Rogers Announces iPhone Plans in Canada

[maestrokev]

I would love to have seen cheaper plans and higher caps but people should be taking advantage of the unlimited access to WiFI provided by Rogers and Fido for their heavy data needs while away from the office or their home.

I have see reports from quite a few heavy email/browser users of the first generation iPhone reporting that their monthly usage was between 100-300MB. Now that would fit within the 60 dollar plan.

Quite frankly, I have little sympathy people who expect that everyone should be sucking up the bandwidth our finite cellular network watching Youtube videos on 3G. Streaming video is best done with your computer or while at a WiFi hotspot. I want to be able to have the bandwidth for voice or data when I really need it but that is not going to happen if everyone is downloading streams of video now is it?

Please try to think of the big picture.

The fact of the matter is that Canada is too spread out to expect unlimited access on the 3G network and the caps are designed to discourage everyone from having a free for all reducing quality of service for everyone.

I'm going to get the 75 dollar plan and hope that I can negotiate a package deal for that price. Instead of whining, think about trying to haggle with Rogers instead.

PS. I decided to neither vote positive or negative on the story because I'm a realist.

You need to get out of Canada and see what 3G/3.5G mobile phone networks can do. Go to Europe, Asia or Australia where 3.5G has been around for a while and you'll understand that data and voice can coexist happily. In Australia telecoms are not investing in cable or ADSL internet infrastructure as fast as they are in expanding their wireless 3.5G home internet.

You've been sipping the Rogers kool-aid for so long you don't know what technological advancements are available now.

If an iPhone user has to go find a WiFI hotspot, forget the fact you have a mobile phone, why not go back home for residential internet access?

I'm glad you've seen reports of people using 100-300MB on EDGE ... not 3G. I've seen reports of people using less than 100MB on dial up internet too, is that what you're using so you don't abuse broadband internet?

 

[darkblu]

sorry for the off-topic, but..

That is a laugh. I can go to a local clinic and see at least see the on duty clinic doctor if not my own doctor within 20 minutes as a walk-in. If I had a real emergency, I could go to the local main hospital and get taken in almost right away.

Idiots go to the emergency for non-emergencies and wait hours on both sides of the border because emergencies take priority at the ER. *GASP* What a surprise eh?

Get a family doctor and you won't have that problem.

i've been reading your posts throughout this thread and i can't decide if you are some misguided 'patriot' or plain stupid.

let me explain to you some basics about the health system:

* family doctors are as good as giving your general check-ups and prescribing pills for blood pressure. for every serious health issue you need to be seen by a specialist, and it's there that canadians often do wait multiple hours in waiting rooms (best case) or are put on a waiting list for months on.

* at least here in toronto emergency services are overloaded and as such largely unable to meet the 'emergency' aspect of their duties. last time i had to go to the ER (not for myself, i was support) the injured person had to sit in a wating room for 4h+ with a severe fracture of his upper arm before he even got checked what the problem was. no screening check (except for what the paramedics perform), no pain-killer medications, nothing - he just sat there and moaned with pain for 4h straight, and i guess the rest of the people in that waiting room where in similar condition. the only time you get 'right through the door' ER treatment is when you show symptoms of a terminal cardio-conditions ('chest pain' as the paramedics call it) - everything else is considered second tier. bad luck if you have final-stage appendicitis, i guess.

but the above are the just the 'shrug off and carry on' strokes of the picture. canada's health care problems have much darker and dramatic side - people have been dying deprived of any hope while on waiting lists for cancer surgery (no, i'm not speaking hypothetically). so excuse me if i come out rather harsh but i do get pissed off when i see such 'it-hasn't-affected-me-so-it-must-be-rosy' opinions on public forums on such grave matters as health care issues.

the heck with rogers, they've just been utilizing their monopoly and nobody can accuse them of doing it wrong - which company would not under similar conditions? yes, canada is a thriving ground for monopolies, but a telecom can only be a nuisance at best. at the end of the day, we'll just continue to use our ipods touch with wi-fi spots or our hacked g2 iphones and nothing will change for the worse. a miss-handled health issue, though, can shake your life from the ground up, and i just wish nobody here gets to find out how that goes.

again, sorry for the off-topicness, even moreso that i had already said everything i had to say on the tread's subject in the beginning of this thread.

 

[mrhud]

The response confirms what I thought. The unlimited plans are not really unlimited and the provider will go after you if you are a consistent abuser of the service. The purpose of the cellular network is first and foremost for providing voice calls and data services are of a secondary priority.

I would love to have seen cheaper plans and higher caps but people should be taking advantage of the unlimited access to WiFI provided by Rogers and Fido for their heavy data needs while away from the office or their home.

