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Exorbitant data rates keeping iPhone out of Canada?

Steep wireless data rates may be the primary reason Canadians have not yet been treated to Apple Inc.'s revolutionary iPhone handset, according to one expert.

"The barrier to the iPhone in Canada is not Apple," says Michael Geist, Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa. "Rather, it is the lack of wireless competition that [...] leads to pricing that places Canadians at a significant disadvantage compared with other developed countries."

In the U.S., AT&T's combined iPhone service and data plans start at just $59.99 for 450 anytime minutes, 5000 additional night and weekend minutes, and unlimited data. But in Canada, as Geist notes, a comparable plan for Rogers Wireless — the only carrier with an iPhone-compatible GSM network — would currently run about $295 per month.

Rogers charges $60 for 500 anytime minutes, $25 for an additional $500 anytime minutes and a whopping $210 for 500MB data plan. Unlike AT&T, the Canadian carrier does not offer an unlimited data plan and its monthly minutes do not rollover to the next month if they go unused.

If Rogers does introduce the iPhone to its customers, it will have to make major changes to its data pricing, Geist told Canada's National Post on Monday. "I don't see how you can have an iPhone with the pricing structure that they're offering," he said.

In an email advisory sent to subscribers earlier this year, Rogers said that it was still sorting out iPhone availability and pricing terms with Apple. However, the carrier confidently claimed that it would be the only Canadian provider to offer the Apple handset.

Since then, no further details on the matter have surface. However, a recent posting to Best Buy's Canadian website hinted that an announcement could be imminent.



93 Comments

polar315 18 Years · 76 comments

Rates for Canada are outrageous compared to elsewhere. Would love to have an iPhone but, do not see anyway I will be handing over a mortgage size payment to the Telco every month.

anantksundaram 19 Years · 20391 comments

Oh man, and I thought that US mobile phone providers sucked!

Btw, in all fairness: thus far, I must admit to being hugely impressed by ATT -- maybe they're on their best behavior for the first couple of weeks. We'll see.

chevaliermalfet 22 Years · 467 comments

You know cell service is bad in a country when US service compares favorably with it...

smokeonit 21 Years · 268 comments

Canadian $210 for 500MB... that's laughable...

i hope apple get's the same deal as in the US... in germany they will for sure...!!!!

t-mobile will be mor ethan happy to do a ?59 all data inclusive with 500 anytime minutes.... and unlimited SMS!!!!

tomkarl 19 Years · 236 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by ChevalierMalFet

You know cell service is bad in a country when US service compares favorably with it...