Should we open Canada for foreign telcos?

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
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Given that Canada's telcos charge among the highest rates in the world for inferior content, is it time to open the border to more choice for consumers in the telco market?
 

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
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Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone, Orange, Singtel, China Telecom, etc. etc. etc. Once we open the border, we might not see immediate improvement, but I'd say we see a slow but steady improvement in both price and service over many years.

Oh yes, and scrap Canadian-content rules. It's quite insulting to other countries that Canada prioritizes censoring foreign content over porn. As long as the porn is Canadian-made it would seem. That says something about our priorities it would seem.
 

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
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How about the rest of Canada catches up to SaskTel and MTS first?

Even Sasktel lies behind what some US telcos provide. fair enough, low population density plays a role in this. I accept that as a factor. But given the wide difference, I don't accept that as the only reason. If that was the only reason, we'd be looking at slightly higher costs in Canada. The radically different costs suggest lack of consumer choice.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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Low Earth Orbit
Even Sasktel lies behind what some US telcos provide. fair enough, low population density plays a role in this. I accept that as a factor. But given the wide difference, I don't accept that as the only reason. If that was the only reason, we'd be looking at slightly higher costs in Canada. The radically different costs suggest lack of consumer choice.

You need to look into what SaskTel charges. What does it lack?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/black-market-cell-phone-plan-1.3774387
 

Twin_Moose

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 17, 2017
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Are these foreign company's going to invest into infrastructure or do you propose they use existing infrastructure for free? If they piggy back existing infrastructure do you think they will be cheaper than Kudo or others? If they put in the towers and infrastructure for our smaller population do you think they will still have lower rates?
 

OpposingDigit

Electoral Member
Aug 27, 2017
903
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I don't really care who owns the Telco's.

I just want a total guarantee that their servers are located here in Canada and thus subject to Canadian Law.

All the personal information gathered/collected by ISP's and Telco's must never leave Canada. (In part or in full.)

America is putting China in a real box right now. At the moment, China has the fastest super computer and is quite heavily invested in manufacturing chips and graphic cards. But Trump says that If ZTE wants to sell phones in the U.S., then China must use U.S. parts and technology. In a sense, wrapping up the most advanced Chinese systems/manufacturing in China. Millions of computer scientists and geeks will lose a good government job.
https://www.rt.com/usa/427827-zte-china-trump-terms
 
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OpposingDigit

Electoral Member
Aug 27, 2017
903
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Hi! Twin Moose

If I remember correctly, serious discussions were taking place this past Saturday. (3 days ago.)
I'm not a 100% sure, but I don't think they have come to an agreement yet.
I don't think China can or will agree to shut down it's manufacturing and huge investments in the IT department.
It must still be able to manufacture their own parts for other items or research, but just not the parts used in the ZTE cell phones sold in the U.S., or it will never thrive as a hub for the engineers of the future.

I thought that this was a pretty good interview where this is talked about a tiny bit.

Trading blows?
An old Chinese fable has it that, when two tigers clash over primacy, a monkey may emerge as the winner by simply staying up the tree. As China and the United States declare a lull in their trade war, should other players wait until they sort out their differences or should they try to influence the outcome of this fight? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Brahma Chellaney, professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research.
RT - Worlds Apart
Host Oksana Boyko interviews Brahma Chellaney
May 27, 2018
https://www.rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/427947-trade-professor-china-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_Chellaney
(Flash Video)
https://www.rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/427947-trade-professor-china-us
 

Twin_Moose

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 17, 2017
22,041
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Hi! Twin Moose

If I remember correctly, serious discussions were taking place this past Saturday. (3 days ago.)
I'm not a 100% sure, but I don't think they have come to an agreement yet.
I don't think China can or will agree to shut down it's manufacturing and huge investments in the IT department.
It must still be able to manufacture their own parts for other items or research, but just not the parts used in the ZTE cell phones sold in the U.S., or it will never thrive as a hub for the engineers of the future.

I thought that this was a pretty good interview where this is talked about a tiny bit.

Trading blows?
An old Chinese fable has it that, when two tigers clash over primacy, a monkey may emerge as the winner by simply staying up the tree. As China and the United States declare a lull in their trade war, should other players wait until they sort out their differences or should they try to influence the outcome of this fight? To discuss this, Oksana is joined by Brahma Chellaney, professor of Strategic Studies at the New Delhi-based Center for Policy Research.
RT - Worlds Apart
Host Oksana Boyko interviews Brahma Chellaney
May 27, 2018
https://www.rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/427947-trade-professor-china-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahma_Chellaney
(Flash Video)
https://www.rt.com/shows/worlds-apart-oksana-boyko/427947-trade-professor-china-us

So it didn't have anything to do with ZTE ignoring sanctions on NK and Iran where the U.S. put a 7 year no trade ban for parts especially from Qualcomm Inc. that supply chips. Or the software companies, that make their phones work in the real world. The deal that I'm referring to, which ZTE agreed to a $1.2 Billion dollar penalty (which they pled guilty to) and I believe concessions on property rights.