iPhone data plan promotion extended in Canada

Canadian cell phone carrier Rogers Communications is extending its iPhone data plan promotion another month, as it tries to figure out how best to price data plans for smartphone users, CBC reported Thursday.

(Credit: Apple)

Rogers, Canada's exclusive iPhone carrier, will offer the 6-gigabyte data service for $30 a month for all smartphone users, including Apple iPhone users, and laptop air cards.

The promotion, which was launched with the iPhone 3G's July 11 debut, was set to expire at the end of August. The carrier offered the special promotion after customers complained about a similarly priced plan that offered only 400 megabytes of data per month.

A Rogers representative the company told the CBC the offer is being extending through September to allow buyers of the new BlackBerry Bold to take advantage of it. The Bold was introduced only week ago.

Come October 1, Rogers will have new plans in place. A $25 plan will provide 500MB of data downloads for $25. And a $30-a-month plan will allow subscribers to download 1GB of data. These data plans must also accompany voice plans that start around $20 a month.

Because Rogers requires users to sign a 3-year contract, the mobile operator offers one of the most expensive iPhone data plans in the world. But on a monthly basis, it's not so bad, at only about $60 a month. AT&T's iPhone 3G plans start at $70 a month for voice and data.

CBC reports that Rogers believes that its new pricing plans should satisfy most customers, since the carrier said it has found that only 1 percent of iPhone users used more than 1GB of data in their first month, and most used less than 500MB. Rogers is also allowing customers to "tether" their smartphones or use the phone as a modem for laptops. This is not allowed by other carriers, such as AT&T in the United States.

To help make sure that customers don't run up ridiculously high data bills without realizing it, the company is also rolling out a "peace-of-mind protection plan" in October. This plan will send customers free text messages warning them if they are close to crossing a certain threshold of data usage. The company will also cap excess usage charges at $100, the CBC report said.

[konchung]

Don't forgot the System Access Fee that Rogers charging on top. So with a $20 plan, you are actually paying around $30 with tax and System Access Fee. The System Access Fee should be waved.

[tomtomtom]

$7 call display & $8 voice mail on top

$11 as a bundle

[chrisnickel]

Can you please cite your source for iPhone tethering? all my research suggests that iPhone does not support tethering unless it has been jail broken. Thanks

[davidsmi]

I can't find anything either. I've posted the question over at iphoneincanada.ca.

[jedweb]

Yes, please let us in on the tethering. I saw Netshare in the store briefly a few weeks ago and made the mistake of not grabbing it. I actively search for it regularly but I haven't seen it since. Is there another way?

[ct_max]

People need to realize that the so-called $60.00 plan only provides 150 minutes of call time per month. I had no choice but to get the $75.00 plan for 300 minutes + $20.00 early nights / weekends unlimited. The extra data plan would put my monthly bill at $125.00 and it still would not be unlimited data.

[g4chris]

Despite how people 'hate' Rogers, I think they deserve some credit. They've sort of rolled out a form of the 'piece-of-mind protection' as I got a courtesy call from the Fido/Rogers customer service about 'excessive' data usage on my iPhone. The system didn't register my data plan properly and they called because they noticed that I was going to be charged $3500 in data fees. They had everything sorted out in less than 5 mins. but I mostly surprised at the fact that they called (instead of having the customer find out and have a heart attack).

[Wetsuit101]

"Come October 1, Rogers will have new plans in place. A $25 plan will provide 500MB of data downloads for $25."
Really??? Who would have imagined a $25 plan would cost $25!!! I would have thought it might cost $33

[wpound]

Question: Your article states that Rogers $30 data plan includes downloading. I recently checked with Rogers and they advised me that these plans are only for web surfing and email. Any download, application, music, email attachment would not apply and would have to be paid for at 4/Mb or under a separate plan. Rogers web site also states for "web browsing & email only", not downloading.

[canadianhappyapple]

sorry but where did you see that the iphone data plan is for "web browsing & email only"? I have never heard this before and is contrary to all the information I have read thus far. Could you please show us the exact page on Rogers where this is stated?

[MysteryMT]

Why is this the second article to come up when you search Blackberry Bold? It's been on the top of CNET's Popular Searches and the CNET editors seem completely oblivious to it...oh look an iPhone.