iPhone 3G: Does Rogers Think that Canadians Live in a Vacuum?
28 Jun
The reaction to the recently announced Rogers iPhone 3G plans has been interesting. There is almost universal disappointment and outrage from Canadians who have been waiting on pins and needles to see the Rogers plans.
At first glance, some have reasoned that the plans are actually “not bad” if you compare them with how bad Rogers plans have generally been. I’ll give you that. Rogers pricing is a national embarrassment and has been since the dawn of wireless technology.
However, we don’t live in a vacuum. We have web browsers and there is this thing called the internet that allows us to see what consumers in the US and UK are currently paying. And if you do a little reading you’ll find that the Rogers plans aren’t even in the same ballpark. It’s not even close.
In the UK (O2 monthly tarrifs) you can have 600 minutes, unlimited data & wifi, and an 18 month contract for £35. How do you like that 36 month contract in Canada now?
In the US you can tack a $30 iPhone plan onto a variety of voice plans. The AT&T plan gives you the flexibility of choosing an appropriate voice plan and provides for unlimited data. Keep in mind that 450 voice minutes with unlimited evenings and weekends can be had on AT&T for $40 per month and includes every calling feature you can think of.
So should Canadians be happy with the Rogers plans that are “better than what Canadians are used to”? Or should we demand better because we know what consumers in the UK and US are paying?
The Rogers plans are pretty hard to stomach. If you agree, then please take a moment to sign the petition and send off a few (polite) emails to Rogers and Apple.
I agree. Rogers wireless services is a BIG disappointment. Roberts Bruce sends you letters stating you can upgrade your phone and when you want to go for it the plans you have to buy with it SUCKS.
Rogers Wireless offers better bundles to new customers and ols customers are offered to cancel their contract by paying $20.00 per month of balance peiod or $400.00.
Better smart phones are for the new customers. So once you are a customer of Rogers Wireless you will have to live with their disappointing signal issues, keep waiting for your message to go thru and when after 3 “retry” you finally sent …you will be charged for 3 text messages.
Welcome to Rogers Wireless!! or shud it be renamed Rogers where everything is less for its customers.
News gleaned from a friend who has the same Cingular (AT&T) plan as me (we’re in Calgary). I picked up my North American plan from Cingular back in December 2004 – no LD or roaming charges anywhere in North America. 1700 daytime minutes/mnnth, 1000 nights & weekends. All of which roll over to the next month if unused. I needed that many minutes because of the type of work I do in the USA. Had a Telus Mobility cell before I left in October 2004 and was shocked when their security department called me in November to tell me my roaming and LD charges were $1,200 for the first week! That’s when a colleague got me into Cingular’s plan (which is no longer offered). The plan costs me $99/mo plus some access charges and the 3-year contract has now expired leaving AT&T no choice but to keep me on the plan month-to-month. I still work in the USA duringt hurricane season and the aftermath. I need this kind of plan to work in Canada and the USA. Now I hear that my friend’s phone is no longer working, has no “bars” from any Rogers tower. He went to an outlet and was told he would have to find another GSM carrier to take over the number as they would no longer pay the roaming charges AT&T was charging for him to use the phone in Canada. I knew AT&T and Rogers wanted us off this plan but now they’re going to abrogate the contract. I think a letter to the FCC and the CRTC is in order…