Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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CROCKD
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by CROCKD »

Rogers continues to nickel and dime their customers.

This month an increase in my home phone plus a decreased discount from 10% to 8% resulting in a $7 per month jump. Looks like I am going to have to threaten to leave to get a discount as I did once before.

Meanwhile my son has cut back his Rogers TV to basic cable which I found out when I asked him to record a TSN2 broadcast of the Aussie Rules football grandfinal for me. No problema he said I'll just find it online and download it. So a day later I sat down in front of his big screen TV and watched the final in High Def which he had downloaded off the internet Apparently this is the way they get all the TV they want these days and hardly ever watch TV live. The Rogers internet was poor for his purposes as he often works from home and found the upload speed dreadful and it often cut out. He was going to go with Teksavy but Bell made him an offer he couldn't refuse and much better upload speeds. Says that when the year is up he will consider his options. Seems whether they are communications companies or media companies like Amazon they are all driving their customers to seek other alternatives. Where is the long awaited competition?
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Peculiar_Investor »

So much for competition, Rogers Communications, Shaw strike wireless spectrum deal | FP Tech Desk | Financial Post
For Rogers’ part, it is acquiring unused airwave real estate over British Columbia and Alberta as it too competes with Telus and BCE Inc.’s Bell Mobility, as well as smaller operators, for mobile customers. Shaw had little direct use for the spectrum after shifting strategy in late 2011 away from launching its own wireless services.
And the small cable operators continue to disappear, although it was already owned by one of the big operators.
“We love the Hamilton [cable] asset, we love cable assets but the fact is, our fight is in the West,” the executive said.

Most of the purchase price – around $400-million – is for Mountain Cable, a family-run television, Internet and phone provider in Hamilton, Ont that boasts about 40,000 subscribers.

Shaw outbid Rogers for Mountain in 2009, paying around $300-million at the time.
As a Rogers shareholder, my first impressions are that I like the deal.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Taggart »

Taggart wrote:More bad news from Rogers. Time for investors to bail out? :o

----------------------------------------

Rogers to cut up to 1,000 jobs as revenue pressures mount: Sources

Financial Post

Jamie Sturgeon Jun 26, 2012 – 9:15 AM ET
Back in June, I admit, I was tempted to bail out of RCI.B. Luckily, I decided to hold tight instead. The dividend increase the other day helped too.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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I sold 100 and shouldn't have. :cry:
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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For once, I was smart enough to buy back in May 2012. My first foray into dual class stocks (against my principles).
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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Incoming Rogers CEO expected to spark culture shift at cable giant

Looks like your problems with Rogers will soon be a thing of the past. Just wait until the dress code is eliminated (probably more important in the tradition bound UK)
At Vodafone UK, Mr. Laurence got rid of executive offices, eliminated the dress code, shook up the senior ranks, slashed costs, cut jobs
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Shakespeare »

Rogers profit slips, dividend frozen | Toronto Star
the company posted quarterly profit below forecasts partly on rising customer retention costs and said it would forego an anticipated dividend increase as it focuses on cutting debt.
Glad I already exited my position.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by JaydoubleU »

I read a long time ago that companies announcing job cuts are to be avoided, not cheered.

That said, the absence of a dividend increase, even a tiny one, comes as quite a surprise from this Aristocrat. Hopefully, the bad vibes don't spread to BCE and Telus.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by 2 yen »

JaydoubleU wrote:I read a long time ago that companies announcing job cuts are to be avoided, not cheered.

That said, the absence of a dividend increase, even a tiny one, comes as quite a surprise from this Aristocrat. Hopefully, the bad vibes don't spread to BCE and Telus.
Don't own any telecoms. It is too hard to determine who will survive and in what direction (s) the industry is moving.

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by AltaRed »

i think mobile has nowhere to go but upwards and am thus sticking to my investments in all 3 telecoms. That said, I think media distribution via conventional cable is the dinosaur here and that is going to fade. Media content will still remain and be delivered via Internet, both land line and mobile. The big 3 are well positioned to take advantage of that.

