The Government comes through for you, again!

CRTCIt’s enough to give you actual faith in your government.

Well, almost.

Twice so far this year the CRTC has ruled in favour of the Canadian people instead of big telecom. Earlier this year it was the coming down on Bell for their Internet price gouging.

This time the governing body that oversees Canadian telecommunications has taken the hammer to mobile phone providers who have been taking advantage of their customers for years.

Here’s the good news…

Canadians can cancel their wireless contracts without fees after two years, under the new wireless code unveiled Monday by the CRTC.

The wireless code also caps charges for extra data at $50 per month and charges for international data roaming at $100 per month to prevent bill shock, the CRTC said in a release.

The new rules by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission will apply to new contracts for cellphones and other personal mobile devices starting Dec. 2.

“Every day, Canadians rely on wireless devices while in their homes, at their jobs, at school or travelling abroad,” Jean-Pierre Blais, chair of the CRTC, said in a release. “The wireless code will contribute to a more dynamic marketplace by making it possible for Canadians to discuss their needs with service providers at least every two years.”

The CRTC said that, among other things, individual and small business consumers will be able to:

  • Terminate their wireless contracts after two years without cancellation fees, even if they have signed on for a longer term
  • Have their cellphones unlocked after 90 days, or immediately if they paid for the device in full
  • Return their cellphones within 15 days and specific usage limits, if they are unhappy with their service
  • Accept or decline changes to the key terms of a fixed-term contract and receive a contract that is easy to read and understand.

The wireless code will apply to all service providers in Canada, in particular where customers pay a monthly bill after using their services and, where applicable, to pre-paid wireless services, the CRTC said.

“The wireless code is a tool that will empower consumers and help them make informed choices about the service options that best meet their needs. To make the most of this tool, consumers also have a responsibility to educate themselves,” Blais said.

Worldline BundleAll of this came about because Canadians had simply had enough.

The CRTC’s public consultation on the wireless code attracted over 5,000 Canadians, who shared their views on an online discussion forum, in writing and at public hearings.

Worldline‘s not a wireless provider (yet). We’ve been trying for years, but on this, the CRTC hasn’t been playing nice with others, but we’re working on them.

That said, isn’t it cool what a pile of ticked off citizens can do? Congrats to them, and to the CRTC for listening.

 

We’re hiring – again!

378ada2See this guy? He’s Francisco Dominguez, our Chief Technology Officer. “Cisco” is responsible for just about everything around here. The backbone of the entire company, which is the Fibernetics CLEC network, and the thing that allows more that 300,000 Canadians to communicate with the rest of the world. He oversees our websites, which informs Canadians about the products and services we provide and all our social channels as well, even this blog in fact.

Come to think of it, when it comes to this company, it’s Cisco’s world, and we’re just living in it.

And now he wants to add to his team. If you are looking to work for one of, if not the, fastest growing telcos in Canada, and for the guy who is responsible for the fifth largest telecommunications network in the country, here’s your chance, because we need a:

Senior Web Developer

The Role
Reporting to the CTO, (that’s Cisco), the Senior Web Developer will be responsible for planning, coordinating and programming new website initiatives as well as ongoing maintenance and updates of existing company websites. The ideal candidate should have experience managing multiple projects, working with tight deadlines, and communicating with multiple teams within an organization. As a key team member, you will help oversee new projects and maintain current projects to ensure successful completion of each project. The ideal candidate should have experience managing multiple projects, working with tight deadlines, and communicating with multiple teams within an organization.

Soft skills:

  • Ability to develop and maintain product development roadmaps
  • Able to work independently and as team player
  • Proven time management skills
  • Strong interpersonal and leadership skills and ability to motivate team efforts to accomplish goals.
  • Ability to work in a fast paced entrepreneurial environment while being able to ensure that implemented solutions adhere to solid software development practices.

Technical skills:

  • CSS/CSS 3
  • HTML/HTML 5/Responsive design
  • Photoshop
  • PHP/Javascript
  • Familiarity with apache directives
  • Familiarity with revision & control systems (SVN, GIT, etc)
  • MySqL/Postgress
  • Perl

Qualifications:

  • 3+ years’ experience working in a similar role
  • Previous employment with a telecommunications service provider considered an asset
  • Demonstrated troubleshooting and diagnostic skills
  • Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field.
  • English language proficiency skills (written and oral)

How to apply? Please submit your resume and cover letter by eMail: careers@fibernetics.ca
(Be sure to quote the position in your subject line).

Good luck!

Did You Know You Are Being Gouged On Your Long Distance?

DP_LongDistance_MultiFlagWorldChances are very good you are being dramatically over-charged for your long distance services – If you are not a Worldline customer that is.

If you are a customer with one of “The Big Three,” there is a 100% certainty you are being gouged. It’s just a fact.

