iPhone 3GS: Better to get from Fido or Rogers?

[hugh]

I am currently pay as you go mobility phone user and an avid iPod Touch lover.

With the ability to tether the new iPhone 3GS to a laptop, I am seriously considering signing up for a new contract with Fido or Rogers.

My voice needs will be limited and I will likely never hit the 6gb cap even with tethering so essentially I would want a 6GB data plan with the lowest cost voice plan I can get.

Can anybody suggest what my preferred plan might be? Is there any reason for me to go for Fido or Rogers if I decide to get one?

Thanks in advance

[99semaj]

No SAF on Fido.

They'll try and push you onto an 'iPhone' plan, but when I pushed harder with Rogers, they allowed me to go with a low-cost voice plan. They charged me an extra $50 each for the iPhones, but over the life of the contract, I still saved almost $1000 per line.

[g011um]

Will either actually let you tether? I think I heard that AT&T in the US has no current plans to support (allow) tethering of the iPhone 3GS. I assumed Rogers would be the same.

[rileyparrish]

g011um, Rogers has confirmed if you have a 1GB data plan or greater, added to your account from now to Dec.31,2009 you will be able to tether your smartphone at no extra cost.

99semaj, Rogers allows you to take a voice only plan but you have to pay $50 extra as you said, that is the normal practice. I expect this to remain the same after June 19th.

Hugh, If you are planning on getting the 6GB plan, nowhere on the Fido website that I can see, is there mention of them carrying this. Maybe it is Rogers exclusive. If so then 1/2 this post will be mute, but for comparison sake for you and other members looking for a cost-effective solution:

If your voice needs are limited there is no doubt Fido will be the cheaper solution. Rogers voice plans start at $25/month whereas Fido starts at $15. Main differences are that Fido bills by the second, has no monthly system-access fee/911 fee and includes texting as part of there plan while Rogers(with some exceptions) has text bundled with value pack add-ons. If you are looking for a complete solution or need more texting, Rogers has the upper hand because you can bundle your data plan with your value pack. IMO the "iPhone plans" Rogers offers wont appeal to most consumers because it offers too much data & not enough text for a steep price(starting at $60+)

Lets compare plans, I will use the Fido $20 plan because the $15 one doesn't include evening/weekend minutes. If you want Voicemail/Call Display you will need to add a Value Pack.

Fido Voice
+$20 for 50 minutes (billed by second), unlimited eve/wkd (7pm-8am), 50 sent text, free recieved

Fido Value Packs:
+$10 for Call Display & Enhanced Voicemail
+$15 for Call Display, Enhanced Voicemail & 5pm Early Evenings

Fido Data:
+$25 for 500MB

Total before GST: $55 or $60

Fido Voice Plans/Value Packs:
http://fido.ca/web/page/portal/Fido/...o=monthlyPlans

Fido Data Options:
http://fido.ca/web/content/internet/wia_email_options

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Rogers Voice
+25 for 150 minutes (billed by minute), unlimited eve/wkd (9pm-7am), 1000 sent text, free recieved -OR- MY5 local -OR- 100 extra daytime minutes

Rogers Data/Value Packs:
+$35 Data Value Pack (500MB, Visual Voicemail, Call Display, Unl. text)
or
+$30 for 6GB data with tethering option & $12 Value Pack(Voicemail,Call Display) OR $20 Value Pack which is the same but with unlimited text.

Total before GST: $67.45 or $74.45 or $82.45

Rogers Plans:
http://www.rogers.com/web/link/wirel...=PlanThenPhone

On the Fido website I can't find any information about tethering, so while they are the cheaper option they might not be able offer you exactly what you need. One would assume because they are owned by Rogers the options would be fairly similar, but they are still a seperate entity.

EDIT: Don't forget the $35 Activation Fee (applicable to both providers)

[faston]

Thanks for starting this thread Hugh. I am in the same situation as you; have been an ipod Touch user for a long time (even before you - I ordered the day of Steve's keynote and paid $450 for 16GB) and now that my contract with Telus has expired and the new 3GS is out I am ready to make a move.

