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Apr 12, 2001
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Virgin Mobile Canada issued a brief announcement yesterday revealing that it will begin offering the iPhone there in the near future.
Virgin Mobile Canada will launch iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in Virgin Mobile Retail Stores and online in Canada in the coming months. For more information on iPhone, please visit www.apple.com/iphone.
Rogers Wireless had been the exclusive iPhone carrier in Canada since the device's introduction there in July 2008 until Bell and Telus began offering it earlier this month.

In a number of countries where Apple has had exclusive relationships with wireless carriers such as Canada, the company has begun transitioning to multi-carrier models, with Orange (UK) and Vodafone (UK & Ireland) recently beginning to offer or announcing plans to offer the iPhone in those countries where the iPhone had been exclusive to O2.

Article Link: iPhone Coming to Virgin Mobile Canada
 

vwDavid

macrumors regular
Aug 20, 2007
160
1
dangit will anyone in canada sell us an iphone w/o data or unlockable for international use?

Jeesh, why do they clamp it down so much?

Of the the best things about the iphone is the info you can get while traveling in far off unknown lands- but as soon as you cross the border you have to dump your bank account to pay for data roaming fees.

GIVE US ANOTHER WAY!!!!!!!!
 

Impulse29

macrumors member
Apr 12, 2004
62
0
Rogers Wireless had been the exclusive iPhone carrier in Canada since the device's introduction there in July 2008 until Bell and Telus began offering it earlier this month.

Although technically the same company, both Rogers and Fido had the iPhone prior to July 2008. They are different carriers with different phones (mostly) and different plans.
 

Doju

macrumors 68000
Jun 16, 2008
1,510
1
Not a big surprise, as Virgin is owned by Bell…

Koodo (owned by Telus, right?) should be getting it soon as well, then.
 

dornoforpyros

macrumors 68040
Oct 19, 2004
3,070
4
Calgary, AB
doh, I was with virgin mobile for 3-4 years and I finally switched to fido just for the 3GS. Although virgin's price offerings aren't what they used to be, bell is now a majority owner, so I can't imagine the iPhone offerings will be anything special.
 

ClassicBean

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2004
642
3
Torontoland
I am sure Telus will drop it on Koodo customers. And then Bell will say, "we can't leave our low-cost carrier out" and Solo will have it to. Looking forward to seeing the day when President's Choice and Speakout get them.
 

notstevelam

macrumors newbie
Nov 14, 2009
17
0
Although technically the same company, both Rogers and Fido had the iPhone prior to July 2008. They are different carriers with different phones (mostly) and different plans.

they are not different at all.
the plans for the iphone are basically the same for both fido/rogers. (for those that dont know, rogers owns fido)
 

michaellinehan

macrumors member
Dec 13, 2007
35
0
Choice of Gouger

So now we have more choice who we get gouged by. Wonderful. It's about as meaningful as choosing where you buy your gas. Or, radical idea, maybe Virgin could introduce real competition. Think it will ever happen in Canada?
 

trainguy77

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2003
3,567
1
So now we have more choice who we get gouged by. Wonderful. It's about as meaningful as choosing where you buy your gas. Or, radical idea, maybe Virgin could introduce real competition. Think it will ever happen in Canada?

Not until wind mobile launches. Even they are even aloud too.
 

phaedarus

macrumors regular
Dec 27, 2008
165
7
So now we have more choice who we get gouged by. Wonderful. It's about as meaningful as choosing where you buy your gas. Or, radical idea, maybe Virgin could introduce real competition. Think it will ever happen in Canada?

Doubtful.

Canada is run by the Rogers/Bell duopoly who don't compete but rather, conspire together on how best to rip the Canadian consumer off.

Canada's telecom infrastructure, once the envy of the world ten years ago, is now no better than some third world nations.

Our internet is serviced mostly by old copper wires with 5 MB connections for which we pay $50 a month. Everyone else in the world has options ranging from 20 MB to 100MB with unlimited bandwidth for less than $40 per month.

Yes, in Canada, we also pay the second highest rate in the world per MB. We are subject to throttling and bandwidth caps of usually 60MB per month with overage charges from $1.25 per GIG to something as abusrd as $10 per gig from Videotron.

Our mobile offers are just as ridiculous. Everything we do from texting to surfing is nickle and dimed. No unlimted for anything.

We pay more and get FAR less.

Do I see the iPhone coming to Virgin Mobile as being anything other than yet another guise by the incumbents fool to our toothless CRTC into thinking we actually have competition?

**** NO.
 

Darkroom

Guest
Dec 15, 2006
2,445
0
Montréal, Canada
Doubtful.

Canada is run by the Rogers/Bell duopoly who don't compete but rather, conspire together on how best to rip the Canadian consumer off.

Canada's telecom infrastructure, once the envy of the world ten years ago, is now no better than some third world nations.

Our internet is serviced mostly by old copper wires with 5 MB connections for which we pay $50 a month. Everyone else in the world has options ranging from 20 MB to 100MB with unlimited bandwidth for less than $40 per month.

