30,000 Canadians petition for iPhone rate relief

Rogers' a thief! We've greater cellphone services in the Philippines! I only rely on my cellphone before I came to Canada. Even bought an open-line cellphone to use here, but only used it for a month. What's the deal with charging out-going and in coming text and calls? Its pretty stupid to me.

Well, I can't say that I honestly hate Rogers, unlike everyone here; I signed with what I felt was an somewhat "honest" voice plan last June for what I'm using, about 1500 minutes, mostly during the day.

But when I looked into the iPhone, I just couldn't believe they had no plan for existing voice users between 2megabytes and 6 gigabytes. The 2MB plan is less than 6 days of very light email-checking on the go, and it still costs $15 par month! For the 6GB, the price not only is still too high despite their special on it (30$ instead of $100), but if one wants it, he's forced to keep it for 3 years, even if better plans come out in the meantime. That's the strangest move from Rogers: not even offering intermediate plans, no 400MB such as the dedicated voice+data plan of the iPhone (which has a ridiculously small voice part, BTW)

I tried not to be too concerned with their rates, but considering how few emails and how much expensive is their least expensive plan, I have no choice but to bring the iPhone back to where I got it, sadly.

I may have considered to pay $10 more per month for, say, 500MB data (what I feel is enough for a light use of the iPhone on the go, with GPS and email browsing/answering), but not 50% more for 250% less.

They don't even provide any added-value! No SIM-unlocked iPhone (after all, there is only 1 GSM company here, customers can't escape anywhere), no unlimited data, no caller display and options free of charge, no way to report unused minutes on the next billing cycle, no nothing!

Let's not complain, Bell is so much worse. The truth is Rogers is using its dominant position in a captive market; there's simply no alternative; every cellular voice provider here in Canada has the same kind of rates, after counting various fees and taxes; never more than 3 to 4$ difference.

BTW, Koodo is a Telus subsidiary, not Rogers'

Oh well, guess it's the way that Canada allows its businesses to do business; same goes with Videotron in Quebec, same with Bell

UPDATE:

ROGERS LIED ABOUT CONTRACT!

Existimg customers beware!!!

We were told that this new data plan can be used with existing voice plan but what they didn't say is your existing voice plan nust also then be locked into a new 3 year contract also.

ROGERS MISS LEAD US AGAIN !!!!!

Text is rip off 15 cent per text!

Wha..a.. joke?

I'm Deaf female and want use text often than voice. Where fairness?

L.O.L., L.O.L., L.O.L. …. Yes my friends this is very laughable and comic situation … Very much, it is NOT Rogers Inc. or TelUs for change who too blame for all this, it is a Canadian Government, these fat politicians earning money doing nothing for Canada, who allow unconstitutional monopoly in our country! These mobile providers, they just take their chances … like everybody else in business will do and does … Look left & right there is enough of it.

European mobile market place is a way different since there is a competition therefore price structure is a win-situation for customer.

Here in Canada we customers, we are like a dancer with wooden leg trying to win competition in tango contest! Sad, but truth!

To every single person out there who will be canceling your current service through Rogers on the iPhone's release date, or all other boycotters, haters, or protesters otherwise .. Save your energy.

If you cancel .. you are likely to endure the hefty cancellation fee's (which you agreed to when you signed your agreement in the first place.)

If you boycott service by turning off your phone .. you will only lower the providers costs by not using the towers providing the services you are already paying for anyway – Giving the company slightly higher profit margins .. but every penny earned counts. So I'm sure they wont mind.

Thirdly .. Everyone who thinks the prices are too high .. I fully agree with you. But look at it logistically.

Prices for services are and always will be based on a supply and demand basis.

We have a small fraction of the population of the States, hense .. we pay more for everything, including our cellular services. About %60 more on average actually. Steep huh?

If you don't understand that, take a business/marketing class.

I'm not sure which of the previous commenters said it, but he was right. If you don't want to pay the price, don't buy the product.

The Best thing you can do as a consumer is get yourself well informed of all the products and services that are available to you and choose the one that best suits you. What is best for your best friend or your brother may not necessarily be what is best for you.

if anyone would like any assistance with such, feel free to email me. I am an individual who sells cellular services for a living through almost all of the main service providers in the Country. I am a heavily experienced (4 years) and non Biased Sales Person, with First Hand experience as a consumer and retailer with all providers as well; and I would be glad to assist.

Candace.

ielasic@hotmail.com

To the aptly named "Rob" in toronto.

Koodo is a Rogers subsidiary (and I've half a mind that you're a propagandist.)

To those looking for better cell rate deals in Canada but not the iPhone should take a look at KOODO mobile. Better plans and prices.

Rogers has been sucking money out of canadian consumers' wallet way before the 3G Iphone…

I'm glad they don't get away with murder this time again.

To Mike in Halifax

There is no alternative to what the iPhone is; but you can not know that 'cause you're an uninformed Apple basher.

Stick with second rate products, you deserve them. Love.

This Website http://www.cancelrogers.com is calling for a Rogers Cancellation Day, On the same day as the iPhone release.It even has a countdown going. I'm going to cancel my account at 9:00am as well!!

This website is calling for a Rogers Cancellation Day… On the same day as the iPhone release.. It even has a Countdown timer going… I'm going to cancel my service at 9:00am too!!

Turning of your phone and Petition's will not change a thing, what matters is the size of their wallets. Simple solution DON"T BUY IT.

Any current Rogers customer should show their displeasure with the following protest. At 6PM EST on July 11th, turn off your Rogers phone for one hour.

They will get the message if their network goes quiet for an hour!

Here's an idea, why not take all this energy towards fighting over lower prices for a luxery service everyone doesn't need to live and put it to better use. Your obviously all admitting that you are self centred and don't care about wars going on or hunger in 3rd world countries. You all bitch and bitch but come July 11th you will cave in because you only care about bragging to others about what you have and they don't. I am a blackberry user and I spend my extra time with friends and family and enjoying life to the fullest and not becoming an idiot who gets there jolly's from shooting up martians and watching Youtube broadcasts of people you wish you could be friends with. NOW THAT'S SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT

hi guys, for whatever city you are in, im setting up a loose knitt, grass roots attempt at a protest, check out the info here

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18226542121

send the word out, 2 people with signs outside a store is better then none! JOIN THE FIGHT!!

Hello:

We may be witnessing an historic event in Canada! Canadian consumers are "standing up and not taking it anymore".

Hopefully Apple will do the right thing and remove iPhone from Robbers. But all Canadian captains of industry should be aware, this is a shot across your bows for your neanderthal and predatory business practices. Change NOW or perish.

Terry

I'm with Ted in Victoria…you Apple fanatics really need to get a life…there are hundreds of alternatives out there that are great bargains…you might be pleasantly surprised if you do some research on 'em…on a related note, the iPhone does NOT offer the best portable web browsing experience and the iPods do not offer the best mp3 player value, features, or even the best SOUND quality (they have some of the worst sound quality actually but that's a bit off topic…) Apple products do have the Apple name on 'em though and might make points with the coffee shop nerds for you so if that's what you're looking for, go for it!

…I suspect most Apple fanatics would buy bottled iWater for $10.00 per bottle if it existed…lol

why donot you get rid of all rogers sevice from homephone, internet, tv and wireless. never trust the business men promise.

I was surprised to find that in a number of Third World countries the telecommunication service and rates surpassed those in Canada. I was able to access over 120 cable channels for a fee of approximately US$30 – and these are legitimate broadcasting channels governed under that third world country's broadcasting commission. People in that region enjoys similar rates. The phone rates that Rogers charges, I have not seen anywhere else. I often wonder why does Rogers have this endless power in Canada's telecommunication industry and what are the authorities doing about it!!

I am not a cell phone person or even

a phone person. I hate it when the

phone rings, so im certainly not going

to carry one around with me! I bought

a cell phone once for travel, still have it actually. I only wanted to use

the 'pay as you go' option, and only

needed it for emergencies while

travelling.The system access fee

bummed me out, but when they expected

me to pay for it twice when i hadnt

bought 'pay as you go' minutes from

them in 3 months time. I said screw

it, im not paying! They even want

to make you keep buying minutes you

just dont need, nevermind all the other

crap most ppl pay for! Now when I

travel i just take my chances like

I've been doing for years and years,

and always made out ok. Cell phone

ppl to me are crazy! Throw your hard

earned cash away if you want to!

Not I thank you very much!

EVERYONE BOYVOT ROGERS. JUST BUY THE IPHONE OFF EBAY AND USE WIFI. SO MUCH BETTER.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that Rogers does this. There is no competition in the market for either rogers or bell and they are ripping us off everyday. In canda, we are paying the most worldwide for data. What a rip-off. Down with rogers and bell. This monopoly has to end.

Nice discussion I'm a long time CDN Rogers subscriber and protested the years ago "Negative Option Billing" by dropping my subscription to the high cost movies and sports down to basic cable. To this day I watch Rogers like a hawk and scrutinize the fine print in every offer. I WILL NEVER TRUST THEM !

In this case I will opt for a Blackberry device on a competitor's network. I use SKYPE whenever I need long distance even though I CANNOT GET A SKYPEIN line in Canada due I'm sure to the same monopolism issue.

I'm also going to have to drop basic cable in favor of FTA satellite.

So be it!

Rogers Wireless rates for the iPhone are a joke. Just like the company itself and the customer support is just a call center. These idiots have no clue about anything just like the office of the president of Rogers > Emile you suck!

Isn't it obvious? Ted must own stock in RIM! I don't think anyone could really be this stupid… and to top it all off, he has been deemed Entrepreneur of the Year?!?! Is he sleeping with Ernst & Young?

Serious though, this will have a far greater NEGATIVE for Rogers then good (I worked there…shame on me) If you or anyone you know own stock in Rogers: SELL SELL SELL!!!!

Rogers; prepare for A LOT of damage control! Thank your fearless moronic leader while you're at it!

I'm a transplanted American now living in Canada, so I have experience on both sides of the border. Rogers' iPhone pricing is typical of a number of situations in Canada where higher prices are out of proportion to the difference in the value of the dollar (small these days) and the cost of doing business north of the border.

Too often, Canadians are complacement and overly polite in accepting and paying higher prices for things that are cheaper south of the border. I'm glad to see at least one situation like this one where they aren't rolling over and playing dead.

Rogers (and other Canadian companies) are used to getting away with high prices. It's going to take a different attitude to change these longstanding inequities.

I've put together this site to provide a concise comparison of Rogers iPhone plans to those provided in the US and UK:

http://getthefactsonrogersiphone.com/

If you think the site does a good job of showing how poor the Rogers plans are, please spread the link to family and friends.

cant believe that the prices in canada are so bad, at&t, well the plans are very good, but NO ONE KNOWS that you have to elegable to upgrade for the new 3G iphone, where the plain iphone you didnt , there are going to be some upset customers,

Wait for Bell!!!

screw rogers…I rip them off every chance I get!

What more can one say!! It seems as though We loyal consumers here in Canada have always gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to value for money!! Just look at what's been happening within the lumber trade and automobile industry over the past 25 years in North America and the focus quickly sharpens! Utterly outrageous and downright crooked. Regardless of whether the loonie is soaring or plummeting, we always fair worse than our American counterparts! Rogers latest and past tactics are a perfect illustration of this never-ending trend!

