Is Fido owned by Rogers? Are Fido and Rogers the same company? These are questions that we get asked over and over again by our customers. Ever since Rogers acquired Microcell and debuted the brand Fido, Canadians have been confused about the official relationship between Fido and Rogers. So, we’re here to answer all your Rogers and Fido questions!
Is Fido owned by Rogers? Yes. Fido, officially known as Fido Solutions, was acquired as a subsidiary brand of Rogers in order to cater to a more mid-range market without damaging the Rogers brand which focussed more on high-end customers. In the process, they also claimed it would bring more competition within the telecom industry. In a similar fashion, Telus acquired Koodo and Bell obtained Virgin Plus around the same time. With these smaller “flanker” brands, they are able to offer more plans, promotions and exclusive offers to the general public. Still, you may have some questions regarding flanker-parent relationships like the one between Fido and Rogers. In this post, we’ll cover anything and everything you may need to know about Rogers and Fido, what sets them apart, what makes them similar, and more.
Does Rogers own Fido?
Fido was originally founded back in 1996 as Microcell Solutions Inc. After just a few years of service, they garnered a positive reputation among Canadians. They were the first to introduce GSM technology to Canada. Before then, it was only ever used in Europe. On top of that, they also introduced a unique pricing approach. Their competitive prices, money-back guarantees and dedication to customer service stood out in the late 1990s. While the rest of the industry seemed expensive and serious, Fido stuck out as approachable and affordable. Of course, they also grew popular due to their creative advertisements. Their yellow doghouse logo and commercials featuring adorable dogs quickly became iconic. At this point, does Rogers own Fido? Not yet.
Fido continued to grow in popularity and had acquired a million plus customers before getting Rogers’ attention in 2004. Rogers was their largest GSM competitor, and wanted a monopoly over the technology. So, they purchased Microcell for almost $1.5 billion. ‘Fido’ which was the brand under which Microcell operated in the market now became the name of the company and all their customers now “belonged” to Rogers. This change made no difference for existing Fido customers. But for Fido, their new ownership meant they were able to reach more customers across the country using Rogers’ network coverage.
Is Fido Part of Rogers?
So, if Fido is owned by Rogers, is Fido part of Rogers? And are Fido and Rogers the same? Not quite. Both providers use the same mobile network and cell phone towers. However, that’s the only thing they share. Fido customers don’t get access to any other services or deals from Rogers, and vice versa. For example, towards the beginning of the pandemic, Rogers was offering free data to select customers. No matter how badly you wanted this promotion, it was strictly offered to Rogers customers. If you had Fido as a provider, this promotion was not accessible to you. On the other hand, if you’re a Rogers customer, you cannot access Fido’s numerous promotions, including their Black Friday deals.
Are Rogers and Fido the Same Company?
So, if Fido is owned by Rogers and shares its mobile network, are Fido and Rogers the same company? No. Fido is owned by Rogers, but functions as their subsidiary or “flanker” brand. This means that the two companies work separately, while one retains ownership over the other. Even though Fido uses Rogers’ vast mobile network, Fido remains a separate corporate and legal entity and maintains its own retail chain, customer service call centers, and even has its own CEO. This means that Fido customers are Fido customers, and Rogers customers are Rogers customers. Each company offers a different customer service experience, their own plans, promotions and services from their respective stores and websites.
Fido Belongs to Rogers
Since Fido belongs to Rogers, there are many things which the two companies have in common. Obviously, we already mentioned the fact that they use the same mobile network with the same nationwide coverage. However, here’s a complete and convenient listing of all the most important similarities and differences between the two companies. Check it out below!
Similarities
- Both carriers use the same mobile network, which is one of Canada’s largest and covers 96% of the population
- Both Fido and Rogers offer mobile plans, home internet* and home phone* services
- For mobile plans, both companies offer prepaid and traditional contract plans
* If you’re in Quebec, do note that neither Rogers nor Fido offer home internet or home phone services in Quebec.
Differences
- Both companies offer different plans, despite operating on the same network
- Both providers use different SIM cards that cannot be freely swapped with one another
- Rogers offers services for businesses and residents, while Fido strictly offers personal services
- Rogers offers television and home security services, while Fido does not
- While Rogers is more of a “high-end” brand (longer hours, more services), Fido functions as their mid-range brand, and Chatr is their the entry-level brand
Are Fido and Rogers the Same?
At this point, you should be able to respond to the question: Are Fido and Rogers the same? Like every parent company and flanker brand, the two companies share several things in common, while taking several measures to set them apart from each other. In this case, the biggest thing bringing them together is the fact that Fido is owned by Rogers. As a result, their largest similarity will always be the shared network which they provide to their customers. Apart from that, the two companies could not be more different. With a reputation lasting several decades, Rogers continues to offer their renowned services to millions of customers across Canada. On the other hand, Fido’s charming advertisements and personalized approach will continue to attract customers, without ever rising to the status of a corporation like Rogers.
At the end of the day, both Rogers and Fido are great choices if you’re in search of a new mobile plan. Both companies offer a large number of options, from cheap entry-level plans to massive unlimited data plans. Still, with so many options to choose from, it could be rather difficult to find the best possible plan. Thankfully, PlanHub offers a helpful service that makes this search much easier.
After clicking the green button, you’ll be redirected to our mobile plan searching tool. From there, all you need to do is input your province and answer a couple of basic questions, we’ll take care of the rest! After a few short seconds, you will be presented with a list of the best, most affordable phone plans based on your personal preferences. Whether it’s Rogers, Fido or something completely different, our service lets you find the most optimal mobile plans available in your region.