Yes, in Canada, we also pay the second highest rate in the world per MB. We are subject to throttling and bandwidth caps of usually 60MB per month with overage charges from $1.25 per GIG to something as abusrd as $10 per gig from Videotron.

Our mobile offers are just as ridiculous. Everything we do from texting to surfing is nickle and dimed. No unlimted for anything.

We pay more and get FAR less.

Do I see the iPhone coming to Virgin Mobile as being anything other than yet another guise by the incumbents fool to our toothless CRTC into thinking we actually have competition?

**** NO.

+1
 

franzmueller

macrumors regular
Dec 1, 2007
212
0
Spain
Doubtful.

Canada is run by the Rogers/Bell duopoly who don't compete but rather, conspire together on how best to rip the Canadian consumer off.

Canada's telecom infrastructure, once the envy of the world ten years ago, is now no better than some third world nations.

Our internet is serviced mostly by old copper wires with 5 MB connections for which we pay $50 a month. Everyone else in the world has options ranging from 20 MB to 100MB with unlimited bandwidth for less than $40 per month.

Yes, in Canada, we also pay the second highest rate in the world per MB. We are subject to throttling and bandwidth caps of usually 60MB per month with overage charges from $1.25 per GIG to something as abusrd as $10 per gig from Videotron.

Our mobile offers are just as ridiculous. Everything we do from texting to surfing is nickle and dimed. No unlimted for anything.

We pay more and get FAR less.

Do I see the iPhone coming to Virgin Mobile as being anything other than yet another guise by the incumbents fool to our toothless CRTC into thinking we actually have competition?

**** NO.

Wrong ...

Spain has the worst internet offering from all " industrial nations " we pay here twice what you do in Canada .... how is that ?

Counting the days till the Spanish Telefonica losses their monopoly over the iphone .... ordered a 3GS for my wife on launch day and we/she is still waiting to receive it .... over 4 months now ?? wtf :mad:

Saludos


Franz
 

phaedarus

macrumors regular
Dec 27, 2008
165
7
Wrong ...

Spain has the worst internet offering from all " industrial nations " we pay here twice what you do in Canada .... how is that ?

Counting the days till the Spanish Telefonica losses their monopoly over the iphone .... ordered a 3GS for my wife on launch day and we/she is still waiting to receive it .... over 4 months now ?? wtf :mad:

Saludos


Franz

The big difference here is that, at the very least, you'll likely have your monopolistic issues resolved within your LIFETIME.

Bell Canada, our incumbent telecom, has been operating for over 130 years and was granted a legal monopoly from our government which they are now abusing.

Do you actually pay in excess of $80 for only 5MB of access in Spain, as per your claims of paying twice the price? Are you throttled? Are you bandwidth capped? Is your regulatory body continually siding with the monopolistic firms?

My understanding is that from the statistical survey which was completed, only in latin America was there a specific nation which ranked higher than Canada for cost per MB. I can't recall exactly which one, perhaps Brazil.

I can believe that not all of Europe has great Internet access, but a majority of nations that make up the EU certainly do. At the very least, you have the option of relocating elsewhere in a far more expedient manner. In fact, isn't that what many youngsters in Spain are doing now anyway?
 

Bonsai71

macrumors newbie
Oct 30, 2008
28
0
The big difference here is that, at the very least, you'll likely have your monopolistic issues resolved within your LIFETIME.

Bell Canada, our incumbent telecom, has been operating for over 130 years and was granted a legal monopoly from our government which they are now abusing.

Do you actually pay in excess of $80 for only 5MB of access in Spain, as per your claims of paying twice the price? Are you throttled? Are you bandwidth capped? Is your regulatory body continually siding with the monopolistic firms?

My understanding is that from the statistical survey which was completed, only in latin America was there a specific nation which ranked higher than Canada for cost per MB. I can't recall exactly which one, perhaps Brazil.

I can believe that not all of Europe has great Internet access, but a majority of nations that make up the EU certainly do. At the very least, you have the option of relocating elsewhere in a far more expedient manner. In fact, isn't that what many youngsters in Spain are doing now anyway?

What are you talking about here? Cell data plans, or broadband?

Since the iPhone turned up, *everything* changed in Canada, and the iPhone was solely responsible - in fact - I'm pretty sure the massive MacRumors Rogers Canada thread was partly responsible (one of the largest number of negatives). Here is my Fido Plan:

6Gb of Data (thats 6144Mb) : $30
2000 minutes: $40
Voicemail, Caller ID etc.: $10

Total is $80 plus tax. Thats it. No system access, no additional 911 fee.

And you get tethering for no additional cost, or restrictions, unlike the US, or the UK.

So, if you can keep your usage under 6Gb, you can DROP your cable / ADSL internet if you want to, and broadband from anywhere, with 3GS getting speeds of 350Mb/sec to 800Mb/sec in the city.

This pricing has been the case for a year and half now (since the iPhone 3G launched).