Rogers always rips off it's customers, I work for Rogers, so I should know. If there was more competition then this would not happen. Why did the government allow Rogers to buy Fido?? The obvious purpose of the purchase of Fido was to ensure a lack of competition.

I personally think the cell phone plans in Canada are a real SCAM, and just a money-grabbing tactic by all the providers, with Rogers being the biggest SCAMMER.

Contracts, system access fee, extra charges for 911, whether you use it or not, limited minutes with no roll-over optiion, taxes and above all charges for making AND receiving calls!

I have been to many countries, and even third world countries have a more simple system. Almost 80% use pay as you go and are charged only for making calls (there are NO CHARGES for receiving calls). Once you charge your account, there is no time limit, you just recharge when you need to. Call display and even voice-mail is included.

I don't think it is the end of the world if you don't get the iphone RIGHT AWAY! To make a point, just defer buying it (even if you can afford it!). But knowing people in Canada, they will probably be lining up to buy it as soon as it is released. I can never figure out the compulsion!!

Sorry no sympathy from me. There are cheaper alternatives, but you don't want them you want **IPHONE**. Your fanatical obsession with a specific brand name device isn't going to gain much pity. Price sucks, buy something else.

I will simply buy an UNLOCKED IPhone on my next trip to Asia as I did with my Nokia N95 16 months ago.

Cell phone rates are ridiculous compared to Asia where for the last 8 years that I know of…. NO ONE pays for an incoming call!!! AND….sim cards can be bought for as low as $2.00. As for pay as you go… minimal top ups can lengthen your expiry for up to ONE year.

We are being soooooooo ripped off here in North America……..

One of the interesting points which wasn't pointed out in this article was how inevitable this really was.

Because the Canadian economy is not as large as it's American equivilant (don't confuse "large" with "strong"), Canadian cellular customers have paid either high prices than Americans or paid the same rate with poorer quality of service. This comes from many factors, mostly being the lack of competition between the telecommunications companies. Because each company is not fighting hard for customers, they feel more inclined to have explensive plans like the Iphone plans from Rogers.

To be candid, we need more companies.

We need more capitalism, or we pay more for less service

i cannot say where i work, however i can tell you that the fido/rogers plans were requested by apple themselves , as well as the price of the phone so why dont you complain to them

Roger the Rip Off Artist. We got rid of the Rogers Cable here in Vancouver after a massive public outcry. Now Rogers wants to do the same with the iPhone eh?

Just don't buy and the message will hit home.

First, as a decade long customer of Rogers, I have to say that Rogers is an innovative company that has reinvented itself many times to its clients' benefit. In most areas, it is price competitive, including cellular service. Its customer service, VRU, etc. are first rate. I compare often and for most of my services, Rogers is very competitive, and the uptime for Internet, home phone, is near perfect.

But people complaining about the iphone rates have a valid point. Rogers does have a GSM monopoly, and the merger with Fido should not have gone through. The iphone is NOT an ordinary cell phone or handheld, just as the ipod is not your average mp3 player. I have been waiting for about 5 years, having gone through Windows handheld devices (5 in total), and a blackberry. I do have a need for an always on mobile device that provides a "real" browsing experience. Although I was thoroughly impressed by my blackberry Pearl, it cannot (and neither can any other device on the planet) compare remotely with the iphone browser. Telus has 4 unlimited email / Data plans currently.Bell did too the last time I checked. But Rogers has a paltry "unlimited email" plan for $15. It is clearly waiting to see where this trend is headed (initiated by Bell, followed by Telus). To me, unlimited data is a big deal, and it should be, when you consider that mobile browsing is the highpoint of this device.

As for the iphone being a luxury, not a necessity, well, the ipod was a luxury too, but it is now a necessity for me. I wonder if the flushable toilet was a luxury once, or still is?

rogers is the worst thing canada has im pretty sure i cant even count how many times they have screwed me over

here is the thing:

DONT SIGN CONTRACTS

lets say:

$60cdn a month

$6.95 a month system access fee

+$0.50 911 mandatory fee

—————————

$67.45 / month

X 12 months

——————————

$809.4/ year

X 3 years

——————————

$2428.2 for the contract

i believe you can get a really nice phone for that price

wow … those plans are a rip off … unless your rich or something , i dont want 5% of my paycheck every month going to a phone bill.

i am very happy with my fido to fido plan and most likely will not buy the iphone anymore.

i am shocked that this is even considered important enough to be on the news. so a company is charging ridiculous rates – who cares? just don't buy the product. its not hard. i used to have rogers cable, cell phones, and internet, and guess what? when i didn't like their rates, i just canceled. no whining necessary, just cancellation. nobody is forcing you to have an iphone, and everybody can live without it.

I think the telecom industry in Canada sucks and so does the government. And knowing this Apple is taking advantage of the situation. No wonder Microsoft takes the lead in everthing and Apple just gets to chew off the pieces Microsoft don't like.

i forgot if your a loyal customer with bell or rogers you get nothing in return if you cancel them for 6 mons they offer you great deals to be a customer again being loyal does not get you anywhere with them,,

come on now be disloyal and ditch them

they will get the message

i say boy cott all mobile companies til they come into line with the rest of the world

as for rogers get rid of them tv internet and cell phones they are ripping canadians off period

Unfortunetely, I won't be able to boycott Rogers although I really want to (since I am still in my "stupid" three-year contract…What can I say, stupid me…). I have waited iPhone to come to Canada for a long time. If I knew that Rogers will have such a bad deal for customers who are interested in buying an iPhone, I would just go to USA and buy the first generation of iPhone last year!!!

I converted to Apple three years ago from the PC world and since then I've bought two more macs, three iPods and an iPod touch. I've been obsessing over the iPhone release date in Canada for a year, but when Rogers released their horrible rate plans, it has honestly made me think twice about buying it. Now, Bell Canada and Telus Mobility are releasing the Samsung Insight and HTC Touch Diamond and each company is offering deals with UNLIMITED data. I can't believe it, but I'm actually considering getting one of these two phones now instead of the iPhone.

Bell and Telus, I take my hat off to you at some well played market strategy.

The only thing they understand is $$$.

Boycott Robber Communications!!!

Per capital Canadians have one of the highest Cell Phone user rates on the planet. We are dead LAST in terms of price. We pay far too much for technology in this country because os lack of competition. Rogers will lock you into a three year contract, then six months from now will increase the Network Fee and you cannot get out of it! Rogers sells many products on contract, Internet, Phone, TV, and Cellular. These contracts are impossible to get out of, but Rogers increases fees every six months (network charges etc), or moves television channels around so you have to buy another package etc. They are criminal in their dealing, but Bell and Telus are not any better. And for Bell subscribers who thought BCE was greedy, they have not seen anything yet – now that the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund owns them. This fund purchases malls and increases the rent so high that stores go out of business and malls are empty, just wait till you see what happens to your telecom charges. The Government of Canada needs to allow full competition and allow carriers like Verizon and AT&T into our market, we already answer their phone calls in call centres here, why can't we have their products. I purchased a Verizon Pay As You Go cell phone with a Detroit telephone numbers, even with the roaming charges my cell phone costs LESS than any Canadian Product, and I can control my incoming calls because few people want to call me in the 313!

As of the time of this writing, with nearly 30,000 Canadians balking (www.ruinediphone.com) at currently offered Rogers iPhone pricing, Rogers stands to lose a minimum of $66 million dollars in revenue.

The letter I just send to Ted Rogers people explains it…

Please pass this on to where it can do some good.

Rogers still has time to lead the Canadian wireless industry by taking it over. If Rogers reduces its iphone launch prices say to match AT&T's in the USA, it will net an immediate 6 million plus ongoing revenue for a shorter contract period, say 2 years at Approximately $2000.00 per year – at least $60 million.

MUCH More important than that, it will set aside the black eye Rogers is headed for, an set up as industry leaders who listen to consumers and react immediately wherever possible and gain, (at last count 30,000), people who are very probably Mac friendly and you already know how fanatically loyal Mac people can be!

The sources for this assumption are simple.

1. AT&T and Apple's raging sucess wiith the iphone (Every other manufacturer is desperately trying to emulate it).

2. The ruinediphone.com site has 30,000 signatures of people who were going to get an iphone and now won't.

3. Base price assumed $199 and contract estimate based on averaged minimum AT&T plan revenues.

Contrary to your COO's idiotic (sorry, nothing else describes it) earlier statement, the iPhone is not "just a phone" or "just a peice of hardware".

Well, maybe in the sense that a portable CD player is the same as an iPod. Say – seen any portable CD players lately?

You get the drift, you have the power.

Please choose to lead and not follow.

Thanks for listening,

Neil

P.S. I've had an iPhone since they came out, have brought three others into Canada and am holding off on purchasing 4 for my company and 3 (more) for my family, so my numbers could be way low.

First of all, Rogers is a business. They're in this to make money, and I'm willing to bet that a good 50% of the people who were considering the Iphone when it was announced, will still pick it up. And within a year, that number will increase quite a bit.

The pricing is a little steep, but it's the first device of it's kind, and Rogers is starting the pricing off high.

The choices are simple. First,if you like the phone, buy it. The novelty of what it can do will wear off in a few months, and you'll probably never use 1gb of data, never mind 2gb.

Second, if you were on the fence, as far as this phone goes, hold off. Like everything else, the pricing will come down more devices similar to the Iphone come out.

Third, don't buy it. Don't use Rogers for anything.

I've been using Rogers for several years now, for my cell, internet and cable, and they've always, always, been very helpful to me when I call them for anything. Any discrepencies in my bills are looked at and fixed right away. I have no issues with Rogers. They're a business, and they're in business to make money.

Well, I just mailed a general inquiry question about the iPhone, and now we'll wait and see how he/she responds to it. I will post my question and the response i get, when i get it, on this forum/site.

KNOWING ROGERS, BY NEXT WEEK THEYLL RESPOND.

I can't help but wonder what Rogers shareholders are thinking right now. Also, if Rogers is really censoring the petition, they might as well swat the bug on their foot with a bullet while they're at it.

the site is back up they just had some dns issues

I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about the so called land/population comments.

Sure Canada has more land and less people, but most Canadians live in a relitively small area, mostly along the US border. Who really needs cell phone coverage at the North Pole, except for perhaps Santa Claus? Do you really think the telecom companies actually build towers to cover every square centimeter of the country? Canada has appoximatly a 33 million population. According to the 2006 census the combined population from the 10 largest cities is about 10 million. Almost 1/3 of the country lives in 10 cities.

So it's true Canada is large, it's true that the overall density of the population is relitivly small, but when you look at the area where most of the population lives and the area cellular networks actually cover in Canada, you'll notice that the population density point is moot.

The site is working and the number of people that has sign the petition is well over 25000 problem is that Rogers blocked the website so now people using Rogers Internet can't access the site. Only way to do it is through a Proxy website or a VPN Program.

iPHONE + ROGERS= SCAM of THE YEAR!!

It's time we contacted our government officials and asked, "Why did you allow Rogers to buy FIDO?" Thanks to the government for making a monolopy like OPECs oligolopy.

