Considering that Rogers has more than 6 million postpaid wireless subscribers (Source) where a good number of them still pay their System Access Fees, why are we still paying an arm and a leg for complacency? Let’s crunch the numbers:
$6.95 – System Access Fee
6,451,000 – Approximate number of postpaid subscribers, as of December 31, 2008
ASSUMPTION: 80% pay their System Access Fee (Because many people, like myself, have had it waived. VERY conservatively low number, as I believe almost no one really waived it, but this is to be safe.)
$6.95 x (6,451,000 * 80%) = $35,867,560 per MONTH
Can someone please tell me why, with an extra $35 million per month in what is essentially profit, is Rogers not vastly improving our service by leaps and bounds? If someone wants to correct me as to what that System Access Fee goes towards, then please leave a comment!
UPDATE: Just found this article from the Toronto Star, here’s an important little snippet:
The investigation also revealed that many customer service agents employed by the various cellphone companies were incorrectly telling subscribers the fee was a mandatory government charge collected on behalf of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Such a charge, while it was required two decades ago when the cellphone industry was just getting started, no longer exists. The fee, however, is still being collected.
Well then!