Shaw pushes back wireless launch until early 2012

Canadian telecommunications provider Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR) is delaying the launch of its wireless service until early 2012, pushing off its entrance into the increasingly competitive market by about three months.
The company noted during its first fiscal quarter release that its previous plans to launch wireless services in 2011 were being delayed to ensure “an exceptional customer experience.”
“We remain committed to wireless and are excited about the opportunity wireless represents for our company going forward,” explained the company’s CEO Brad Shaw in a press release. “With the rapid evolution of wireless technology and changing market conditions, we believe it is best to take a disciplined approach to our wireless rollout to ensure we deliver an exceptional customer experience. Accordingly, during 2011 we plan to invest approximately $150 – $200 million on this initiative and now expect to launch these services in our first major market early in calendar year 2012, approximately 3 months later than previously anticipated.”
During a conference call with investors the company said it was continuing to work on deploying its core network assets in support of its planned HSPA-based offering. In addition, Shaw was looking at migrating that network to LTE as well as possibly participating in the upcoming auction of 700 MHz spectrum licenses.
The Canadian wireless market, traditionally dominated by its three largest operators Rogers Wireless, Bell Canada and Telus Mobility, has seen a number of smaller players begin to infiltrate the space following recent spectrum auctions. Calgary, Alberta-based Shaw picked up 18 wireless spectrum licenses covering parts of western Canada and Ontario during the 2008 AWS spectrum auction for approximately $190 million. The company announced early last year that it planned to begin building out its network before the end of the year.