Rogers Canada Data Plan Pricing: The Guessing Game Continues

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/07/09/rogers-caves-on-iphone-3g-plans-offers-up-6gb-for-30-a-month/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/...for-30-a-month/</a><br /><br /></div><p>The insanity for us Canadians continues - I <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/news/show/89643/rogers-canada-to-offer-30-unlimited-data-plans-for-iphones.html" target="_blank">posted about the original rumour</a>, $30 for unlimited data, with a sense of enthusiasm. Then I was crushed when the <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/06/27/rogers-announces-iphone-3g-plans-unlimited-data-isnt-one-of-th/" target="_blank">pricing was officially announced</a> and it was completely idiotic - no unlimited data plans, and even the data caps were pretty silly (400 MB doesn't last long when you're browsing full Web pages and streaing YouTube videos). Engadget reported on a rumour that <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/07/07/everyone-peeved-at-iphone-3g-pricing-on-some-carriers-apple-i/" target="_blank">Apple was ticked off about this as well</a> and they actually diverted a good chunk of the iPhones meant for Rogers to Europe - highly amusing if true. ;-) And now we have another rumour: <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/07/09/rogers-caves-on-iphone-3g-plans-offers-up-6gb-for-30-a-month/" target="_blank">6 GB of data for $30/month</a>. I have no idea of this is true, but I can only hope it is - and I can equally hope that I'll be able to get one of these plans and use it with my Windows Mobile phone. I guess I'll know pretty soon...</p>

[Inventor]

I was researching SIM cards for my iPAQ 614c and found out something last week:

Rogers and bell have "prepaid SIM" cards in the store. They dont list this on the
website(s) and you wont find it on the internet. They do this on purpose to
get people on the plans online. Walk into the store to find out the real deals.

I still get unlimited 911 calling any time for free. They are nice people.

[Don Tolson]

Since I got web-browsing availability on my phone, I've been talking to the local Rogers dealers re: the data plans. Typical responses are:

a) "Ya gotta talk to the Rogers people, we just sell hardware and the plans they give us" or

b) "They (Rogers) say there's some new plans coming, but right now, it's only unlimited through these special phones (i.e. the ones that can only access the net through Rogers' WAP browser).

As for the currently announced plans, they are totally ludicrous. Rogers still hasn't figured out that they are a 'pipeline' not a hardware/services provider.

It's times like these, I wish I was living in (or could buy services from) Europe or Asia!

/drt

[golfman32]

I am a happy Telus data user, however, have a HTC Shift that I have ATT medianet pay as you go ($20 for 30 days) when I travel to US.

Since Rogers does not offer reasonable data rates, I can only use Shift with Wifi in Canada.

I hope Rogers sees that offering $30 rates will be profitable and increase the number of data users.

Bell and Telus have seen increased data ARPU when they offered awesome deals.

I am guessing the folks at Rogers still have knuckles that scrape on the ground similar to cave men, maybe someday they will see the light.

I hope they open the data plan @ $30 to all data devices, not just iPhone and not just customers who sign to voice & data plans.

It still baffles me that Industry Canada wants to meet with Bell and Telus over text messaging issues and not meet with Rogers over raping the Canadian public on data rates.

Maybe Jim Prentice also has knuckles that scrape on the ground or is buddy/buddy with Ted Rogers?

[jerboa]

And now we have another rumour: 6 GB of data for $30/month (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2008/07/09/rogers-caves-on-iphone-3g-plans-offers-up-6gb-for-30-a-month/). I have no idea of this is true, but I can only hope it is


Good news! The rumour is true (if only for a limited time). Here is the Rogers press release (http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi?rkey=1607093105&view=5804-0&Start=0).

It only applies to the iPhone right now but hopefully Rogers will extend it to other devices soon!

[Don Tolson]

I heard the tail end of a news report on the CBC about Rogers having to capitulate/retract it's data deal because of the outcry from users and from 'presseure' from Apple.

CBC actually referred to the rumor that Apple had redirected a large portion of the iPhones destined for Canada to Europe because of the uproar.

