Response to Telus - corporate spin

This comment was left at the Globe & Mail is in response to the post by the Telus spokesman. But for some unknown reason they chose not to publish it.

Jim Johannsson from Edmonton, Canada writes: Hi Jack, Just some clarification for you. We have grandfathered the Connect 75 plan so all customers ... Jim Johannsson TELUS Media Relations


The following addresses just the subtle corporate spin in the extract above.


The plan in question is NOT called "Connect 75".

It is called (and I'm quoting the exact name of the plan from my bill):

"Connect 75 Unlimited".

(The '75' of course refers to the monthly Telus fee of $81.95 before tax. Ah... okay.)

The same three-part name, including the word "Unlimited", was used on the advertising.

The rate chart showing the permitted data usage per month had the word "Unlimited" in the same column where lesser plans had a numerical value (for example: 5GB).

The Telus representative selling me the system assured me that the "Connect 75 Unlimited" wireless data rate plan was "Unlimited, unlimited, unlimited, unlimited, unlimited!" (I'm quoting the exact words used to describe the nature of the plan).

It is typical corporate spin by Mr. Johannsson to cleverly eliminate the third word ("Unlimited") from the name of the wireless data rate plan under discussion.

Now, what is reasonable usage for the EV-DO wireless data system?

The EV-DO channel is specified to support a data rate of 3.1 Mbps. The actual data rate seen by an individual user might be slightly less at 2.4Mbps (which I've seen). So each individual EV-DO channel supports a monthly transfer rate of approximately ONE THOUSAND GB. Towers would normally provide multiple EV-DO channels.

To claim that anyone using a bandwidth in the low, or very low, single digits (%) of the capacity is abusive... ...well that seems to be stretching the truth.

Now - please explain again what the exact data usage limit is for 'overuse' and termination? Being in the top 0.1%?? What? Did you provide me with a monthly update showing me where I sit on the Bell Curve chart? I must have missed that information... LOL.

I'm sure that this formal admission in writing by a senior Telus representative that there actually is an as-yet-unspecified usage limit to the so-called "Unlimited" data plans will help the authorities with their inquiries.


(This post has been updated with some applicable extracts.)

Here are extracts from my monthly bill and the My Account webpage. Note that the plan name clearly includes the word "Unlimited". There is another word that means almost the same thing as corporate-spin.