Rogers starts shared data and talks PlayBook

Rogers at its TabLifeTO conference this morning unveiled new data sharing plans intended for tablet and modem owners. Those with more than one device on the network can pay for a new data plan or add-on that attaches the extra device to a single pool of bandwidth. Basic pricing starts at $15 extra per device for a bring-your-own option tied to an existing plan, such as an iPad, while those buying from Rogers at the same time can pay $20 extra per month to add on the device while still claiming its hardware discount.

A range of prepackaged plans are also available. All-in-one smartphone plans start at $55 with 200 minutes, 6PM evenings and weekends, 1GB of data and one of five perks, scaling up to $70 for 500 minutes and 5PM evenings. Smartphone buyers can combine a voice plan with a smartphone pack that starts at $30 for 1GB and tops at $60 for 5GB.

Along with the new plans, Rogers Chief Marketing Officer John Boynton confirmed that the company would have both cellular and Wi-Fi versions of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The Wi-Fi version will arrive first and will be followed by its more advanced counterpart when ready. Pricing and a ship date weren't mentioned, but as a carrier in RIM's home country it may get the tablet closer to the first quarter 2011 release in the US than with other carriers.

Simultaneously, Wind Mobile chairman Tony Lacavera said his service was "working really hard" to get the PlayBook. The news caught by MobileSyrup hinted at a possible T-Mobile version and was followed by comments that many more phones were shipping on the 1,700MHz 3G band Wind needed, promising considerably more choices in 2011.

By Electronista Staff

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industry, gadgets, Rogers, BlackBerry, mobile phones, Apple, WIND Mobile, iPad, PlayBook