Comwave

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Comwave Networks Inc.

Industry	Service
Founded	January 6, 1999[1]
Headquarters	61 Wildcat Road Toronto, Ontario M3J 2P5
Number of locations	1600+
Area served	Canada United States
Key people	Yuval Barzakay (President & CEO)
Products	Telephone services Voice over Internet Protocol Internet Protocol Television High-Speed Internet
Website	www.comwave.net

Comwave Networks Inc. is a Canadian company that markets telecommunication services. Actual telecommunication services are provided by third party carriers.^[2] Based in the Toronto district of North York and run by president and CEO, Yuval Barzakay, Comwave was established in 1999 and it serves all of Canada. Wholesale services are also provided in the United States.

Services[]

Telephone[]

Comwave is the industry leader in Voice over IP (VoIP) and offers home phone services, small business phone lines, mobile calling, and high-speed internet.

Predating Apple's iPhone, beginning in 2004, Comwave offered a bundle of hardware and services, sold as an alternative to traditional phone service known as the iPhone.^[3] They no longer offer this service under the iPhone name.

On May 2012, Comwave launched its Hosted PBX platform.^[4] Comwave Hosted PBX is a cloud-based phone system for business that bundles together Polycom telephones, phone lines, over 40 business-class features, long-distance and a private digital secure connection, for a fixed monthly fee. Comwave Hosted PBX phone systems are managed by Comwave 24x7 on a secure private connection.

On September 2012, the company launched the ePhone app for Android^[5] (now available on iOS as well). This VoIP Softphone app helps users avoid roaming and long-distance fees by providing a free alternate telephone number in the North American market of their choice.

Internet[]

On April 2013, Comwave launched high-speed internet services across Canada. Their plans are all-inclusive and include modem, dry loop, and in-home installation.^[6]

Comwave offers a variety of different internet packages ranging from 30 Mbit/s - 250 Mbit/s.

Internet 30 This plans provides super fast high speed data to do the things you enjoy online with speeds of up to 30 Mbit/s. Surf the net, stream your favorite content and chat with friends... enjoy the internet. With Unlimited Data, there will be no overage charges.

Internet 75 Comwave's Internet 75 plan is designed for large whole-home instant browsing, email, social media and streaming. With its unlimited data, download hundreds of pictures and stream HD movies every month without buffering.

Internet 150 Stream, download and surf with ease with Internet 150. This plan offers unlimited high-speed data to share with the whole family and then some. All the download speed you need at a low price and no overage charges.

Internet 250 This plan is ludicrously fast. Have the world at your finger-tips while you stream, download and surf instantly with this unlimited data plan. Internet 250 offers unlimited high-speed data and peace of mind knowing you will never be charged for overage fees!

Television[]

On September 25, 2017, Comwave Networks announced that the company will enter the television market by announcing their new service named Comwave TV.^[7] Due to Comwave solely being a networking company, Comwave's new television service may use IPTV technology. This television technology requires an active internet connection for the use of it.

Comwave offers three different TV packages

Basic package which includes 30 channels in both English and French

Gold Package which offers a wide range of channels from basic to premier sport, family, reality, and movie channels. Comwave advertises the Gold package as their best Value for customers.

Platinum Package which offers all the same channels as Gold, plus a wide variety of specialty channels.

COVID-19 Impact[]

Comwave informing visitors of their website that their call centre had been temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.

On March 20, 2020, Comwave had informed visitors of their official Twitter account that the company had been government mandated to temporarily close their call centre due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada.^[8] "Due to COVID-19, we’ve been government mandated to close our Call Centre. Online Support is available at http://comwave.net/help. Critical cases are prioritized while we are on very limited resources. Your patience is appreciated. Stay safe & healthy."

On March 25, 2020, Comwave had inserted a red banner onto their website informing visitors that one of their call centre staff members were tested positive for COVID-19, and as a safety precaution, temporarily closed their call centre, and had turned to online support instead.^[9]

Legal issues[]

Misleading advertising[]

On September 13, 2016, Comwave Networks was fined $300,000 by the Competition Bureau for misleading advertisements.

The Bureau concluded that Comwave's advertisements misrepresented the charges consumers would face for their services, and that the advertised prices were not attainable because of additional non‑optional fees.

The Competition Bureau had determined ^[10] that despite Comwave marketing their Voice over IP (VoIP) home phone services and high speed internet services as unlimited, Comwave had applied a monthly minute cap onto their VoIP home phone service, as well as a monthly Bandwidth cap onto all tiers of their internet service regardless; per Comwave's Fair Usage Policy for Internet.^[11]

The Bureau has also concluded that while this information was being disclosed in their fine print, and that Comwave's staff had been instructed to provide some of this information to customers when they call into their call centre, it was not sufficient enough to prevent the advertisements from being misleading.

Under a consent agreement filed between The Commissioner of Competition and Comwave Networks,^[12] Comwave had agreed to pay $60,000 towards the cost of the Bureau's investigation.

Comwave Networks had also agreed to establish a corporate compliance program to help the company avoid any similar issues in the future, as well as to change their advertisements to accurately explain their services to customers; in order to relieve the Bureau's concerns.

Telemarketing[]

On April 2013, Comwave was fined $100,000 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The fine was a result of 33 calls made between April 1, 2011, and March 18, 2013 by independent telemarketers, hired by Comwave, to people who had registered their phone numbers on the National Do Not Call List. In response to the fine the company voluntarily agreed to stop telemarketing and report any customer complaints it receives to the CRTC annually.^[13]

Customer complaints[]

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In spite of Comwave receiving Consumers Choice Award, in 2012, there are a growing number of issues reported by Comwave customers. Among the most common is the complaint of customers being tied to a 3-year contract with the advertised offer. Several hundred reviews ^[14] attest Comwave's customers growing concerns, in what appears being signed up without full disclosure with regards to the contract term and penalties.

References[]