[JesterMania]

In my eyes, that limited-time offer for $30/month - 6GB is just a marketing strategy. They know that their original pricing structure would never yield many subscribers, so they make a $30/6gb plan initially to capture only some users. After they've captured this handful of users, they will use them as a marketing tool. People will be envious when they see others using the iPhone and by the time they decide to sign up, they will be forced to pay the original premium price. If Rogers really meant to give us a better deal, they wouldn't put the plan on promotional offer.

[karen]

Just to be clear, it's not $30 a month for 6 GB, it's an ADDITIONAL $30 a month on top of an existing data plan to supersize to 6 GB per month. You can't go in and get phone with just the 30/6GB plan.

And the Rogers ad in today's Toronto Star says that it is available for a whole slew of smarter phones.

I'm with Telus and they have been calling, e-mailing, and gifting me for the last week. I'm not on a contract at this point, so I'm waiting to see how the new Samsungs / HTC Diamonds are priced and packaged to make a decision on which provider and which plans I'm going to use.

Since my heaviest usages of data and voice are when I'm in the States, I'm seriously considering doing the two SIM card approach and not paying any Canadian mobility provider more than a token amount to maintain the minimal Canadian usage that I do have.

[ctmagnus]

Just to be clear, it's not $30 a month for 6 GB, it's an ADDITIONAL $30 a month on top of an existing data plan to supersize to 6 GB per month. You can't go in and get phone with just the 30/6GB plan.

$30/month on top of an existing *voice* plan.

[karen]

$30/month on top of an existing *voice* plan.

That is not how it was explained to me at my Rogers store. I was told that there are no voice only plans for the iPhone, so one has to get one of the 4 Voice and Data plans, then add the 30 bucks to that. So the cheapest Voice and Data Plan for the iPhone is $60 (which includes 400MB of data) plus $30 = $90 / month for 6GB data and some voice minutes.

Although it could just be first day confusions.

All I know is that my lousy 30MB "unlimited" Telus plan is stinking more an more every day. Retention has e-mailed me several times this week, called me a couple of times and sent me a gift. But I keep telling them that it isn't going to matter until I see my $85/mo I pay for data include something like 6GB or more. I'm not signing a new contract with them until it does. I want to keep my options open. So far all they've managed to provide is a gift and to waive my CallerID charges. Thanks.

[ctmagnus]

That is not how it was explained to me at my Rogers store. I was told that there are no voice only plans for the iPhone, so one has to get one of the 4 Voice and Data plans, then add the 30 bucks to that. So the cheapest Voice and Data Plan for the iPhone is $60 (which includes 400MB of data) plus $30 = $90 / month for 6GB data and some voice minutes.

Although it could just be first day confusions.

The rep was wrong. ;) You can go with any combination of plans you like. I recommend the 6GB data plan plus whatever voice plan/s you want.

[karen]

The rep was wrong. ;) You can go with any combination of plans you like. I recommend the 6GB data plan plus whatever voice plan/s you want.

Well, having been seriously burned by Rogers cell phone accounting mishaps in the past (they were so atrocious that my bank manager actually called the police to report what was going on -- even MasterCard got their fraud division involved -- and this wasn't a dealer thing, it was Rogers corporate accounting systems), I'm not going to be switching to Rogers any time soon.

I'll wait a month or two to see what Telus and Bell do and how much I like the HTC Diamond and Samsung Infinity offerings. Then I will decide whether I'm going to take the risk of moving to Rogers, change to a US based phone and plan, or stick with Telus.

[dece]

I was reading the forums about the data plans the last few days and called rogers cs yesterday. I had them add the 30$ - 6GB plan to my HTC s630.

http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-plans/iphone_adpacks

So it should be activated now and guess I will see next month on my bill my data usage.

[karen]

< rumour>
I'm hearing that Telus will be announcing shortly an unlimited data plan for PDAs at a reasonable rate.

...could just be gossip, but I heard this from a very reliable source who generally does not share this type of information and is close to the upper management part of the organization.

<!-- rumour-->< /rumour >

I can only hope.