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How do Canadians(and the Swedish) cope with high data plan prices?

B

benkenobi

macrumors member
Original poster
May 27, 2009
33
0
I've been hearing stories that Canadians have a 400MB/month limit on their data plans. A 75 SMS sending limit. 150minutes of free call time. All of this for more than 60$ and up. The Canadians need to be liberated.

So I was wondering, with smart phones and unlimlited data plans becoming the norm,
How do Canadians (and the Swedish) survive in these harsh conditions? 400MB...you'd probably max out in a week.

Limited data plans would also limit Apples iphone sales. It is the internet phone so without the internet it would lose it's glamour.

Just the thought of a 400MB cap frightens me. Would you have the guts to open up safari, google maps or youtube anymore? No.. you'd probably only be able to check your mail. It's also scares me that most people their think it is the norm (phones are just used to check your email mentality) so most Canucks seem to not mind. Would like to hear some peoples views about it especially those who actually live in these countries.
 
Okay, well here's my plan from Rogers:

200 daytime minutes
UL evenings/weekends @ 9pm
My5 Canada wide talk and SMS/MMS
500 MB data
---------------
$45/month


2500 text messages
Call Display
Voicemail
--------------
$10/month


I really can't complain, I love what I have. And honestly, I use my phone religiously, safari, maps, youtube, you name it, and I've never gone over 250 MB in a month.
 
New first time iPhone buyer through Rogers up here in Canada (3Gs), my data plan is $30/month for 6gig's of transfer. My voice plan is separate. That doesn't seem too 'over the top'.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_7; en-us) AppleWebKit/530.19.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.2 Safari/530.19)

Yeah, you're just wrong.

I have 200 daytime minutes, free nights & weekends, unlimited SMS/MMS, and call display for $45 / month and I have the 6GB data plan for $30.

My wife is on a "low" data plan, she gets 500MB of data. She's a light user (and there's WiFi in the house) anyway, but still, you'd be surprised how much data you actually use in just Mail, Safarai and apps. I pretty much have to start hitting You Tube heavily to really rack up the data I find. ymmv.
 
I'll end up getting an iPhone next year, probably when the next update is released. I'll end up going with Fido since I'll get:

$35 Voiceplan
- 350 Minutes, billed by the second
- Unlimited Evenings and Weekends starting at 7PM
- Unlimited Text Messages Sent
- Text Messages received are free
- No System Access fee/911 fee
- Call Waiting
- Conference Calling

$30 Data Plan/6GB per month (they should have this deal again)

That doesn't seem to bad to me for $65 a month.
 
Just for comparison, Japan is:

$45-unlimited 7.2 internet. ***** fast son.
$10- plan (no calls)
$3 to use the internet (pointless charge just to charge)
$10-for 32gig phone (mobile rental over 24months)

so thats $68 i pay, no calls included, sms is free to same carrier, actually only my carrier has SMS in japan.

calls are 40cents/minute
 
Seems to me that the iphone plans in canada is cheaper than in the US. I wouldnt mind 500mb of data on ATT for $10, or 1gb for $15.
 
I am coping just fine with 6Gbs of data 250 minutes unlimited evenings/weekends starting at 6pm, unlimited SMS/MMS (yes the MMS worked on 3.0 launch day), tethering (also worked on launch day), all for 70 bucks a month. Oh and our download speeds with the 3G network are well over twice the average speed of ATT...I guess the real question is how can you Americans cope with the cost and slow speeds you get there?
 
jessica. said:
Beer and lots of it.
Click to expand...

lmao

I guess it's not as easy to go over the limit judging from the replies. 400MB or 6GB does sound really small when you compare it to do 300GB data plan I am using.

Still.. I pay around 50$US for all this: unlimited sms, free calls between the same carrier 300gb data plan.
 
benkenobi said:
lmao

I guess it's not as easy to go over the limit judging from the replies. 400MB or 6GB does sound really small when you compare it to do 300GB data plan I am using.

Still.. I pay around 50$US for all this: unlimited sms, free calls between the same carrier 300gb data plan.
Click to expand...

lol... what're you going to do with 300 gigs of data?

EDIT: It would be good for tethering....
 
benkenobi said:
lmao

I guess it's not as easy to go over the limit judging from the replies. 400MB or 6GB does sound really small when you compare it to do 300GB data plan I am using.

Still.. I pay around 50$US for all this: unlimited sms, free calls between the same carrier 300gb data plan.
Click to expand...

which carrier in the US are you getting 300GB of data with?
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_5_7; en-us) AppleWebKit/530.19.2 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.2 Safari/530.19)

Oh yeah, almost forgot: MMS actually works here. Has since launch day. And, (until 2010 anyway) tethering is FREE!

