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Rogers Canada Disables Roaming Charge Information
They want you to spend a fortune without realizing it
by KathrynV Saturday 03-May-2008 tags: business · wireless · world · consumers · Rogers Portable Internet
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Since Canadian broadband provider Rogers has announced that it will be bringing the iPhone to Canada, many people are taking an interest in what it means to be a Rogers wireless customer. Although they’ve traditionally been friendlier with their wireless service than with their broadband service, there remain several issues of concern to new customers who are looking at Rogers specifically because they want an iPhone. One major concern that has come to light is the company’s practices related to roaming charges. While it’s of little surprise that roaming charges are high (as with many providers), customers are upset because Rogers offers no way for them to check on the status of their charges until the bill arrives. In fact, Rogers specifically requires that phone manufacturers disable the service of roaming charge notifications on all of their phones. Customers trying to stay within a budget while traveling find it difficult to do so if they’re unable to track charges as they accrue.

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Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

What a heaping pile of...

I don't even see how this is newsworthy. Having dealt with US providers in the past, there is absolutely no difference from how Rogers handles roaming charges and how AT&T handles them. Want to know how much you've racked up? Dial 611 and ask.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ

Re: What a heaping pile of...

said by Snickerdo:

I don't even see how this is newsworthy. Having dealt with US providers in the past, there is absolutely no difference from how Rogers handles roaming charges and how AT&T handles them. Want to know how much you've racked up? Dial 611 and ask.
AT&T isn't actually that bad for international roaming. They have international plans, they clearly spell out what rates will be (albeit, there was some confusion last year with the per kb conversion) and the offer ways for you to check your usage. AT&T also has roaming agreements with carriers in 200 countries.

»www.wireless.att.com/learn/inter···uide.jsp

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

Re: What a heaping pile of...

said by tmccann11:

AT&T isn't actually that bad for international roaming. They have international plans, they clearly spell out what rates will be (albeit, there was some confusion last year with the per kb conversion) and the offer ways for you to check your usage. AT&T also has roaming agreements with carriers in 200 countries.
»www.wireless.att.com/learn/inter···uide.jsp
Rogers does as well, they have agreements and the rates are predefined, so someone could count the minutes and do the math if they're too lazy to call 611 to get the total. There is practically no difference, albeit they don't have a flat rate plan for anywhere other than the US.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Matt
All noise, no signal.
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12

Re: What a heaping pile of...

said by Snickerdo:

said by tmccann11:

AT&T isn't actually that bad for international roaming. They have international plans, they clearly spell out what rates will be (albeit, there was some confusion last year with the per kb conversion) and the offer ways for you to check your usage. AT&T also has roaming agreements with carriers in 200 countries.
»www.wireless.att.com/learn/inter···uide.jsp
Rogers does as well, they have agreements and the rates are predefined, so someone could count the minutes and do the math if they're too lazy to call 611 to get the total. There is practically no difference, albeit they don't have a flat rate plan for anywhere other than the US.
How can you count the minutes if you don't even know you're roaming?

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

Re: What a heaping pile of...

said by Matt:

How can you count the minutes if you don't even know you're roaming?
Your phone will show a roaming indicator, it'll say AT&T instead of Rogers on the display, and Rogers even sends you a text message letting you know you're roaming and logged on to a foreign tower. I get these text messages all the time when I'm driving down one specific portion of the Niagara Parkway, and used to occasionally get them when I worked at an office close to the river. This is why the whole story is nothing but FUD, and typical of the person who submitted it. Rogers lets you know that you're roaming, and has a fee schedule clearly laid out on their website and available by calling in and asking.

One thing Rogers won't tell customers though is that they can log onto any US tower within 30 miles of the border and not be charged roaming fees. This is so that people who are still on Canadian soil but logged on to a US tower don't have to worry about the fees.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

mlerner
Premium
join:2000-11-25
Nepean, ON
kudos:5

Five words..

unlocked phone and prepaid sim.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Roaming?

