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Rogers' iPhone Exclusivity in Canada to End Next Month?

brad.c said:
The article talks about Bell and Telus co-building a new network compatible with the iPhone.

I have a feeling it's in no small part due to this:

Quote:
Bell and Telus announced a year ago that they would put aside their historic rivalry to build the high-speed packet access network, or HSPA, together. Market conditions forced the pair to extend their networks, in part because the precursor technology to HSPA, known as GSM, is the global wireless standard, allowing Rogers to collect the lion's share of lucrative foreign roaming deals in Canada.
Click to expand...

Based on what you pointed out, I would say that getting the iPhone on their networks is merely a side-effect or an added bonus from the GSM network they plan. I'd bet that the amount they would collect from foreign roamers will be huge, even compared to all the new iPhone contracts they would get. Their main reason for building a GSM network is for the roaming cash; a minor reason would be for the iPhone.
 
Well, this is certainly good news. The Rogers fees are inexcusably high. That said, the telephone companies are giants in Canada, and competition is pretty much nil... so while it will have a minor effect, I won't be expecting a lot.
 
Oh... my... GOD!

I would drop Rogers in a SECOND for Bell. I don't care for prices, but for you AT&T haters, Bell is to Rogers what Verizon is to AT&T. Where I live, 90% of people have Bell, and a few of us have Rogers. Where I work there isn't even a bar of service, but when I signed up for my contract Bell had no good phones.

They now have the Pre, and I was half contemplating jumping ship, but I found the iPhone to be definitely worth the loss of service where I work (I don't even get a bar until I drive five miles away from work).

But now, dear god, I'd jump ships in a second. No matter the price. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
 
Doju said:
Oh... my... GOD!

I would drop Rogers in a SECOND for Bell. I don't care for prices, but for you AT&T haters, Bell is to Rogers what Verizon is to AT&T. Where I live, 90% of people have Bell, and a few of us have Rogers. Where I work there isn't even a bar of service, but when I signed up for my contract Bell had no good phones.

They now have the Pre, and I was half contemplating jumping ship, but I found the iPhone to be definitely worth the loss of service where I work (I don't even get a bar until I drive five miles away from work).

But now, dear god, I'd jump ships in a second. No matter the price. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE.
Click to expand...

don't worry, you'll be able to jump soon. Bell already has iPhones in their warehouse..

out of curiosity, where is it that you work that 90% of people have Bell and not Rogers?
 
It's good because of the competition factor..
But bad because Bell will give the iPhone a bad name. Bell's network sucks! & So does their customer service.
 
About freakin' time. Not so much the iPhone on Telus and Bell, but the two of them getting 3G service. Rogers is finally going to have some competition.

Just to set it straight, like other haven't already pointed out, for future posts:
Rogers (and Fido, which Rogers owns) is (currently) the only GSM network in Canada.
Bell and Telus are both CDMA networks, but are both planning to move to GSM networks, started as early as November.

Now lets just hope Telus doesn't bring back 4 year contracts... Best possible situation would be the original CityFido plan + a data plan for an iPhone. I can dream can't I? ;)
 
I guess Bell won't be needing this ad anymore, lol

apet.jpg
 
Woohoo

This is great! I don't hate or even really mind Rogers, actually I think they're the lesser of all evils. I did however find out a short while ago that i can get a substantial discount with Bell through my work. Even if i don't end up switching over I'm sure I could work out something with retentions. :)
 
monke said:
About freakin' time. Not so much the iPhone on Telus and Bell, but the two of them getting 3G service. Rogers is finally going to have some competition.

Just to set it straight, like other haven't already pointed out, for future posts:
Rogers (and Fido, which Rogers owns) is (currently) the only GSM network in Canada.
Bell and Telus are both CDMA networks, but are both planning to move to GSM networks, started as early as November.

Now lets just hope Telus doesn't bring back 4 year contracts... Best possible situation would be the original CityFido plan + a data plan for an iPhone. I can dream can't I? ;)
Click to expand...

yes, why not dream? we're about to grow to 3 nationwide HSPA carriers (4 if Wind Mobile is able to launch soon too)
 
hNicolas said:
Bell and Telus have been building a GSM network and the have alreday been testing in some areas. Here in Ottawa I have been picking up a mysterious numbered network for a few months now. I can send a pic when I get on my Mac at home.
Click to expand...

HSPA isn't GSM.. Vanilla GSM ( non HSPA compatible ) phones will not work on HSPA networks.
 
Surely said:
Proof?
Click to expand...

i have no physical proof unfortunately. i wouldnt come here lying though. i mentioned elsewhere this past Friday that bell received a small amount of iPhones in their warehouse, with most people at Bell not even knowing about it incredibly..
 
The first Canadian carrier to sell unlocked no-commitment iPhones is going to see a lot of Americans come across the border to pick 'em up. No worries about baseband updates....
 
profets said:
i have no physical proof unfortunately. i wouldnt come here lying though. i mentioned elsewhere this past Friday that bell received a small amount of iPhones in their warehouse, with most people at Bell not even knowing about it incredibly..
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, stating something in two places hardly makes it true.

I'm not calling you a liar, I'm just saying that I'm taking the info you're providing for what it is: unsubstantiated statements made by a faceless person on an internet forum.
 
This probably won't change anything in terms of exclusivity with AT&T.

The iPhone was never 'exclusive' to Rogers/Fido because they were the only carriers that could support the phone, in terms of technology (GSM).

Now that Bell/Telus are building, or have built, their new infrastructure, they can now offer the iPhone.
 
Surely said:
Unfortunately, stating something in two places hardly makes it true.

I'm not calling you a liar, I'm just saying that I'm taking the info you're providing for what it is: unsubstantiated statements made by a faceless person on an internet forum.
Click to expand...

thats totally understandable. when i first found out from my friend on friday about it, i didnt believe him. i had him check it out in person several times.. thinking maybe they were ipod touches or some other apple product. he's shocked himself, especially since its not even in listed in most of bell's internal systems
 
casik said:
Telus and cellars both the most overpriced phone carriers in Canada... Fido is where it's at. Competition is good tho. I read that it isn't a CDMA phone, but a transition of thief netowrks to gsm
Click to expand...

+1 for Fido

I think a Telus or Bell iPhone won't be very desirable, especially a CDMA one. Telus has a really bad reputation for bad customer service and ripoffs. I don't know anyone who even uses Bell.

Fido and Rogers are the go-to places where you can activate imported phones and get relatively reasonable rates and decent contract phones.
 
Oh dear God, not Bell!
The worst company in Canada. Apple should think hard about letting a company known for its terrible customer service and support carry its product. I have yet to meet one person who likes or would switch to Bell.
 
TEG said:
It is going to take some time before Tellus or Bell can even handle the iPhone, as both are CDMA carriers. Rogers/Fido only had it because they were/are the only GSM carrier(s) in Canada. This also leads credence to the rumor of T-Mobile Canada starting early next year.
Click to expand...

I believe both of them are replacing their CDMA networks with HSPA+, and will offer 21Mbps at launch in a month or so.

Telstra in Australia did the same thing and built a HSPA network in 10 months (from signing the contract to first customers) to replace its entire CDMA network covering 99% of the population. They then migrate customers over with a great array of HSPA handsets and data cards, and finally give crappy free handsets to those who stay on CDMA. They they use the remaining CDMA spectrum for use on HSPA.

A few other countries have gone down this path too.
 
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