How much does it really cost to make a cellphone call when in the U.S. to Canada?
If you travel outside of the country, cellphone providers charge voice roaming and long distance rates. This is what the winner of Canada’s Worst Cellphone Bill got dinged with.
Wireless technology expert, Professor Srinivasan Keshav of the University of Waterloo, looked at those charges from the Bell Mobility customer, and picked one to do the math. He says in this case, it cost the customer about a $1 per minute for that call, while it only cost the company about 10 cents.
We put professor Keshav’s cost analysis to Bell and here's what they had to say:
“It is customary for wireless service providers internationally to charge clients for roaming fees when travelling abroad. The rates Bell Mobility charges for US roaming are highly competitive and in line with other Canadian carriers.
Bell offers clients who travel to the United States many excellent roaming packages that offer discounted rates, and some plans offer rates for occasional travelers as low as 37 cents per minute, and for frequent travelers, as low as 18 cents per minute. Like in many industries, these rates become more discounted when clients purchase the service in bulk rather than paying on a pay per use basis.
As Professor Keshav was not party to the confidential negotiations between Bell and our roaming partners, his conclusions are unfounded and not a reasonable assessment of reasonable pricing for providing excellent roaming service to our clients. “
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