Canadian cable operator, Shaw Communications (Shaw) has agreed to acquire Toronto-based WIND Mobile which has close to 940,000 subscribers for approximately $1.6 billion CAD. As the fourth largest mobile operator in Canada, WIND serves across Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta with 50MHz of spectrum in each of these regions. Wind Mobile is expected to post a revenue of $485 million in calendar year 2015.
Shaw currently operates fibre, cable and WiFi networks in Western Canada, and hopes to use wireless to push into new regions. In 2011, Shaw announced the launch of a carrier-grade WiFi network, Shaw GO WiFi, which has since expanded to over 75,000 hotspots, increasing the value proposition of broadband outside of the home.
Chief Executive Officer, Brad Shaw
The global telecom landscape is quickly evolving towards 'mobile-first' product offerings as consumers demand ubiquitous connectivity from their service providers. The acquisition of WIND provides Shaw with a unique platform in the wireless sector which will allow us to offer a converged network solution to our customers that leverages our full portfolio of best-in-class telecom services, including fibre, cable, WiFi, and now wireless.
