Whew... the brain cramp at Rogers must finally be at least easing up but until they put the customer first... (i.e. just launch it, don't talk about launching it), I'm not saving any money up.
Odd, I say that about Bell (ATT) too, but I'm not a "bitter ex-customer". I just go by the experiences of many friends and family members, who've had ATT and who've really not liked it very much in my part of the country.
If a carrier has bitter ex-customers, generally they've earned them.
Yep, and a cliche that will never go out of style, so long as carriers have areas where they give poor service, have bad customer service, screw up your bills, etc. etc.
They all do it, to varying degrees. So all you can really do is go with the carrier that sucks the least. \
.
So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
Though the reasoning behind Rogers' apparent about-face were never made public, speculation amongst analyst and industry followers were that data rates in Canada were too steep for Apple's liking, Rogers still had some time on existing contracts with other handset makers, and that it was in the process of upgrading to a next-generation 3G network.
"The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple," said Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. "Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that [...] leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries."
In February, the Canadian carrier for the first time began introducing affordable unlimited data plans, in what was seen as a sign that one more barrier to an official iPhone launch in Canada had been knocked down.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.
AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.
AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).
Speaking from Canada, I'm guessing Rogers caved because of the inherent arrival of the G3 model. I'd bet they signed now to get people to sign on to the GSM phone thinking (knowing?) a better and cheaper version (G3) is coming this summer... I'll wait 'til then.
We will not get unlocked iphones by default in Canada...Like France, we either pay a premium for an unlocked model or we will require to sign a multi year contract to get it at a 'discounted' price.
The reason why this statement was made..is to discourage Canadians from driving down to our neighbour's to purchase and unlock the iphone for use. By letting us Canadians know that it is coming, more people will wait for Rogers to offer it then to go through the trouble to get it in the States.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
Can you cite your sources on tied sales with some more detail? I had no idea there'd been a change in legislation or a change in respect for existing legislation on part of the carriers. As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier. Even Rogers and Fido GSM handsets are not interchangeable out of the box - and they're the same company. I have paid exorbitant rates on top of Canadian carriers' ridiculous $6.95 "system access fee" for over a year on a month-to-month plan on a phone I bought out right and Rogers will not unlock it for me. My account has been in good standing, but Rogers refuses to unlock my quad-band phone that I was hoping to use for travel. As far as I understand in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile will unlock certain models after several months of holding an account in good standing.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
I don't think that is right at all. Carriers mostly sell locked phones in Canada, since they only subsidize the locked phones. I believe you can buy them unlocked, but you lose the subsidy and pay full price.
Since Apple seems adverse to allowing subsidies anyway, maybe it is a moot point.
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
Im convinced that all these customer rating stating a carrier offers poor service stem from the device that is causing the issues. Since going back to AT&T/Cingular I have had an excellent experience. Frankly, I didn't expect any carrier to offer such smooth support.
While Fido and Rogers might be the same company, they are managed as different brands. This means just because something is true for one, doesn't mean it is true for the other. The benefit is for the company behind the two names, and not necessarily the customer. This is to say that just because Rogers has agreed to have the iPhone, it does not mean that they will let their Fido customer access it.
Only time will tell how they decide on the availability of the iPhone to their customers.
One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.
Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.
One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.
Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.
It's too bad that the spectrum auction was this year. If it happened last year, I would think Rogers / Fido would have some GSM / HSPDA competition in place. If the iPhone launch is delayed until the end of the year, the "emerging" carriers may have a chance....
Looks like Fido is offering UMTS/HSPA phones, which would mean Rogers is rolling out UMTS (3G GSM)...
Edit: another interesting thing is Koodo brand (Telus discount wireless division) that's marketed to the younger generation....could they use this as a UMTS vehicle??
What's next, that you're going to try to justify that sort of poor service?
Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.
You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.
If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.
Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.
You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.
If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.
Huh? Besides, I don't even have an iphone, nor do I use AT&T.
