Canada's other carriers building out new networks for iPhone
This would certainly be big news for Canadians if someone isn't getting their lines crossed. The Toronto Star Business Section is reporting that Bell and Telus, the "other two" national carriers are building out HSDPA networks so that they can carry GSM-class devices like the iPhone. Rogers, the sole Canadian iPhone carrier and GSM provider currently enjoys a monopoly on the device in Canada.
Sources say the two former phone monopolies are set to roll out a joint $1 billion upgrade of their wireless networks as early as this fall, months ahead of schedule, that will allow them to support a range of GSM-based devices including Apple Inc.'s iconic iPhone, which so far is only available in Canada through rival Rogers Communications Inc.
Details are scarce, but the buzz among industry insiders is that both Bell and Telus have negotiated deals with Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, although one source suggested the price being paid "is going to hurt".
The networks have already planned a GSM push for the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 and had originally expected to have rollouts going by then. Moving the rollout dates up by a year would be a significant achievement.
In the US, Verizon has no announced plans to do any kind of HSPA rollout, instead opting to wait until LTE equipment is available in 2011. Sprint is currently rolling out 4G WiMAX networks in various US cities, but nothing compatible with current iPhone equipment.
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Comments (19)
Hooray! With 3 carriers to choose from, I hope iPhone data plans will drop hugely in cost!
Down with Rogers!
Why would you think this? They already 'compete' for consumers without bothering to lower prices. And it's not like there's been a significant decrease in pricing in the US, other than the carriers making bigger bundles with high monthly fees, then claiming that the per-minute/per-sms charges are lower.
It would take a firm slap upside the head by the CRTC in Canada and the FCC in the US to get actual prices to go down.
In a situation where there is:
-a high barrier to entry (huge startup cost, scarce resource [licensing frequencies],)
-low number of existing entrants (really down to 3 now)
makes for a natural monopoly. Once all entrants realize this (and believe me, they have), they also know that they can individually maximize their profits if all entrants just raise their prices. They don't even have to explicitly collude, they just don't bother competing on price (or rarely do).
$30 for 6GB of data on Rogers is nothing to complain about. Sure it's not unlimited, but for 95% of the population, 6GB a month is more than enough. It's also the remaining 5% that end up whining the most.
$30 for 6GB isn't a bad price, but as you said it's overkill for most. Any new iPhone carrier offering a $20/3GB plan would immediately get my attention.
You guys really need to block the scientology ads or I'll unsubscribe.
Really? I'm happy for any organization to take money away from scientology.
there is nothing we can do - it is Google placing them there.
I wonder, if there would be a Windows 7 ad provided by Google, would we all see the same reaction from you? It's your freaking site so do something about it, at least get in touch with Google and explain to them that their ads are actually kind of ruining your reputation!
Scientology is evil. Even more than Microsoft. Much more actually.
Well, I don't have an iPhone with Rogers due to their pricing and their customer service. I don't have much faith in the possibility that Bell or Telus will improve matters much, they're already charging 15 cents per incoming text message, and Rogers is about to do the same.
If any of these companies want to sell me an iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter, they'll cook up a plan option that recognizes a common reality for a fair number of users: some of us use text messages and email way more than we use the phone.
Whichever carrier can give me PAYG for talk time, or some kind of inexpensive low-minute plan, plus unlimited data will probably get my business.
When Rogers first brought in the iPhone, if you boosted the data plan, you had to boost the voice plan, is was ridiculous.
"If any of these companies want to sell me an iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter, they'll cook up a plan option that recognizes a common reality for a fair number of users: some of us use text messages and email way more than we use the phone."
Given that with Rogers, you can attach a data plan to any voice plan, I don't see what the problem is. You can already "cook up" your plan.
The only reason why i've stayed with Fido is because it's a GSM carrier and i can put my SIM into ANY cool GSM phone out there. With CDMA, you can only use the phones that the carrier sells and that't it. It's very consumer unfriendly.
GSM give you more freedom and more options in the long run. More GSM networks in Canada = more competition especially when GlobaLive and Videotron will launch their networks.
Adi
If Bell ever got hold of the iPhone, it would be the biggest mess in history . It would give the iPhone such a bad name..
Bell has the WORST customer service ever, and they also have the WORST cell signal strength (in the GTA, not sure about other areas). I used to be on Bell, and would have to be able to see the sky to make a call, even being inside a car was no good.. I'm not even stretching the truth at all. The number 1 reason I bought the iPhone is because it is on Rogers.
Just my little Bell rant :) But I'm tired of hearing my friends complain at school during lunch - "Who wants to go outside with me, I need to send a text?" At least Telus has good cell signal strength, not a good as Rogers though.
Rogers > Fido > Telus > Koodo > Virgin > Bell > Solo
Fido>Rogers (bill per second + better customer service)
Some of the comments here are fairly dumb guys. Monopolies are *always* bad (read your history books), and prices are always higher in a monopoly situation than without. Even if this made Rogers/fido give us some decent customer service it would be a win, but you can certainly expect lower prices as well. This is pretty basic "business 101" stuff. How could lower prices and potentially better service be bad?
To those who think the plans are okay now, the problem is that the data prices are about 100% higher than the cost to Rogers to carry it (including infrastructure costs), and the plans are purposely variant in a completely deceptive way. There are also (as noted above) many many people (like me for instance), who have one phone call a month, three texts, and only use a tiny fraction of the data allowance. We have to pay the exact same as the idiot on the bus watching YouTube 24/7 and the little girlies sending thousands of text messages a month.
Basically, the "top-end" users are still paying about 50% more than the actual costs should be, and people like me who use less are just being screwed completely. fido sucks, Rogers is evil and nothing short of breaking their monopoly is going to fix it.
WOW, for all non-canadians who are reading this, please don't listen to the idiots who are commenting here. THIS IS GREAT NEWS>
1- Rogers is not per second billing, only fido
2- yes its true that Bell has horrible customer service, but their networks are MUCH better than fido and rogers.
3- Telus is Known to have a great signal and great custmor service and great pricing
So i dont see why this could be bad news in any possible way.
1 - Correct
2 - You're on crack! Bell sucks in every province I've lived in!
3 - Telus sucks as well. I consistently would always have full bars on my iPhone when my work BB through Telus would be without a signal. Their customer service is even worse than Bell's!!!
in markham/richmond hill bell reception is excellent! thats where i live. so im speaking from experience!
I drive all over Alberta and I would say that Rogers service is as good as Bell or Telus. I moved over from Telus last year to Rogers for the iPhone and have been happy with Rogers. I like the fact that I can take my sim card out and use it in my iPhone 3 gs or my HTC Magic. If Telus starts using sim cards and gets the Palm Pre/iPhone then I might switch.
In Canada Fido is the best for the iphone.
Fido is really Rogers (they bought it) but they have per second billing, and the new plans have no system access fee. The "iphone" plans suck, but build your own is great.
my voice is 17.50 a month for 250day, unlimited after 5 and weekends. and for $30.00 you get 6gigs.
I put in all the options and in total i pay $78 canadian a month. that's 67 american dollars if you will. Not bad for these crazy nothern igloo dwellers.