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iPhone Coming to Canada: Don’t Hold Your Breath!

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Posted by Wayde || 04/28/2008 - 10:59 || 10 comments

iPhone CanadaAnother hopeful but naïve iPhone-Canada rumors has reared its head again. Until pigs sprout wings and sail across the sky or Canada shows signs of coming out of the telecommunications dark-age … iPhone is NOT coming to Canada!

The latest rumor has cropped up on the hopeful voice of the Toronto Star. Toronto’s left-leaning paper says industry contacts have told it Rogers hopes to unveil an iPhone plan by summer, making it part of a campaign to release new touch-screen phones.

The Star’s article said:

“It has been widely speculated that the stumbling block was Rogers' wireless data plans.” That’s an understatement, Star!

Canadian Telcos; Bell (CDMA) and Rogers (GSM) have operated beneath an anti-competitive shield of government protectionism for years. Inside the bubble, Canadian telcos take advantage of helpless consumers by mercilessly brutalizing their customers with perhaps the highest prices for mobile data in the world.

It’s so bad that the burgeoning new industry of mobile data content is effectively squelched in Canada. This is why Apple has no interest in releasing iPhone through Rogers, Canada’s exclusive GSM provider.

Apple requires a reasonably priced, unlimited data plan for its iPhone so customers can get busy with Apple’s real business; which isn’t selling you cool communications devices… it’s selling you overpriced music tracks through iTunes.

President of Rogers was quoted in the piece as saying: “We’re not fans of unlimited plans…”

Of course you’re not a fan of unlimited plans Rogers! If you were you couldn’t charge customers a buck-a-meg for digital data.

iPhone hasn’t been released in Canada yet, not because of Apple’s indifference, but because of crooked Canadian Telcos.

Canadians are hopeful that healthy competition might be introduced when the former TV-UHF bands get auctioned off in 2009. That should bring Canada a host of new CDMA and GSM network providers.

Until then, to the communications back-waters of Canada at least, iPhone will remain an exotic curiosity of the modern world - like flush toilets were to the Bolsheviks who invaded Germany after World War II.

EDIT 4-29: Well, this story just turned out to be wrong. Rogers just announced that it cut a deal with Apple today.

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Comments

Casey Woods writes:

Rogers sucks. But Telus and Bell suck more. In Canada, you have to choose the wireless provider that sucks the least. That is Rogers because at least their network is GSM. Data pricing from all 3 is terrible.

Gizmo n00b writes:

Bell/Solo/Virgin actually offers unlimited data for $7/month... on regular phones only though. Hardly the end of the world, since I use a PC for most browsing and Opera Mini is more than capable enough for my mobile needs. With the wireless spectrum up for auction later this year, I'm really interested in what Shaw will have to offer. From my limited research, they seem to be the least evil teleco in Canada. This is probably the reason why Rogers finally got on with the iPhone, actually.

Gizmo n00b writes:

you must feel a bit dumb this morning with Rogers announcing the iPhone is coming :)

Wayde writes:

Yeah. Not dumb, but I am surprised to be wrong.

I'll really have to look into details, this is either good news for consumers of any mobile data. Or it Apple and Rogers agreed to something that doesn't involve unlimited which is a huge compromise for Apple.

Gizmo n00b writes:

HA! You were proven TOTALLY WRONG....and in less than 24 hours. Take THAT!!!!!

Timmer writes:

http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080429.wrogersstaf... "Rogers Communications Inc. said on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to bring Apple's iPhone to Canada, a move that promises to bring more growth to its cellphone business after the unit posted a 16 per cent revenue gain in the first quarter."

Gizmo n00b writes:

Forget Rogers. I am definitely not signing anything that doesn't give me unlimited data. I hope someone does scoop them on the deal to bring iPhone to Canada, so that i can sign with them. If i even bother to get an iPhone at that point.

Gizmo n00b writes:

I can tell you for sure that the iTunes Mobile Store only works on WIFI, not on EDGE. When I try to connect via EDGE, I get this message: --- "Cannot Connect to the iTunes Store You must connect to a Wi-Fi network to access the iTunes Store" ---- So your theory about Apple making its money by "selling you overpriced music tracks" kinda blows.

Wayde writes:

You're right. iTunes store is Wi-Fi only... for now.

Part of the deal for AT&T to get the iPhone exclusive was to provide an affordable (around $40 I believe) wireless data rate. It only makes sense that Apple is getting on board with digital distribution to iPhone through wireless.

But you're right, it's just a theory that applies not just to Apple... all handheld manufacturer's want into the service game.

Gizmo n00b writes:

Yes, you're right. Rogers truly sucks!

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