WIND mobile

WIND Mobile (styled as WIND) is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider operated by Globalive which launched in Toronto on December 16, 2009 and two days later in Calgary.

WIND is expected to increase competition in the Canadian wireless market by offering plans and services at prices below that of comparable services offered by Canada's three incumbents. .

History
Globalive bid $442-million (CAD) in 2008 to secure the wireless spectrum required for the launch of the network. The launch of the company was delayed due to a public ownership review by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The regulatory body stated that Globalive did not meet Canadian ownership requirements. The most prominent issue was Globalive's reliance on Orascom for its debt, which stands at $508-million (CAD).

On December 11, 2009, Tony Clement, the Industry Minister of Canada issued a final decision deeming that Globalive does meet ownership requirements, allowing Globalive to enter the Canadian market immediately.

On December 14, 2009, WIND announced an alliance with Blockbuster Inc. in Canada to offer WIND kiosks within Blockbuster stores at 16 locations, 13 in Ontario, 3 in Calgary.

On December 16, 2009, WIND Mobile officially launched their service in Toronto. A launch event was hosted at their Queens Quay location in downtown Toronto.

Technology
WIND operates using Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum. Globalive completed its first test call on the network in June 2009. WIND Mobile is the first Canadian wireless service provider to make use of the AWS spectrum for its network. In North America, T-Mobile USA is the only other provider to use this spectrum on a large scale.

Currently spanning over Toronto and the surrounding Greater Toronto Area, as well as Calgary and its suburbs, WIND's network is still in its infancy. WIND's current plans are to expand their HSPA network to Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver just after the new year (January 2010).

Services
WIND entered the Canadian market offering three mobile voice plans at $15, $35, and $45 monthly, as well as data plans at $35 monthly. Unlike most carriers in the Canadian market, WIND does not charge a system access or 911 fee.

In a departure from the other providers' core offerings, WIND does not require customers to sign contracts for service. In exchange, WIND does not subsidize hardware purchases, requiring customers to pay full value for handsets, though WIND is selling handsets for little to no markup over cost. Additionally, WIND does not charge any activation fee with the purchase of a phone.

Although technically unlimited, WIND does impose a "soft-cap" on its data plans. WIND's "Fair Usage Policy" states that if a user is to exceed 5GB of bandwidth during the current billing cycle, that their data connectivity may be slowed down or "throttled". This is to allow reliable service to all customers.

Handsets and Devices
Handset selection is currently limited, owing to the WIND's use of the AWS spectrum. At the time of launch, the BlackBerry Bold 9700, HTC Maple (known as the "Snap" or "Dash" in other markets), Huawei U7519 (also known as the "Tap"), and Samsung Gravity 2 were the only handsets made available. For data-only plans, WIND offers only the Huawei E181 USB modem.

It is possible to use any unlocked UMTS hardware that supports AWS on the WIND network, including the Nokia N900 and any 3G phone offered by T-Mobile USA

Roaming
WIND has dubbed its calling zones "Wind Home" and "Wind Away", its own network and its roaming networks respectively.

For roaming in Canada, WIND has an agreement with Rogers providing users with 2G GPRS access when outside of WIND's network. When roaming in the United States, WIND has an agreement with T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, however it is currently unknown if 3G HSPA service is provided, or only 2G GPRS service.

Charges apply for usage when outside of WIND's HOME Zone. WIND charges 25¢ per minute for incoming and outgoing calls, 10¢ per 25KB of data usage and 15¢ per outgoing SMS. These charges are the same when roaming on both Rogers' and T-Mobile's networks.