Roger's gouging is the Canadian way. A small market spread across a large geography and in the Mr. Roger's neighbourhood he knows there is pent up demand. Although I think the Apple iPhone is a wonderful product, just do not line the path to Rogers Communication with gold. You can either wait for Rogers to step in line with AT&T and O2, which I doubt since they are not in direct competition with each other, and there is no other competition where a consumer can get the iPhone in Canada. And when there is no competition … buyer beware!

Here'she new link. Sign the Petition and let Rogers know how their and potentional customers truly feel, not that they care of course.

http://inflexion.iisnet-networks.com/~iphone/index.php

The whole argument about Canada being less densely populated is a smoke screen. Don't buy it. That argument made sense in the early days of cellular when the equipment was incredibly expensive and they were building out the infrastructure.

Now the equipment is cheap and they can plunk it on top of High Voltage towers or buildings if they want. Besides, the infrastructure was built out many years ago so the only costs they pay for that now is maintenance.

Like someone else pointed out. They only use that argument when it suits them. Telus talked about adding GSM to their system. They could wire their entire network with GSM and have it paid for with roaming charges in a little over 1 year by their own estimates! That's just with the roaming charges. Not even including subscriptions from locals.

Don't buy the "Canada doesn't have enough people" BS!

Rogers has the monopoly (they own Fido too). This poor pricing plan policy has not only alienated young users but also offends mature users like myself. The marketing department at Rogers Wireless should be replaced by a group that understands the different user demographics and their needs and comes up with a way to earn their rightful profits while avoiding gouging tactics that sour potential life-long customers.

Rogers is the only carrier in Canada that doesn't offer "TRUE" unlimited data like AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. I'm on Telus and since December of last year, I've been enjoying true uncapped unlimited data on my Blackberry Pearl 8130.

I've surfed both on HTML and WAP websites, used GPS, emailed and countless other applications that require data all for the promo price at that time for $15/month. Obviously, the promo has since ended and is now at $30 but still truly unlimited. Not this starting at $60 for 400MB rubbish. Also to note the Telus unlimited data plan applies to all smartphone devices.

If Telus and Bell can have true unlimited data plans like the rest of the world, why can't Rogers.

the site changed servers…

http://inflexion.iisnet-networks.com/~iphone/index.php

I canceled my cell with Bell Canada (after 6 years) last year in anticipation of getting an iPhone when they arrived.

I will ***NOT*** be getting an iPhone at Rogers rates. Too bad I don't use other Rogers services as I would love to be able to call them up and cancel their use.

Reginald W

Edmonton, Alberta

let me tell you. a million people wanted the iphone 3g

from rogers. You guys were supposed to get millions of

new customers because of the iphone. With your

"comprehensive price plans", you just killed 99% of

these protential new customers. I wanted the iphone,

every other person i know wanted the iphone. Now all

of us are NOT getting the iphone because of your

ridiculously priced plans, your LONG contracts.

SOmetimes i really wonder how you guys did your

research. You guys think you can charge us anything

because the demand is high? You just made us HATE

ROGERS more. So when the competitive market is in

place, the first thing i will do is leave Rogers.

Someone, Toronto said:

- Canada needs to get more immigrants to lower cost of everything including cellphone plans..

If McCain wins the US presidential election, a lot of Americans will be moving to Canada, even if the cell phone prices are higher.

Rogers has done it again. I went to the ruinediphone.com website on my Rogers connection. It was blocked. Used my TELUS blackberry connection, I can get to the site! Rogers is censoring the access to the site! What happened to freedom of speech and Net neutrality?

http://inflexion.iisnet-networks.com/~iphone/index.php

The Site is there now!

I commented earlier on the article and the Rogers dictatorship, now just 2 cents on the comments here.

It's amazing how many people are taking the comments SO personally! There have been insults thrown about; a few "get a life", “get to know your children”, “if you can't afford – don't buy statements”…etc… It isn’t about any of that!!!

Canadians or Americans, it doesn't matter. Living in a 'free' democratic society gives us the RIGHT to speak up when we feel we are being treated unfairly". (And I am grateful for that RIGTH, as we should all be. Just look at the news any day of the week to see how people in some other countries are treated by their Government just for having an opinion.

In Canada, on the majority, we are just plain sick and tired of Rogers business strategies. This is not just over the IPhone. They have been guilty and pushed back by the Government in the past (remember the Negative-billing option lawsuit and ruling over a decade ago?). I am confident that petitions, open-letters, protests of some sort will ensue and be further directed to Rogers, the Government, even the Competition (to get their act together and into the GSM game!). This one to Apple is just another avenue to force that pressure.

I do not pretend to be an economist, or sociologist or expert of any sort. I don't need to be. I am a person and a consumer within this country. So, PLEASE for whatever side of the argument you reside on (which this seems to be turning into), please do not disrespect me by insulting me personally. And I commit that I won't do the same.

This is my opinion on a business decision by Apple and Rogers.

For the record: I recently downgraded my Internet services with Rogers in response to their recent move to cap download limits on Internet usage. (about $20 less a month to them!) There was also a discrepancy with a charge that I was told I would be credited, when I called by their rep as it hadn't happened. She had told me that their systems had changed and they couldn't go back that far in the records (I think it was something less than a couple of months ago!) So I called again, and downgraded my Cable options. (this was about another $ 30 per month – I believe the original credit was for appx $ 35…not sure where the logic in their willingness to take a loss 10x greater than the original discrepancy. (?)

And lastly, last year I aided my company in migrating our corporate cell phones from Rogers to Bell (after the VP of Rogers broke a handshake agreement with our President during re-negotiations of their business with us and ours to them). We moved over 2000 cell users to the competition [Bell]. To my knowledge Rogers has since come back offering commitments and incentives, but our Corporate President, is thankfully a man of principle and is not answering that knock on the door!

Rogers – change your ways, your customers are tired!

Apple – just be careful who you are getting in bed with, it may not be the right one for your business image!

An opinion is a wonderful thing, let’s share them, and not discourage them!

It's not the plans; it's the charges for going over. Rogers are baiting the trap with the phone, which you'll use at it was intended to be used. You'll then get a bill that will make you soil your shorts. Oh Jeez,what have I done? You try to get out of the plan…$1100. We're being played.

A group of us here in Vancouver have rented out 4 Mobile Billboards that will display comparative information regarding these new Rogers/Fido iPhone plans.

How these plans compare to those in the USA

-the fine print details on what the plans involve.

-sample data from a 2 month period iPhone user in the USA and compare that with the new plans.

-Rogers claims that its top data plan — 2 GB per month for $115 — is enough to download 16,000 webpages. But users point out that a single Facebook page can account for 1.2 MB, which reduces browsing from 16,000 pages per month to 1,600.

etc.

We will drive these mobile billboards around University Campuses and Skytrain Stations, Robson Street (major shopping district) places with high traffic areas.

We will also park these billboards in key locations around the city.

u included the link only for the open letter to apple …

here is the letter for the petiton itself:

http://www.ruinediphone.com/sign.php

NOTE: the guy is asking for donations so that he can maintain his bandwidth –

his home page has NO links … and it simply reads "we dead by now".

Denmark is doing the same thing against Telia.

You think Roger's bad? How about Sonera – who I think is either the only or one of only two domestic iPhone providers here in Finland. They offer four different kind of bundles for the iPhone:

Small: ~32 EUR (~52 CAD) per month for 24 months, plus 159 EUR (~254 CAD) for the 8GB iPhone or 245 EUR (~392 CAD) for the 16GB one. Total price for 8GB: ~927 EUR (~1.481 CAD). Total price for 16GB: ~1.013 EUR (~1.619 CAD)

Medium: ~52 EUR (~83 CAD) per month for 24 months, plus 79 EUR (~126 CAD) for the 8GB iPhone or 165 EUR (~264 CAD) for the 16 GB one. Total price for 8GB: ~1.327 EUR (~2.121 CAD). Total price for 16GB: ~1.413 (~2.258 CAD)

Large: ~90 EUR (~144 CAD) per month for 24 months, plus 1 EUR (~2 CAD) for the 8GB iPhone or 85 EUR (~136 CAD) for the 16 GB one. Total price for 8GB: ~2.161 EUR (~3.453 CAD). Total price for 16GB: ~2.245 EUR (~3.588 CAD)

"My Sonera": Monthly fee and prices per minute / message / MB depend on which plan you pick. They do offer "unlimited" data packages, too, which you can add on top of your "regular" plan. With this plan the 8GB model costs you 429 EUR (~686 CAD) and the 16GB one 519 EUR (~829 CAD)

So, what do you get for those outrageous prices of the first three plans? Feast your eyes on these (in addition to being able to use the WiFi as you wish, I believe):

Small: 100 minutes worth calls, 100 SMS messages and 100 MB of data per month

Medium: 250 minutes worth calls, 250 SMS messages and 250 MB of data per month

Large: 1000 minutes worth calls, 1000 SMS messages and 1000 MB of data per month

That's right, nothing's unlimited.

The article should be edited to include mention that the ruinediphone.com website has since been forcibly censored and taken down by Rogers.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26990661759&ref=mf

It's just typical of Rogers to try to screw the Canadian family in any way they can. Not just the cell phone plans its the whole enchilada. Cable and internet plans too. Not to mention they robbed the Skydome of the name, and plastered the Rogers Center on it. If is see one more building with that name on it im gonna puke.

Why petition Rogers? Petition the Canadian government, if they do not allow other carriers to become GSM compliant in order to compete or if the government only allows foreign ownership which stifles competition which is needed to lower rates, get on the governments case. Change you can believe in for the Canadian government and thus allowing all the people here protesting and all the petitioners to be able to form there own cell phone carrier and offer the plans they deem won't screw the consuming public. For myself, I wish to petition the US government, especially the eco-nazi, leftist, liberals and democrats who only drag oil executives up to Congress to be berated! Hey Dems, less grilling, more drilling! I am so tired of the excuse, even if we start drilling today, it'll take 10 years before it reaches the gas pump or will only pump 200,000 barrels a day which is a drop in the bucket. To which I would say, it's 200,000 more barrels a day then we were pumping and if it takes ten years then we best get busy. Besides how many years will it take for this alternative sources of energy I hear so much about to come on-line? Anyone have an anwser for that? Also, what a pathetic response from Democrats like NO-Bama… it'll take ten years… it takes ten years for public schooling before you graduate so why bother starting your first day? How long does it take to become a doctor? More than a week? Why bother. Just because you are not going to reach a goal in one day, one week, one month or one year, doesn't mean it is not worth taking that first step! So my Canadian friends do you want to deal with your government because you can definitely have mine?!

The best thing to do to bring about change is….

DO NOT GIVE YOUR MONEY TO ROGERS

If you have a contract with them – don't renew it

If you don't have a contract with them – don't get one

If you are with another provider – stay with them

If you are looking for a new provider – don't choose ROGERS

Then… TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

The ONLY way ROGERS will ever respond to customer dissatisfaction is there is a direct and measurable impact to their bottom line.

If not enough people are willing to take a stand and hit them where it counts (revenue) then we're tough out of luck – and like good Canadians we may as well just roll over so they can roast the other side.

