Mobile Data Rates in Canada

[fredr123]

Michael Geist and others have been railing on this topic a lot in the past few weeks especially in the wake of the iphone's debut. Canada's mobile internet/data rates are, according to some, out of line with the rest of the world and horribly uncompetitive.



From Geist:

Another revealing comparison comes for those Canadians dreaming about an Apple iPhone. In the U.S., the AT&T iPhone plan offers 450 anytime minutes (unused minutes can be rolled over to the next month), 5000 additional night and weekend minutes, and unlimited data for $59.99. If/when the iPhone makes its way to Canada, Rogers will be the sole carrier given the absence of any competition for GSM services (unless Apple decides to wait for a much-needed fourth carrier following a set-aside for the 2008 spectrum auction, but that is a long time to wait without a guarantee of a set-aside). A comparable plan for Rogers today costs:

• 500 minutes (Canada-wide, no rollover) - $60
• 500 additional evening and weekend minutes - $25
• 500 MB of data (no unlimited data offered) - $210

In other words, a plan from Rogers (Rogers plan in C$, AT&T in US$ but currencies now nearly at par) that offers less than AT&T - the Canadian version does not have unlimited data, does not offer rolled over minutes, and has only 10 percent of the night and weekend minutes - currently runs $295 per month (there is a Blackberry data plan that offers 200 MB for $100 with a three year contract but each additional MB costs $5). The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple. Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that, as now RIM and Google both note, leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries. Is it any wonder there is a petition calling on Rogers to introduce a more competitive iPhone data plan?

SO CPers, do you use your mobile phone to access the internet? What about for business use? Anyone care to share the details of their phone plans and their experiences in general?

[Lucky boy]

I did once ... I was online for about 5 mintues and downloaded one game.
A fat 20 dollar surcharge was on my bill the next month and thus I learnt the hard way to never hit the internet button on my phone again.

I guess if you have internet on your phone plan though, it might be a bit more reasonable in terms of cost.

[BlackArcher101]

I was just looking at wireless data rates this morning in fact (for storm chasing), and what I found turned me off the idea entirely. Our USA brethren have it good. I'm jealous.

[ken0042]

I know there's issues with population density between the two countries, but I wonder if part of it is the carriers offerring it as a "loss leader" to try and get people onto faster internet connections.

I'm still stunned when I watch American TV and see all these ads for dial up internet.

[Slava]

I had both a Blackberry and Treo and I've gone back to a "plain jane" cell phone. (As plain as you can get it now...so it can go on the net, take pictures and video, play games and a lot of other useless functions...but I digress).

The whole idea of using my phone for the internet or e-mail is just a huge waste of money. It costs way to much to be practical.

Incidentally, the reason that there is so much technology available on your phone now has a lot to do with one of my favorite topics...China. Skilled workers there design games and other applications for your phone because they do not have to fear the piracy that they would otherwise have to if they were designing for your PC.

[hockeycop]

The rates in Canada are disgusting. I have a moto Q and the bills regularly come in at around $200. Thank goodness I may have an out with a plan through my employer that would brig it down a bit.

[photon]

Yeah, I develop GPS enabled games and apps for phones and stuff, and this is a huge killer for us in Canada. We have lots of cool ideas for stuff but it's pretty much useless to try and launch them in Canada because it'd cost the user hundreds a day to play.

[sclitheroe]

The thing that gets me, is take a look at Roger's Portable Internet offering..essentially, it's a cell phone in a box, that provides a 1.5 mbps connection, a 30 GB monthly transfer limit, and can roam around major cities, for $60 a month, which is reasonable in my opinion. Heck, you could use an AC inverter and run the thing in your car if you wanted...I had a chance to play around with one, and it's decent, but not spectacular, wireless broadband.

So, if Rogers can offer that for $60 a month, what is the excuse for such high prices via a phone?

-Scott

[photon]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

So, if Rogers can offer that for $60 a month, what is the excuse for such high prices via a phone?

-Scott

No competition means they can rape the customer, and all we can do about it is smile and like it.

[droopydrew19]

I checked into using my phone on a recent trip to Mexico. Fido wanted $35 a minute to use it. What a freaking joke. We need an upstart company to come in and undercut all these companies to force a market correction.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

I checked into using my phone on a recent trip to Mexico. Fido wanted $35 a minute to use it. What a freaking joke. We need an upstart company to come in and undercut all these companies to force a market correction.

