My name’s Alek, and I’m just one of the many people behind Public Mobile. I’m pretty proud to see how far we’ve progressed since we began, but also recognize we’ve got a way to go for our dream of affordable and accessible mobile phone service to come true.
Everyone has something interesting to say, and the right to say it. That’s what inspired us to create Public Mobile – that communication is a right, not a privilege.
We will offer a flat-rate, no-contract, no-nonsense plan that makes it easy for people to plan what they spend, while talking and texting as much as they want.
What all of us here at Public Mobile want most is to be a company that matters to you. We’re working hard to give you something of real value, and know that keeping your business means treating you like a real person. We have set up this blog to allow people to ask the team here at Public Mobile questions, share ideas and tell us what is important to you. We will let you know about what we’re up to, and what we’ve got planned for the future.
So, let’s get this conversation started.
What would you like to talk about today?
Alek
CEO, Public Mobile
Everybody Talk.
Tags: affordable and accessible phones, Alek, hello, this is public mobile, what the future holds for us | Posted in Our coverage, People and Places, Phones, Plans and Features
Hey Alex:
When will Public Mobile officially launch ? I maintain a Telecom Blog and would like to provide better guidance to the market on your launch date, plans …
Jeff
http://www.TheTelecomBlog.com
What will be your primary distribution method? Your Career postings lead me to believe you will look to build an extensive reseller network but is there plans to have corporately owned outlets to support?
Public Mobile: Hi Jerry, Yes – we’ll have corporate stores and dealer stores.
I heard that you will charge extra for caller id and voicemail. While I can understand a reasonable extra cost for voicemail, I do NOT understand why Canadian mobile companies charge extra for caller id when it costs them next to nothing to provide this service.
I do NOT see this as a fair tactic of making money.
Public Mobile: Hi Vishal, while we have released the $40 Unlimited talk and text part of our plans, we’re not disclosing the full details of our plan until we launch our service – we hope you appreciate it’s a competitive marketplace
I see that you have a plan of $40, unlimited talk and text. This may be a great deal for those who do a lot of talking and texting, however I happen to be one of those consumers who does not have a mobile phone due to the high monthly costs. (and we are not on any tight budget) My wife, teenage son, and myself are hoping to each get a phone but at $40 each monthly, this is way more than I would consider. Are there other type of plans you are hoping to introduce?
I believe there are many people such as myself.
I really like the simplicity of the $40 plan you offer, but maybe there is a more “lite” option.
Public Mobile: At launch, we’ll have our $40 unlimited talk and text plan, and we’re currently looking at more plans to follow. With your comment, we’ll certainly look at bringing a ‘lite’ plan to consumers.
hii i just wanted to ask you guys when are you guys launching windmobile
Public Mobile: Thanks for visiting the Public Mobile blog Gary – but Wind Mobile can probably answer that question better than we can.
Not really sure where we post questions but I and a few people I have spoken to wonder if there will be extra costs for things like caller id, voicemail etc. Are you able to answer that at the moment?
Public Mobile: Hi Colin, while we have released the $40 Unlimited talk and text part of our plans, we’re not disclosing the full details of our plan until we launch our service – we hope you appreciate it’s a competitive marketplace. Thanks for your question.
What is your opinion of the issues with the CRTC and Globalive?
Would there be an interest in Public Mobile partnering with Wind Mobile?
Public Mobile: We’re watching the Globalive / CRTC situation with interest, but at this point we won’t comment publicly other than to say that we welcome more competition to the Canadian mobile phone market. As far as partnering with Wind, it’s not something that is being discussed right now.
Hi Alek,
Is Public Mobile going to provide an option that utilizes texting as a viable way for the customer to seek answers to their questions . (Provide an alternative or option to placing a call to customer support) If so, I would like to open a discussion with you and your team responsible for the customer experience. The value: competitive advantage over traditional providers, lower cost of service, leverage information in a channel that the customer has embraced, and open up a new opportunity that allows Public Mobile to have a conversation with customers and prospects. This can be done without adding FTE’s to support the texting channel.
I look forward to speaking with you.
Regards,
Steve
hi, Mr CEO
I suggest you select ericson/nortel to construct network you can get more handset support because they are reliable and honest vendor, which mean something to handset supplier.
don’t worry you can do it step by step. we support you.
Hi Alek
Can’t wait for somebody to come to market with a better rate plan. My wife and my self pay $240 per month for our plan. It’s definatly not the size of car, although it feels like I’m making a car payment.
Thank you,
Daniel
Public Mobile: Thanks for your comment Daniel – we don’t want you making a car payment to have a mobile phone either.
Hi,
I am having a very hard time getting answers. I have sent emails from work and never received a reply. There is no phone number to call to get information.
