other factors: like significant investments made by companies to provide superior services, or the geographical barriers.
Martin Masse is the MEI report author, and he explains that:
“We have some of the best networks in the world. We’re paying for a Lexus, but it’s worth a Lexus.”
There is also the matter of a small population in a large region, making wireless networks more extensive to develop:
“Just think if you had 25 times more clients in an area served by a cell tower,” he added.
Eight Countries: Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Japan, the U.S., Australia
The study compared the rates from eight countries and found that the average prices for cell phone plans in Australia were up to $37 less per month compared to Canada’s.
Australia has also invested a lot on telecommunication services from 2005 to 2015, offering a high network connection speed.
Tom Lockyer (Brantford, Ont.) said that he went on a holiday in Australia. He said that he paid half of the price for 15 GB in Australia than what he pays in Canada for a plan of just 1 GB.
“Canada’s paying some of the highest prices in the world and I can’t justify the reason,” he said.
“In Canada, we have a handful (of discounts), and they’re marginally able to make an impact,” added Lockyer.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.