iPhone Problems: Canada’s $2000 iPhone Plan, Will It Even Catch On?
Anyone that lives in Canada knows that wireless rates in this country are ridiculous, hence our low wireless penetration rate. And as you may know, it continues with the arrival of the Apple iPhone this Friday, carried by Rogers Wireless and some of the most ridiculous pricing and contractual obligations in the world. In fact, there has been public outrage for almost a month now including an online petition to Rogers asking for a data plan comparable to AT&T’s, the American carrier of the iPhone for the past year. And some rumors circulating that Apple is shorting Roger’s adequate iPhone supply due to their displeasure with the wireless carrier.
The big problem is that Rogers has a monopoly on the iPhone, eliminating any price competition, and giving the company freedom to screw over us customers. Not only does the Canadian iPhone not feature an unlimited data plan, but according to University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist it also features a “triple lock” that “is the result of onerous contracts, technological locks, and a legislative proposal from Industry Minister Jim Prentice that simultaneously locks consumers in, while locking the competition out”. The iPhone comes with a mandatory three-year contract, the longest in the world, thanks to the $199 price tag and lack of competition. In the US, AT&T plans on offering an iPhone priced higher, but featuring no contractual obligations at all.
Right now Rogers is the only GSM network in Canada, but should a competitor enter, there is a technological lock on the iPhone that disenables any chance of porting a wireless number to another network. Of course the Canadian government has done absolutely nothing to stop this. Finally, Bill C-61, proposed by Jim Prentice could make it illegal to unlock cellphones in Canada or distribute software to do so, eliminating any underground means of porting the iPhone elsewhere.
So given all the roadblocks consumers face looking for an affordable iPhone experience in Canada, will it catch on, especially with that roughly $2000 three-year price tag disguised as a $199 one time payment?
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[...] plans with more talk time and SMS limits. Whatever the case may be, just hope you don’t live in Canada! Close this WindowBookmark and Share This Page Save to Browser [...]
[...] was sanctioning Rogers by diverting a great deal of Canadian iPhone stock to Europe as a result of public outrage at Rogers’ data plans, limiting Canadian Apple stores to only 10-20 phones come Friday. [...]
[...] like Rogers Wireless continues to build on their reputation as a provider of some of the worst pricing plans in the history of the wireless world. This time they’ve priced the Blackberry Bold at [...]
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