New Canadian operator Globalive – backed by Egypt’s Orascom and trading under the Wind Mobile brand – has received criticism for a “premature” launch amid claims it is struggling to live up to expectations. Regional research firm SeaBoard Group has published a report, titled ‘WIND in the Willows: Lessons from a Premature Launch,’ in which it notes that last week the startup operator announced a significant reorganisation less than three months since launch, suggesting that “the company’s expected results have not been met.” The report adds that “certainly, reports of network faults, limited and expensive handset selection, e-commerce challenges, and a small retail presence have dampened some consumer enthusiasm for this new entrant’s services.”

The operator launched at the end of last year and now offers services in Calgary, Toronto and Edmonton as it bids to compete with incumbent operator Rogers, Bell and Telus. According to reports, SeaBoard Group estimates that Wind Mobile has managed to sign up less than 30,000 subscribers from a pool of about nine million people. The research firm believes though that Wind is not out of the race and is still “a potent force,” noting that it is the only newcomer of numerous start-ups to hold a near national license, it is building a “state-of-the-art” HSPA network and has an experienced management team. “Moreover, the impending changes in Canada’s foreign ownership rules should make for tighter integration with the Orascom mothership,” adds the report. “The other new entrants, though, [eg Mobilicity, Public Mobile and Videotron] can learn much from Wind’s launch lessons and govern themselves accordingly.”