Wind Mobile business plan on track, says Lacavera

Wind Mobile’s business plan is still on track despite reports of low sign-up rates, CEO Anthony Lacavera said in an interview aired Monday on BNN. “We are in the financing process so that’s why we’ve been so reserved about the numbers. The reality is that it is early days. We have experienced some network issues … but we did anticipate a lot of this,” he said. Lacavera said “hundreds of people are signing up everyday” and the company’s total number of subscribers is “in the ballpark” of 30,000. Technology consulting company SeaBoard Group published a research note this month suggesting Wind wasn’t sufficiently prepared for its launch. The note said CityFido attracted 30,000 customers in its first week after launching in Vancouver in 2003. Lacavera said Wind Mobile is on track to reach its goal of 1.5 million subscribers in its first three years. “We haven’t changed our business plan at all. It’s all about rolling out the network fast and finding distribution partners and getting our products closer to where Canadians want to buy them,” he said. “There’s definitely a lot of appetite … Our business plan makes a lot of sense to a lot of investors.” A CRTC ruling on foreign ownership originally blocked Wind parent company Globalive Wireless Management Corp. from operating in Canada. However cabinet overturned the decision in December. Lacavera expressed hope the regulatory process can be streamlined and said he supports the federal government’s commitment to liberalize the foreign ownership rules for the telecom sector. “It’s all about finding that balance now," he said. "How do we find that balance that makes sure we are protecting Canadian content and Canadian heritage while still recognizing that things like telecom infrastructure don’t necessarily need to have a cap on foreign ownership?”

Wind Mobile business plan on track, says Lacavera

Brief | March 22, 2010

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Wind Mobile business plan on track, says Lacavera

Brief | March 22, 2010

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