I think Shaw sees this as well and knows it has to be in the mobile space to deliver content.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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AltaRed wrote:i think mobile has nowhere to go but upwards and am thus sticking to my investments in all 3 telecoms. That said, I think media distribution via conventional cable is the dinosaur here and that is going to fade. Media content will still remain and be delivered via Internet, both land line and mobile. The big 3 are well positioned to take advantage of that.

I think Shaw sees this as well and knows it has to be in the mobile space to deliver content.
Yes, the virtual monopolies are attractive. I guess, for me, the unethical nature of cellphone plans, the prices Canadians have to pay and the unpleasant buying experience in the stores (worse than car dealerships, IMHO) is a real turn off. I don't own a cellphone for this reason and have no intention of buying one. Sometimes, I wonder if Canadians will tire of the prices they are paying for smartphones and the plans. That said, the millennials are said to have little interest in cars. If, so they will have plenty of money for ever increasing smartphone plans, which tells me you may well do well with the big three. When landlines disappear I'll have to rethink all this.

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by nisser »

You're one of the few that don't own a cell phone. Even fleeing and starved refugees are carrying them...

Canadians can "tire of the prices" all they want, but what exactly are their alternatives?
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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You're one of the few that don't own a cell phone. Even fleeing and starved refugees are carrying them...
:rofl:

I guess I shouldn't laugh at fleeing and starved refugees . . .

I completely agree with AltaRed. Wireless is everywhere for everything. Very few people are without a mobile. When I walk or drive anywhere, I see countless people bent over their phones, looking at data. There are studies that argue internet is addictive. I often look at a weekly financial column in a local paper and I am always surprised to note how much families are spending on monthly phone/internet costs. It's often in the hundreds, as each member in a family of four with a couple of teenagers will have a smartphone. Content and the providers are where it's at.

I don't own Roger's (was always alarmed by their debt levels), but I will go and have a closer look at the report to see what's going on.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Shakespeare »

If I was to bet - and to some extent I have - I would expect Telus and BCE to survive.

As for RCI.B, perhaps it will eventually merge with SJR.B.

Note: I have positions in T, BCE, and SJR.B.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by ghariton »

Shakespeare wrote:As for RCI.B, perhaps it will eventually merge with SJR.B.
ISTM the logical merger is Shaw and Videotron, forming a strong fourth.

It's not clear to me that the Competition Bureau would allow a merger of any of the Big Three with a competitor. Look at what happened to Telus last fall.

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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nisser wrote:You're one of the few that don't own a cell phone. Even fleeing and starved refugees are carrying them...

Canadians can "tire of the prices" all they want, but what exactly are their alternatives?
Yes exactly. There are no alternatives, except for maybe someone like me to just own a pay-as-you-go phone only plan. We own multiple tablets and computers and have a landline. If someone wants to contact us, they can. Being retired, partner and I have time to communicate clearly what is going on during the day and therefore can avoid texts or calls about where we happen to be or what needs picking up at the supermarket. We are a very small minority, especially in our demographic. It has been quite liberating as we both used cells in our prior work lives. As stated above, younger generations, with their addiction (let's call it what it is), will likely pony up much higher costs for to feed the smartphone habit. I fear for traditional companies selling more traditional goods that think future consumers will be buying exactly the same products in the same proportions as we do. Car companies, furniture companies, etc. watch out.

Think you folks might appreciate this true story: I went to a cell shop near us recently and was casually looking at phones while partner was off doing something. The salesperson asked if I was interested in a new phone and I replied that I didn't own one. His reaction was, in a non-joking voice, to say how lucky I was. :thumbsup:

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by kcowan »

We use Rogers Paygo plan ($100 for a year) and since we are only there for 5 months, it works well. They also have an app that allows us to receive calls via voip in Mexico BUT they only make it available to prepaid customers.