Simply check out the JD Powers wireless surveys, or the ones that Consumer Reports does every year. ATT never seems to do well. If it wasn't for Sprint's current huge issues, they'd likely come in dead last instead of the their customary 'almost last'. \
I do remember some ATT fans getting excited when ATT came in as "average" in a JD Power customer service survey not long ago, though. And in some parts of the country, like the Northeast, their network rates pretty well sometimes. Unfortunately, that's not where I live.
As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier.
There is still the rumour going around that Telus in Canada is converting to GSM before the Olympics in 2010, so there might finally be some GSM competition for Rogers.
Living in Saskatchewan, this isn't all that exciting.
Rogers has virtually no coverage, except in the 3 major centres, and even still in places at the University friends with Rogers get no service.
I guess I'll have to wait until I move
Living in Saskatchewan, is anything exciting??
Rogers has spotty coverage in all of their coverage areas. Bell has the best coverage, Rogers has a better network. Both suck at pricing, service and handset availability. So does Telus.
Fido used to be great. Crappy coverage, but great network, pricing, handsets and customer service. Their pricing really made them superior to everyone else. Rogers bought them and turned them into Rogers-Mini-me and they suck now too. Too bad we don't have real competition in the cell phone market in Canada. Gotta think though, that if the iPhone results in enough of a bleed off of Bell/telus customers, they might start actually feeling the need to stop raping us on the plan pricing.
Comments
Odd, I say that about Bell (ATT) too, but I'm not a "bitter ex-customer". I just go by the experiences of many friends and family members, who've had ATT and who've really not liked it very much in my part of the country.
If a carrier has bitter ex-customers, generally they've earned them.
Yep, and a cliche that will never go out of style, so long as carriers have areas where they give poor service, have bad customer service, screw up your bills, etc. etc.
They all do it, to varying degrees. So all you can really do is go with the carrier that sucks the least.
.
So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
Though the reasoning behind Rogers' apparent about-face were never made public, speculation amongst analyst and industry followers were that data rates in Canada were too steep for Apple's liking, Rogers still had some time on existing contracts with other handset makers, and that it was in the process of upgrading to a next-generation 3G network.
"The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple," said Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. "Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that [...] leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries."
In February, the Canadian carrier for the first time began introducing affordable unlimited data plans, in what was seen as a sign that one more barrier to an official iPhone launch in Canada had been knocked down.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.
AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
As a bonus, Canadians will receive unlocked 3G iPhones.
AppleInsider readers may remember the comment by Apple (Tim Cook ?) saying that "Apple is not married to any specific business model" for the sale of iPhones going forward. The ATT tied sales model was adopted to meet overwhelming initial demand for iPhones (and, presumably, not to fleece customers or break the Anti-trust provisions of American law).
Speaking from Canada, I'm guessing Rogers caved because of the inherent arrival of the G3 model. I'd bet they signed now to get people to sign on to the GSM phone thinking (knowing?) a better and cheaper version (G3) is coming this summer... I'll wait 'til then.
The reason why this statement was made..is to discourage Canadians from driving down to our neighbour's to purchase and unlock the iphone for use. By letting us Canadians know that it is coming, more people will wait for Rogers to offer it then to go through the trouble to get it in the States.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
Can you cite your sources on tied sales with some more detail? I had no idea there'd been a change in legislation or a change in respect for existing legislation on part of the carriers. As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier. Even Rogers and Fido GSM handsets are not interchangeable out of the box - and they're the same company. I have paid exorbitant rates on top of Canadian carriers' ridiculous $6.95 "system access fee" for over a year on a month-to-month plan on a phone I bought out right and Rogers will not unlock it for me. My account has been in good standing, but Rogers refuses to unlock my quad-band phone that I was hoping to use for travel. As far as I understand in the US, AT&T and T-Mobile will unlock certain models after several months of holding an account in good standing.
