Wirelesswave
Wirelesswave is a Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer (GLENTEL Inc.) selling smartphones, plans, and accessories from seven carriers across nine provinces via physical stores and e-commerce, serving individual consumers and residential households.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBurnaby, Canada
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wirelesswave does
Wirelesswave is a Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer operating under the legal entity GLENTEL Inc. (DBA: WIRELESSWAVE), headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, and founded in 1997. The company runs a physical retail network across at least nine Canadian provinces combined with a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront, selling smartphones, tablets, and accessories from Apple, Samsung, Google, and Motorola, and activating rate plans on behalf of seven carriers — Bell, Rogers, Virgin Plus, Fido, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, and SaskTel. Its core technology is a retail point-of-sale and e-commerce platform; no proprietary AI, data, or software IP is disclosed. The business model is a hybrid of hardware margin on device sales, carrier activation commissions, accessory attach, and ancillary services including trade-in, a mobile protection plan, 5G service, phone recycling, and residential internet/TV/home-phone bundles offered through Rogers, Bell, and SaskTel in select provinces. End customers are individual Canadian consumers and, to a growing extent, residential households seeking bundled home services, served through in-store activation, carrier financing, and a multi-carrier comparison proposition.
Wirelesswave firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wirelesswave
- Legal name
- GLENTEL Inc.
- Website
- https://wirelesswave.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Wirelesswave is a Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer (GLENTEL Inc.) selling smartphones, plans, and accessories from seven carriers across nine provinces via physical stores and e-commerce, serving individual consumers and residential households.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Wirelesswave is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burnaby
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wirelesswave business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Device Sales: Retail sales of smartphones, tablets, and accessories with financing options through carrier partnerships (24-month installment plans). Revenue generated from device margin and carrier subsidies.
- Carrier Plan Commissions: Commissions from telecommunications carriers (Bell, Rogers, Virgin Plus, Fido, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, SaskTel) for new activations and plan subscriptions sold through retail locations.
- Accessory Sales: Sales of phone cases, chargers, wireless charging pads, headphones, and other mobile accessories from brands including OtterBox, ZAGG, JBL, and Mophie.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Apple iPhone Air financing starting at $5.00/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Apple iPhone 17 financing starting at $24.21/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Google Pixel 10 from $0.00/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Samsung Galaxy S25 FE from $29.33/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bell 60 GB plan |
| Subscription | Monthly | Bell Ultra plan with international features |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rogers 5G+ Lite BYOD |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rogers 5G+ Ultimate |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fido 20GB Talk & Text BYOP |
| Subscription | Monthly | Virgin Plus BYOD 20GB |
| Subscription | Monthly | SaskTel 200 GB totalSHARE |
| Subscription | Monthly | Lucky Mobile Unlimited Canada-Wide Calling |
| Subscription | Monthly | Chatr 35 GB prepaid |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Wirelesswave product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wirelesswave is a Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer that sells smartphones, tablets, and mobile accessories and resells rate plans from seven major Canadian carriers (Bell, Rogers, Virgin Plus, Fido, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, SaskTel) through physical stores and an e-commerce website. It also offers residential internet, TV, and home phone bundles from Rogers, Bell, and SaskTel, supported by trade-in, device protection, and phone recycling programs.
Product overview
Wirelesswave is a Canadian wireless retailer offering a comprehensive mobile ecosystem consisting of devices (smartphones and tablets from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and other brands), mobile rate plans from multiple carriers (Bell, Rogers, Virgin Plus, Fido, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, SaskTel), accessories (cases, chargers, headphones), and residential services (internet, TV, home phone bundles). The company operates as a multi-carrier retailer, connecting customers with various carrier networks through its retail locations and online store. Additional services include trade-in programs, device protection plans, 5G services, and phone recycling.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wirelesswave Devices Retail offering of smartphones and tablets from major brands (Apple iPhone Air, 17, 17e, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 16; Samsung Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra, S25 FE, A57 5G, A17 5G, Galaxy Tab A11+; Google Pixel 10, 10a, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL; Motorola Moto G 2026, Edge 2025, Razr 2025, Moto G Play 2024; plus Nubia, Ahlo, and TCL devices) sold to individual Canadian consumers through physical stores and the Wirelesswave.ca e-commerce site, with carrier installment financing available.
- Wirelesswave Rate Plans Mobile rate plans from Bell, Rogers, Fido, Virgin Plus, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, and SaskTel, resold to individual Canadian consumers through Wirelesswave stores and website. Includes postpaid tiers (e.g., Bell 60 GB at $60/month, Bell Ultra at $110/month, Rogers 5G+ Lite BYOD at $65/month, Rogers 5G+ Ultimate at $95/month, Fido 20GB Talk & Text BYOP at $45/month, Virgin Plus 20GB at $45/month, SaskTel 200 GB totalSHARE at $125/month) and prepaid tiers (Lucky Mobile Unlimited Canada-Wide Calling at $19/month, Chatr 35 GB at $29/month).
- Wirelesswave Accessories Mobile accessories sold to consumers, including phone cases, screen protectors, headphones, speakers, chargers, cables, mounts, battery packs, and memory solutions from brands such as OtterBox, JBL, Mophie, ZAGG, Spigen, and Urban Armor Gear.
- Residential Internet, TV, and Home Phone Services Home internet, TV, and home phone services from Rogers (in select Ontario, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland locations), Bell (in select Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec locations), and SaskTel (in Saskatchewan), sold to Canadian residential households through Wirelesswave retail locations.