Thanks also to rileyparrish for (trying to) make Roger's plans understandable. haha

So, basically you need a voice plan and a data plan, right? Naturally one would pick the $30 6GB plan so really the decision is the voice plan. Reading your post (which is a lot better than Roger's website) one would get the $25 voice plan and add the $30 6GB data and the $12 Value pack and would be good to go?

ps: who cancels my Telus service, me or Rogers? I have heard, I think, that you let the new carrier do it or you are in danger of losing your number which would be a disaster for as it is my work phone and the only number all my clients for me. Is that correct?

[polaris]

Will Fido have it....I thought they dropped smart phones.

Also, I have the 6GB data plan I got in July 2008. I will have to ask for tethers to be activated?

[rileyparrish]

faston, if you are transferring from Telus to Rogers you NEED to let Rogers do the cancellation for you. This is the only way to gaurantee keeping your number, this is called LNP(Local Number Portability). If you cancelled with Telus first there would be no way to retrieve the same number so Rogers must do it at the time of purchasing your new phone. Just make sure you bring in your old Telus phone or a copy of a bill because Rogers needs your phones serial # or account # to do the transfer.

Assuming you go with the 6GB plan like you stated, all you do now is pick your voice plan and value pack. If you pick texting as part of the three optional choices in the voice plan, then all you need is the $12 value pack for voicemail/call display. If you still need texting but choose to double your mins or get MY5 with the voice plan then you have to get the $20 smartphone value pack which includes voicemail/call display/unl. text.

polaris, what phone are you using with the 6GB data plan you have now? If it is a blackberry you will have to get the SOC changed with Rogers so your iPhone will work. Reason being there is a different code from Blackberrys to use the BIS/BES on the network. Iphones and all other smartphones just use a regular data plan. You will have to get the tethering code added to your account as well by customer service. Just tell them you have an iphone and they will put you on the right data plan code.

Fido never dropped smartphones, they just recently started offering them. Someone will have to call Fido to find out if they are offering the 6GB data plan and if they will be allowing tethering.

Hope all this helps!

[profets]

rileyparrish: nice summary. but one thing i noticed (unless its since changed) is that Fido's free evenings begin at 7pm compared to Rogers 9pm.

Also, the $30/6GB is back for Fido as well.

[rileyparrish]

Thanks profets I will edit that, I just didn't see anything about 7PM on the website so I assumed it was the same as Rogers. Is there anything on the site about the 6GB plan?

EDIT: found it.

Fido Plan Information:
http://fido.ca/cms/html/en/important_information.shtml

Evenings and weekends: Weeknights from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. and weekends from Friday 7 p.m to Monday 8 a.m.

[profets]

no prob - I knew 3 main things that differentiated fido from rogers was evenings at 7pm, billing by the second, and no SAF. i was checking the site now as well to double check evenings at 7pm and cant find it. all I see is just unlimited evenings/weekends, no mention of start time.

I had heard about the 6GB, and just saw it on the site now:

Fido iPhone FAQ

The $30/6GB will be available to all iPhone customers at Fido starting June 9th 2009.

[rileyparrish]

One would have to assume they will be offering the tethering as well so Hugh as long as you aren't avid texter/caller Fido looks like the better option.

[profets]

Yeah, i forgot to mention that. They will be offering tethering - sounds like its best to wait and call on the 17th when 3.0 is out.

[Arcanum]

Is there any difference in regards to coverage or sound quality between Rogers and Fido? Everything else aside, that is the most important to me. I'd rather pay $5 more if Rogers has better reception. if it's the same, Fido has better plan pricing and earlier evenings.

[rileyparrish]

They use the same network so there shouldn't be any difference...same thing with Telus/Bell.

[outinthornhill]

Another factor, for those who are otherwise eligible, is whether Fido services count towards the total for Rogers bundling discounts. Anyone reading this know? Depending upon the services Rogers customers have, the discount could be enough to offset the SAF.

There's also the convenience of having one consolidated bill which I assume is lost with Fido. Of course this only applies to those customers who are already beholden to Rogers for tv and internet and for whom it's beneficial to add more home phone and wireless services.

I'm currently a Telus client but the iPhone 3GS and 6Gb plan are very interesting. I'll be watching closely even with the costs of buying my way out of my contract.