Don’t take our word for it. This is from a recent article in the Huffington Post:

Calling in Canada is really expensive, especially long distance and international calling from Canada…

Unfortunately, the telecom industry in Canada is controlled by just a few leading providers: Telus, Rogers, and Bell. They offer nationwide all-inclusive packages (voice, data, and text), but their long distance and international calling is very expensive. What’s more, it’s easy to run out of call credits and then additional minutes are even pricier, at $ 0.30 to 0.50 per minute.

So is it fair for just a couple of big telecom companies to have such a monopoly on long distance and international calling that it makes it difficult and expensive for hard-working Canadians to reach their loved ones?

Nope. It’s not. And that’s why we are taking a stand.

Long_distanceFirst, if you paying to a Canadian long distance package with your current provider, and it has a minute cap and is more than $3.95/month, you are essentially lighting your money on fire.

Worldline provides unlimited Canadian long distance with our Call Canada plan for only $3.95/month, and not only can you use it on your home phone, you can use it on your cell phone as well!

Next, do you have to make International calls? That’s where the big three really stick it to you. It’s a cash grab of the first degree and people simply accept these outrageous charges because they don’t know they have options.

Hero_ApprovedHere’s what we have to offer: You can call more than 50 countries around the world for only $14.95/month – and you can talk your face off and not worry about any surprises on your bill. Oh, and, again your cell phone works with it too. Learn more about Worldline’s Call the World.

Stop giving “The Big Three” so much money. As you can see, they simply haven’t earned it.

Worldline – Taking Stand for Canadians who are overcharged for their long distance.

Backpacks for Kids

Backpacks for Kids

Amit, Erin, John, Dawn, Smikey, Amanda & Sharon raising money for Backpacks for Kids

In the Dominican Republic, due to the lack of national educational funding, kids have to provide their own school supplies. Items like books, pens & paper, that we take for granted, are considered luxury items for many of the poorer families, and as a result, their children tend to not go to school.

John Stix, our company’s co-founder heard about this on a business trip to the DR, and went out and bought a bunch of backpacks and filled them up with the essentials and distributing them to a few kids in need. Last year, he and Peter Cross, who runs the CanCall Call Centre for us down there, ran a few special events to help raise some funds and Backpacks for Kids was born.

Together they sent 68 children to school who otherwise couldn’t afford to go.

The Fun BunchThis year the entire company is getting behind John’s little homegrown project, and our social committee, The Fun Bunch, are holding a bunch of events over the summer like today’s Burger BBQ to ensure as many of these kids get the education they deserve.

It doesn’t end there. John and his EA, Dawn Gamble, are looking into how to formalize this from just a “nice thing to do” into an actual full-blown official charity.

Kids not going to school due to a lack of stationary? That’s got to stop.

 

In Super Hero Kids We Trust

Hero_ApprovedThe thing about that we all love about kids, besides their unbearable cuteness,  cuddleability and general goofiness, is that they have trust.

Absolute, unquestionable trust.

Before they grow up, and real world issues creep in willy-nilly, and they discover that being cynical is where it’s at, that trust thing is truly remarkable.

When Worldline adopted “Super Hero Kids” as our new branding identity, sure the cuteness thing came into it big time. But underlying all that was this idea of trust.

As a company we’re looking to be trusted. It’s what we’re all about. As a relatively new kid on the block, that’s how we are going to continue to grow our 300,000 strong customer base; by getting more and more people to trust that the services we provide will be as good as “The Big Three”, yet a much better value.

How do we go about instilling that trust in potential new customers? Simple. By trusting them first.

Worldline Has No Contracts

We here at Worldline have to work hard every day to keep our customers satisfied, because the only thing keeping them with us is the quality of the services we provide. Unlike “The Big Three”, who insist on long-term complicated contracts, Worldline customers have no obligation to stay with us, but they do. We strive to earn their business every single day and by doing so we earn their trust.

Worldline Has No Credit Checks

Worldline BundleNo contracts and no credit checks? That’s how far we have taken this whole trust thing. Other companies make their customers jump through hoops to get their service. Not us. If someone has taken the time to research what Worldline is all about, we trust them to pay for what they are going to get. No tricks. No special terms and conditions. And all of our customers enjoy the same level of customer service, regardless if they are a $3.95/month Call Canada Plan or a $49.95/month Unlimited High Speed Internet & Digital Home Phone Bundle customer.

What You See is What You Get With Worldline

Finally this trust goes from the beginning to the end. If, for whatever reason, a customer decides to leave Worldline, we’re not going to try to get the last dime we can out of them. We trust the reasons that they are leaving us are reasonable. That’s why, unlike other telecom companies in Canada, we pay for the return shipping of our equipment, no questions asked.

Our kid’s trust is absolute, and at Worldline, they are our role models.