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Bell Canada Raising Satellite TV Rates (Again)
Apparently the new $3 'digital service fee' didn't cut it...
by Karl Bode Tuesday 25-Nov-2008 tags: prices · business · world · Bell Sympatico · TekSavvy DSL
Fresh off the CRTC's ruling that Bell Canada's throttling of wholesale competitors and P2P services (that compete with their own video store) isn't discriminatory, Bell is again annoying its customers -- this time with satellite TV hikes. At the beginning of 2008 Bell Canada implemented a new $3-a-month "digital service fee" to help pay for service and maintenance. Like in the States, such fees are a sneaky way of raising prices "below the line," without having to increase the advertised rate. Despite that new fee, Bell is now telling customers they're raising rates by about $4 per month anyway.

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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

It's fun to be a Duopoly....

... Because you can stick it to the customers and they can't do much about it.

Especially if they can't get Cable...

mlerner
Premium
join:2000-11-25
Nepean, ON
kudos:5

1 edit

Re: It's fun to be a Duopoly....

The Canadian market is especially interesting in that respect. Bell has tried to undercut other competitors and when that backfires they align their prices with competitors yet again. Unfortunately this is what happens when the Government has little regulation and at the same time not allowing foreign ownership.

Guspaz
Guspaz
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC
kudos:16
Duopoly? There's StarChoice, Videotron, and Look. That's four choices in Montreal (Bell's second biggest market). There isn't a lack of competition in television services.

Mashiki
Balking The Enemy's Plans

join:2002-02-04
Woodstock, ON
Reviews:
·Bright House
·TekSavvy Cable

Re: It's fun to be a Duopoly....

Wait what? Videotron is cable, and Look isn't available everywhere. That leaves Starchoice and Bell, so yes it is a duopoly in the satellite market, and unlike us 'city folk' who can turn around and get cable or satellite(and maybe look), you're screwed.

travisc

join:2001-11-09
Uxbridge, ON

Re: It's fun to be a Duopoly....

How many satellite companies do you need to have before there's enough competition? Bell TV and Star Choice could barely make money when their rates were reasonable, it's only after jacking them up steadily that they've become profitable. You think more competition in this sector is sustainable?

Mashiki
Balking The Enemy's Plans

join:2002-02-04
Woodstock, ON
Reviews:
·Bright House
·TekSavvy Cable

Re: It's fun to be a Duopoly....

It doesn't matter how many, it matters the choice in a free market. In the end, when you have a monopoly or duopoly, then you get one thing. Occasional fighting when one decides to lower their prices to match, then once they have enough customers; a price hike.

EveryName
Premium
join:2001-12-05
Montreal
kudos:1

Thank God for FTA

donaldk
Premium
join:2000-10-19
Thunder Bay, ON

Re: Thank God for FTA

Hoist the main sheet and off into the berin sea! Yar matie!

BellBay

@optonline.net

Re: Thank God for FTA

said by donaldk:

Hoist the main sheet and off into the berin sea! Yar matie!
Sure, once Bell's nagra 3 update is compromised... with increased rates, theres increased incentive

FtaNewbiee111

@synergy.gs
yes FTA but didnt Bev just switch all over to N3. I guess now they think its not hackable so raise. Or they are working with d!$h to get a release for N3 so they can counter it.

I know D!$h isnt converted over. I think they are letting Bev work out the kinks

Motofreak

@rogers.com

Corporate greed

I canceled my account with Bell TV,Bell cell phone back October. I'm sick of the people running this company.

Corporate greed is working well at Bell. (c)
corkyy

join:2008-06-01
Laval, QC
kudos:2

Re: Corporate greed

Starchoise isnt bad.

It have a great package for me (French) and add some us network is pretty cheap also. Having up to 5 reciever at 3 different location for 4.99

Sempronius

join:2008-09-18
Toronto, ON

1 edit

Corporate greed

said by Motofreak :

I canceled my account with Bell TV,Bell cell phone back October. I'm sick of the people running this company.

Corporate greed is working well at Bell. (c)
The CBC actually profiled an article last January when Rogers raised the SAF on their Home Phone to $5.95 from $4.95; the SAF is nothing more that a trick to make consumers believe they are paying less than they actually are...