How is somebody going to break there contract with there provider to sign up with Public Mobile if it is impossible to reach them.
My question:
Can I sign up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. If yes, how? If no, when?
This is very simple information that should be easy to access. If you hide this info, it leads me to believe you are hiding something else.
Thank you
Public Mobile: Hi Robert – sorry you’ve had a hard time getting in touch with us – we hope this blog will help. Currently we have not launched, but we are building our network, building stores and developing all the infrastructure that is behind a mobile phone company. Montreal is a city where we plan to launch our service. As far as the exact launch date, it is coming but we don’t have an exact date for you.
I am really looking forward to the new entrants coming on line and giving us the competition we so desparately need to lower ARPU and help with market penetration. My question is, according to this link: http://mobilesyrup.com/2009/09/11/rogers-requests-foreign-ownership-hearing-into-public-mobile-and-dave-wireless/ It appears the incumbents are picking apart all the new entrants, not just Globalive. Are you as concerned about this as I am? Will the “ro-bell-us empire” – @Clumpen – ever stop picking our pockets? Will the CRTC ever allow competition? Just wondering your thoughts on that.
Public Mobile: Hi Tammy – thanks for your question. We believe that competition is coming to the Canadian mobile phone marketplace, and that consumers will soon have more choice than ever before.
I hear a lot of talk of “Talk&Text”, that’s all well and good. But what I want to know is what are your plans for DATA? Will you be providing affordable data plans? Will data be included in your standard $40 plan?
Rogers/Fido have forced me to go the last 8 months *dies a little inside* without caller display or voice-mail (my friends all hate me now but… its the principle!) so I’m kinda used to it, but I’d like to know if at least voice-mail is included in your $40 plan.
If you believe that there will be competition, I think that’s wonderful. Then why would you sign that open letter? Is it the years of experience you have had with Rogers and Bell that is influencing you now? I mean if Industry Canada gave the go ahead for spectrum you would think that you would understand what the government is trying to accomplish. You know very well, as much as I do, the incumbents don’t care about foreign ownership. Something to think about is that if Rogers, Bell or Telus had their way, since 2005 Telus has said they didn’t think the foreign ownership rules should exist, do you think you would have gotten the chance to get the spectrum you got? And now you are jumping on the incumbents band wagan? I am not impressed and now feel that you will mimick the incumbents in their pricing.
@ Blade:
Hi Blade – to answer your questions;
1) Public Mobile will be launching with our $40 unlimited talk and text plan initially. We are building our network to accommodate data transmission so we can expand our offering to consumers in the future.
2) As far as call display and voicemail, we are keeping the full details of our $40 unlimited talk and text plan from being released currently. Stay tuned as we’ll update our website to give full plan details as we get closer to launch.
Thanks for your interest in Public Mobile.
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/11/18/telus-warns-clement.html
I have to say that I am glad that at least you think that what happened to Globalive is unfair, but really…you shouldn’t support the incumbents.
Hi,
I would like to know if Public Mobile will be operating on GSM or CDMA networks.
Would i be able to bring my onwn unlocked cell phone and just purchase your SIM card and pay my $40 monthly (in case your are using GSM) or the service will be tied to your (Public mobile) devices only (CDMA network).
I travel a lot, and that’s why i own a quadband unlocked cell phone, so that no matter where i am in the world, i can just purchase a SIM card loacally put it in my phone and start taking.
Please let me know !
Thanks
Hi,
Are you are looking for someone with 15 years + of experience on cellular core networks? If so let me know.
Regards,
Hello,
I was wondering if you will ever launch outside of Ontario and Quebec?
Will your new $40.00 unlimited talk & text package be for a specific area or will it be a Nationwide unlimited talk and text coverage like the American cellular companies such as Boost mobile, AT&T and T-Mobile.
Regards,
I have a question. I watched a debate between the new entrants on Youtube. Here’s the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugJajZxtUQI Why did you purchase the spectrum if you plan to sell out at some point? Here’s another one…Are you afraid of competing with the incumbents? I understand if you don’t want to answer those questions, but it would be nice if you would attempt to. They are two questions that have been kind of bothering me and I was hoping you could clear them up.
Just wanted to emphasis that you said basically selling out was just a better plan. You said that closer to the end of the 12 minute video. Should have put that in my previous question to point out why I am asking why you purchased the spectrum if you plan on selling out at some point. I really hope you will attempt to answer those questions Alex.
Still no attempt to answer my questions. Why is that??? Did I touch a nerve or something???
I was talking to my father about Public Mobile. He would be interested in the offering, except that he does NOT care about texting and does NOT want to pay for it. I believe the same is true of most people in your target demographic (working class families without a cellphone). Why don’t you introduce a cheaper unlimited talk-only plan?
