PC Mobile
| File:PC Mobile logo.png | |
| Industry | Mobile virtual network operator |
|---|---|
| Founded | Mid-2005 |
Area served | Canada |
| Products | Mobile telephone products and services |
| Owner | Bell |
| Website | pcmobile |
PC Mobile is a licensed white label prepaid wireless service operated in Canada. Its mobile telephone products and services operate on the network infrastructure operated by Bell Mobility and formerly Telus Mobility (the two companies managed one of the service types each with Telus discontinuing the postpaid service), but licenced the proprietary branding and payment media with the President's Choice supermarket store brand owned by Loblaws Inc.
The postpaid wireless service was owned and operated by Telus while the prepaid service continues to be owned and operated by Bell Mobility.
History
PC Mobile started in mid-2005[1] as another President's Choice product of Loblaws Inc., although the domain name PCmobile.ca was registered on January 17, 2005. It offered prepaid products and services as a licensed white label of Bell Mobility services in Canada. There are also PC long distance cards sold with competitive international rates. The company originally only sold CDMA feature phones. Various HSPA+ feature phones, Android smartphones and SIM cards were added throughout the early 2010s, as CDMA handset models have been gradually discontinued. In 2013, PC Mobile announced the sale of postpaid phones and monthly services at its full-service The Mobile Shop kiosks.[2] According to the PC Mobile privacy policy for the postpaid services only, "PC Mobile is a business name of Loblaws Inc. used under license by TELUS Communications Company for the operation of the postpaid PC Mobile voice and data Monthly services."[3] Bell continues to operate the prepaid services white label, as previously.
Closure of postpaid division
On May 24, 2018, PC Mobile decided to cease its postpaid operation. Although still operating as The Mobile Shop across the country, customers will be moved from the PC brand to Koodo Mobile. The venture between Telus will still remain for the foreseeable future, as well as continue to operate and offer postpaid services via all three national carriers and respective flanker brands at its Mobile Shop locations. PC Mobile's exit will not have any effect on its existing plans to expand its own wireless presence. PC Mobile moved existing customers to Koodo on October 2nd, 2018. This did not affect the prepaid service offered by PC Mobile however. Bell Mobility.[4]
References
- ^ McLean, Catherine, "Milk, eggs, bread... and cell phones?", The Globe and Mail, August 17, 2005
- ^ Hardy, Ian, "PC Mobile launching Postpaid services and smartphones June 5th" mobilesyrup, May 27, 2013, retrieved July 25, 2013
- ^ "PC Mobile Terms of Service and Privacy Policy", retrieved October 14, 2016
- ^ https://mobilesyrup.com/2018/05/24/pc-mobile-loblaws-exiting-postpaid-wireless-plans/ retrieved, May 24, 2018.