Industry | Mobile virtual network operator |
---|---|
Founded | Mid-2005 |
Area served | Canada |
Products | Mobile prepaid telephone products and services |
Owner | Bell |
Website | pcmobile |
PC Mobile is a licensed white label prepaid wireless service operated in Canada. Its mobile telephone products and services operate on the network infrastructure operated by Bell Mobility and formerly Telus Mobility (the two companies managed one of the service types each with Telus discontinuing the postpaid service in October 2018), but licensed the proprietary branding and payment media with the President's Choice supermarket store brand owned by Loblaws Inc. It also operates mobile phone kiosks in Loblaws banner stores under the name The Mobile Shop. [1]
The postpaid wireless service was owned and operated by Telus while the prepaid service continues to be owned and operated by Bell Mobility.
PC Mobile started in mid-2005 [2] as another President's Choice product of Loblaws Inc., although the domain name PCmobile.ca was registered on January 17, 2005. It offered prepaid products and services as a licensed white label of Bell Mobility services in Canada. There are also PC long distance cards sold with competitive international rates. The company originally only sold CDMA feature phones. Various HSPA+ feature phones, Android smartphones and SIM cards were added throughout the early 2010s, as CDMA handset models have been gradually discontinued. In 2013, PC Mobile announced the sale of postpaid phones and monthly services at its full-service The Mobile Shop kiosks. [3] However, the postpaid service was discontinued on October 2, 2018.
On May 24, 2018, PC Mobile decided to cease its postpaid operation. Although still operating as The Mobile Shop across the country, customers were moved from the PC brand to Koodo Mobile. The venture between Telus still remains for the foreseeable future as well, and it continues to operate and offer postpaid services via all three national carriers and respective flanker brands at its Mobile Shop locations. PC Mobile's exit did not have any effect on its existing plans to expand its own wireless presence. PC Mobile moved existing customers to Koodo on October 2, 2018. This did not affect the prepaid service offered by PC Mobile operated by Bell Mobility however. [4]
Starting April 10, 2024, No Frills stores began offering PC Mobile service packaged under their own No Name brand. [5]
Bell Mobility Inc. is a Canadian wireless network operator and the division of Bell Canada which offers wireless services across Canada. It operates networks using LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks. Bell Mobility is the third-largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 10.1 million subscribers as of Q3 2020.
Virgin Mobile is a wireless communications brand used by seven independent brand-licensees worldwide. Virgin Mobile branded wireless communications services are available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Poland and Mexico. Virgin Mobile branded services used to be offered in Australia, France, Singapore, India, Qatar, South Africa and the United States.
Rogers Wireless Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator headquartered in Toronto, providing service nationally throughout Canada. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The company had revenues of just under $15.1 billion in 2018. Rogers Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in Canada, with 13.7 million subscribers as of Q2 2023.
Fido Solutions Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator owned by Rogers Communications. Since its acquisition by Rogers in 2004, it has operated as a Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) using the Rogers Wireless network.
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Virgin Plus is a Canadian provider of postpaid and prepaid wireless voice, text and data communications services throughout Canada. They also offer home Internet and TV services in select areas of Ontario and Quebec. Launched as Virgin Mobile Canada on March 1, 2005, as a joint venture between Virgin Group and BCE Inc., BCE took sole ownership on July 1, 2009, when it closed a deal to purchase the stake it did not already own. Virgin Plus calls its customers 'Members' and offers a Member Benefits program, which provides its customers with special offers, discounts, and VIP experiences.
Amp'd Mobile was a cellular phone service launched in the United States in late 2005, and in Canada in early 2007. The company was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator offering 3G voice and data services over the Verizon Wireless EV-DO network, including text and picture messaging, push-to-talk, and over-the-air downloadable applications and content from its Amp'd Live service. Its primary non-venture capital investors were MTV Networks and Universal Music Group. The service targeted 18- to 35-year-olds, and was the first integrated mobile entertainment company for youth, young professionals and early adopters, similar to Helio.
Solo Mobile is a discontinued mobile virtual network operator in Canada started by Bell Mobility in 2000. Historically, Solo was considered a discount wireless brand, offering low price monthly plans with some unlimited options in certain cities. Its products and services were only sold in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The brand ceased advertising towards new customers since November 2011, and new activations were officially discontinued on May 17, 2012.
West Central Wireless was a local mobile phone provider serving Central and West Texas based in San Angelo, Texas, until their acquisition by Verizon Wireless in 2023. Their cellular services consisted of 850 MHz HSPA+ and GSM networks and an overlayed 700 MHz LTE network. The HSPA+ network began rollout in early 2012. CDMA services once existed due to the acquisition of Five Star Wireless, offering wholesale roaming to service providers, though services were discontinued in 2019.
Koodo Mobile is a Canadian mobile flanker brand started by Telus in 2008 and mostly oriented toward younger customers. Koodo differs from its parent Telus by not requiring a fixed term contract. Koodo currently provides postpaid, prepaid, and wireless home phone services. Being a subsidiary of Telus, Koodo has been able to offer extensive coverage and a strong presence in mobile retailers. This allowed Koodo to gain a presence nationwide.
Data and Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless, d/b/a Mobilicity, was a Canadian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) owned by Rogers Communications. Its name was a portmanteau of the words "mobility" and "simplicity". Mobilicity was one of several new mobile network operators, along with Public Mobile and Wind Mobile, which launched in Canada after a government initiative to encourage competition in the wireless sector. The carrier had over 250,000 Mobilicity subscriptions on May 16, 2013, the day in which Telus announced its failed attempt to acquire Mobilicity. The subscription count decreased to 157,000 by April 2015 according to court documents filed by Mobilicity's Chief Restructuring Officer in that month.
Public Mobile Inc. is a Canadian self-serve mobile brand which is owned by Telus. Launched on March 18, 2010, Public Mobile was one of several new Canadian cellphone providers that started in 2009–10 after a federal government initiative to encourage competition in the wireless sector.
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Aio Wireless was a prepaid wireless service provider in the United States, wholly owned by AT&T Inc., launched in May 2013.
Lucky Mobile is a Canadian prepaid mobile virtual network operator and a subsidiary of Bell Canada. Founded in December 2017, Lucky Mobile operates on the Bell Mobility network alongside fellow subsidiary Virgin Plus. It targets the same market segment as discount mobile brands Chatr and Public Mobile.
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