06/27/2008, 5:15pm, EDT
Friday, June 27thRogers defends iPhone data: 'better than some'
Rogers Wireless is justified in its limited data plans as many other iPhone-carrying nations are doing the same or are more restrictive, a company spokeswoman tells Electronista. The Canadian company argues that a "majority" of international iPhone carriers have capped data and believes its plan to be better than these, citing as example Orange France plans that include a 500MB 'reasonable use' limit versus the 2GB maximum on Rogers' best iPhone plan. The company also tries to justify the caps by claiming that unlimited use would require customers pay for more than they need.
"Unlimited plans could end up costing customers more for what they don't use," the spokeswoman argues. "Our iPhone plans more than accommodate the vast majority of customers."
The representative declined, however, to address concerns from readers why other countries such as the US and UK are able to offer unlimited data for their own iPhone plans, which often do so while charging less for the phone (as with O2) or while offering more minutes for similar pricing. Both AT&T and Rogers can offer iPhone plans that combine calling, data, and SMS at the same $75 per month, but Rogers offers a third less calling time, half as many text messages, and a 750MB soft cap with overage fees.
No mention is also made of the contradiction between arguing that customers use little data and contending that caps are necessary. However, such caps are often implemented by providers to prevent alleged performance degradation caused by a small subset of the mobile population that may use it for frequent downloads and streaming video.
The plans are generally regarded as the most capable of all of Rogers' smartphone-class cellular plans, with the company having recently introduced a $30 data add-on plan for other devices that also requires voice but which gives just 300MB of data per month in exchange for tethered data on phones that support the feature.
Rogers has historically been criticized for being the most reluctant of Canadian providers to decrease its data fees. A year ago, the company's pricing for 500MB of data would have cost $295 per month, while Bell and Telus shortly afterwards began dropping the cost of data to where unlimited browsing would cost as little as $7 per month on Bell's HTC Touch. Rogers has since responded by offering its own $7 plan for any device but limits it only to the default web browser.
Filed under: iPhone, industry
Other story tags: AT&T, iPhone 3G, htc, Rogers, Touch, Telus, Bell, Orange
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They still suck
Rogers plans are still awful. $83/month for the most basic plan with basic features (Like voicemail callerid etc) [that's the $60 plan with the $15 callid addon and mandatory fees]. It gets you limited data (400 MB, about a weeks worth of very light surfing/youtube) and 150 minutes.
Fucking ridiculous! I get 150 minutes for $15, so they are charging almost $70 for a weeks worth or light surfing and caller id?
I really hope that our stupid as fück government drops the Canadian ownership restrictions on frequency licenses and lets TMobile and AT*T in.
If I could I would personally punch every rogers exec in the face!
Fawk Jim Prentice too
Oh and I blame Jim Prentice for this as much as Roges. He said he would auction off frequencies to new players first; then made it so that they had to be Canadian, virtually eliminating the possibility for competition.
Please vote against him in the next election. Also consider donating to the Libertarian party, they need your money to fight the CPC.
'pay for more...
...than we need' ??? - well what rocket scientist pr guru let that statement out of the bag - that is my whole bloody problem with Rogers - many ARE ALREADY paying for more than they need - the cost of access is completely undemocratic & so low users are ALREADY in that camp & now are being GIVEN ONLY ONE MODE - if I want an iphone I MUST get data, I MUST triple my current fees, I MUST subsidize my phone & I MUST sign on for 3 YEARS...
While I realize this company needs to be profitable there are many ways to 'skin' that kat - is this DRACONIAN ? - ROGERS HOLDS AN EFFECTIVE MONOPOLY - CRTC CAN YOU READ OUR LIPS!
Caller ID
If it was 200 min, more SMS and Caller ID included (like in the States) for 60$, I would thing they would appease a lot of people. It is ridicule to not have included the Caller ID. All phones have it now.
Very unfortunate
we waited a whole year in Canada to finally get the iPhone and now we have to deal with abusive prices and no competition whatsoever to give us any choices.
We should be able to have similar plans to what AT&T customers have.
Having to pay $15 on top of any of the plans just to have Caller ID (an obvious feature everybody wants) is simply ridiculous.
Also the unlimited evening starting at 9PM???? Come on, what Rogers thinks we are? Well, it's clear they think we are morons and will fall for these silly prices/plans.
I waited a full year and I'm not getting an iPhone. It's really frustrating. I hope more people realize that if they don't buy into it, Rogers will be forced to reconsider these ridiculous plans.
Offer us what the Americans have and it will sell.
sixcolors
C'mon man, don't hold back. How do you really feel about this situation?
Not totally happy but....
However, I can see that these prices are an improvement over previous plans. I also think that part of the reason why some telcos are implementing caps is because idiots are abusing "unlimited" plans to use their phones as modems for their computer to download torrents and other idiots who stream video all the time.
I think a balance has to be struck between maintaining quality of service for everyone and providing enough traffic bandwidth per month. I think the 60 dollar plan should have offered a 500MB soft cap with the discretion of charging for overages for abusers of the service that go way over the cap.
If you are using your service to watch a lot of Youtube instead of relying on WiFi for most of that, then you are part of the problem and possibly the cause of these caps in the first place.
something big
"Something big is coming on July 11th"... your first iPhone bill!
Don't whine about their rates, just refuse to pay them. And save yourself thousands of dollars. Get a basic voice phone and use that. Heck, you can get a basic phone with basic internet browsing and emails for $20 a month on Virgin, or Koodo, or Bell...
Then buy an iPod Touch or a Nokia n810 and use it whenever you have a WiFi connection. Presto! You just saved yourself $3500. Is it REALLY worth that much just to do a Google search every instant of the day?
Surprised?
What do you expect from a communist (ahem..sorry) socialist country?
For the record
For the record you can get a separate data plan on top of your voice plan. For example in Manitoba we had a 10 dollar plan, (plus SAF) worked out to 17.45 with evenings starting at 6pm and 250 minutes, my bill with call display and 500 txts is 29.45 tax. Now if I add on the 300 meg data plan I'll be at 59.45 plus tax. Kinda doubling my bill yah... I wouldn't mind the plan at 30 bucks a month, but the thing is, yah 300 megs is stupid.