ROGERS UPDATE:

Si, I was just looking at all the iPhone news, mostly related to us Canadians hating on Rogers for their prices, when I stumbled onto rogers.com and found something.

They updated their information on their iPhone 3G Voice and Data Packages. Everything is still the same as far as features go, but heres whats new:

1. As an added bonus, you get 3 months of unlimited local calling. Yippie!!

2. If you opt for the additional $15 or $20 value packs, they'll pay for the 1st month. OHH BOY!!!!

3. Then it has this to say:

"iPhone Voice & Data Packages are available on a 36-month term service agreement.

*A $6.95 monthly System Access Fee (non-government fee), a monthly 50¢ 911 Emergency Access Fee (non-government fee) and a one-time $35 Activation Fee apply in addition to the monthly service fee. Local airtime over the allotted monthly minutes in the plan, long distance and roaming charges, any additional service options selected and applicable taxes are extra and are also billed monthly.

Data Usage – Your iPhone will be enabled for data usage. If you subscribe to a plan with no data included, data charges at a pay-per-use rate of 5¢/KB for data sent and/or received over the Rogers network will apply, unless you subscribe to a data plan, which we highly recommend. Roaming charges apply while using your iPhone outside Canada. U.S. data roaming on iPhone Packages is $3/MB. The standard international data roaming rate applies. Visit rogers.com/roaming for our roaming rates and destinations. Data usage is measured in KB rounded to the next full KB."

OMG, with those added bonuses and the fact that they even state themselves that you'll be spending more on takes and fees then anything, how could you not afford to get it and love Rogers.

Sorry Rogers, but if this is your answer for all of us hating on you and giving you guys a bad name, your going to have to work harder, and give us more than just a couple months of free stuff.

go to http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-products/iphone_voice_data_packages for more details.

It's even worse than that when you consider Rogers plans only include local airtime, long distance is another $0.35/minute. :0

What's worse are the roaming charges!

Canadians roaming in Mexico get charged 5 cents per kilobyte. That's $51.20 / megabyte (1024kb x 0.05).

At least AT&T has a prepaid package for iPhone data roaming. $59.99 for 50 megabytes, the same usage would cost $2560 on Rogers.

Criminal.

Dear Rogers Executives:

I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to buy an iphone. Having just reviewed your rate plans I will not be purchasing. I'm worried that after I'd been rogered you might not respect me in the morning. At least you could have offered dinner and a movie. Your loss, not mine.

Regards,

Angel Martin

roger: verb (context, transitive, coarse, _, slang) Of a man, to have sexual intercourse with (someone), especially in a rough manner.

I'm inclined to agree that these rates are unusually high. However, the carrier is responsible for setting prices – not the phone manufacturer.

This kind of thing is everywhere, though. My wife and I (in the US) have a plan with our provider (neither AT&T nor Rogers and not for an iPhone) that we subscribed in 2003. To date, we have not "upgraded" our contract because of new pricing structures. We continue to renew our old contract because, should we ask for all of the features we have on the new "ala carte" plans, we would spend nearly double.

Our plan (from 2003):

Two phones

2,000 "anytime" minutes

Free nights/weekends

Unlimited Data/Web

Unlimited Text Messaging

No Roaming/Long Distance Charges

$10 monthly provisional credit toward the purchase of "premium" services such as ringers, games, etc.

Tethering (phone-as-modem) capability

Our base plan is exactly $100 per month USD.

And yet every time we walk into the store, salesfolks have the "nerve" to ask us to "upgrade".

"accompanied by to a letter"

ex ped: Thanks. Fixed.

this is what Canadians are use too, being ripped off and abused by Canadain companies and the Canadian Government as usual does nothing

support us at http://www.notrogers.com, together we have bigger impact.

you couldn't pay me enough to have me consider such a horrible plan.

That is the most scamtastic prices ever. Rogers knows they are a horrible provider and it's been known for a while. Go check hofo (for those of you that know what that is) aka howardforums and go see how many people know about using technology and gripe about rogers being the only thing available.

WOW… I would love those rates here in Australia… much better than what i'm on.

The rates for the iPhone with Optus (the only carrier to offer the iPhone in australia) are:

Starter Pack: $4.95 – 10MB

Classic Pack: $9.95 – 30MB

Super Pack: $14.95 – 200MB

Excess usage: 50c/MB

OR

Pay-as-You-Go:1.5c/KB capped at $9.90 for up to 5MB after that just 0.3c/KB

although I do not have iPhone with Rogers their greed will alienate me using ANY of their service.

Until we get more telecommunications competition in Canada, this kind of pricing will continue. We need the federal government to relax the prohibition against foreign ownership of telecommunications in Canada. Until that happens we will see high prices relative to the rest of the world.

In the meantime, it's often much cheaper (even for a cell phone or blackberry) to get a phone/iPhone with data plan etc. from a US provider with unlimited coverage.

I'd like to add my 2 cents:

1. In Canada we get dinged by all kinds of hidden fees etc for the cell phone plans. The dreaded system access fee is another $6.00 or so ($9.00 + $0.75 for 911 service on my current Bell plan) on top of the plan each month. Want caller ID and you pay another $6 as a stand alone or $15 or $20 for their "value plans". So the base plan costs $60 + $6.00 SAF, + a minimum of $6 for caller ID plus tax so you are looking at about $80/month minimum. What do you get for that? About 5 minutes of talk time per day and the ability to see 15 or 20 web pages per day. Don't bother with trying to check out much on youtube or use the GPS functionality or mobile me syncing etc. very much. It's pretty pathetic in my opinion. Even with Rogers top plan you will pay $140 to $150 per month and not even receive half of what AT&T offers at half the price.

2. For those saying that capitalism allows Rogers to charge whatever they want, we don't have capitalism in the cell phone market in Canada. Rogers is the ONLY GSM provider in Canada. They own Fido, the other GSM brand but Fido is Rogers so their is no competition. So Rogers has a government allowed monopoly on their service and have systematically abused this for years to gouge Canadians. Apple had no choice but to go to Rogers to introduce the iphone in Canada at this time.

3. I am fairly certain that Apple likely waited 1 year to bring the iphone to Canada because Rogers would never agree to the initial revenue sharing plan Apple was working with. Rogers are to greedy to share revenue with Apple. It had to wait until Apple adopted the more traditional plan of just selling the phone to providers and the providers then decide what to sell it for at the retail level .

4. To the fellow with the Hummer analogy, I think you are a bit off. The proper analogy would be that you bought a Hummer but have to pay $8 a gallon for gas because there is only one oil and gas provider in your country so they can just charge whatever they want and gouge you for gas. I think you would complain if you were paying twice as much for gas as people in other countries for the exact same product (and by this I mean just the commodity price so let's not get into the cost of gas in countries where it is heavily taxed etc. It's just an analogy).

5. Yes, the iphone is a luxury and we don't have to buy one. But we also don't have to just smile and take it up the a$$ if we do want one. The iphone is a ground breaking device. it is so much more than a cell phone. it is a mobile computing platform. It is almost the stuff of science fiction. You can have total mobile communication and information at your finger tips along with entertainment, gaming, and who knows what other applications once developers start to release software for it. it is so much more than any other phone from any other company and I think it can bring alot of added value to your day to day life in terms of convenience and connectivity. Instead of carrying around a cell phone, a GPS and a laptop I could carry around a small pocketable device than can fill all those needs.

6. it does not hurt to email Steve Jobs about this as well as the Rogers execs. I actually did send Steve a politely worded email supporting Apple but asking that if he has any influence at all with Rogers he should exert it because ultimately Apple's reputation will suffer if people are unhappy with their iphone purchases. They will be unhappy because they payed a fair bit of money to get a device with alot of promise that they can barely use because it is crippled by the providers plans. they will have to pay through the nose to get adequate use of it and the effective perceived price of the iphone will go up and be associated with Apple eve if it is not their fault.

I was looking forward to buying one but will not if Rogers wants to nickel and dime me and then limit the usefulness of the device. For nearly $150 per month I should have unlimited talktime and data. Rogers does not even come close. For the base $80 per month I get a severely crippled device I can barely use for any of its intended functions. Oh and I have to lock myself in to the devil for three years when I am pretty sure the iphone will be upgraded every year and who knows what functionality my be available on new phones in 18 or 24 months. I do not want to be locked in for 36 months when other civilized countries lock you in for 24 months or less. its another example of the abuse of the monopoly.

In any case, we are all just venting our frustration at having waited a year and then being severely disappointed by Rogers refusal to evolve into a 21st century company.

It's not Apple that we're upset with, it's Rogers. I can afford the iPhone itself, but the rate plan is gonna deplete my bank account faster than I can even use up my 400mb of data.

I say quit the bitching. The iphone is a phone. If you want the latest tech out there, your going to have to pay a lot for it. I don't agree with the prices for any part of the iPhone. I believe that the iPhone is out there only for the iTards.

I think its unfair people continue to act like the big 3 are so bad and that canada is so bad. Telus dropped their rates first and now Bell has followed. ROger is the ONLYYYYYYYY one that does not provide a proper data plan. So please do not act like their are not other choices. If you want an Iphone then yes Rogers is your only option. But there are other providers.

On a final note. One of the carriers should be announcing a GSM switch soon so you can get your unlocked Iphone fix soon

Everything costs more in Canada. We have higher taxes and higher min wage than US. In return we get better health care and in my opinion a higher quality of life. I would like an iphone but since I can't afford one i will not be buying. I will stay in Canada because I have lived in the US and really liked it there, but I like Canada more.

Unfortunately, by creating the petition, we've let all the data service companies know how much we want this. A CEO with this much demand for their product will be much less likely to lower the prices… so they lose a few customers – what does that matter when they're milking the ones who feel they have no choice? Even if other companies are able to offer similar services, the prices will remain artificially inflated – just look at cellular service.

A lot of the comments here are really disappointing and immature. I'm amazing at all of the "if you don't like it, don't buy it" comments, as if Rogers' in their full right to do what the are doing.

What Rogers *is* doing is executing deceptive business practices in order to reap the iPhone of all that it's worth. They don't care about the impact their high rates will have on their customers.

They advertise a $60 entry plan, but you actually need to pay a mandatory $7.94 on top of that, not including taxes. So it's not a $60 plan, it's a $67.94 plan. They are also pulling stunts like packing Call Display–a very feature–into $15 or $20 "Value Packs". Just want Call Display? That adds $600 to the final purchase price… the same value as the phone itself.

They start the "evening" at 9pm. What it to start at 6pm? You pay an additional $7.00 a month.

Go over the very restrictive talk time and data limits? You pay high rates for every minute or megabyte. No per-second billing. No way to monitor data usages through the month.

You can see where this this going. And 3 years to deal with it, or a hefty cancellation fee. No way for the customer to win.

I understand the whole supply & demand thing, basic economics. The difference here is that unlike the States there is no competition in Canada because the big three bought it all up and are basically price fixing. This is why the gov is opening up new bandwidth and not allowing the big three to bid.

The anger is not so much that it is expensive, though there is that, but that the market was working and prices were going down just a few years ago. Then the gov allowed the big three to buy up all their competition and prices when right back up. The current prices are not just a result of supply and demand, but of monopoly and price fixing between the big three.

