Filed under: iPhone
Rogers sells 255k iPhones, adds 191k subscribers
Rogers Wireless sold 255,000 iPhones since their introduction in July, and added 191,000 new customers, according to Electronista.
Desjardins Securities analyst Joseph MacKay estimates that Rogers will have to absorb subsidies for all those new customers -- two out of five who bought the iPhone -- adding about C$90 million in costs for the quarter. Over the three-year contract period, however, MacKay figures Rogers will do much better, as the average monthly bill for Rogers customers will be about C$100 (thanks to higher costs for iPhone plans), up from C$74 now.
Since Rogers is the only major GSM carrier in Canada, it said a third of its customers moved from another carrier, or had no mobile service before. Both Bell Canada and Telus had lower new subscriber numbers for the quarter.
Like Verizon in the United States, Bell Canada and Telus are planning on upgrading their networks to LTE, a fourth-generation mobile phone standard that AT&T will also support.
[Via AppleInsider.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
EMoShunz said 2:25PM on 10-28-2008
yet again, rogers makes me mad... 33% increase in bill rate because of exclusivity, come on. and they just posted an 85% increase in profits this quarter after saying they needed to increase message rates to remain competitive. this is on top of their abysmal customer service record for internet and tv.
this is why i will not be pushing my company to rogers for the iphone, but to the bbry storm instead.
sorry if i sound angry, just really have had enough of rogers.
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Dave Wood said 2:41PM on 10-28-2008
I find it hard to believe Rogers added 191K customers. Made 191K customers re-commit to a three year contract most likely.
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Dave Wood said 2:47PM on 10-28-2008
Reading TFA it looks like they're counting existing customers who add a data plan in that 191K number.
Robert Paege said 2:49PM on 10-28-2008
The Rogers data plan is an absolute travesty.
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Kevlar said 4:20PM on 10-28-2008
I agree, but at $30/mo for 6GB of 3G data, it's the best plan in Canada by far.
Jeff said 5:03PM on 10-28-2008
Today I attached PdaNet to my iPhone to make my 6GB data plan totally worth it.
Ben said 2:05PM on 1-03-2009
I don't really know how you figure...$30/mo for 6GB is better than the AT&T one, which is capped at 5GB.., read the fine print. Not to mention that 3G in Canada performs at speeds much higher than in the US.. (Google that or search TUAW, there's been plenty of studies)... Looking at what AT&T gives for their iPhone subscribers (i.e SMS, etc) I'd say we have a much better deal here in Canada.
I pay $74/mo inclusive of taxes/fees for 300 Daytime minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends after 6pm, 6GB data (which is allowed to be used in tethering), unlimited SMS, visual voicemail,1000 canadian long distance minutes monthly... I really don't think thats half bad after looking at how AT&T nickel and dimes on SMS and a few extra minutes...
Not that it really matters but that $74CAD Translates to $61.39USD.
John said 2:59PM on 10-28-2008
I was an existing customer and had to cancel my contract to sign a new 3 year contract for the iphone. The $100/month bill really sucks considering I only use about 400MB of data a month. However, since they had that 6GB for $30.00 deal, it was the same price as the 300MB for $30.00 data plan. Regardless, if we manage to get another GSM carrier in Canada next year, if Rogers thinks I won't cancel my contract to switch to someone with lower rates, they are mistaken.
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KA said 2:58PM on 10-28-2008
And I thought they were selling iPhones for 255k...
Maybe I need some sleep.
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Kevlar said 4:19PM on 10-28-2008
Incredulously, you're closer to the mark than you think. The Rogers Plus kiosk in Pacific Centre mall in Vancouver tried to sell me an iPhone for $3,000 without a contract.
Yes, you read that. Three thousand dollars.
I spoke to a service rep, who confirmed that no-contract 16GB phones are supposed to be sold for $715, but the guy at the kiosk was adamant about their $3,000 price. He even went as far as to swivel his monitor around and show me his listing for the phone, and say "the computer doesn't lie".
I just walked away.
Steve said 3:11PM on 10-28-2008
Not only are Bell and Telus going LTE for 4G but they are collaborating with each other to roll out a nationwide HSDPA 3G network along side the existing EVDO 3G network and its supposed to be up and running by 2010, so who knows they may get the iPhone sometime soon.
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Tim said 3:16PM on 10-28-2008
As much as I would like to get an iPhone, I just simply refuse to pay that kind of dough per month. 191K of subscribers? I highly doubt it. If it is true... Then people will realise after a year, it was a stupid thing to do.
I tried to get the iPhone without the plan and they said it not allowed. I demanded to speak with their manager which made me wait 30 minutes so I just hung up. I heard you can get the phone without the data-plan but they would charge you over 500 bucks for the iPhone because the data-plan subsidies the overall cost of The phone. I think that completely bull****.
Keep it I say!
I just buy an iTouch For wireless at home and buy a full priced phone with Koodo which gives me unlimited text messages for an extra 5 bucks. So for 28 bucks a month and buying an iTouch I am still way further ahead than being suck with paying 100 bucks a month for the next three years!
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Kevlar said 4:25PM on 10-28-2008
You can get an iPhone without changing your plan at all. I paid $299 for the 16GB phone extending my existing contract by only 1 year, and not adding any data.
You do, however, have to be "Upgrade Eligible", which means you haven't upgraded your phone for at least 1 year.
I did later add data, when I found out that the 6GB/$30 plan was still available. The buy-out for the data plan is actually quite reasonable too, maxing out at $100 if I wanted to cancel.
Sean said 12:57AM on 10-29-2008
Tim,
I don't post much on these but your post is very incorrect. You can get an iPhone in Canada for the same subsidized price without a data plan. Stores are reluctant to do it, but some will do it, and all over the phone activations will do it also.
Dan said 7:06PM on 10-28-2008
I can believe the numbers. I dumped Telus on the iPhone roll out day.
I was bombarded by Telus the months before with offers of free smart phones etc. Of course they used call centers from India and I could not understand a word of what they said which made the choice even easier.
After switching from Telus I was contacted not once but twice to take a survey to ask about why I dropped Telus (50/50 for the iPhone and Telus screwing me over in the past 10 years on various home phone / mobile phone / DSL products)
Rogers / Bell / Telus are all the same - I figured I may as well have an iPhone and let Rogers take a turn at screwing me over.
When Shaw enters the market then the game will really change...
Dan
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Valicore said 10:05PM on 10-28-2008
I have to say I think it sucks that Rogers is taking advantage of the Canadian consumer the way they do (Yes, Bell and Telus are bad too). I'm all for a company making a healthy profit, but requiring people to pay obnoxious amounts of money for hardware AND agree to three year contracts makes them seem pretty shitty. Add crappy customer support on top of that and you have a perfect batch of alienated customers. If Rogers doesn't start making friendly with its customers, they will loose a lot of people to Bellus' (Bell/Telus) HSPA network and to whoever else pops up (AWS spectrum winners)
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guy said 4:29PM on 11-19-2008
oddest of all, at least to me, is requiring a three-year commitment to buy a device that comes with a one-year warranty.
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