Thanks for the feedback, Vishal. We’ll certainly consider such a plan.
I love this competition already! can you confirm if you’ll be on the GSM network? can wait!
is the $40.00 unlimited talk & text plan going to cover specific area or will it be a Nationwide /province unlimited talk and text coverage plan?? this is what will win you a new customer..if i can call from city to city in ontario without all these ridiculous long distance charges than im all yours
A plan? Again…
I’m tired of all these plans offered by canadian wireless providers.
How about plain and simple prepaid with a twist?
Customer buys a voucher and deposits it into his/her account and the balance is good for one year.
Billing by seconds.
On the 1st of every month new billing cycle starts as the following:
10c/minute until customer reaches $10 threshold – $10/0.10 = 100 minutes;
9c/minute until customer reaches $15 threshold – $5/0.09 = 56 minutes;
8c/minute until customer reaches $20 threshold – $5/0.08 = 63 minutes;
7c/minute until customer reaches $25 threshold – $5/0.07 = 71 minutes;
6c/minute until customer reaches $30 threshold – $5/0.06 = 83 minutes;
5c/minute until customer reaches $35 threshold – $5/0.05 = 100 minutes
after which it becomes unlimited.
Texting is 0.01$/message for the first $5 spent on text and unlimited afterwards.
You will get all kinds of customers, the ones who want unlimited and the ones who are quite happy with limited usage.
Hey Alek, I was wondering if you are running sim card phones and what kind of frequency does my phone have to have to work with your services. I only ask this because of the new Windmobile frequency. Thanks.
No – our phones are based on CDMA technology, and while there are CDMA phones that use SIM cards, Public Mobile’s do not.
Do you provide call history for Unlimited Overseas Long ? Is it possible to get the call history by paying extra? Call history is very important as proof that can be used in legal procedurs.
Thanks
Hello public mobile,
i am currently a Fido customer and i just got a nice 80$ phone bill from over use, i have been considering switching but i take issue with the fact you don’t have SIM cards. Will this be something you will be considering in the near future?
best regards
Adam
I have the same question as few others… Will public Mobile offer SIM cards? I travel a lot around the world and I really need to use my iPhone (GPS, Skype, etc). I find your plans very interested at a good price but I am really not in the mood to carry 2 phones on me…
I have rogers connection but I am looking for unlimited calling option to India.I am not at all interested in Home phone.
My search ends now. Thank you Thank you Public mobile.
Honestly I have no issues with nework.No issues with phone. For show off I have iphone4 from rogers. lol
If are smart go for public mobile. otherwise there other companies to choose from.
Will your company use Sim card in the near future?
PublicMobile unlimited plan is very attractive to me.
We use CDMA technology and do not plan on switching to Sim cards in the near future. You may be interested in our new Buzz phone http://publicmobile.ca/pmconsumer/phones?lang=en We hope you consider us, we’d love to have you!
Hi Sachin, thanks for your positive comments! We’re always happy to hear from satisfied customers.
Hey I have a I phone and I was wondering, if i will be able to use my iPhone with your company because I really like what you are offering with your services
Hey I have a I phone and I was wondering, if i will be able to use my iPhone with your company because I really like what you are offering with your services ?
Alek
I am a very infrequent user of a cellphone, the $15 unlimited in Ontario rate sounds too good to be true, it’s just what I have been waiting for. what’s the catch, is this a limited time price, will it go up and up and up????? as time goes by. is it truly unlimited in Ontario?. can I use my own cell phone or does this plan require I buy a phone from you????.
hey guys,
great job in establishing the BEST plans out there!!! definitely need a cpl of “better” phones for the more “educated” customers… keep updating your network and please please pleaaassee will you try to have coverage from Toronto alllll the way to Montreal… there is alot of small cities in between there, and there’s alot of ppl that will looooove PMI…
thx Ryan
Been on the phone for 5 mins. still no agent is available to answer my call….. nice music though… toot toot tooot… we know you are still there .. we haven’t forgotten you… tooot … tooot…
Hi Rob! Unfortunately our services only work with the handsets we offer. You can see what phones we have here: http://publicmobile.ca/pmconsumer/phones?lang=en
hello
I know my question is going to be redundant… but yet I am going to as: is there a way to use a phone you did not sell with the plans your offer? I am very satisfied with your plans, but displeased with the cell phones. The other day I stopped at a PM shop and a guy told you could get some sim cards in the near future. Is it true?
thanks
I have a motorola atrix if I get it unlocked can I set it up with public mobile?
Nope. Atrix runs on sim cards…Public Mobile doesn’t. Also, Public Mobile system only recognises Public Mobile phone serial numbers