- Mobile Protection Plan Device protection plan providing coverage for mobile phones against damage, loss, or theft, sold to consumers at the point of device purchase.
- Trade-In Program Program allowing customers to trade in old mobile devices in exchange for credit toward a new device purchase, used to lower the upfront cost of upgrades.
- Phone Recycling Program Environmental program allowing customers to bring in old mobile devices for responsible recycling.
Companies that use Wirelesswave
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Wirelesswave technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wirelesswave partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BellcoreWirelesswave is an authorized Bell retailer offering Bell device financing (Flex Option), rate plans, and activations. Bell provides device financing programs including Flex Option for device returns.
- RogerscoreWirelesswave is an authorized Rogers retailer offering Rogers device financing (Save & Return), rate plans, and activations across 5G+ plans.
- Virgin PluscoreWirelesswave is an authorized Virgin Plus retailer offering Virgin Sweet Pay financing, rate plans, and activations.
- FidocoreWirelesswave is an authorized Fido retailer offering Fido device financing and rate plans including 20GB+ options with hotspot access.
- Lucky MobileminorWirelesswave offers Lucky Mobile prepaid rate plans as part of its carrier offerings.
- ChatrminorWirelesswave offers Chatr prepaid rate plans as part of its carrier offerings.
- SaskTelminorWirelesswave offers SaskTel rate plans and services including residential internet bundles.
- RogerscoreProvides residential internet services through Wirelesswave locations in select Ontario, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland locations.
- BellcoreProvides residential internet and TV services through Wirelesswave locations in select Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec locations.
- SaskTelminorProvides residential internet services in Saskatchewan through Wirelesswave locations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Wirelesswave competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Mobile Shop: Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer that activates postpaid plans on behalf of Bell, Rogers, Telus and other carriers in mall-based retail locations. Operates the same multi-carrier comparison-shopping model as Wirelesswave and competes for the same walk-in postpaid traffic.
- WOW Mobile Boutique: Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer operating store locations across Canada, offering postpaid and prepaid plans from multiple carriers and device financing programs. A near-identical business model to Wirelesswave targeting the same retail consumer.
- Tbooth Wireless: Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer operating under the same GLENTEL parent ecosystem, with a similar store-based activation model selling devices and postpaid plans from multiple carriers. Direct sibling brand within the same multi-carrier retail category.
Broad incumbents
- The Source (formerly RadioShack Canada): BCE-owned Canadian consumer electronics retailer operating own-brand stores that sell mobile devices, carrier plans, and consumer electronics. Directly competes with Wirelesswave for postpaid activations and consumer electronics traffic, with carrier ownership providing structural advantages.
- Best Buy Canada: Canada's largest specialty consumer electronics retailer, carrying smartphones, tablets, and carrier activation services alongside a broad CE assortment. Comparable to Wirelesswave on the device/accessory side, though broader assortment dilutes wireless specialist positioning.
- Canada Computers: Canadian specialty electronics retailer with strong Ontario/Quebec footprint selling smartphones, tablets, and computing hardware. Competes for device purchase traffic though narrower carrier activation offering than Wirelesswave.
- Apple Store Canada: Manufacturer-direct retail from Apple selling iPhones, iPads, and trade-in services. Captures the highest-value Apple upgrade traffic directly from consumers, bypassing retailers like Wirelesswave on Apple's flagship lineup.
- Samsung Experience Store Canada: Samsung's manufacturer-direct retail and online experience for Galaxy devices, including trade-in and financing. Increasingly competes for high-end Galaxy upgrade purchases that previously went through Canadian wireless retailers.
- Staples Canada: Canadian office and consumer electronics retailer carrying mobile devices, accessories, and some carrier services. Broader assortment than Wirelesswave but weaker carrier activation depth; competes for accessory and small-ticket device purchases.
Others
- Glentel: Parent company operating the Wirelesswave, Tbooth, and other multi-carrier wireless banners in Canada. Relevant as the parent corporate entity providing shared services, retail operations, and carrier relationships to the Wirelesswave storefront network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wirelesswave social profiles
Digital presenceWirelesswave financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wirelesswave leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wirelesswave funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wirelesswave M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wirelesswave
What does Wirelesswave do?
Wirelesswave is a Canadian multi-carrier wireless retailer that sells smartphones, tablets, and mobile accessories and resells rate plans from seven major Canadian carriers (Bell, Rogers, Virgin Plus, Fido, Lucky Mobile, Chatr, SaskTel) through physical stores and an e-commerce website. It also offers residential internet, TV, and home phone bundles from Rogers, Bell, and SaskTel, supported by trade-in, device protection, and phone recycling programs.
Is Wirelesswave a public or private company?
Wirelesswave is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Wirelesswave founded?
Wirelesswave was founded in 1997. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Wirelesswave based?
Wirelesswave is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Wirelesswave make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Device Sales are the primary driver. The others are carrier Plan Commissions and accessory Sales.
Who are Wirelesswave's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Mobile Shop, WOW Mobile Boutique and Tbooth Wireless. Broad incumbents are The Source (formerly RadioShack Canada), Best Buy Canada, Canada Computers, Apple Store Canada, Samsung Experience Store Canada and Staples Canada. Glentel is listed as an others.
Does Wirelesswave have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wirelesswave.