According to The Star, Canadian communications firm Rogers Wireless has finally announced plans to carry the iPhone. "We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the
iPhone to Canada later this year," they said in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."
This comes after nearly a year of back-and-forth between the two companies and the Canadian public. In April of last year, Rogers made a point of telling CBC News Online that they had not reached an agreement to carry the iPhone. At the time, they were the only GSM carrier in the country (all others used he CDMA standard). So no Rogers meant no iPhone.
Then, an article in The National Post suggested that Rogers would price the iPhone out of the hands of most Canadians, comparing it to their "Right Fit" plan, which offered (as of July '07) 250 anytime, zero weekends, 25MB of data and an additional fee for texts for a whopping Canadian $97/mo.
That was speculation, of course, and today's cryptic message from Rogers doesn't offer any contradictory details. However, the brief announcement should make many Canadians happy.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-29-2008 @ 9:09AM
Dane said...
I'm sure they'll price this competitively with their other amazing data plans ... check out these beauties:
The biggest plan has 25MB of data ...
http://tinyurl.com/ytjydu
And yet, this is the best we've got.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 9:14AM
Websnap said...
We are gonna get screwed on this... for sure. Looks like they are sneaking in a deal with Apple before the wireless auction later next month creates new competitors for Rogers and makes them lose their leverage with Apple, the only current GSM provider.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 10:09AM
Martin Lortie said...
Yes but I'm sure Apple was aware of that, and put pressure on Rogers.
4-29-2008 @ 12:00PM
adisor19 said...
Yep, there is a GSM monopoly in Canada and we're getting raped. Robbers will simply continue to piss on their customers like they've done untill this day knowing that the users have nowhere to go. No consumer in their right mind would ever consider a CDMA provider.
Way to go Apple. The iPhone should have been released UNLOCKED if you wanted to show us some love. This way, all you're doing is supporting a monopoly.
Adi
4-29-2008 @ 12:10PM
Websnap said...
adisor19 said...
"Way to go Apple. The iPhone should have been released UNLOCKED if you wanted to show us some love. This way, all you're doing is supporting a monopoly.
Adi"
there is really no point to their phones being unlocked since you can only use them with rogers anyway. They rule the roost in canada as far a GSM goes and there is no guarantee that any new networks starting up after the auction will be running on GSM either.
4-29-2008 @ 9:15AM
Brandon said...
WahhooOOOoooo!
About bloody god damn time. My only problem now is that I have to eat my contract with Telus. And switch to Rogers... shit.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 9:17AM
XIV said...
I've been waiting for the iPhone to come to Canada so I could finally have a plan (I'm currently on month cards, haha).
But dang, I wished it wouldn't cost me that much to use the damn thing.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 9:29AM
h8rain said...
"We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year,"
Why not next week? The conspiracy theorist in me thinks, the delay is to avoid the "Early adopter/New Phone" problem, because a new/updated iPhone is coming.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 10:32AM
Shunnabunich said...
Well, they'd *better* not foist the first-gen iPhones on us just as the second-gen ones are coming out! (Although, sadly, I can certainly see that happening.) I'd rather wait and have an up-to-date machine.
4-29-2008 @ 10:09AM
Mandel said...
Or maybe, if the rumours about Apple opening up the license agreements somewhat with carriers this summer when the 3G iPhone launches, this means that Rogers is taking advantage of more favourable terms, since they obviously didn't want to do the sort of exclusive that other carriers did last year.
If so, then we'd see the 3G iPhone this summer or early fall in Canada, since Rogers has 3G in most markets in Canada now. And this would explain why they're not launching right now.
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4-29-2008 @ 10:14AM
XIV said...
Let's just hope they'll make some unlimited plans. That's be great !
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 10:39AM
hid said...
Rogers is the worst provider in canada (i know because i use them now). their plans are the least flexible. pigs will be flying and fat ladies around the world will be singing this summer if they can even come close to the data plans in the US.
but it's nice to see we will at least get the iphone. welcome to last year canada!
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 12:03PM
adisor19 said...
Sadly enough, i agree with you. Robbers is a monopoly and they don't give a rat's ass about how they treat their customers because they know they have nowhere to go.
Thanks alot CRTC for allowing Robbers to buy Fido/Microcell back in 2004 and create a monopoly. :(
Wow, what a great government we have !
NOTTTTT!!!!!
Adi
4-29-2008 @ 10:50AM
potato said...
Rogers is the *best* provider in Canada, which is *very sad* considering how much they suck.
Knowing Rogers, they're not done screwing with us just yet. Unlimited plan? Yeah, they'll do it, but I suspect all said and done we'll be paying ~$200 a month for the "privilege" of having an iPhone with data plan.
I just moved to the US, and holy crap, $20 unlimited data is AWESOME.
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 10:52AM
Adam said...
Whoever photoshopped that - thank you, I almost had coffee spit out my nose!
HI-LARIOUS!
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 11:17AM
KBR said...
What happens to those of us with unlocked phones in Canada? If they are restored, do they become legitimate again? Or will they forever be AT&T phones?
Just curious...
4-29-2008 @ 12:36PM
Frank said...
me too.
"OMG - mr. rogers has a touchscreen tablet! somebody alert engadget!", LOL.
4-30-2008 @ 8:25AM
Christopher said...
I loved the Fred Rogers photoshop, too... shame he's not so much from Canada, but from good ol' Latrobe, PA (kinda like me.) =)
4-29-2008 @ 11:15AM
ozziphone said...
What we need in another GSM provider. Koodo totally botched it going CDMA. Is there another spectrum auction coming up? Where's T-Mobile when you need them...
Reply
4-29-2008 @ 12:06PM
adisor19 said...
Umm, KooDoo IS Telus. It's basically Tellus's little plan to take over the young and hip crowd that currently uses Fido or whatever' left of it..
Tellus and Hell need to get their act together and switch their networks to GSM asap if they want any roaming $$$ for the Vancouver 2010 olympic games. I know Tellus has already started..
Adi