I have see reports from quite a few heavy email/browser users of the first generation iPhone reporting that their monthly usage was between 100-300MB. Now that would fit within the 60 dollar plan.

I would also like to point out that some long time Rogers customers receive a loyalty discount with their current plan and it is possible that Rogers might be convinced to honour it with the iPhone plans. This might make it possible for some customers to either get the 75 dollar plan for 60 or get the 60 dollar plan plus the 15 dollar value pack for 60 bucks.

Quite frankly, I have little sympathy people who expect that everyone should be sucking up the bandwidth our finite cellular network watching Youtube videos on 3G. Streaming video is best done with your computer or while at a WiFi hotspot. I want to be able to have the bandwidth for voice or data when I really need it but that is not going to happen if everyone is downloading streams of video now is it?

Please try to think of the big picture.

The fact of the matter is that Canada is too spread out to expect unlimited access on the 3G network and the caps are designed to discourage everyone from having a free for all reducing quality of service for everyone.

I'm going to get the 75 dollar plan and hope that I can negotiate a package deal for that price. Instead of whining, think about trying to haggle with Rogers instead.

PS. I decided to neither vote positive or negative on the story because I'm a realist.

Realist? You sound more like a Rogers Employee of the Month.

 

[yoink]

I say let the market decide.

Ask you and everyone you know to hold of buying one, even if it's just for a few days... make the launch flop; get people to hold off for a bit to lower the excitement and momentum of the launch, and they'll have to lower prices or make an adjustment to the value of the service.

 

[facere]

lol, i just cant believe that in such a developed country it costs extra to show WHO is calling, if i understood that right

for comparison: in AUSTRIA (not australia..) my plan costs 24 euros and includes 1000 minutes within the network, 1000 minutes to other networks within austria, 1000 minutes to landlines in austria, 1000 text messages, 100mb data, watching tv on the mobile via umts for free or via dvb-h, skype or msn on my mobile.

it costs 19 euros if you choose a SIM only contract.

so that would be, 10 dollar?

and its absolutely ridicculous what is offered for SO MUCH MONEY in other countries.

ps: t-mobile austria, the official provider of the iphone has also very ridicculous plans for the iphone here, nobody gets it with THESE contracts.

get it somewhere unlocked and choose a provider of your choice.

apple is definitely not informed how mobile networks in europe/ austria work, and what they offer to theyr customers.

 

[yoink]

lol, i just cant believe that in such a developed country it costs extra to show WHO is calling, if i understood that right

for comparison: in AUSTRIA (not australia..) my plan costs 24 euros and includes 1000 minutes within the network, 1000 minutes to other networks within austria, 1000 minutes to landlines in austria, 1000 text messages, 100mb data, watching tv on the mobile via umts for free or via dvb-h, skype or msn on my mobile.

it costs 19 euros if you choose a SIM only contract.

so that would be, 10 dollar?

and its absolutely ridicculous what is offered for SO MUCH MONEY in other countries.

ps: t-mobile austria, the official provider of the iphone has also very ridicculous plans for the iphone here, nobody gets it with THESE contracts.

get it somewhere unlocked and choose a provider of your choice.

apple is definitely not informed how mobile networks in europe/ austria work, and what they offer to theyr customers.

Actually 1 Euro is about 2.2 dollars so that would be about $50 and $22 respectively.

Still very cheap compared to Canadian prices. The 1000 minute plan with NO options is $100/month and that's just 1000 minutes period, not 3000 plus text and data.

 

[facere]

Actually 1 Euro is about 2.2 dollars so that would be about $50 and $22 respectively.

Still very cheap compared to Canadian prices. The 1000 minute plan with NO options is $100/month and that's just 1000 minutes period, not 3000 plus text and data.

im sorry, youre right of course, its late here, and im always calculating what things i would buy if i come to the us because it is all soooo cheap

 

[queshy]

So, should I just wait for the iPhone plan to drop in price (if that ever happens)? Perhaps a voice only plan will surface. OR should I seek alternatives....

 

[maestrokev]

So, should I just wait for the iPhone plan to drop in price (if that ever happens)? Perhaps a voice only plan will surface. OR should I seek alternatives....

I'm definitely waiting ... I suspect we won't be the only ones if the negative rating here is any indication. Didn't hesitate for a second to buy the MBA, but this time Rogers drew first blood ...

 

[jplan2008]

Basic -$60.00
Call Display - $20.00
Fees: $6.95
911: $0.50
Additional 300 Talk minutes @.35 = $105.00
Additional 400MB Data = $40.20

$232.45 plus Long Distance @.25/min charges plus 5% GST & 7% PST

You'd have to be a moron to sign up for this package.

