13 05 2010

The Good:

Rogers has brought Canadian wireless users an excellent data roaming package which far exceeds any data roaming package we’ve seen from any of the US wireless carriers.  Initially they had launched this roaming package with the following rate plans.

• $20 Personal Email on BB CDN/US
• $35 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 500MB CDN/US Plan
• $35 Consumer/Small business 500MB CDN & US Data Plan
• $40 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 1GB CDN & US Plan
• $40 Consumer/Small business 1GB CDN & US Data Plan
• $45 500MB CDN & US Mobile Internet Flex Rate Plan
• $50 DAP (for MSD customers) 1.5GB CDN & US Data Plan
• $55 Corporate BB (BES) 1GB CDN & US Plan
• $55 Corporate BB (BES) 500 MB CDN & US Flex Rate Plan

If you take a look at their website now, they have simplified those odd looking plans by saying “Add $10 and use your data plan freely in both Canada and the USA”.

“With a One Rate Data Plan you have the convenience of using a single allotment of
data that can be used anywhere in Canada and the U.S. for one low fixed rate. This
means worry-free data for checking email, using the mobile internet or location based
services such as Google Maps.”

The Bad:

They have yet to provide a solution for voice plans.  This is where they’ll make their money! Here are the rate plans they have for voice usage.

One-Time Fee	Roaming Included Minutes	Rate per Minute	Overage Rate
$15	15 min	$1.00	$1.00
$25	40 min	$0.63	$0.63
$40	70 min	$0.57	$0.57

By using prepaid/pay as you go services in the USA, the “One-Time_fee” of $15 that Rogers would charge on their lowest rate plan would give you 150 minutes of talk-time at a rate of $0.10/minute.

The Ugly:

Voicemail is probably one of the most standard features that wireless users add on to their wireless packages.  In fact, it is so standard, that 99% of prepaid plans in almost all countries provide voicemail as a free feature along with caller id, call conferencing, and call waiting.  The Ugly News is that Rogers is infamously known for charging wireless users their roaming rate for NOT picking up their phone.  That’s right! for NOT picking up your phone.  Since your phone is technically ‘connecting’ with Rogers communication towers, you will be charged your roaming rate of $1.45 for travel to the USA.  This not only effects Canadian travellers, but all of you AT&T, T-mobile and any other US carrier that has Rogers Wireless as a roaming partner.  You will be charged 1 minute of roaming for NOT picking up your phone and allowing it to go to Voice Mail.

The Solution:

Prepaid/Pay as you Go solutions are always the best! Most carriers around the world offer several different price plans.  A couple examples of US carriers include T-mobile ($0.10/min) and AT&T ($0.25/min).  Of course you would need to unlock your phone before using one of those SIM cards.  Now a second problem arises… How do I use this Rogers data pack, maintain my phone number, and NOT pay $1.45/min?

That answer will be posted here by the end of May :)

We’re here to provide you with the lowest rate solutions possible.  Stay tuned with Cellfservices Blog!

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