The high rates and excessive contract lengths are precisely because competition will be back in the market due to the new bandwidth sales. They want to lock their customers in while they have the chance, because they know that everyone is going to bail in the next year or so when new companies hit the market with better plans.

Look a lot of people get these phones as a status symbol and price is part of the status (I can afford more so you should date me), this is fine by me. However, if you really don't need this phone then wait a couple of months. If few people are signing up for these deals then they will have to offer them at better rates. Business also get their employees data phones they really don't need and pay throw the nose for them, if they just wait it out as well then prices will really go down.

If you need get it, if you don't wait it out.

Are most rate plans in Canada not nationwide? Meaning long distance calls aren't covered by your minutes, and cost extra?

Its simple, don't like the price or plan DON'T BUY. Its a simple matter of greed not knowing it bounds. Mr. Rogers et al. will try to get as much as they can for this, while the consumer will try to get it sas cheaply as they can. Its far from being a necessity, so if you don't like the price don't buy. The supplier than has the option of withdrawing the product from the market or reducing the cost to a more acceptable level. Its not Rocket science . You the consumer always have the Power try exercising it a little more. If you just gotta have it at any cost, stop complaining about the price. Remember DEMAND AND SUPPLY, manipulate it to your own advantage.

UrDaddy,

Nice rant – unfortunately its irrelevant. The news is reporting the antagonism that Rogers has created within the Canadian consumer market and the sentiments of the Canadians themselves.

Anyways, this is probably irrelevant to you as well.

Note to Nadir Mohammed : CEO of Rogers : I sincerely hope that you will consider the issues being presented here. The topic of wireless data rates being exhorbitant in Canada has been a hot topic for a while now. Rogers may be in a position to charge the rates it wants given teh market position, but do remember that by feeding the ire of the consumers, you are allowing your competition to step in when they are ready and really get you where it hurts.

UrDaddy, let's keep this focused. This is not a platform for you to rant about something unrelated to the topic at hand. Keep those sentiments to yourself.

Amazed that all of you Americans have nothing good to say. Or nothing of any value at least. Glad to see you are still unable to show compassion or empathy to anyone. While we are on the subject look at the mess of your country, your people, joblessness, dollar falling, Social problems. It seems more important to you that you all have a gun!! Why not spend some time fixing all of that? Instead of posting your crap at us. We used to be your good friend, Ally & neighbour. Your Smug attitude has been eroding all of that. Just keep over consuming and fighting useless battles then you can feel better about yourselves. If it were up to me I'd shut down your fuel today just because of your attitude. Or at the very least make you pay what we do then even our Children would have these stupid iphones. Myself I have cancelled the ones I was waiting for and will just do without.

See YA !!!

Well Sue it is simple math and the government agrees there is not enough competition to create lower prices. Thats why an auction is going on for the new wireless spectrum and thats why David McGuinty has introduced Bill C-555 for wireless fairness. There isnt a lot of market penetration because prices are too high … this goes beyond the iPhone … at one point Canada's wireless prices were on par with the states and about to drop below, but then three companies bought all the competition and created their own little oligopoly and decided to retreat from lower prices. Next year there will be more wireless providers and we should see the start of declining prices again.

I'm a partner in a printing business. You'd cry foul about my business if you only knew some of the mark-ups we get in this industry! We get these mark-ups because they are what people are willing to pay, and everyone in this industry charges similar prices. The next time you get a poster printed at any printer in Canada, think about this… you are paying at least a 2000% mark-up on what it costs us to produce that poster! Supply and demand people.

Rogers is a business… in business to make money. Thousands of Canadians (myself included) will buy the iPhone 3G (3 year plan or not) and enjoy the many features and benefits of this device. Apple and Rogers have come to a deal to bring this to Canada. Steve Jobs is selling his product to Canada. He's happy… he's making money, period! Rogers is free to charge what the market will bear. Buy it or don't… period. My suppliers can't and don't dictate to me what I can sell to my customers for, and if my customers don't like my price or products, they go elsewhere. No harm done!

Owning a cell phone is a privilege, not a right. Driving a car, having cable TV, smoking, drinking, satellite TV, health club membership(s), internet access, etc… all privileges that we either take advantage of if we can afford or we don't. If you can't afford Rogers rates, then don't buy the phone. It's that simple.

When you compare the iPhone 3G Rogers plans to what people are willing to pay for their BlackBerry devices… well, do the research and come to your own conclusions!

I buy apple computers and products because I like them and can afford them. Most of my friends buy PC products because they can't afford Apple products. Same goes for cell phones. Before you bitch and complain to Rogers and/or Apple, get your priorities straight and decide what you want vs. what you actually need.

To those posters who are planning to buy an iPhone elsewhere and unlock it. Better do it fast! Thanks to our American bought and paid for politicians this will become illegal and cost you a $20,000 fine if they manage to pass the new copyright bill. Another piece of idiocy to protest against.

I spent some time this morning reading these comments and it just goes to show that people like to complain instead of do any form of research. First of all why would anyone with a brain compare us to the USA. They have 42 million GSM customers V.s our 7 million (approx) we have more land to cover with less people using the network, how do you expect us to be cheaper? It's simple math. Also comparing Rogers to the UK. Same thing. ALOT less land to cover and more people using the network. Of course it would be cheaper. We live in the 2nd largest Country and Canadians expect coverage everywhere. Rogers gives us better coverage and people are upset about it costing more. Talk about wanting the best of both worlds. You should be wasting your time and efforts fighting a wining battle then a losing one. Have more people move into Canada and you solved your problem. Once we have 50 Million people using GSM in Canada Rogers will lower our rates.

Also the talk about Evenings and Weekends at 9pm. Do some research all Canadian Companies have a 9pm evening since 2005. So if your on a plan with anyone else your are locked into old rates. It's nice to complain but your just sound stupid.

The only thing in this entire post that has any case was the one person that wrote about Rogers not be competitive with our own rates. Otherwise your wasting your time. Both Steve and Edward obviously worked this our prior to launch. Seems like just a bunch of people who want to complain about an industry that they know nothing about. 10,000 people out of 7 million really isn't much of a dent.

THIS letter has over 16,000 signers. But, since it is an internet "poll", anyone around the world can sign it. So, it may be worthless. Too bad the originators did not limit the signers to IP addresses originating in Canada.

Hahaha…..these people need to get a life….check your birth certificate….there is no god given right to a cheap rate plan or phone. This is just like any other product, if you cant afford it dont buy it. Your treating this phone like its a heart transplant you need to survive…lol…give your heads a shake.

then your a loser, anonymous.

and i guess we all do have ADD

go play with ur zune, emo kid

Compared to the rates of T-Mobile Germany these look like a good deal.

Get a life! Isn't there anything more important to worry about than iPhone fees? Aren't there any serious problems in your country?

Don't buy the iPhone in Canada and I'm sure that the fees will have to drop. It's simple.

Now let's see if you can get all iPhone crazed Canadians to keep their wallet in their pocket

Apple makes garbage and rogers rips people off. They both only want your money!

The battery on the iphone lasts one year and then has to be sent away at your expense to an apple repair shop while you wait 2-3 weeks for you phone to be sent back. The battery is soldered inside the phone.

http://www.itwire.com/content/view/13376/1023/

I *will* be screaming — with my business, that is. Right out the front door, paying the enormous ECF of $500. Far better to pay it now and negotiate a better deal with a provider who is willing to be reasonable, than pay over $4000 over the next 2.5 years left on my contract to use one stupid iPhone.

I was so excited, too. I even sold my first gen phone in anticipation of at least somewhat reasonable plans — I would have paid the high end for unlimited data, but 2 gigs is a total JOKE. Most people will blow through that with the new features of mobile me. Hell, Rogers own website is 900 kb just for their front page. Gimme a break.

I don't like the fact that if you don't use all of your minutes you lose them and if you exceed your minutes you pay through the nose. I think if you pay for minutes they should be yours to use and not forfeited. It is a great scam for the phone companies and we have just come to accept it. We need to push for rollover minutes as well as a fair monthly plan.

If you want the iphone that badly, just buy one off ebay and unlock it.

I've done that and i'm on a $20/month plan with Rogers with no contract (200 mins / month – free nights and weekends)

If you want to surf the web, find a wifi hotspot. Simple, easy and affordable.

Anyone who pays these new price packages needs to get their head examined.

Rogers is horrible, I have a telus HTC Touch and I pay $73 a month including taxes and all fees and get……. 1000 day time minutes, evening and weekends starting at 6pm, 100 long distance minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited data yes unlimited and yes i use lots of data, plus call display and voice mail ect ect ect….. its great

The most powerful way to change Rogers' behavior in the market is by voting with your dollar. It's the beauty of capitalism. If you are unhappy with Rogers, don't do business with them. Cancel your cable service, and when asked why, express your dissatisfaction with their rates. Cable service is their bread and butter, and Rogers (NYSE:RCI) is a public corporation (correctly and fairly) seeking to maximize profit. Petitions and boycotts are nice to raise awareness, but real downward pressure on profits due to lost customers is the most (only?) effective way to make a real difference.

With all the comments about "just deal" with the prices, what bothers me is that the airtime and data is more expensive that the normal rates. Based on this plan, iPhone users will be paying a premium just for using the phone. Basic plan from Rogers for any other phone is $25 for 250 minutes. The basic Blackberry plan is $45 for 150 min and email. Enough about being competitive to the US rates, just make the plans more competitive to other plans that Rogers sells for other phones!!!!

We are fortunate to live in a relatively free capitalistic society. Stop your whining! If you don't like what is offered, go elsewhere….our wallets will effect any and all change to the marketplace.

Craig

Notice also that the cutoff for evening and weekend is now 9PM and 7AM.

My current Rogers plan has them at 6PM and 8AM. One more nibble from Rogers.

Why is this an Apple problem? This is a ROGERS problem. Christ, will peolel actually get a clue?

Im saying NO IPHONE for me .

Im a rogers customer now and wont be in the lineup on July 11

Historically, Canadians have always been ripped off when it comes to services regulated by the Federal Government How else do they pay for their 'universal health care'? The ruling class is extremely paternalistic. It's a hold over from the country's colonial past, where the queen of England is still the head of state.

Is there some particular reason this petition is targeted at Apple? Apple didn't set the rate for consumers for the service. Rogers does that! Maybe folks signing petitions should direct their frustration towards the correct party.

I'm Canadian and also an Apple junkie. Everything I buy is Apple since they make such good products. For weeks, I've been dreading this announcement. It was suspicious that Rogers was not releasing their rate plans immediately and it was also suspicious that they had never confirmed that they were the exclusive carrier of iPhone (contractually that is). I was afraid they would introduce limited data usage with their 3 year contract, in order to lock down 'Apple freaks', like myself, and prevent you from moving to the other companies that will likely arise from the wireless spectrum. Those fears were founded last Friday. Now, like many others, I've got to make the choice of whether to make a deal with the devil and get the coolest phone on the planet, or wait it out until another better telecom company inevitably comes along. Where are those anti-trust lawsuits when you need them?

