“In the U.S., the AT&T iPhone plan offers 450 anytime minutes (unused minutes can be rolled over to the next month), 5000 additional night and weekend minutes, and unlimited data for $59.99. If/when the iPhone makes its way to Canada, Rogers will be the sole carrier given the absence of any competition for GSM services (unless Apple decides to wait for a much-needed fourth carrier following a set-aside for the 2008 spectrum auction, but that is a long time to wait without a guarantee of a set-aside),” Michael Geist blogs.
A comparable plan for Rogers today costs:
• 500 minutes (Canada-wide, no rollover) – $60
• 500 additional evening and weekend minutes – $25
• 500 MB of data (no unlimited data offered) – $210
Geist explains, “In other words, a plan from Rogers (Rogers plan in C$, AT&T in US$ but currencies now nearly at par) that offers less than AT&T – the Canadian version does not have unlimited data, does not offer rolled over minutes, and has only 10 percent of the night and weekend minutes – currently runs $295 per month.”
Full article here.
$295/month would be some Strange Brew, indeed. Apple would never let such a thing happen, eh?
I guess it is time for Rogers to stop being a crook!
Not only that. Go to Rogers website and look at their coverage maps. Western Canada is particularly pathetic.
http://www.shoprogers.com/store/wireless/coverage/info.asp
As a westerner, this is more than a little annoying. Anecdotally, everyone I’ve ever met that has used Rogers hates their service, their (lack of) coverage, and their attitude.
A Telus guy I was talking to yesterday thinks that their cable TV and Video Rental stores keep their wireless operation afloat.
My opinion is that Apple might be better off waiting for the spectrum auction, and set up their own wireless company or something. Rogers in Canada has a far worse reputation than AT&T does in the States.
MDN word: income – as in my income couldn’t support that kind of cost for an iPhone!
WOW
and I thought I was getting f**ked by Telmex here in Mexico
probably be a lot cheaper, buying in the states, and get the roaming charge’s
I can’t stand Rogers. They wouldn’t know customer service if it bit them in the ass. Moreover, the wireless offerings in Canada have always been lacklustre. If Apple started/endorsed a new wireless service, after wiping the tears from my eyes, I’d switch.
Better not even be close to that. It would be criminal.
This Canuck says that sucks royally.
There’s not much point in releasing the iPhone in Canada if you have to pay that much per month just to use it.
Rogers are and have always been crooks.
Piss on them.
PS. Telus in Canada does have 1 GSM phone in their line up. True stuff.
For those who don’t know Rogers, in Canada, we call them Robbers.
Man, I dislike them… Still, if they get the iPhones, I will switch over. Sigh.
You know, moved to Canada, from NYC in ’77. AT that time Canada was heralded as a kind-of wunderkid of communications… Today (in Toronto) I sometimes feel like we’re 3rd class cellular-citizens.
Please don’t get me started about Rogers either.
Jb
Well, if that’s the state of wireless affairs in Canada, then they’ll just skip Canada this time around and focus on Europe, Asia and perhaps Latin America.
Better luck next time, Canada!
Should be Robers instead of Rogers.
That’s a bit steep, eh?
Most telecoms are corrupt. Most mobile phone users are stupid. It’s a perfect match.
I use Rogers (they were the only ones that had the SLVR), and the rest of my family uses Telus right now.
I can tell you… THEY BOTH SUCK!
I’m not sure if it’s the phone, but living in western Canada (Edmonton and area), I seem to get better reception than my family. But I just paid my bill the other day, and it’s still over $50 for basic phone + voicemail. I don’t know how much that would be in the states, but it’s still ridiculous here.
So the rule of thumb up here is not to go with the *best* wireless carrier. It’s to go with the one that sucks the *least*. Canada better start getting its ass in gear.
Won’t fly. Roger’s does have a very bad reputation and poor coverage in much of the country. They also were in the centre of the negative billing fiasco. (“You owe us money because you never said you didn’t.”)
Apple’s better off waiting, being part of a new carrier, or not having an exclusive deal in Canada.
However, Apple does seem to think Toronto and Canada are the same thing, so they’ll probably go exclusive with Rogers. Unless someone can convince Rogers to announce an exclusive deal before Apple does, thus pissing off his Steveness.
More than likely, since Canada leans left, the government is probally tied in with the phone services, with layer after layer of regulation as to price, service, forced medical insurence, unions and other Marxist mandates.
As soon as a people vote based on what they will get from government at other people’s expense, this is what they get, and it comes from every area of the economy. Maybe Canadians ought to have the government make their cell phones.
“More than likely, since Canada leans left, the government is probally tied in with the phone services, with layer after layer of regulation as to price, service, forced medical insurence, unions and other Marxist mandates. “
Yes of course. You’re exactly right. Totally.
o.O
It is better to remain silent and let people think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
I know Rogers has banged me a few times with roaming charges on both coasts of Canada but $50 Cdn for basic wireless plus voice mail with 500 minutes included sounds about right. Down here it seems every count in ever state has their hand in the tax pie to pay for 911 emergency services so a $45 per mont bill ends up at $60 before overage charges and text msgs and other extras.
In the 1980’s, the U.S., under Regan, de-regulated the telephone indrustry. Back then, I called Germany quite a bit, usually 30 minutes per day, plus other U.S. calls. My phone bills were about $1200 per month. Today, with the phone cos. no longer a “public utility” the same calls would cost about $125 a month. That $1200 per month in today’s dollars is about $2500. Deregulation in this case reduced phone bills about 90%.
My question is if RIM can survive in Canada, why not Apple’s iPhone? Just asking the obvious question here. Surely Apple would negotiate with Rogers, which company would be severely embarrassed if their rates turn out to be several times the rates in the U.S. and everybody finds that out.
No doubt, Dion. What people think they get for free from the gov’t increases the costs of services provided by private companies every time. I don’t know the specifics in the telco situation in Canada, but no doubt they set up artificial barriers to entry and have their sweetheart deals just like other governments around the world do. (Amazing how the leftists here categorically deny that such things can happen, but it’s easy being an ostrich.)
I live up here in canada and was with Rogers for 2 years and I hated it. Now I am with Bell mobility and I am loving it. I have a $30 a month phone bill and even with sms and taxes my phone bill is only ever $35-$40 a month
[Rogers in Canada has a far worse reputation than AT&T does in the States.]
MrMikey is right. However, there is Fido. (Yeah I know, not really
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Anyway, Fido is a recently acquired ‘affiliate’ of Rogers. Fido is how Rogers got GSM. However, since the acquisition Fido’s customer service has become worse than the fair that it was.
So, to recap our position – we have:
a) Bell; Telus; et al.; on sh!tty CDMA but with better customer service and rates
b) Rogers/Fido with GSM and sh!tty customer service and real sh!tty rates.
Downloaded a 45KB Java applet file to my Fido/Nokia phone. But, the applet wouldn’t actually work — it exceeded the 45KB applet size limit of the handset. Arrrgh! 45 doesn’t equal 45. Still got charged the $1.35 though. Quality.
The $210/500MB seems cheap compared to the current 3¢ per kilobyte! [that’s $30.72 per 1 MB or $15,360 per 500 MB] You won’t have a house, but you’ll have a bitchin’ phone.
One of 3 things will happen:
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1) Apple will persuade Rogers to actually compete.
2) Rogers will fsck-up iPhone in Canada
3) Apple will wait for spectrum — or buy Fido