Edmonton will become the next city to feel the benefits of multiple facilities-based wireless competition when Mobilicity begins service there on Wednesday. The Toronto-based startup will be the fifth licenced carrier there and the second of the 2008 group of new entrants that bought wireless spectrum in the AWS/PCS auction that year. The first was Wind Mobile, which next month will celebrate its first anniversary.
Competition will heat up even more in Alberta and B.C. when cableco Shaw Communications Inc. launches its new network late next year.
BREAKING NEWS: Mobilicity will start service in Ottawa on Nov. 18 and Vancouver on Friday Nov. 19.
Formerly called DAVE Wireless, Mobilicity launched service in Toronto in May and has been learning lessons there before spreading its network, which is built and managed by Ericsson Canada. The carrier is focusing on keeping its service within major cities rather than building a national network, which is Wind's goal. Mobilicity also has licences covering Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria.
Like other wireless startups, Mobilicity offers no contract unlimited voice and text messaging plans starting at $25 a month. Unlimited data is $10 a month extra.
To boost the Edmonton launch, the company is also giving customers free access to social sites including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo and Foursquare to the end of December.
Mobilicity will start selling from over 20 locations in Edmonton, including its corporate store. It promises that number will hit 50 locations by the end of the year.
The SeaBoard Group, a Montreal-based telecommunications consultancy, predicts Mobilicity subscribers will hit 65,000 by Dec. 1.