I'm a Canadian living in Asia, and man… it hurts me to see my brothers and sisters getting screwed by big telecommunications coverage. For a 1st world nation, Canada (and the US) have some truly 3rd world regulations, driven no doubt by fear that the companies in charge will lose their grip on power. In Asia, you can buy a phone – any phone – and use it with whichever company you want, and with whichever plan they have. Pay as you go, credit-per-month, direct deposit billing, pay online, etc, etc. I bought my Razr last year for about $120 and spend about $15 a month on calls. Granted, the iPhone would be more, but the basics say a lot.

Dave says:

"Canada is far less densely populated, requires more cell phone towers and wire per capita and is going to charge more. Let the market sort it out, if people aren’t buying the phone, then Rogers will drop the price to compete."

It's true that Canada is far less densely populated (than the US) and given the large geographical distances involved, some extra costs have to be assumed.

However, low population density and long distances didn't force Bell Canada to rely on that as an argument for demanding usurious phone and data rates when it started expanding and enhancing existing phone networks. That is, phone and data rates are still relatively reasonable. You won't see Bell charging its Symapatico DSL clients five cents a kilobyte the way its Bell Mobility division does with cell phone users.

Bell also uses microwave towers, just like cell phone providers do. They also use landlines – just like cell providers do when there is no direct line of site for transmission towers.

As for the issue of large geographic distances, most of the urbanized portions of Canada would easily fit into the continental United States, so we're not that spread out.

Also, satellites handily solve the problem of having to lay down long lines of copper or erect towers.

The bottom line is that cell phone users in Canada are being hosed, plain and simple. The appeal to 'increased infrastructure costs' when trying to explain away outrageous fees is a red herring, as far as I'm concerned.

In typically Canadian fashion, they put up with it when they don't need to. A good old-fashioned consumer boycott would settle things in a hurry.

Here's an old article that might offer a little hope for us.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/11/28/auction.html

More competition, specifically, GSM competition will drop these data prices. I'm stuck in a Rogers contract for another 2 years… after that. f… 'em

Hey CNN/Fortune. Do some research before you post an article – CBCnews is the website of Canada's national broadcaster, not some "homegrown website". Sheesh.

ex ped: That was lazy writing, not lack of research. Will fix.

I currently had an I-Phone unlocked and used on the Fido network (which Rogers owns)

I had hoped for a competitive plans and was in the market for 4 additional I-Phones for family and friends.

I'll likely purchase Iphones from the various sources and unlock the phone.

Another few contracts lost to Rogers. I've also stopped my cable from Rogers in pure disgust.

well, im with telus mobility in canada, and i pay 45 dollars as an add-on with unlimited data, and caller ID, and voicemail, along with text messaging

(THATS RIGHT, TEXTING DATA VOICEMAIL AND CALL DISPLAY for 45.00, pretty good compared to rogers, if telus was a gsm carrier, the iphone might have a chance, for now i guess no iphone for.

If nobody bought a contract EVER! and just did cheap pay and go. Not only would they waste less time on the damn things, they'd find out they are really not so indispensable. Hey they might even recognize their own kids!

I am not sure where all the outrage is coming from specifically for the iPhone in Canada. I pay through the nose for a Blackberry and a jailbreaked iPhone today (under a Windows mobile plan) and no one seems to be making that much fuss. However, I switched to Rogers from Bell and they have exactly the same high charges. Anyway, you can't win them all, on balance everything is pretty much cheaper in Canada than in Europe and the US is a market that is 10 times the size so rates are bound to be less. Yes, the high rates suck – but they have been around for years already!

This is capitalism at its finest eh Canadians! Did it ever occur to you that maybe some good ole socialist or social democratic, and no Americans not commmunist, as there is a difference, government intervention would solve this monopoly situation in a flash. But no, that's just too easy a solution for all you MBAs. Jeez!

Well, with signatories on the petition with names like "Wilma Dickfit" I doubt it will be taken seriously. Forget online petitions, vote with your wallets

This is Rape. I've been a Rogers customer for some years and has only had problems with them from the start. Their monopoly has let them play games with the Canadian people for so long. Hopefully these outrageous plans (in comparison) will raise the flag showing Rogers despicable business practice and hopefully drive Apple to a new provider or put Rogers enough into shame to change.

One thing to remind international readers is also how the 3 main carriers in Canada also hold a virtual monopoly on WiFi hotspots at Cafes. So if you want to browse your iphone using wifi at one of the big three coffee shops in Canada (Timothys, Second Cup, or Starbucks) you'll have to sign up for their service again, at something along the lines of $10/day, or maybe per hour. (it was too expensive for me, so I didn't sign up).

I work for another ISP who cannot sell the iPhone since we're CDMA and those Rogers iPhone Data prices are AWESOME by comparison.

Us:

Voice – $25 for 100 weekday minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends.

Data – $25 for 500KB. That's right, KB, aka half a megabyte.

So I pay over $60 for half a megabyte of data on my Blackberry, and go over every month, which costs $21 per megabyte over half a megabyte.

Then there's Rogers. $60 for more minutes of weekday useage and 400MB. Megabytes.

Seems pretty awesome to me.

Welcome to Rogers! Don't expect competitive pricing – it would be a new approach for them. A massive consumer boycott might persuade them to value their customers more.

WOW. Thats all I can say is wow. Thanks Rogers, youve done it again. You've succeed in sticking it to the customer and consumer. I find it funny how all these american commenters come on here and talk, when they dont even know what its like for us Canadians to pay these ridiculously high prices. They just assume that because they are sooo perfect and so self-centered of a country as a whole, that if they dont like what they see or hear about a country (especially Canada) doing something, as in this case, petitioning for better prices, they just complain about it and tell us to shut-up and "be happy with what you've got".

I hate to break it to you americans, hope you understand this, but we cant really be happy when we keep getting stiffed with these prices that dont offer anything. You guys can talk cause AT&T offers 3 times more talk time, double the text messages and unlimited data, unlike Rogers who caps it off, then charges more for each MB. I can understand the whole "Captialistic" idea here and true our land mass is quite vast, so it ends up costing more to provide(or at least try to) coast-coast service.

But theres a fine-line between making a product affordable to people, and making the mothly rates affordable to those people and Rogers always misses on the one that seems to be the most importance and therefore are recognized accordingly.

ROGERS, EDWARD S.

3, FRYBROOK ROAD

M4V 1Y7

TORONTO ON

MOHAMED, NADIR H.

52 BOSWELL AVENUE

M4Y 1G9

TORONTO ON

The real problem is that no one knows what "400MB" really is. So if I'm surfing flicking between a few pages on my hour commute to and from work, and over the lunch – what does that add up to? Am I going to be over? Who knows!?!? That's the problem. It would be better to rate-limit instead of rate-cap, that is, pay for only 1/4 bit-rate (96kbit) service instead of full 384kbit service.

Vote with your wallets fellow Canuckleheads, don't buy the iphone from Rogers. The plans are unfair and simply untenable. Rogers will have to sharpen their pencils.

If you really want an iphone consider an ipod touch – free data through wifi, no contracts. Sure you have to carry 2 devices but I would rather do that than give in to this patently unfair plan.

As a Canadian, I'm outright DISGUSTED as to how many people signed this stupid petition. Rogers can charge WHATEVER THEY WANT for this damned plan, if you don't like it, don't get it. And if there are no other alternatives.. Too bad, so sad, suck it up and move on.

Apple has no right to tell Rogers (no matter how much I hate both companies) how to do their business, just as the government has no right to tell private businesses to set certain rates on their own products.

Besides, in a way, this is a good thing, it discourages people from using cell phones each and every hour of the day, and maybe will open the doors to something we call human interaction. I'm 22, don't have a cell phone, and don't plan on getting one of any kind any time soon. I don't require constant 24/7 entertainment like a lot of people do these days. Seems the majority of people these days all have ADD or something.

Here is a very detailed comparison grid between some iPhone 3G plans in Canada, USA, UK and Germany:

http://www.omni-gamer.com/iPhone3G_plans.doc

This wont matter. Apple doesn't control Rogers anymore than they control AT&T etc. They profit from units sold, yes, but they don't profit from data plans etc. Rogers has been screwing Canadians for years and this is just another example of why not to use them. Don't believe me, phone them and talk to customer service (if you can call it that.) It's like some thugs got together and hired their friends to run a cell phone company. They're terrible, plain and simple.

When it comes to 2G and 3G, there is only one service provider in Canada, Rojers! Telus and Bell do not even have a 3G network. Investments in 3G by Rojers is high. AT&T has 40% operating margin, largest player, revenue is surging every now and then. Competing with Comcast, Verizon, Sprint for offering flat rate packages. With about 38 million population, CANADA is not an attractive market to have the same revenue as AT&T, so rates are often driven by Rojers, make hay when sun shines policy. Once new operators start deploying their 3G networks, there will be a fair game for the end user with a variety of networks to choose from. Then again if Apple just works with one provider then is a hughe loss for the users in Canada as they will be forced to use Rojers network unless the get a open sim phone to be used in any network.

2 things that Canada could do:

- Canada needs to get more immigrants to lower cost of everything including cellphone plans..(with a condition to settle outside of Ontario for 3 yrs) but then, a lot of Canadians wouldn't like that idea either…AND

- Canadian govt. should decide if it wants to follow a socialistic path and forbid all monopolistic mergers (like rogers and Fido) OR it should be completely capitalistic in things like housing, health and for example, allow better privatized health care to high tax payers

Yes, these rates are much higher than US and EU rates, but they're less than the competition. I'm a business mobile user (on Bell Mobility) and these rates are a quarter of what I'm paying now – the phone would pay for itself in a month. I agree 100% with the others on this thread that complain about the state of competition in the Canadian mobile market – it's sad when this exorbitant iPhone plan from Rogers is a "deal" when compared to other Canadian carriers.

I for one, will not be getting the new iPhone for my business and family.

Total estimated costs for owning one of these iPhones after 3 years with Rogers Canada is well over $4,000

Thats with the basic plan, and NO voice mail, caller ID, etc.

To everyone commenting on how does this effect Steve Jobs? It's quite simple. The reason the iPhone took a year to get to Canada is because of negotiations between Apple and the various Canadian providers. When those negotiations result in such a piss poor offering as this it reflects badly on BOTH parties. Yes, Rogers is showing a huge amount of greed, however, they couldn't show that much greed unless Apple agreed to it when they came up with the contract. Apple doesn't just go out looking for providers to sell the iPhone, they want a provider who will sell the iPhone and help make Apple look good, thus why you can't get an Apple computer at every single tech retailer in the world, especially the mom and pop stores. The plan Rogers is offering is plan and simply, not good for Apples image, we already know that Rogers could care less about it's image so long as they pull in the big $$$

blah blah blah.

A bunch of whiny Canadians who sound like their American counterparts. Look, if you can't afford it, DON'T BUY IT.

It's super simple, really. I get sick and tired of hearing about a group of people who want to indulge their low self-esteems by buying more crap, yet can't afford it because of all the other bad purchases they've made.

Why do you need this phone? Simple: you don't. Spend that money on your retirement, put it in savings, use your money instead of letting your money use you.

Right! Cut into their "Bottom line" LOL, that'll never happen.

http://www.FireMe.To/udi

How to combat Rogers exhorbitant fees and ridiculous Contract? Don't buy the iPhone. Leave them sitting there holding the bag. Apple will wonder what is up with Rogers because nobody is buying the phone and get more dealers. Simple.

