“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?
Well, the link wasn’t correct: Bell already offer a gsm able phone and have agreements with some partners for this kind of network.
niclet:
Indeed, Bell is offering a GSM phone, as the link shows.
The magic is revealed further down the page: the Moto A840 supports both CDMA and GSM – the magic is in the phone, not Bell’s network – Bell, almost certainly, is still CDMA only, for cost reasons. Good trick tho!
This is a good feature to ask for in Apple’s next iPhone – this way Apple can service the entire world with a single iPhone, at the hardware level. The magic is probably done in the chipset, so the phone cost/complexity shouldn’t increase that much.
@niclet,
‘Sure Am Relieved’ is correct. In fact, their Blackberry program also offers a handset that combines CDMA and GSM capabilities.
This would be the perfect feature for the iPhone. It would make it both locked and unlocked simultaneously:
1- CDMA locked to Bell for example (best coverage and fastest data in Canada)
2- GSM unlocked, perfect for travellors who could then use it on other networks. Or, for that matter, use it on Rogers’ GSM network!
Given that the Blackberry is a Canadian inventor/owner, what are the odds that the federal Canadian agencies are deliberately dragging their feet to support something like the outrageous Rogers’ cost outlined above?
Bell is CDMA, I know, I work there. The GSM phone your talking about is the “Worldphone”, which is CDMA and GSM so you can use your phone where CDMA isn’t availible.
“Given that the Blackberry is a Canadian inventor/owner, what are the odds that the federal Canadian agencies are deliberately dragging their feet to support something like the outrageous Rogers’ cost outlined above?”
While nothing is impossible, the fact that it is now illegal to bribe Canadian politicians (campaign finance “donations” from corporations, organizations, unions banned) would seem to significantly reduce the odds.
On the other hand, stranger things have happened to “protect” jobs. I can’t see Rogers getting a deal while Bell/Telus goes hungry tho.
Part of the problem seems to be fat and lazy cellular vendors. Since several smaller entrants (Clearnet, Fido (especially)) got gobbled up the situation got worse.
OTOH, there are only 3 huge cellular companies in the U.S. – odd that they seem to remember how to compete, yet the Canadian big 3 don’t, if U.S. prices/features/speed are any guide.
Standardizing on GSM (Europe) helped there, making it a national priority (government buildout) helped in S. Korea, Japan where 4g is widely used (4g = broadband speeds over cellular = the cell company is the ISP)
Standardize on GSM? CDMA is far more scalable.
Troy:
1. Europe standardized on GSM a long time ago. This makes it vastly easier to switch carriers since you know your phone will work with the new guy, ignoring locking.
In other words, the government picked the standard, and the cellular market got a nice boost, rather than wait until the market sorted things out/have multiple standards.
Some countries even make locking a mobile phone illegal – a nice consumer friendly move.
2. CDMA doesn’t have a SIM, thus if you want to use an unlocked CDMA phone, you need to call the new carrier who tend to be even less nice than normal in this situation (it helps if you’re on pay-as-you-go tho)
(I know, for some carriers, being worse than the normal awful is hard but they manage it).
For GSM, you simply move the SIM – no carrrier involvement.
3. now if the local CDMA carrier has a faster network, one needs to weigh things…
All else equal, for me, GSM’s SIM is a very attractive feature.
“I don’t know the specifics in the telco situation in Canada” …. yet you feel the need to have some kind of comment … find out about the specifics and then have a comment … that might work …
@BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots … “I don’t know the specifics in the telco situation in Canada” … then why do you feel you are in a position to comment …
@Dion
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You’re absolutely right (!)
Things are terrible up here in Canada!
Awful!
Do yourself a favour – never ever ever come up here to visit or live.
Dion:
It’s hard to take you seriously when there are several spelling mistakes in your posts. Deniers??? insurence???
This is the mark of lazy thinking. Lazy thinking results in a dogmatic approach to life and politics.
Left? Right? It’s immaterial. We should be interested in the truth and it’s seldom that either side has the right answer.
Harummph. Thor has spoken.
@Dion and BTSOI
You two should get married…I would love to see how stupid your offspring would be
Socialism = Misery for All
Well the GSM Phones offered by Bell and Telus, do not all work in north america for fear of being unlocked and used on other networks the phones are built to operate on only dual band frequencies and those that are not available in North America.
Step 1- Buy iPhone in the states for $300
Step 2- Take your turbo sim card out of your Fido phone (get your CityFido unlimited calling plan off of craigslist) and pop it in your iPhone
Step 3- Dial away (Fido owned by AT&T;, n’est pas?)
Both Rogers and Blackberry undoubtedly have *many* friends in Ottawa, and not just Liberals apparently.