$80 for 5Mb? Change your provider! The $30/6Gb deals come when the iPhone models come out, and are available for a few months after, but if you spoke really nicely to a customer service agent, and said it was a deal breaker for changing to them, well, who knows - they may be able to accommodate you, or you may have to wait until summer.

Before the iPhone though, it was really, really, really terrible here - I do agree.

Just shows what an industry disruptor Apple can be - amazing really.
 

trainguy77

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2003
3,567
1
What are you talking about here? Cell data plans, or broadband?

Since the iPhone turned up, *everything* changed in Canada, and the iPhone was solely responsible - in fact - I'm pretty sure the massive MacRumors Rogers Canada thread was partly responsible (one of the largest number of negatives). Here is my Fido Plan:

6Gb of Data (thats 6144Mb) : $30
2000 minutes: $40
Voicemail, Caller ID etc.: $10

Total is $80 plus tax. Thats it. No system access, no additional 911 fee.

And you get tethering for no additional cost, or restrictions, unlike the US, or the UK.

So, if you can keep your usage under 6Gb, you can DROP your cable / ADSL internet if you want to, and broadband from anywhere, with 3GS getting speeds of 350Mb/sec to 800Mb/sec in the city.

This pricing has been the case for a year and half now (since the iPhone 3G launched).

$80 for 5Mb? Change your provider! The $30/6Gb deals come when the iPhone models come out, and are available for a few months after, but if you spoke really nicely to a customer service agent, and said it was a deal breaker for changing to them, well, who knows - they may be able to accommodate you, or you may have to wait until summer.

Before the iPhone though, it was really, really, really terrible here - I do agree.

Just shows what an industry disruptor Apple can be - amazing really.

350 to 800 Mb/s I don't know what city you live in. But I am lucky to get 300 kb/s. 350 Mb/s is not even possible. The new network recently announced offers speeds of 21 Mbps in theory. Yet most people can't get above 5 Mbps. Thats even a stretch....

I don't know where you get your info but $80 is still a rip off compared to europe. Yes the iPhone lowered prices that doesn't mean they are competitive.
 

Bonsai71

macrumors newbie
Oct 30, 2008
28
0
350 to 800 Mb/s I don't know what city you live in. But I am lucky to get 300 kb/s. 350 Mb/s is not even possible. The new network recently announced offers speeds of 21 Mbps in theory. Yet most people can't get above 5 Mbps. Thats even a stretch....

I don't know where you get your info but $80 is still a rip off compared to europe. Yes the iPhone lowered prices that doesn't mean they are competitive.

Whoops - my bad - I meant KB/sec (kilo bytes), not MB/sec (that would be cool!)
 

wolfshades

macrumors 6502
Nov 1, 2007
485
625
Toronto, Ontario Canada
Having been a Rogers customer for about six years now (probably more but I lost count) and having shelled out thousand of dollars to them, you can bet I'll be looking at the Virgin mobile offering quite closely. Even that quote above regarding the Fido data and voice plans looks attractive - even though Fido is owned by Rogers.

For sure there had better be some competition here. No one wants to change companies merely on the basis of a nickle and dime reductions.
 

ClassicBean

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2004
642
3
Torontoland
Hopefully things change in 2010 when DAVE Wireless and Public Mobile enter the market.

Public Mobile (PublicMobile.ca) is boasting a $40 unlimited text and talk plan. They only have one phone on there, but still. Could be a sign of good things to come. At least until they got swallowed up by Rogers, of course.
 

tirchusjk

macrumors newbie
Nov 30, 2009
1
0
That's a very interesting topic. But this field is still new to me. It will be grateful if you give me some
more information about it. Thanks in advance.
 

aristotle

macrumors 68000
Mar 13, 2007
1,768
5
Canada
they are not different at all.
the plans for the iphone are basically the same for both fido/rogers. (for those that dont know, rogers owns fido)
Uh, no. I was a Rogers customer for a number of years and I've been a Fido customer since the launch of the iPhone 3G in Canada.

Rogers tends to serve more rural areas outside of the core metropolitan areas while Fido tends to be concentrated in the main population centres. Fido charges extra to use the Rogers network outside of major cities where there is no Fido coverage.

Fido has something called "City Fido" for people who generally stay in one city. They also have an option to have 5pm unlimited Evenings and Weekends and start at 6pm by default IIRC while Rogers Evenings and weekends starts at 7pm with an option for 6pm.
 

trainguy77

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2003
3,567
1
Uh, no. I was a Rogers customer for a number of years and I've been a Fido customer since the launch of the iPhone 3G in Canada.

Rogers tends to serve more rural areas outside of the core metropolitan areas while Fido tends to be concentrated in the main population centres. Fido charges extra to use the Rogers network outside of major cities where there is no Fido coverage.

Fido has something called "City Fido" for people who generally stay in one city. They also have an option to have 5pm unlimited Evenings and Weekends and start at 6pm by default IIRC while Rogers Evenings and weekends starts at 7pm with an option for 6pm.

The charging to use Rogers outside of the major cities was for the old plans I thought? I can find that mentioned anywhere. The plans are pretty similar though. For me rogers is actually cheaper.
 
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