Awesome article that sums up the fundamental objection we, who have signed the petition,(and many others) have with Rogers.

Rogers talks about plans from other providers in other countries because they want to keep the focus off their high rates, and exorbitant penalties for going over the limits.

In 2005 a friend got a plan in the UK for 9GB per month for 40 Euro, about $64 CDN, $62 US per month. With Rogers, you would end up paying $358 per month, over five times that amount, in 2008

In 2005, had you used 9GB of data at Rogers' rates back then, you would have paid $277,000 in one month.

The tell-tale signs of price-gouging are all over Rogers' rates and plans. 3 year lock-in, no unlimited plan, evenings START at 9PM, rates that are easily three to five years out of date, 90% more expensive to send a text message than to send the same amount of data in an email, severe data rates beyond our limits, paltry numbers of text messages, and pathetic weekday minutes.

Understandably, we are angry. And we will not keep silent.

Thank you for the international attention, we need it.

To Deez in Australia – if you're unhappy with your data rates, get your own petition going. Look at how well it's gone for us up here in just two days.

It wasnt Steve Jobs fault the first iPhone never came to Canada. He offered, but rogers wouldn't accept their ringtone money being lost to iTunes.

Its nice to see the American news isn't afraid to cover this story. Good luck with any Canadian news making any fuss over this since all the cell companies have their hands in the pot of all the major news corporations.

Rogers should have done their research. Canadians are not willing to pay such hugh fees, no matter what the product is. Especially when we're talking about a product that is attractive to a tech savvy generation. They won't be afraid to use their networks (Facebook, blogs) to shut this plan down in a hurry. We had planned to buy 2 for our household, but not anymore! Instead of taking the morning off work to buy the iPhone, I'm taking the morning off work to protest.

DON"T BUY THE ROGERS IPHONE ON JULY 11th!!!

This petition is analogous to buying a gas guzzling Hummer and then getting angry that gasoline is $4.50/gallon. Would you petition Hummer to pressure Exxon and BP to drop the price of gas or would you decide to buy a car that you could afford to drive?

I work in wireless telecom and I am continually amazed with the iPhone cult of personality. Similar technology (both software and hardware) had been around for years, but most passed on deploying it because of component costs and the band width intensiveness of the applications. Instead, most focused (and continue to focus) their engineering talent on optimizing resources and creating new protocols that used are less bandwidth intensive.

When the iPhone was first pitched to the wireless carriers, most passed on it after looking at the amount of network traffic it would generate and calculating the support costs. Most people dont realize that every wireless connection is really a wireless connection and then a series of wired connections over private networks that each have their own transaction costs.

My advice is if you want to own the Hummer, part of the experience is laying out the cash every week at the pump. As for me, I will stick with the sedan. They may never choose me to pimp my ride but at least I can get from place to place and still manage to afford the family groceries.

The market should sort this out, but we don't have a functioning market for mobile service. Regulators have failed to protect the market and consumers from anticompetitive practices by the telecoms. The result is some of the highest prices for the worst service in the world when it comes

to cell phones (and Internet providers as it happens, which also trails the world).

We used to have more competition, but regulators have permitted providers to merge until their are very few choices. Several years ago, Rogers was permitted to buy Fido, their only competitor for GSM service (I have a Fido: the price for the service I'm getting effectively doubled). Similarly Telus was allowed to buy Clearnet.

The phone companies are allowed to demand longer contracts than elsewhere and to lock their phones. This hamstrings the market. Licenses were recently awarded to several new competitors, but phone locking and contracts make it very difficult to switch. Most customers are locked in to to their provider. They can't change without paying a penalty and getting a new phone. (Even phone unlocking is about to be outlawed by the upcoming revision to copyright law.)

Europe has done a much better job of regulating the market, and they have reaped the benefits. (Don't believe claims about the size of our country: the Canadian population is actually much more concentrated and urban than in the U.S.)

If you do not want to pay the cash for an iPhone then don't buy one. No one is forcing anyone to buy this product but yet we all complain day after day that we do not get enough things for free. The economy is not a charity and we do not get things for free, or that the company should pay us for some reason. Prices are high because of the vast amounts of cash it takes to operate a successful cellphone company in Canada. We have a small population spread out over a very large land mass. A single cell phone tower can cost in excess of 1.5 million. Think of all the towers it would take to make Canada a complete coast to coast network.

Here is what I say to the people complaining about iPhone prices. If it costs too much do not buy it. It's simple. Money is needed to buy goods and some things we just can't afford. Get over it there is much worse we could complain about.

Get over it … Come to Australia and then you can say you have steep terrible prices plans.

You think your so hard done by, but you're not.

How about getting a better job?

It would cost me near $150/month for the Rogers plan. A three year lock is also restrictive, given the proposed plan. I will either (a) wait until Yak Communications or another provider offers the phone next year, or go with an Android based phone, also due out next year. I have a choice, and I choose not to move forward with the Rogers iPhone.

If we put half as much energy into fixing social problems like homelessness and the environment as we do going to war over the high price of a toy we may actually progress as a society.

To those who comment that 'capitalism' means we have only the choice of buying or not buying the service, they are missing the boat. Rogers has the Canadian monopoly on the iPhone right now, and the anger is that there is no 'capitalistic choice'.

It would bother many much less if a variety of companies had Apple's blessing to sell the iPhone as well, and hence the pressure on Apple.

The same with 3-year terms, and other ridiculous charges Canadians have little choice with cellular companies. We have some fo the highest prices and worst service in the western world.

The word 'capitalism' is bandied about as though the mere mention of the word meant that all was just. It has never been so, because the goal of large corporations has often been to restrict competition, by getting exclusive markets, etc, as Rogers has here. Government has more accountability to the people. With companies such as Rogers, et al, we must use forums like this, petitions, social action, and of course the boycott to level the playing field.

What is it with the Canadians? For an entire year since the original iphone's introduction Canadians complained about not having the device in their own country. This was primarily Steve Job's fault.

Now, a faster, more capable iphone is introduced, and these same people want to go BACK to Mr. Jobs to complain about the carrier's pricing too? The last line kills me:

"Petitioners are asking Steve Jobs to pressure Rogers to offer a better plan — or cut a deal with another provider who will."

Like Jobs has any say over another wireless carrier, and would question their pricing strategies. Give me a break whiny Canadians! be happy with what you've got!

Apple is having a margin of 50& as per the various reports. Why don't AAPL fanboys ask Steve to cut the price instead of asking him to armtwist Rogers? Guys, iPhone is a data hungry device and it is horribly expensive for carriers in terms of spectrum and bandwidth to support iPhone and its full HTML browser. AT&T is placing a risky bet, doesn't mean other carriers around the world have the same financial muscle to take losses.

There's an excellent table comparing US, UK, and Canadian iPhone rates here:

http: //apeatling.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/iphone-3g-costs-uk-vs-usa-vs-canada/

As the table notes, Rogers basic plan is 45% more expensive than AT&T's and 121% (!) more than O2's plan in the UK yet offers much less than either in the process. In addition, as PED pointed out, Rogers requires a 3 year commitment. The situation is simply ridiculous.

Well, the problem is, Bell doesn't use the same network protocols, it doesn't use 3G, or anything, so it doesn't support the iPhone. And it is Rogers fault that they have no competition, they bought up Fido and other competing companies to remove the competition. The only competitors are Telus and Bell, and they CAN'T carry the iPhone.

The more exposure this gets, the better chance the Apple will pressure Rogers to lower rates.

http://www.iphoneuser.ca

Think of this way.

During the iPhone 3G announcement, Steve Jobs said that the number 1 reason for why people have not bought the iphone yet (in markets that currently sell it), is that it was too expensive.

Which is the reason he gave for reducing the prices for the 2nd gen model.

People immediately started to predict that the iPhone will have the same success as the Motorola Razr. A product that because of its appeal and affordability became massively successful.

So yes, capitalism allows Rogers to price their plans this way, but they are effectively going against the intentions that Apple themselves have with the iPhone 3G.

Why not make the plans affordable and enjoy the same returns due to a high volume of customers rather than large pricing margins that inhibit potential customers AND hurts corporate reputation.

At the end of the day, it's just insulting to the Canadian people.

As far as the "3000 web pages" claim: Rogers OWN WEB PAGES average 454k each. Open their page, go to another of their pages and back – in about 10 seconds you've just used up 1.5 of your 400megs just to get the phone number of their technical support.

iGouge – Rogers announces its new iGouge plan for the iPhone. We didn't make the phone, we just want to get rich off of Apple's hard work. iGouge is available in several levels OAC, (financing is available)

Since when do people get to demand the price that they want for a service? Hey – no fair! I deserve to have whatever I want! Where did this silly sense of entitlement get birthed?

Despite popular opinion, the iPhone isn't the second coming of Christ, kids. It's a phone. With internet access. There really isn't much more to it than that but some pretty pictures and 5 minutes of your close friend going "oooooooh. iPHone." Both phone and internet service are easily accessible for surprisingly cheap in many other places, but apparently the cult of Steve just can't bear to live without You Tube video downloads and the ability to control things by "gesture." Ooooh. Aaah. The amazing thing is that I'll bet 90% of the people whining about this crap have cell phones that are less than 2 years old. If they paused long enough to put their credit cards back in their wallets and take their eyes off the halo you see over apple's head, they might realize how ridiculous it is to be screaming about something so absurd. If this is what gets them fired up enough to buid a web site and sign a petition, they need to get outside more often.

I agree that Rogers is taking advantage of us, as are all the other cell phone providers in Canada. But, crying to Apple is not going to change it. As a previous poster wrote: Welcome to Capitalism!

We live in a country with an open & free economy. If you want to make your point, then simply don't use Rogers service. Ignore the iPhone. Don't buy it. Rogers will quickly realize that THEY are not in control, and will have to lower their prices.

But, I'm guessing that will not happen. We are so desperate to 'keep up with the Jones'(Our friends in the USA), that we just cannot stomach not having something that they have. And the cell phone companies aren't stupid… They know this and will exploit it. And why wouldn't they. They aren't a 'not-for-profit' charity; they are a BUSINESS! And they have the right to charge whatever the market is willing to pay

You DO NOT want the government poking their noses into this and regulating the prices. They already stick their noses into all sorts of things that they really shouldn't have anything to do with.

BOYCOTT ROGERS It's that simple!

Read The Laughable News

I think this sums it up:

http://www.masshistoria.net/?p=291

Jackson from HFX,

I don't get your reference to US greed… This is Canadian greed at work. Nothing less than that…oh, and Canadian consumer laziness. It is up to us to cause an uproar with the CRTC and insist that ALL new bandwidth be sold to new competitors and not a subsidiary of Rogers (like FIDO), BEll or TELUS. Why not have access to European competitors?

So to get the cheapest plan from Rogers:

150 minutes of talk time (avg 5 min day)

400 MB of data (avg 13MB or 12 facebook page views a day)

Caller ID, note you are forced to get it in a $15 package.

Plus system access fee and 911 for another $5.50

The grand total is…

$60+ (basic plan)

$15+ (Caller ID pkg)

$5.50+ (system access fee & 911)

$10.46 (tax)

$90.96!!

