Fido (wireless carrier)
Fido Solutions Inc. is a Canadian mobile network operator owned by Rogers Communications. Since its acquisition by Rogers in 2004, it has operated as a Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) using the Rogers Wireless network.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Wireless telecommunications |
| Founded | October 25, 1996 |
| Headquarters | Place Bonaventure, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Products | |
| Services | Mobile communications |
| Revenue | CA$1.02 billion |
| CA$800 million | |
| Total assets | CA$3.4 billion |
Number of employees | 20,000 |
| Parent | Rogers Communications |
| Website | www |
Fido's logo is a yellow doghouse. The name, "Fido," was suggested to Microcell Solutions, the first importer of GSM technology from Europe to Canada, on the recommendation of its marketing-communications agency at the time, BOS (Beauchesne, Ostiguy, Simard) of Montreal (now DentsuBos). The agency had been searching for a name that would appeal to both French- and English-speaking consumers. The brand name "Fido" inevitably led to the use of dogs in its commercials, which became the brand's informal trademark in TV advertising, starting in 1995. During the 2000s it ran ads where the narrator finished by catching a jumping dog and saying "regrettably, only from Fido". As of 2017, the tagline is "Go get it."
Fido pioneered the concept of providing unlimited service in select Canadian cities. Fido was the first carrier in Canada to launch a GSM-based network and the first wireless service provider in North America to offer General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) on its network.