Sorry, I don't disagree with some of the complaints, but yes, you'd have to be a moron to pay overages of $145 per mo. instead of going for the higher plan. Some of the AT&T info you gave is also incorrect:

Cheapest plans:
AT&T:
$39.99 cheapest plan, 450 minutes, 5,000 nights and weekends (nights normally start at 9:00 PM, not 7) -- incoming minutes ARE counted out of that too, but not AT&T mobiles
$30 unlimited data
0 texts in or out (we think -- POSSIBLY 200 total, but incoming ARE counted out of that)
(caller i.d., free M2M, long distance included)
= $70 U.S.

Rogers:
$60 includes 150 minutes, 400 MB data, 75 outgoing texts, unlimited incoming, unlimited nights/weekends.

So, for (approx) $10 less, you have many fewer minutes (and long-distance extra?), a limit on data, but unlimited nights/weekends vs 5,000, 75 texts out/unlimited in, vs 0/0 (I think) (and no caller ID? Ridiculous)

Probably the most comparable:
AT&T:
$39.99 cheapest plan, 450 minutes, 5,000 nights and weekends
$30 unlimited data
$20 for unlimited texts
$8.99 -- nights start at 7 PM
includes "message display" and long-distance
=$99 U.S.
Rogers:
$75 plan, includes 300 minutes, unlimited nights and weekends,
750 MB data
$20 extra includes 10,000 sent texts, unlimited incoming texts, 2,500 forwarding minutes, "call display," and 5PM nights and weekends ("Fido" -- but does that mean just other Rogers phones? Or anyone?)
=$95 CDN

So, for a bit less -- you get 150 fewer minutes, a 750 MB limit on data, but you get forwarding minutes, and nights that start at 5. (and nights/weekends unlimited instead of our 5,000) (and we have taxes and fees, too, and are NOT charged by the second -- I've never even heard of that). We get long-distance included and free M2M (AT&T cells).

To me, the worst part of the Rogers plan is it bundles together minutes and data, but separates caller i.d., which should be included in ANY basic plan on ANY phone. They say you don't have to pay for unlimited if you don't need it, but what about someone who wants more data, but doesn't need more minutes, and vice-versa? I use less than 200MB on Edge, so even if I use twice as much data with 3G, the 400MB would be o.k., but 150 minutes on the basic plan is a joke. Plus, the majority of my calls are long distance, and those long-distance rates quoted, if they're really not included, are outrageous. What's an ordinary voice plus text plan (with "call display") on Rogers? It seems that by bundling that with data they end up ripping you off on both -- but it seems to me the rip-off is more on the voice side than the data side, like someone else said.

 

[jwdav]

Sorry, I don't disagree with some of the complaints, but yes, you'd have to be a moron to pay overages of $145 per mo. instead of going for the higher plan. Some of the AT&T info you gave is also incorrect:

Thanks for the corrections - Most of what I listed was based on the former plan & rumours of the new one. I was also trying to show what you would pay with Rogers if you signed up for their base plan, and then used a qty of minutes/data available to someone on AT&T's base plan - comparable usage on the cheapest plan.

In any event, between the lines of what I was posting, is that these plans set you up to overbuy or get killed on overages. With AT&T, you can only get dinged on minutes, at $.45/per, but it's much easier to plan three years out on minute usage, than data and text usage. You also can control and monitor that usage better, plus the minutes you buy with AT&T roll over into the next month.

With Rogers plan, you pay extra for:

Any Long Distance -$.35/minute
Data Overages - $30/60MB + lower rate above that
Text Overages
SAF/911/Call Display - add $26.95 to any plan

And, if you overbuy your plan to avoid hitting the overages I ballparked, your minutes don't roll over, they're gone.

 

[dam0dred]

After thinking this over I just can't justify getting an iPhone. As someone paying his way through law school money is tight and 100$ a month on a cell phone is just not reasonable.

Rogers has priced the iPhone so that even someone like myself, as big an Apple fanboy as there is, won't be getting one.

Dammit.

 

[shabbasuraj]

iPhone will have disappointing sales after the initial hype...


Dear Steve... please flex some muscle.

thanks

 

[jwdav]

Rogers has priced the iPhone so that even someone like myself, as big an Apple fanboy as there is, won't be getting one.
Dammit.

Sorry to hear you've been sidelined ...

A week ago I was regretting buying a v1 iPhone last fall ... right about now, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

What's also ironic, is that I have a City Fido account ($45 no SAF/ Unlimited Calls Anytime) with a Fido LD package ($10/400 minutes North America).

With the new data plans, and my 2.5G iPhone, I have an iPhone with unlimited local calls, 400 minutes of long distance and 300MB data - for a total of $85.00/month + Tax.