»www.cbc.ca/technology/technology···one.html

As such, there is a massive on-going cellular class action lawsuit against cell phone companies in Canada for charging illegal SAF. Telephone and Cable companies should be added to this lawsuit. It's a complete rip-off. The only service I have with Bell is just the basic phone line, nothing more.

»www.merchantlaw.com/cellular.html
Joe12345678

join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL

A digital service fee on a 100% digital service WTF?

A digital service fee on a 100% digital service WTF?
mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON

Re: A digital service fee on a 100% digital service WTF?

Yep. Robbers Rogers does it to with their digital cable tv as well.
--
"It's all coming down!!" - Mike Holmes

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
kudos:4

Re: A digital service fee on a 100% digital service WTF?

said by mr weather:

Yep. Robbers Rogers does it to with their digital cable tv as well.
everyone does it. cox calls it digital gateway fee aka cableco slush fund.
--
When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee

Sound of Mooosic

@teksavvy.com
Welcome to Wonderland.......only in Canada.
Stojko
Premium
join:2007-10-20
St John's NL

Typical of Bell

I hate this company more and more every day.

Mashiki
Balking The Enemy's Plans

join:2002-02-04
Woodstock, ON

Re: Typical of Bell

File a petition with the CRTC to allow US satellite service here then.

melak
Premium
join:2006-06-17
Fergus, ON

Re: Typical of Bell

said by Mashiki:

File a petition with the CRTC to allow US satellite service here then.
That would never fly because the CRTC couldn't regulate it and make sure there was enough Canadian Content. I'm not saying I completely support it but if we didn't have that, I'm pretty sure we would have half of the stations or shows we have right now.

Mashiki
Balking The Enemy's Plans

join:2002-02-04
Woodstock, ON

Re: Typical of Bell

Canadian Content is half the problem as it is, a government should not dictate what it's population should or shouldn't watch. And people wonder why more people are simply abandoning the old media.
DabberDan

join:2004-11-15
Gatineau, ON
Reviews:
·NBTel now Aliant

Re: Typical of Bell

said by Mashiki:

Canadian Content is half the problem as it is, a government should not dictate what it's population should or shouldn't watch. And people wonder why more people are simply abandoning the old media.
Canadian content is getting better and better. I bet you're not giving it a chance.

Personally, I shudder at the thought of watching TV and constantly seeing yellow/orange/red security FUD statuses on TV...
Vadork

join:2005-09-01
Winnebago, IL

Re: Typical of Bell

The Red Green show still around?? Been wanting to find a channel broadcasting that again.

joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5
Reviews:
·Comcast
said by Mashiki:

File a petition with the CRTC to allow US satellite service here then.
I don't think the CRTC would matter. The issue is the licensing agreements Charlie and Dave have with the media conglomerates.
--
09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63:56:88:C0
KC

join:2006-11-08
Ottawa, ON

1 edit

Do What I do

In Canada, there are alternatives:

1 Get you HD-TV form over the air (if you are in Toronto, you have no excuse!) Get your TV straight from the network with no compression!
2 What you can't get over the air, Pull it down from the Net by YouTube, Usenet (not Thorttled) or BitTorrents.
3 Get your Land Line form someone other than Bell and Rogers
4 Get your mobile form someone that don't charge system access fee or 911 fee
5 Buy your connection from Indies ISP, They might be piggy back on Bell's Network, but they have you in mind.

KC

Guy Incognito

@teksavvy.com

Pirate Satillite

There has to come a point when people will realize the signal is broadcast to your house even if you don't pay for it, and decryption cards will take off once again.
wilburyan

join:2002-08-01

Re: Pirate Satillite

currently... bell's sat service is secured... so yes the signal can be picked up... but currently you can't do anything with it.

pissed

@teksavvy.com

bell are idiots

oh and after last month actually doing a smart thing and droping in to pick up my two receivers that were 550 of my bill they come again and claim not to have them

/me waves lil yellow slip nice one you NOOBS and yup dump satellite dump bell all togterh its the only way

proof they are idiots
call them up and when they ask for your telephone number just say this

"DONT YOU KNOW STUPID YOUR THE TELEPHONE COMPANY"
wilburyan

join:2002-08-01

What about contracts

Does anyone know if I am able to get out of my existing bell TV contract because of the rate increase?

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