Suck on that, AT&T!
 
As well, I read on iPhone-in-Canada that actual data transmission rates (download and upload) on Rogers (canada) vs ATT were twice as fast or better here in Canada.

I have 250 min anytime, free after 6pm and w/e, unlimited text in and 25 text out (I don't text very often) and call display and answer and forwarding for $27 per month and 6 Gig data for an extra $30/month.
 
I got here in Canada with Rogers:

250 minutes = $20
evenings and weekends @ 6 pm =$5
1000 Canadian LD minutes = $5
2500 text, CID, VM = $10
6 GB data= $30

then,
Free Rogers to Rogers
and $15 credit

= $65 including service charges and tax.

I'm pretty happy. What would this cost in the states?
 
Leafs said:
I got here in Canada with Rogers:

250 minutes = $20
evenings and weekends @ 6 pm =$5
1000 Canadian LD minutes = $5
2500 text, CID, VM = $10
6 GB data= $30

then,
Free Rogers to Rogers
and $15 credit

= $65 including service charges and tax.

I'm pretty happy. What would this cost in the states?
Click to expand...

This is almost exactly what I have.
 
Leafs said:
250 minutes = $20
evenings and weekends @ 6 pm =$5
1000 Canadian LD minutes = $5
2500 text, CID, VM = $10
6 GB data= $30

then,
Free Rogers to Rogers
and $15 credit

= $65 including service charges and tax.
Click to expand...

Hmm, this is quite a bit better than my plan from fido. Might have to call them up ....

How are you getting that $15 credit?

and do you mean it's $82 including service charges and tax? ('cause then it's not that much better than what I got currently)
 
cellocello said:
Hmm, this is quite a bit better than my plan from fido. Might have to call them up ....

How are you getting that $15 credit?

and do you mean it's $82 including service charges and tax? ('cause then it's not that much better than what I got currently)
Click to expand...

No I mean it is $65/month including service chares and tax, meaning as long as I don't go over anything I will ONLY pay $65 in total.

Anyways if you have been with Rogers for a while you can call a number and negotiate a better plan if you think you are paying to much. I believe Fido has the same thing. Might want to look into it if you have been there for a while. I got this contract after being with Rogers for 3 years and my contract expired so I called saying I wanted to upgrade my phone from a Razr to a iphone but am not willing to pay the iphone bills as I am a student and can't afford it. Had to call a couple of times to get exactly what I wanted because each person you talk to is different and nicer in their own way. Hope this helps and good luck. Oh and I can give you the link if you want. Dunno if i can post it here.
 
Basically to respond to the OP's statement I don't think it's nearly as bad here in Canada as the information that you've seen...

as many posters have touched on... most of us have 6GB data plans that include free tethering until at least December 31, 2009.

We have the ability to use MMS...

I know that my personal plan includes 2,500 SMS (sent) Unlimited free SMS received, 200 day time minutes, free evenings/weekends at 5PM... all for just over $60 before fees/taxes... around 70 with fee's/taxes...

Plus we have the choice of going with two different carriers (Rogers or Fido) even though Rogers owns Fido... they offer different plans etc....
 
Cescfabregas4 said:
Seems to me that the iphone plans in canada is cheaper than in the US. I wouldnt mind 500mb of data on ATT for $10, or 1gb for $15.
Click to expand...

I agree. ATT in US needs a lower data tier for lighter users. $30
is overpriced for a data plan. But Verizon and ATT will not start a price war since between them they own (control) most of the market.
 
aprofetto said:
Okay, well here's my plan from Rogers:

200 daytime minutes
UL evenings/weekends @ 9pm
My5 Canada wide talk and SMS/MMS
500 MB data
---------------
$45/month


2500 text messages
Call Display
Voicemail
--------------
$10/month


I really can't complain, I love what I have. And honestly, I use my phone religiously, safari, maps, youtube, you name it, and I've never gone over 250 MB in a month.
Click to expand...




HOW the heck did you get such an awesome plan?
Please tell me how! :D
 
sumaznboi said:
HOW the heck did you get such an awesome plan?
Please tell me how! :D
Click to expand...

thats just a pretty well known $45 voice+data plan with a $10 retention valupack. its still around, but the $45 plan has been reduced to 100min, and MY5 option now local instead of nationwide.

the best thing for anyone who wants to improve their plan is by calling retentions directly.
 
The name of this thread should be

How do us Americans live with such high prices and data plans?
 
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