If a competitor was to offer that to postpaid customers, we would switch in a heartbeat.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

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kcowan wrote:We use Rogers Paygo plan ($100 for a year) and since we are only there for 5 months, it works well. They also have an app that allows us to receive calls via voip in Mexico BUT they only make it available to prepaid customers.

If a competitor was to offer that to postpaid customers, we would switch in a heartbeat.
How does the app work?

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Spudd »

2 yen wrote:
kcowan wrote:We use Rogers Paygo plan ($100 for a year) and since we are only there for 5 months, it works well. They also have an app that allows us to receive calls via voip in Mexico BUT they only make it available to prepaid customers.

If a competitor was to offer that to postpaid customers, we would switch in a heartbeat.
How does the app work?

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I'm also curious. I'm a Rogers Paygo customer as well and I haven't heard of this - and it sounds like it would be useful.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by kcowan »

If you are a postpaid customer, you can download from the Rogers site, and any calls will come onto your smartphone app when you are out of roaming range. So you receive calls just like in Canada (subject to the vagaries of VOIP).

Source description

(For us prepaid customers, calls to our cell phone are received to voicemail and deleted after three days if we are out of country without the Rogers SIM card in our phones. And the Rogers site does not allow us to download the app.)
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Spudd »

Oh, I see, you made a typo saying it was only available to prepaid when you meant postpaid. Too bad!
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by Hammerer »

nisser wrote:Canadians can "tire of the prices" all they want, but what exactly are their alternatives?
Ubiquitous wifi is putting a dent in the need for mobile data. As well as Google offline maps and content downloaders (go youtube-dl!)

Since I have good wifi at home (100/100 through fibre to my suite for $45/month, I just can't justify upgrading to 250/250 for an extra $5/month...), and at work, at big box stores, at the friends that I frequent, at my parents', and most restaurants, there's very little time in a day I need GSM data, or even GSM voice.

For those wanting to be able to receive calls over VoIP, what you could do is port your phone number to a service like voip.ms, then configure it to ring several phone numbers when a call comes into that number. Incoming calls could ring your .mx and .ca cell phone, landline and computer softphone simultaneously.

The same service could be used to replace your cell providers' voicemail. Configure your cellular provider (there are codes to do this) to forward all unanswered/caller unavailable calls to your voip.ms voicemail service. These voicemails get emailed to you as audio clips (and I keep them forever :twisted: ). All for ~$1/month instead of the $8 my provider charges.
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by kcowan »

When you port your number from Rogers, do you lose Rogers cell service?
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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by 2 yen »

Hammerer wrote:
nisser wrote:Canadians can "tire of the prices" all they want, but what exactly are their alternatives?
Ubiquitous wifi is putting a dent in the need for mobile data. As well as Google offline maps and content downloaders (go youtube-dl!)

Since I have good wifi at home (100/100 through fibre to my suite for $45/month, I just can't justify upgrading to 250/250 for an extra $5/month...), and at work, at big box stores, at the friends that I frequent, at my parents', and most restaurants, there's very little time in a day I need GSM data, or even GSM voice.

For those wanting to be able to receive calls over VoIP, what you could do is port your phone number to a service like voip.ms, then configure it to ring several phone numbers when a call comes into that number. Incoming calls could ring your .mx and .ca cell phone, landline and computer softphone simultaneously.

The same service could be used to replace your cell providers' voicemail. Configure your cellular provider (there are codes to do this) to forward all unanswered/caller unavailable calls to your voip.ms voicemail service. These voicemails get emailed to you as audio clips (and I keep them forever :twisted: ). All for ~$1/month instead of the $8 my provider charges.
Very cool. I have no idea what all this means, except the $1 part towards the end. Thanks for the detailed explanation.

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Re: Rogers Communications (Symbol-RCI.B)

Post by nisser »

Hammerer wrote:
nisser wrote:Canadians can "tire of the prices" all they want, but what exactly are their alternatives?
Ubiquitous wifi is putting a dent in the need for mobile data. As well as Google offline maps and content downloaders (go youtube-dl!)
Who provides this ubiquitious wifi if not the telecoms? It's not free
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