Why couldn't Rogers even get close to this?

 

[mBox]

iPhone will have disappointing sales after the initial hype...


Dear Steve... please flex some muscle.

thanks

I guess with Rogers revealing their pricing was meant to create a buzz in the Canadian public....well as a Manitoban, the only buzz their creating is the same as our freakin Super Sized Mosquitoes
Way to go Rogers, great publicity stunt....ouch!!

 

[MadWhack]

Sorry to hear you've been sidelined ...

A week ago I was regretting buying a v1 iPhone last fall ... right about now, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

What's also ironic, is that I have a City Fido account ($45 no SAF/ Unlimited Calls Anytime) with a Fido LD package ($10/400 minutes North America).

With the new data plans, and my 2.5G iPhone, I have an iPhone with unlimited local calls, 400 minutes of long distance and 300MB data - for a total of $85.00/month + Tax.

Why couldn't Rogers even get close to this?

Probably because 2 items in your plan haven't existed for years

 

[naftalim]

Its not the cbe ost of the plans, its the limiting of fuctionality

In all he discussions about the Rogers plans, the focus seems to be the total dollar amount that a customer would have to pay. The other side of this coin and the more important one is that these plans cripple the iPhone and the User Experience

On the lowest plan, these users will be unable to use MobileMe or any apps that access the internet for updates. Why would someone want an iPhone if they can't use it for what its meant to do? Essentially it becomes a pretty phone with fast internet access which you can't use. Its like having a Ferrari but you are only allowed to use it 2 hours a month!

The other aspect is the metering imposed by limited bandwidth. Who wants to have a device which you are hesitant to use when you want to lest you go over a limit and incur enormous charges?

Rogers uses download stats from 10 years ago. Todays email and web pages as well as other apps that use the internet don't resemble that period at all.

If Rogers was smart they would offer the iphone with unlimited data to everyone for 90 days. Once these 90 days are past and people have had exposure to all that the iPhone can do, then they can make a decision which apps they would often use and which not and choose a plan accordingly. This would benefit Rogers as it increases the chances of many more customers choosing the higher value packages once they have seen what it can do for them. Many more people would be walking around with iPhones showing their friends who could then become customers as well.

Unfortunately, this requires breaking away from the mold used by Rogers till now, and they would rather play it safe.

 

[macman500]

Why the 1-year delay?

I'm curious, does anyone now know (or have a good guess) why it took a year to introduce iPhone into Canada?

If Rogers didn't have to introduce an unlimited data plan, what concessions DID it make? Has Rogers explained the delay?

 

[macman500]

What can we expect to pay?

Another thing:

What is the average data consumption rate for an iPhone?

If we knew what most people would likely consume data-wise, then we could price this plan out more precisely.

Remember, for data overages, Rogers will charge:

50¢ per MB for the first 60 MB, 3¢ per MB thereafter

 

[galstaph]

meh, not really that good if you ask me, pricing is on the high side for what is available in other countries... we need competition and fairness

 

[generationxwing]

Another thing:

What is the average data consumption rate for an iPhone?

This is exactly what I want to know. If it's only 300mb, then who cares? If it's 4 gigs, then we have a problem here.

 

[Garemz]

This is exactly what I want to know. If it's only 300mb, then who cares? If it's 4 gigs, then we have a problem here.

100% agree

Let's say I'm sitting around for an hour viewing this web page, and this thread, posting sometimes, how much data would I use? I'm all grown up now, I don't want to be told on how much i can use my iphone per day to check my email and surf.

 

[Dimwhit]

Another thing:

What is the average data consumption rate for an iPhone?

If we knew what most people would likely consume data-wise, then we could price this plan out more precisely.

Well, that info isn't out there yet. Not accurately. Any number will be for the Edge network. We need 6 months of 3G usage to know what 'current' iPhone users use.

 

[Yvan256]

This is exactly what I want to know. If it's only 300mb, then who cares? If it's 4 gigs, then we have a problem here.

The problem is that we don't know. The iPhone 3G makes everything faster, which means people will use the services more often.

Ask someone on dial-up what they think of the internet... their usual reply will be "meh". Once they switch to high-speed, they use it every day without thinking about it.

There's also the fact that nobody really knows what will be the average data needed for Mobile Me.

In a nutshell: even if we had the true numbers for current non-3G iPhone users, they would be meaningless.

 

[Garemz]

It's a simple solution folks. Within a month or 2 there will be ways to buy the 3G iphone somewhere and jaukbreak them. If rogers does not smarten up that's all I'm going to do.

no contract
no terms

if they want to gouge I will not give them the time of day signing a 3 year contract ouch