Yeah, but the barriers to entry are super high. No company can afford to come in and build thier own towers and network. Telus, Bell and Rogers have bought out most of the smaller guys. So as long as those three don't get into a price war, the rates will stay high.

[photon]

Yeah, it would take an existing carrier from the US or elsewhere with deep pockets to come in, and really to what gain with a low population.

Though would it be that hard for one of the US carriers to just extend their network northward? Or is that illegal?

This is one area where government intervention might eventually be required.

[photon]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

The thing that gets me, is take a look at Roger's Portable Internet offering..essentially, it's a cell phone in a box, that provides a 1.5 mbps connection, a 30 GB monthly transfer limit, and can roam around major cities, for $60 a month, which is reasonable in my opinion. Heck, you could use an AC inverter and run the thing in your car if you wanted...I had a chance to play around with one, and it's decent, but not spectacular, wireless broadband.

So, if Rogers can offer that for $60 a month, what is the excuse for such high prices via a phone?

-Scott

Are you sure about that? I don't think it uses the cell network, it uses some other Wi-Lan type thing I think.

[FlamesFanInEdm]

I have unlimited browsing and dling on my Samsung a920 bell phone for 6.95 a month. pretty reasonable i think. however....before i got that, i played around on it a bit and got hit pretty hard, i think it was a ~$200 bill for hardly doing anything. i dled a song which ended up costing 65 bucks or something and i couldnt even fight it which was really annoying.
________
Ass Grab

[Mith]

Originally Posted by photon

Yeah, it would take an existing carrier from the US or elsewhere with deep pockets to come in, and really to what gain with a low population.

Though would it be that hard for one of the US carriers to just extend their network northward? Or is that illegal?

This is one area where government intervention might eventually be required.

There's some sort of canadian content law that prevents this somewhere, I'm sure of it. I discussed this with a friend of mine. Basicly, american companies can't come in and provide us with a network because that would violate the idea that we have to have our own companies provide us with service... seems ass backwards to me.

It's the same reason we can't get Cartoon network in Canada, Canadian content protection restricts it.

[Salt Water Cowboy #10]

Originally Posted by FlamesFanInEdm

I have unlimited browsing and dling on my Samsung a920 bell phone for 6.95 a month. pretty reasonable i think. however....before i got that, i played around on it a bit and got hit pretty hard, i think it was a ~$200 bill for hardly doing anything. i dled a song which ended up costing 65 bucks or something and i couldnt even fight it which was really annoying.

I've got the same phone. When I got it, I recieved "one free download" that was going to be a song. But it was going to cost me $51 to transfer the information. I called and complained and the servicecentre guy told me that kids were racking up $800 dollar phone bills by downloading stuff. Or you could pay the $7.00 per month and get unlimited. I gave the poor guy an earfull to say the least. Not that he had anything to do with the pricing. So, it just pissed me off. It makes you wunder, why can you get access to the internet for rates nobody would ever pay? People should not have access unless they pay for the service. Cellphone providers are devious extortionists. I hate'em! there should be laws to protect people from this kind of crap service! my 2 cents

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by photon

Yeah, it would take an existing carrier from the US or elsewhere with deep pockets to come in, and really to what gain with a low population.

Though would it be that hard for one of the US carriers to just extend their network northward? Or is that illegal?

This is one area where government intervention might eventually be required.

It isn't going to happen. The CRTC would b!tch and moan, not to mention Telus, Rogers and Bell saying that it would be detremental to have a US carrier come into Canada. The only thing it would be detremental to is the Canadian carriers pocket books.
And the Canadian Government isn't going to allow this either. All it would take is cries from the opposition to claim that Canada's soveirgnty is at stake.

I would love more competition in Canada from other countries, in terms of these products. It will just force the Canadian companies to get better. But i am living in a pipe dream.

[Barnes]

What needs to happen is what happened wit satellite. American companies need to make it cheaper to get a US phone and roam in Canada for cheaper than a Canadian Phone.

3 phone companies should be enough competition for 35 million people. The US has How many? 5 or six for 300,000,000? How many of us have been with all three of them? There is no incentive to lower prices.

[Incinerator]

my phone/PDA has WiFi so I just steal whoever's unsecured signal wherever I am

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by Incinerator

my phone/PDA has WiFi so I just steal whoever's unsecured signal wherever I am

what phone is that?