“The stars finally seem to be aligned for a Canadian launch of Apple’s popular iPhone nearly a year after it was first unveiled to lineups of gadget-crazed consumers in the United States,” Chris Sorensen reports for The Toronto Star.
“There have been no official confirmations, but industry sources say that Rogers Communications Inc., the only Canadian carrier with a compatible GSM network, was hoping to include the iPhone as part of a campaign that focuses on ‘touch screen’ phones, to be rolled out between May and July,” Sorensen reports.
“That would put one of the world’s most talked-about devices in the pockets of Canadians right around the time that Apple Inc. is expected to roll out an updated version of the iPhone that runs on so-called third generation, or ‘3G,’ networks,” Sorensen reports.
“It has been widely speculated that the stumbling block was Rogers’ wireless data plans, which typically cost more than those offered by carriers in Europe and the United States – a disparity that critics blame on a lack of Canadian wireless competition,” Sorensen reports.
“As well, most of Rogers’ wireless data plans have usage caps, with users charged by the megabyte if they go over their allotment,” Sorensen reports. “‘We’re not fans of unlimited plans,’ Rob Bruce, president of Rogers’ wireless division, told analysts during a February conference call.”
“Apple, by contrast, emphasizes the consumer experience of its products and is said to be adamant that the iPhone be offered with unlimited data plans,” Sorensen reports. “That way, subscribers don’t have to worry their mobile Web browsing habits will put a crater in their wallets.”
More in the full article here.