Rogers Wireless lands exclusive iPhone deal in Canada
Rogers Wireless has sealed a deal with Apple Inc. to become the exclusive carrier for iPhone in Canada, according to a customer advisory notice sent to subscribers this week.
The largest Canadian wireless communications provider told its customers that availability and pricing were still being sorted out, but added that it would be the only wireless carrier to offer the Apple handset in Canada.
"Other Canadian wireless carriers will not launch the iPhone," the carrier wrote.
Rogers in the email communication said it is actively working with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada "as soon as possible." The carrier also revealed that Apple is planning to introduce the iPhone in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2007 and in Asia during 2008.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail earlier this month, Rogers chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed implied that his firm would make a good fit for the Apple phone, as its the only Canadian provider offering GSM service.
"I?m not saying whether we have agreements or anything [with Apple], but given the iPhone was launched on GSM, we?re in good position to reinforce that we?re the first and have the best-feature devices," he said at the time.
Rogers Wireless, previously known as Rogers AT&T Wireless, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications with 6.2 million subscribers and 5,000 employees.
In addition to acting as the the largest Canadian BlackBerry service provider, the carrier also claims to be the only Canadian wireless provider to offer a complete, independent coast-to-coast network spanning all Canadian regions excluding the Territories.
The largest Canadian wireless communications provider told its customers that availability and pricing were still being sorted out, but added that it would be the only wireless carrier to offer the Apple handset in Canada.
"Other Canadian wireless carriers will not launch the iPhone," the carrier wrote.
Rogers in the email communication said it is actively working with Apple to launch the iPhone in Canada "as soon as possible." The carrier also revealed that Apple is planning to introduce the iPhone in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2007 and in Asia during 2008.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail earlier this month, Rogers chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed implied that his firm would make a good fit for the Apple phone, as its the only Canadian provider offering GSM service.
"I?m not saying whether we have agreements or anything [with Apple], but given the iPhone was launched on GSM, we?re in good position to reinforce that we?re the first and have the best-feature devices," he said at the time.
Rogers Wireless, previously known as Rogers AT&T Wireless, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers Communications with 6.2 million subscribers and 5,000 employees.
In addition to acting as the the largest Canadian BlackBerry service provider, the carrier also claims to be the only Canadian wireless provider to offer a complete, independent coast-to-coast network spanning all Canadian regions excluding the Territories.
Comments
But like I said in a another thread I heard you have to purchase a data plan with iphone I really don't wan this. These are incredibly expensive and EDIT: bad in canada, I just want the plan I have now but my phone to be an iphone, if I want to use wifi I'll use where ever it's free, like my house or school or somewhere else.
If I'm forking over 499-599usd on a phone I should be able to use it with any damn plan I want.
That's the best way to get the most iphone users aways, they essentially kill off their phone buying base if the phone cost over half a grand and the monthly cost is like 200bucks.
If that's what happens I'll just get a widescreen ipod and a nice ericsson.
Self edit: Sorry didn't mean to offend anyone, I'm honetly the most tolerant and accepting person out there, we use it like that in canada all the time (which is also the most tolerant and accepting country for that lol) and I wasn't thinking, I should have used a better word to describe myself. Sorry once again.
These are incredibly expensive and Edit: bad in canada
BAD ?
Edit - A mod was here.
Thank you for editing the previously offensive post that got me reacting in the first place.
800 loonies for an iPhone and 120 a month for the damn data plan.
Rogers doesn't believe in deals.
guess I'll duct-tape my T720 to my wife's mini....
There is a rumor going 'round that Cingular in the States are going to offer the first 18 months of a 3 year plan at no cost on an iPhone because Apple won't let them subsidies the phone's cost with a plan. I hope that happens here too, that will at least take some of the sting out of the purchase.
EDIT: Turns out there is also a company known as 'Ice Wireless', but they are too small to matter.
The wireless data plans in Canada are obnoxiously expensive and are priced only for corporate executives. They could give the iPhone away for free and most people still couldn't afford it to use it. Unfortunately I think the iPhone is a lost cause in Canada.
My 3 brothers and 2 sisters in law are all with Rogers Wireless because they offer (or used to offer ?) the best deal in Canada, including free phone talk after 7 PM or 8 PM and all day on weekends.
Rogers is the biggest cable TV company in Canada. The only question I have is if the newcomer in Wireless and Cable phone, Videotron, has better deals in the Province of Quebec when you combine offers with them, e.g. Cable TV + Cable internet + Cable phone + Wireless phone.
Videotron is pretty much limited to the territory of the Province of Quebec. Besides Bell Canada which spans over the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Videotron is Rogers' biggest competitor.
The exclusive deal with a single Wireless phone provider will last only as long as Apple cannot meet demand for its shiny new wireless phones. But given that competitors are busy improving their own offering, Apple will meet consumer demand within a year, if not sooner.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail earlier this month, Rogers chief operating officer Nadir Mohamed implied that his firm would make a good fit for the Apple phone, as its the only Canadian provider offering GSM service.
Kinda makes it easy to be the "exclusive carrier" then doesn't it?
This is anything but a surprize. As it happens, I'm already with Rogers for the crackberry... transitioning would be easy on the off chance I'll get an iPhone. Mah.
Glad I didn't get caught up in the Crackberry hype and will soon be going straight to the iPhone. I was holding out for true convergence (phone, contact manager, wireless syncing, decent MP3 player, decent camera, decent email client which uses IMAP) and the iPhone looks to be it. The only other thing I could possibly want are video games as good as the PSP, but you can't have it all.
Sorry Research In Motion, if you would have moved faster on convergence rather than riding out one innovation, I would have happily supported a Canadian company.
If the cellular companies are smart they will start branching out to support public Wi-Fi hot spots, which would be 'free' to the subscribers of that cell phone company. After all there is more bandwidth with Wi-Fi.
I stay only because with only three major carriers, there is no competition in the market here and I have had this phone number for too long to change it to save a few dollars with another carrier. I have not heard great things about Telus and Bell either.
I'm locked into a contract with Rogers until Aug 2008, and if something else comes up then, I will switch for sure. My price plan is a rip off with only 200 daytime minutes, but free on weeknights/weekends.
The data package probably the biggest rip off. If I add $10 more to the feature bundle, then I will get 2MB per month for email/web browsing. Once I go over, they charge by the KB. I will not sign into these services until Rogers improves on their internet/data plans with more reasonable fee structures. Maybe they will announce a deal to good to pass up on when the iPhone comes out. If they do that, they will have both my business and good word of advice to others.