Cell Company Swap

While on Marketing magazine's website (looking for jobs) I ran across this article about how in the near future Canadians will be allowed to switch wireless providers and take their current phone number with them. The date is March 14, 2007 and thats when Wireless Number Portability (WNP) will come to Canada. Apparently many other countries, including the United States, have already implemented this.

I have to say I had not heard of this before. Needless to say, the cell phone companies don't seem to promoting this upcoming change, however many of them are ramping up their marketing campaigns to keep existing customers in their contracts. It's funny, because Telus my cell phone provider sent me via my email, all about their new marketing campaign about "keeping their promises". They are offering up things like a brand new cell phone every so many years ( I forget, I think its every year or three years). However, when you read the fine print its only for those on contracts, so those of us on non-contracts (like me) the offer doesn't apply. They do suggest however that they would be happy to assist me (and others) switch to a monthly plan. Apparently those of us not on monthly plans are considered second-rate customers. Maybe I should switch.

You can read about WNP at http://www.marketingmag.ca/magazine/current/feature/article.jsp?content=20060828_69460_69460.