Rogers now considers themselves the premium carrier in the Canadian marketplace, with a 45% increase in earnings – and let’s face it, no other GSM competition in the country is a significant contributor to this state of affairs. One of the most PR-spun phrases I’ve seen since the Todd Holmdahl Xbox 360 interview needs some attention:
“We’re not fans of unlimited plans,” Rob Bruce, the president of Rogers’ wireless division, told analysts during a conference call.
“We want to make sure … that we create plans that are helpful and don’t become barriers to adoption.”
I think Adam said it best recently:
Why do they have to make this so complicated? I don’t keep track of my usage of e-mail and Web to the MegaByte, and why should I? Ugh… No company is getting a dime from me for data usage until a true unlimited plan is released.
So if unlimited plans aren’t in Rogers’ future, what’s this entire post about? A recent HowardForums thread gives the lowdown on some upcoming changes to BlackBerry and PDA plans, which eliminate the current packages and replace them with a tiered system. Thanks to Tyler_QB and O_ssie for the information. Check out the original post if you’re interested in PDA or Windows Mobile data rates.
Effective March 25, 2008 – or more than likely a few days afterwards – Rogers will begin offering two different BlackBerry packages that support both BIS and BES. Prices and details are subject to change before launch, but seem realistic in my opinion.
BlackBerry “Flex” Plan: 3-Year Contract Required
This package is only available with a three year data term. Early termination fees are either a maximum of $100, or $5 per month for the number of months remaining in your term (minimum $25.) Data contracts start and end independently from your voice plan, unless you sign up for both of them at the same time.
Possibly the most interesting feature of this plan is its tiered structure. The base package costs $15 per month, for up to 10MB of data. If you use more than 10MB in a month, you are bumped into the next plan bracket; use less than 10MB in a month and pay $15.
| Data Usage | Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to 10MB (Tier 1) | $15 |
| Up to 50MB (Tier 2) | $30 |
| Up to 200MB (Tier 3) | $50 |
| Up to 500MB (Tier 4) | $65 |
Usage over 500MB is charged at 5 cents per MB. Therefore, blowing through 2GB of data on a BlackBerry would cost $65 for 500MB, plus $77.40 for the extra 1.5GB – totalling $142.40.
BlackBerry Plan: No Contract
For users not interested in signing a 3-year data contract, a month-to-month plan is also scheduled for introduction. These plans do not automatically transition to the next tier and have significantly increased overage rates, which makes sense given that there’s no required level of consumer commitment.
| Data Usage | Monthly Rate | Overage Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 10MB | $15 | $2.00 per MB over 10MB |
| Up to 50MB | $30 | $1.00 per MB over 50MB |
| Up to 200MB | $50 | $0.50 per MB over 200MB |
For comparison purposes, the cost of 2GB of BlackBerry data on a non-commitment $50 plan would be the original $50, plus $924 for 1848MB – a total of $974. Considering that the maximum data cancellation fee is only $100, heavy users will definitely want to grit their teeth and sign for three years.
The Extras
Allegedly, both these plans will also include unlimited email through BIS and instant/PIN messaging – so only actual Web browsing or application data (for example, Google Maps) will contribute to your usage for the month. This isn’t really a huge deal for most people, since email is significantly compressed before arriving on the device. I’d also be willing to bet that attachments aren’t included in the “unlimited” portion, but it might save heavy email users some precious kilobytes.
So what’s the score? I’m reasonably impressed with the changes but at the same time, Telus has the superior data package for $45 per month, with unlimited data and text messaging included. If you don’t mind SureType and CDMA, picking up the Pearl (8130) for under $100 seems to be one of the better options in the marketplace today.