Iqaluit Cable makes leap to new cable offerings
Changes left some customers feeling confused
Iqaluit Cable recently changed their cable packages, confusing come customers. (Photo by Emma Tranter)
Some Iqaluit Cable customers were surprised to learn late last week that certain channels had stopped working.
The disappearing channels are the result of a switch to new cable packages.
“You now have a lot more flexibility to pick based on your interests and really tailor your programming a lot more,” said Duane Wilson, vice president of stakeholder relations for Iqaluit Cable’s parent company, Arctic Co-operatives Ltd.
More channels will also be offered in HD under the new system without an additional cost, Wilson said.
“I think that when people take the time to go down and pick up a channel map and see what their options are, they’re going to be pleasantly surprised,” he said.
Iqaluit Cable now offers a basic cable package with 38 channels for $24.95 per month. Customers can “pick and pay” for additional groups of channels, ranging in cost from $5.95 for a collection of channels from Canada’s East Coast to $49.95 for the “SuperSports” bundle.
The company previously offered customers a basic cable package for $37.95 per month, with a family package offered for an additional $35.95 per month. If a customer purchased both the basic and family package, extra channels, including high definition channels, could be added for a fee.
The changes were made in response to CRTC requirements, Wilson said. Licensed television providers in Canada are required to offer both pick-and-pay cable packages and small packages of up to 10 channels, according to the CRTC’s website.
Although this requirement does not apply to service providers like Iqaluit Cable with fewer than 20,000 subscribers, Wilson said the company made the change to remain competitive.
“The Bells and the Shaws of the world are still our competition,” he said.
Wilson said it is difficult to tell if the new system will be more expensive, since it all depends on what the customer chooses.
“With the basic package and family channel, plus HD channels, you were going to be into it with 100 dollars a month,” he said. “Now it’s going to be more programming and better programming at a comparable, if not a lower price.”
Wilson admitted the company could have done a better job communicating the changes to customers.
“Unfortunately, because it’s like a pick-and-pay type of service now, it’s not necessarily the easiest to communicate,” he said. “We did have some challenges with some hardware not being available when expected from the manufacturer that might affect a channel here, a channel there.”
Wilson said customers should go to Iqaluit Cable’s office to or contact them by phone or email to get more information about the new system and to set up their packages.
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More than $300/month if you want everything..lol. Think I’ll be sticking with YouTube/Netflix/Amazon/Crave at $45/month plus the cost of my Internet.
Maybe try reading a book?
I’m enjoying a great book by Christian Cameron atm. Maybe try not being smugly superior and judgemental?
I would consider getting rid of Bell if this came to the smaller communities to. especially if the reliability was there, any stormy weather messes with bell.
lulz – but what are your internet charges?? And is Crave available here in Iqaluit?
I pay $180 for internet, $8/mo for Netflix, Amazon Prime included with my membership ($40/yr) and Crave is available on my apple TV (I share a login so I don’t know the cost).
So maybe $200/mo all in. And I don’t have to deal with annoying advertising, for the most part.
you know we get used to paying more for food but those prices for cable are bloody outrageous!
I will stick with the Shaw, at least we get a wonderful selection and HD channels.
Mr. Wilson didn’t spend a lot of time here last week when no one answered calls at Iqaluit Cable for several days and voicemails weren’t returned. Unless I missed it THERE WAS NO ADVANCE NOTICE. Suddenly the channels I watch were gone along with the rest of the communities in Nunavut who deal with Arctic Co-op cable services. I think Mr. Wilson and his staff should apologize to his customers. Did he think we wouldn’t notice?
That was some excellent reporting. The problem customers faced is that they received a bill (twice) to pay in advance for the changes that they had no idea were coming. The bill listed the new packages without showing which specific channels are part of the package. Further, no material has ever been sent to customers showing what changes were made to their bundles unilaterally by Iqaluit Cable. I find it interesting that the article did not mention that clients are now asked to pick from packages that include channels “coming soon”. SO, how long do customers pay in advance for channels not yet offered?
We left Iqaluit cable as every month our bill was getting higher and higher and less and less channels. With no explanation or reason. Soooooo happy we switched to satellite we have way more channels including HBO and Crave for $60 less a month than what I was paying for cable alone.