Unpredictable. Unfocused. Just like life.

This image from Thomas Purves compares the cost of mobile data access in Canada to that of other countries, including third-world countries - and shows it very much lacking:

The motto of the CRTC, Canada’s telcom regulator is “Communications in the Public Interest”. Right.

If you live in Canada, write to your MP. The CRTC, as an institution, needs to be taken out and shot.*

Now the CRTC has always been useless when it comes to protecting the interests of citizens, but I'm pretty sure they don't regulate wireless data rates.But it is embarrassing to hear Canada claim to be at the forefront of mobile technology when they are actually at the forefront of mobile billing.

One has to wonder though just how stupid these telecom companies are. Sure they're raking in the cash from a few subscribers but that will plateau if they don't start generating some growth. And at those rates unless your employer is paying the bill you probably aren't rushing to sign up for a data plan.

So Canada will just languish at the back of the pack in terms of wireless adoption. But the carriers will still be getting paid so they won't care. But if companies can't convince users to sign up for data plans then we also won't see any mobile innovation.