To talk for 5 minutes a day a look at 12 facebook pages per day!!! Wow thanks Rogers! What a great deal!

Everyone needs to sign the petition stated in the article and let Rogers know what we think of their "great deal".

That plan is really pathetic. Rogers needs some real competition in the Canadian marketplace.

I'm a Canadian living in Mexico so I'm sure that Telcel will be able to beat Rogers crappy plan.

You can find great wallpaper backgrounds for your iPhone at MobileJacz.

The saddest part is that Rogers is going to get away with this because Apple fanboys will still buy iPhones and pay for the contract. Strange that everyone flips out over Rogers being a monopoly but completely neglects the fact Apple itself has a hardware monopoly.

Canada is far less densely populated, requires more cell phone towers and wire per capita and is going to charge more. Let the market sort it out, if people aren't buying the phone, then Rogers will drop the price to compete.

The issue here is that the iPhone will not be able to be used at its full potential, which is something I still dont see being addressed. Let me break down the 3 biggest factors that contribute to data usage and comes standard with the iPhone

1 – GPS

2 – YouTube

3 – iTunes

Each song from iTunes is roughly 3mb and that doesn't include browsing for the song and sampling the 30secs. YouTube has videos that run upwards of 10mins; once again heavy data usage. Lastly, the GPS; I guess we can't rely on using the iPhone as our main GPS while traveling.

I ran the Facebook test on an unlocked iPhone and Main Page + 1 Profile page = 1.7mb and that is with custom iPhone Facebook page. Other then being angry, it is frustrating as a consumer that one of the greatest releases of personal technology in Canada is overshadowed by greed.

Here's a bright idea for all you complaining about Rogers pricing…don't buy the phone!!

i really hope they'll fix these broken iphone plans before launch

Two things: 1) Rogers is the only company in Canada that works on GSM networks, so it wasn't like there was any choice for who was going to get the iPhone and 2) This is Canada, we get screwed over frequently when we purchase items, as there is usually little or no competition. While complaining may make everyone feel better, higher prices are a fact of life in smaller northern economies.

I live in Canada and have been a loyal Rogers customer for 10+ years and this announcement by Rogers is so INSULTING, I plan to cancel my internet and cell phone services ON July 11th. I will buy an iPod touch instead and use a separate cell phone with Telus mobility.

“Robbers” will not be getting ANY MORE OF MY MONEY come July 11th and I hope the iPhone launch in Canada is a COMPLETE FAILURE while being a huge success everywhere else!

@ Jim from VA: You are right. It's not Apples fault. Rogers will price for the market so if NO ONE BUYS FROM ROGERS, the price will quickly drop.

BOYCOTT ROGERS!!!

All cell phone companies stick it to their customers with ridiculously high prices. This one seems like one of the worst. If people weren't such sheep they would refuse to sign up. Rates would drop pretty fast if that happened. If Canadians refuse to sign up with Rogers for iPhone plans, this would have a dramatic impact. It would be amazing if basically nobody signed up. I doubt that will happen but it would be a great show of solidarity if they did.

Rogers has been known for many many years as a 'rip=you-off' company, why would you be so surprised? There is one resounding action you can take … DON'T BUY THE PRODUCT! Watch how quickly Steve Jobs reacts to that.

Welcome to Capitalism! 1.) Apple has nothing to do with the rates Rogers charges. 2.) Rogers can charge what they want. 3.) The fact that there isn't adequate competition in Canada is also not Apple's fault; it's not even Rogers' fault, is it?. 4.) Since when does a business have to price its services any other way but how it chooses to? 5.) Apparently, Rogers knows that they will get 'X' number of customers. ' X' must be good enough for them. 6.) I know this sounds cold and callous, but it's reality.

To the few making statements about "what does this have to do with Steve Jobs"? (Ironically, those posters seem to be in the United States – and not affected by this latest cash grab by Rogers!)

The exclusive distribution of IPhone by Rogers in Canada has everything to do with Apple, and Steve Jobs. There would have been a bid for the distribution, and with only 2 major players in Canada to distribute the Iphone; Rogers would have made commitments (to Apple) about being able to sell the most…

In a perfect world (and in Apple's own business model), it should have went to the supplier that would have had the best customer support, satisfaction and retention. (which out of the 2 major players in Canada – Rogers is never confused about being any of those!)

Rogers continues to dominate the landscape in the Canadian Internet, Cell, Cable TV world, in a dictatorship sort of way.

Unfortunately, Canadian consumers do not have the luxury of "strength in numbers". So we have to continue to smile and take it.

From one who switched to Bell for cell over a decade ago, I am sadly disappointed that I will not be able to get the IPhone. (at least not yet…)

So what is the surprise ?

Rogers has always used every possible opportunity that they have to rip consummer's off – remember the negative billing cable TV fiasco?

Canada needs more Cell competition and a total legislative ban on exclusive contracts with suppliers !

This is what happens when there is no competition. The only way to get Rogers to adjust their rates is by not buying the Iphone. Simple

There's more to think about.

"Evenings and Weekends" are from 9:00pm – 7:00am with Rogers. I can count on 1 hand the number of people that have called me after 9:00pm in the last 2 years.

Caller ID – Not even an OPTION in places like the UK – It's required, and it's free elsewhere… but not offered in Canada with Rogers unless you purchase a "Value Pack"

To get Caller ID, and "Evenings and Weekends" starting at 6:00pm rather than 9:00pm you have to purchase a $20/month "value pack"

That $115/month bill just went to $135… now add the System Access Fee of $5.00, and 911 fee for $0.50 and you are up to $140.50 + tax every month to use the iPhone the way it was intended in Canada.

I can't afford that… and even if I could – I wouldn't pay that much for CELL phone service.

Canadians have a simple request. We would like our cell phone plans to be competitive with those of the US.

The Rogers iPhone plans are so bad, so much more expensive, that they detract completely from the pleasure of owning the new device.

Rogers is ripping Canadians off.

If this is deregulation, give me back regulation please. OR, make it a truly a free market and force our fat, inefficient and greedy telecommunication companies to compete with the US market.

let's just hope Videotron does get its license to offer 3G GSM throughout Canada, then we'll have fun with our iPhones. That is, if Pierre Karl Péladeau and Steve Jobs ever meet…

That's the problem of GSM monopoly. Without competition they can put a higher price tag

There's an inaccuracy in this article : There is an open letter to Steve Jobs on the petition's site but the petition itself will be sent to the heads of Rogers Communications, not to Steve Jobs.

Anyway, I fail to see the logic in the answer of Rogers spokeperson : "Unlimited plans could end up costing customers more for what they don’t use…". How could a fixed rate plan with unlimited data could cost more than those they actually offer ? That's plain nonsense.

Do the heads of Rogers think that, because they'll be the sole provider of the iPhone in Canada, they can ask whatever rate they want ? ruinediphone.com has just proved them the opposite.

Would Rogers have provided affordable plans with unlimited data, they would probably have seen long lineups outside of their shops on july 11th. That's business 101…

But with those rates, I don't think we will see any lineup at all.

I am failing to understand how it is Apple's problem that the Rogers plans are over priced.

ALL cell phone plans are overpriced. AT&T has RAISED the price of their rate plan and you get what, a faster data connection IF you live in a 3G area. Even then what do you NEED a high bandwidth connection to do on a cell phone? surf the web? You can't do much heavy downloading since you "can't" tether with the plan.

If you want something to complain about it should be the poor justification that these "service" providers give for the extremely high rates they charge for monthly data plans. Apple has nothing to do with that.

I have been waiting for months to get the new phone and I am stunned by the greediness of Rogers. I have been a long time Rogers customer, but please, 150 minutes only per month for the minimum package? I have looked at the AT&T site and its cheaper to go with them and use the phone in Canada!

Typical Canadian ripoff.

We Canadians sure know how to screw each other.

Al Maloney

I would be the perfect person to buy an iPhone as I have a iBook and a MacMini so it is natural when I buy a new cellphone it be an Apple . I will refuse to buy it no matter what because having just ended a 3 year deal with Telus , I refuse to sign another one with Rogers . I will take a lesser phone just to have the freedom

You forgot to mention that none of the plans even include caller id, which comes in a nice $15 package bundled with other crap you might not need. So if you want caller id, it's $15 extra.

with fees and %13 tax in ontario, each plan is easily $35 more.

Rogers makes it easy, hell with the iphone and Rogers, there are much better alternatives….get over it people, if you don't want to pay, don't buy it, the best way you can vote

Thanks for writing the story… I was looking forward to purchasing the iPhone immediately @ launch. I will reduce drastically my Rogers services regardless but I will not be an iPhone customer unless an unlimited data plan is offered.

Jackson, from Halifax.. How does Steve Jobs have anything to do with what your local Cell service charges. If anything it appears to be greed of one of your Canadian brothers.

All that Rogers is doing is setting people up for huge over billing every month, also The mandatory 3 year only (take it or leave it)contract length is laughable at best….in any other market a 3 year contract would get you a free iPhone3g,in Canada it gets you a 200$ phone and a 3 year contract. Remember we are a politically stable, resource rich, and leaders in the world for common sense solutions to world problems, but we quietly mind our own business, what will Steve Jobs do when we turn off the oil and water faucets that keep his corp running…..good luck American greed, the chickens will always come home to roost.

Hi Ped,

Cool, no worries. Now that I think about it, the $75 thing probably came from AT&T's plans that need you to combine a voice plan, a data plan and a text messaging plan.

When you combine all of these three together, then you probably get $75 for AT&T…

Anyway noticed the fix, you work fast!

Cheers

Alex

35 cents per extra minute, with a base of only 150? Evenings that start at 9:00 pm? 15.00 for call display? Whoever buys an iPhone in Canada is going to be very poor an will pay dearly every month in hidden fee's. Myself I will stick to my unlocked phone with no data plan.

@Jim, Richmond VA. Hum.. not from Canada i see. Rogers rate a not less then CRIMINAL. Canada as the most expensive cel phone rate on the planet. Those grossly inflated rate render the iPhone completly useless. this is not a compremise at all Apple gave a licence to STEAL to Rogers. And of course Rogers whould not refuse to STEAL money from Canadian users. Rate for the iPhone in Canada are so High, that is it cheaper to get the iphone from AT&T , because you get more ROAMING usage (5GB), then the actual local usage in Canada (2GB for a lot more money). Conclusion: NEVER buy any Rogers products, unless of course you want to support a criminal company.

At&T is offering 5GB of data usage for US user who visite Canada(using Canada ONLY 3G network from Rogers) so how it is fair to Canadian user that Rogers is charging Canadian up to 115$ for less then half of that Data usage? (2GB). Rogers lost all credibility.

PED: You say the Canadian and US plans start at $75, but check the table you provided from Rogers above – the plans start at $60. Still a bad, bad plan, but it doesn't start at $75.

Cheers

Alex

ex ped: Thanks for the catch. Fixed.

While not great, it's a step in the right direction. Apple and Rogers came to the best compromise for both. I can't see how petitioning Jobs will make one iota of difference. Yes, it's more expensive than the US, but I'm sure that many in Canada will take advantage of the plans. I'm glad the demand is definitely there.