Rogers: iPhone coming to Canada
updated 09:55 am EST, Thu January 11, 2007
iPhone in Canada in 2008
Canadian cellular provider Rogers said today that it intends to carry the Apple's newly unveiled iPhone, according to company officials speaking with web developer John Wiseman. Although no specific release information was provided for the Apple handset during Steve Jobs' MacWorld San Francisco keynote beyond the June release for Cingular subscribers in the US, the Canadian firm says it is already in the early planning stages to bring the device to its service, which is the largest GSM-based network in Canada.
The phone will be available with either two- or three- year contracts -- potentially lowering the initial cost for long-term users versus the American two-year requirement -- but must also be linked to a data plan for the carrier's EDGE network. Rogers has not provided an official timeframe for the release of the iPhone in Canada. However, the company has historically offered smartphones to Canadians between six to eight months after the devices' release in the US, Wiseman says, placing an introduction roughly between late 2007 and early 2008. Versions for other major carriers such as Bell and Telus are unlikely in the foreseeable future given the lack of a CDMA equivalent, the web developer adds.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2006
Data way too expensive
The only problem I see with this is that Roger's current data plans suck. For $15/month you get 1.5MB, for $25, you get 3MB, for $40, you get 7MB, for $60, you get 25MB, and for $100 you only get 200MB. WIth Cingular's Smartphone Connect plan, you get unlimited data for only $20/month.