Canadian cellphone rates among world's worst (CBC)

[DrewWilson]

The average Canadian cellphone user is paying among the highest bills in the developed world, according to a new international study.

Using a comparison package of 780 calls made, 600 text messages and eight multimedia messages sent per year, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that Canada has the third-highest wireless rates among developed countries. The United States had the highest rates for this "medium-usage" package, followed by Spain.

Canadians falling into this usage category shelled out an average of $500 US a year for their cellphone service, compared with $635 for Americans and $508 for Spaniards. Dutch users had the cheapest rates, with an annual expenditure of only $131 for the sample plan.

Canadians who were light or heavy users ranked slightly better in the OECD's annual Communications Outlook, released Tuesday. Light users, defined as those making 360 calls a year and sending 396 text messages and eight multimedia messages, spent $195 US a year on average — the 11th-most expensive among the 30 OECD member countries.

More... (http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/08/11/canada-cellphone-rates-expensive-oecd.html)

Why not owning a cellphone is a good thing reason number 3.

(1. Brain cancer
2. Destracting
3. Price gouging)

[mfgbypooter]

I wish I only had to spend 500 dollars a year on my package.

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[fleecy]

i spend $120 per year, but i'm not the average user. don't use the thing enough to worry about brain cancer, and never while i'm driving.

[mountain_rage]

Figure out how many people there are for the square footage of the Netherlands compared to Canada and you will find your answer. Cellphone companies need to erect a crap load of towers to get the coverage for a few individuals. The Netherlands is a tine country compared to Canada and the overhead for infrastructure is minute. Its the same reason Canada has higher rates on internet and shittier speeds. Its also the same reason you pay more for a train ticket to get across the country. Its not rocket science here people. Sure we are still getting gouged, but its not as bad as people are making it out to be.

[mfgbypooter]

Actually it is rocket science.

The real answer for lowering costs in Canada lies in time management.

If Canadians could just spend less time building igloos and more time putting up cell towers they might be able to get those cellphone costs down.

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[DrewWilson]

Figure out how many people there are for the square footage of the Netherlands compared to Canada and you will find your answer. Cellphone companies need to erect a crap load of towers to get the coverage for a few individuals. The Netherlands is a tine country compared to Canada and the overhead for infrastructure is minute. Its the same reason Canada has higher rates on internet and shittier speeds. Its also the same reason you pay more for a train ticket to get across the country. Its not rocket science here people. Sure we are still getting gouged, but its not as bad as people are making it out to be.

If that were true, Americans would have better rates. The study says otherwise.

[mountain_rage]

If that were true, Americans would have better rates. The study says otherwise.

Never said Americans were not getting ripped off. They should be getting cheaper rates than Canada, but more expensive than small European countries. Sadly America is investor central, and the main game is to make as much money for investors as possible. In many instances the investor is an organization such as a insurance firm or pension fund which has no moral obligation making it purely focused on money. Basically in these entities we have created the biggest asshole investor that ever lived, pay people as little as possible, make as much money as possible. Meanwhile you are paying them to pay you less, its a vicious cycle.