I’ve been holding off on posting this because too many data rumors are lame, but BlackBerry Cool and CrackBerry have just announced that Rogers is upping their consumer BlackBerry data plans.
The bad news: nothing’s unlimited, and if the iPhone plans leaked yesterday are accurate then BlackBerry users are getting severely shafted. Finally, these plans are for BIS customers only. If you’re on an Enterprise Server, your choices are still $40 for 7MB, $60 for 25MB, and $100 for 1GB.
The plans are available at Rogers’ site and calling data/BlackBerry support (1-800-ROGERS1 and say “BlackBerry” at any possible opportunity, or *611 from your device). Here’s a summary of what you can get:
| Plan Price | Data Included | Other Details |
|---|---|---|
| $30 | 300MB | 50 cents per MB over. To compare, this is about half a cent per KB, much lower than the 5 cents/KB on Pay As You Go data. |
| $50 | 500MB flex plan | On a Flex plan, you’re bumped up to the next tier if you go over your limit. It’s also $0.03/MB for any usage over 5GB. The packages are: $50/500MB $65/1GB $75/2GB $85/3GB $100/5GB |
| $60 | 1GB | $0.50/MB over 1GB |
| $80 | 3GB | $0.50/MB over 3GB |
| $100 | 6GB | $0.50/MB over 6GB |
All of these new plans (except for the Flex Rate) have overage protection, which means that usage of over 60MB is only counted at $0.03/MB. Business plans that offer data pooling can’t take advantage of this feature either. Here’s how this works in practice:
- You’re on the 300MB plan ($30 base) and use 500MB in that month because you decided to run BitTorrent off your device.
- You’re charged for your base plan: $30 for 300MB
- You’re then charged $0.50 per MB, up to 60MB: another $30 for 360MB
- You’re then charged $0.03 per MB, for data after 60MB: another $4.20 for 500MB
- Total data bill is $30+$30+$4.20 = $64.20
The good news: the base 300MB is a significant amount on a BlackBerry device – I’ve never gotten close to this figure myself, and in fact had a hard time topping 60MB/month on my Telus package. The included data can also be used for tethering to a laptop, and people likely to tether are paying more appropriate rates for heavier usage.
Rogers’ site also indicates that these plans are available on monthly agreements, meaning that you shouldn’t have to sign a data contract to take advantage of these new offerings. Of course, if you’re using a hardware upgrade credit or buying a new device directly from Rogers, you may get locked into a data package for three years. My personal preference these days would be to get an unlocked device online and activate it with an existing contract, unless you need UMA support (Rogers Home Calling Zone.)
Since the iPhone plans are still just a rumor, I’m happy with a solid release of much more customer-friendly wireless data packages, and will try to get some of my clients and associates moved to these offerings.
{ 12 } Comments
Dare I say that I might fall into both of the aforementioned categories?
These offers are a durastic improvement, but compared to the wireless offerings in the states they’re still lacking. Ignoring all the bells and whistles AT&T tosses onto their unlimited data plan they get 5 GB for $20, as opposed to us with 300 MB for $30. Doing the math that puts AT&T’s offer just over 25 times better than Rogers.
I still feel pissed.
AT&T’s unlimited 3G data is $30, or $60 for a 5GB capped tethering plan.
Okay, not as bad as I thought – only 17 times worse for the unlimited, and 8 times worse for the tethering plan.
Either way we’re still not getting the same bang for our buck.
To avoid severe wireless depression, just don’t think about the US.
And let’s never compare ourselves to any other market, because they pay premiums to call off-network, or to landlines, or to basically anyone. In many countries, there is no such thing as unlimited local calling within a city for landlines. (Why do you think we have to pay more to call mobiles internationally?)
Anyway, that’s not what I’m talking about.
$30 for 300 MB of email and data on a BlackBerry is outstanding! Especially considering what it used to cost before today!
I have already switched the fiancée from email only to data.
Me? I’m on BES with work, so I’m still stuck with the $60 for 25 MB. However, I expense my wireless invoice, so I don’t really care.
Even when we were separated and constantly on BB Messenger sending pictures back and forth, neither of us could push the monthly data above 50 MB.
Let’s not be overly critical all the time, and rejoice when something truly positive does happen, and this is positive!
I would speculate that the iPhone will also receive the $30 / 300 MB deal; keep it on an even pitch with BB for consumers.
I’m also very positive and optimistic about these plans. People aren’t reporting issues getting them from the wireless department either. This is likely what I’ll be picking up once my data usage is no longer free.
So, I spoke too soon!
After I mentioned to a few friends with email-only, all of them have no data!
First, BIS had been suspended, and needed to be reset (without email setting loss, thankfully).
After that, email stopped working, as did PIN and BlackBerry Messenger.
Tech Support says wait 24 hours and maybe it’ll be working.
Geez!
This isn’t something new; I wonder what it will be like when iPhone is released?
Sounds like there’s an issue with provisioning the BIS-only package (Prosumer plus BIS-B access).
(Removed speculation about provisioning/iPhone, since I’m not an appropriate tech support contact. Rogers actually manages BlackBerry devices through their own system.)
After 48 hours, and on my fourth phone call to tech support, I finally got someone who told me that “tier 2 support” will have to “take a hammer to it”.
And after a few minutes on hold, I received a PIN from the tech.
Two service book sends later from the BIS, and the past two days of email started to arrive…finally!
So, who knows what happened? The final tech told me that the first one on Friday should have known what to do. ??!!??
Whatever, it was only the weekend; not that life without email in my hand is all that pointless.
Lewis, you are an idiot!!!
Hah, that’s some constructive commenting there.
Nothing quite like blog-stalking a comment several months old and making a baseless accusation. That commenter likely votes Liberal
Ouch. Baseless accusations and moronic statements? That’s what we’ll get with Vice-President Harper.
On a serious note – I get enough politics from the Waterloo-Wellington blog feed, but here’s a contribution. My local Liberal candidate (Andrew Telegdi) was in a church full of fundies arguing that gay marriage is a slippery slope, allowing pedophiles to marry their eight year old love interests and etcetera. Telegdi stands up and yells out “You sir, are a liar and a fraud!” Anyone who does that, regardless of political affiliation, is pretty awesome in my book.
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