Tied sales are illegal in Canada as in many European countries. Only unlocked iPhones, not tied to any specific cell phone provider, can be sold in Canada according to the Competition Act.
I don't think that is right at all. Carriers mostly sell locked phones in Canada, since they only subsidize the locked phones. I believe you can buy them unlocked, but you lose the subsidy and pay full price.
Since Apple seems adverse to allowing subsidies anyway, maybe it is a moot point.
So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
The bottom of what?
Show us the evidence.
So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
Im convinced that all these customer rating stating a carrier offers poor service stem from the device that is causing the issues. Since going back to AT&T/Cingular I have had an excellent experience. Frankly, I didn't expect any carrier to offer such smooth support.
Only time will tell how they decide on the availability of the iPhone to their customers.
One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.
Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.
One thing that is worth noting is that Rogers has a total monopoly on GSM in Canada, so they would not really have much to lose from an unlocked iPhone.
Edit: Interesting that the list of Canadian GSM providers lists planned service from 'Dryden Mobility (DMTS Mobility)'. Ice Wireless only covers the far north.
It's too bad that the spectrum auction was this year. If it happened last year, I would think Rogers / Fido would have some GSM / HSPDA competition in place. If the iPhone launch is delayed until the end of the year, the "emerging" carriers may have a chance....
Looks like Fido is offering UMTS/HSPA phones, which would mean Rogers is rolling out UMTS (3G GSM)...
Edit: another interesting thing is Koodo brand (Telus discount wireless division) that's marketed to the younger generation....could they use this as a UMTS vehicle??
Does that make it any less true?
What's next, that you're going to try to justify that sort of poor service?
Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.
You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.
If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.
Sorry, but when MaBell was the only shop in town the most you got were bitching to friends and SNL mocking AT&T will Lilly Tomlin.
You make your voices heard now by dropping your plan.
If you are truly pissed you will hold onto your iPhone and drop your plan. When AT&T or others grasp that they aren't listening then and only then do they fix it.
Huh? Besides, I don't even have an iphone, nor do I use AT&T.
Rogers has virtually no coverage, except in the 3 major centres, and even still in places at the University friends with Rogers get no service.
I guess I'll have to wait until I move
The bottom of what?
Show us the evidence.
Simply check out the JD Powers wireless surveys, or the ones that Consumer Reports does every year. ATT never seems to do well. If it wasn't for Sprint's current huge issues, they'd likely come in dead last instead of the their customary 'almost last'.
I do remember some ATT fans getting excited when ATT came in as "average" in a JD Power customer service survey not long ago, though. And in some parts of the country, like the Northeast, their network rates pretty well sometimes. Unfortunately, that's not where I live.
.
As far as I was aware, every carrier-sold handset in Canada with the exception of the GSM component of Telus' Blackberry CDMA/GSM worldphone is locked to its respective carrier.
Absolutely true.
So did you still get the iPhone in spite of AT&T?
Or refuse like so many others for that very reason- they are rated near the bottom.
Didn't get the iPhone yet. No 3G, and yeah, ATT just flat sucks in Northern California, where I am.
.
Living in Saskatchewan, this isn't all that exciting.
Rogers has virtually no coverage, except in the 3 major centres, and even still in places at the University friends with Rogers get no service.
I guess I'll have to wait until I move
Living in Saskatchewan, is anything exciting??
Rogers has spotty coverage in all of their coverage areas. Bell has the best coverage, Rogers has a better network. Both suck at pricing, service and handset availability. So does Telus.
Fido used to be great. Crappy coverage, but great network, pricing, handsets and customer service. Their pricing really made them superior to everyone else. Rogers bought them and turned them into Rogers-Mini-me and they suck now too. Too bad we don't have real competition in the cell phone market in Canada. Gotta think though, that if the iPhone results in enough of a bleed off of Bell/telus customers, they might start actually feeling the need to stop raping us on the plan pricing.