No More Exclusivity iRogers!!!

[lex-ington]

Should be interesting to see how this triggers anything stateside, but Rogers lost its exclusive rights to selling the iPhone in Canada. Bell & Telus will start selling them in November (if the story is as accurate as they say).

I wonder if this is triggering AT&T to start offering more stuff for the iPhone, or let companies like Verizon start to sell the device as well. I think Verizon has the same CDMA system as Bell and Telus.

I was completely shocked at the news - not like I'm getting one - as I thought Rogers was such a power house and the only REAL player on the GSM side of the field. At least those astronomical monthly plans should diminish or come down in price for sure.

WOW!!!

[_Sigma]

Bell and Telus joined up to make a 3G network. The iPhone won't be running on the CDMA infrastructure. I'm looking forward to being able to give Fido.Rogers a hard time about my bill now!

[crazybus]

This has been rumored for the past several months. Bell/Telus have been developing their own UMTS network in Canada, and it is already operational in certain areas (e.g. lower mainland BC). Heh, just last week my sister called Telus to inquire about canceling her contract, wanting an iPhone, and she eventually talked to a representative who informed her that Telus would be getting the iPhone soon as well.

[Flying Fox]

Bell and Telus joined up to make a 3G network. The iPhone won't be running on the CDMA infrastructure.

Minor correction: they are building a HSPA network, which is an upgrade path from GSM. Rev A/B is also called "3G" but runs with CDMA tech. 3G is just an umbrella term.

I was completely shocked at the news - not like I'm getting one - as I thought Rogers was such a power house and the only REAL player on the GSM side of the field. At least those astronomical monthly plans should diminish or come down in price for sure.

I'm looking forward to being able to give Fido.Rogers a hard time about my bill now!

Let's just hope this really is the case. The Big 3 have been doing pretty good in terms of de facto collusion. I'll believe the cheaper prices when I see them.

Part of the driver is all those GSM roaming charges Bell/Telus can charge for all the foreigners coming for the 2010 Winter Olympics, so they were in a hurry. One billion spent in jointly developing the new network.

IIRC though Verizon is going to skip HSPA straight to LTE unlike Bell and Telus that can't quite wait that long, so unless Apple figures out how to cramp CDMA circuits within the same form factor and Verizon submits itself to be Apple's b***h, the iPhone is not coming to Verizon anytime soon.

[lex-ington]

I guess the question then becomes - " Will Bell and Telus drop the CDMA crap all together and go with the sim card, or keep their current system and handle two networks at the same time?" - which to me sounds like a headache and higher prices for me (the consumer). I don't like it when big companies rush to do something, that usually results in a broken product and the consumers get the bill to fix it . . . . . .for the next 50 years.

[tfp]

The other option is a "world phone" which supports both CDMA and GSM (Both 3G) the only problem is the hardware costs a little more.

As for

unless Apple figures out how to cramp CDMA circuits within the same form factor and Verizon submits itself to be Apple's b***h, the iPhone is not coming to Verizon anytime soon.

There isn't that big of a different in circuits and a large number of slim phones are offered in both GSM and CDMA. Outside of the radio firmware and the layer between it and the App/OS there really isn't a huge different. If the software is written with this in mind it's not a huge change. With something that has the cost of an Iphone making it a "world phone" wouldn't be too unreasonable and kill 2 birds with one stone.

[Flying Fox]

I guess the question then becomes - " Will Bell and Telus drop the CDMA crap all together and go with the sim card, or keep their current system and handle two networks at the same time?" - which to me sounds like a headache and higher prices for me (the consumer). I don't like it when big companies rush to do something, that usually results in a broken product and the consumers get the bill to fix it . . . . . .for the next 50 years.

They are not going to rush. CDMA/EVDO will be around for quite some time. According to the "experts" at HoFo they figured it would be like the move away from analog. It will take years until they build out equivalent coverage and then they would stop releasing new handsets on CDMA/EVDO after that. Then they will start moving the remaining holdouts to the new network.

Mark your calendars for November 5th! Telus will have iPhone 3GS, HTC Hero*, LG BL40 New Chocolate*, BB Bold 9700 and the Nokia E71**.

* Telus exclusive
** Telus exclusive for black and red versions.

The phone list from Bell is here. Nokia 2730 classic is a cheap one, and they have the Omnia II.

[Flying Fox]

Bell is up today, Telus will be joining them tomorrow. No $30/6gigs though.