They still charge for roaming in Canada? Wow.

tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ

Re: Roaming?

said by pnh102:

They still charge for roaming in Canada? Wow.
This article actually deals with international roaming as opposed to domestic. I believe Rogers has agreements for roaming through Canada, however I may be wrong.

Rogers1

join:2004-10-14
Canada

Re: Roaming?

Rogers does not have domestic roaming, and hasn't for a long time. They are in fact Canada's only national provider that owns there own network in every province. Also they are the only GSM Provider in the country (as the own Fido as well) so they were really the only option for the iPhone.
stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13

Re: Roaming?

GSM World only lists two GSM providers other than Rogers. ICE in the Yukon and the forthcoming Dyrden Muncipal system. Here is the coverage description of the network:

DMTS has three tower sites in the Dryden area, on Highway 17 West in the Oxdrift area, on Highway 17 East in the Barclay area and on Highway 17 in the midpoint of the city. Under ideal conditions these three towers provide continuous Digital Cellular coverage from Eagle River (west of Dryden) to Thunder Creek (east of Dryden)

Rogers1

join:2004-10-14
Canada

Re: Roaming?

lol I wasnt aware of Ice wireless but they seem to be a small fish in a large pond. Seeing as they only provided service to the territories and dont have working Caller ID. Not a good candidate for the Iphone.

Although thanks for bringing them to my attention.

n2jtx

join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
Reviews:
·Optimum Online
said by Rogers1:

Rogers does not have domestic roaming, and hasn't for a long time.
True but they do have long distance charges (remember those?). I was quite surprised to see a long distance charge for making a call from St. Catherines to Mississauga using a Toronto based (416 #) phone. That is something I do not see here in the U.S. any more.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

1 edit

Re: Roaming?

said by n2jtx:

True but they do have long distance charges (remember those?). I was quite surprised to see a long distance charge for making a call from St. Catherines to Mississauga using a Toronto based (416 #) phone. That is something I do not see here in the U.S. any more.
It's St. Catharines

Long distance on cell phones is handled the exact same way as a landline for outgoing calls. If you have a Toronto number assigned to your cell and you're out of the Toronto local calling area (of which St. Catharines is) making a call to Mississauga would be long distance, even though it's local to Toronto. You could, however, make a call to Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, whatever with that Toronto cell and, while in St. Catharines, those calls would be local.

The weird thing is with incoming calls. You pay long distance for -incoming- calls if you're outside of your local calling area, regardless of whether the call is being made from someone in Toronto or elsewhere. If someone in St. Catharines called your Toronto cell while you were in the city, not only would the person calling you pay LD for calling a Toronto number, but you would pay LD for the call being trunked from Toronto to St. Catharines. Someone from Toronto/Mississauga/Markham/etc who called your Toronto cell number wouldn't pay LD, but you'd pay LD for having the call trunked from Toronto to St. Cats.

And that, people, is how long distance on a cell phone works in Canada. Though, interestingly enough, we get a lot of unlimited LD on landlines down here, but not on cells. LD on a cell is a cash cow for the providers, as there is no way to switch to an alternative provider or use a 101 dial-around number.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Rogers1

join:2004-10-14
Canada

Re: Roaming?

its a little different in NB, Incoming calls here are only billed Long distance if we are out of New Brunswick, but I suspect that has something to do with NB being all one area code.

Snickerdo
Premium
join:2001-02-28
Niagara Falls, ON

Re: Roaming?

said by Rogers1:

its a little different in NB, Incoming calls here are only billed Long distance if we are out of New Brunswick, but I suspect that has something to do with NB being all one area code.
Area code has nothing to do with it, as there are areas in 289/905 that I can't call even though I'm in 289/905, yet everywhere in 416/647 can call parts of 289/905 and even 226/519. Probably has something to with the provider just choosing to do that.
--
I swear that I will faithfully and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

tmccann11
Who, Me?
Premium
join:2001-06-10
Bayonne, NJ
Wow....I couldn't imagine having to deal with all of that from a cell phone provider.....I guess I should stop complaining about my service. With AT&T at least I can call whoever I want in the US from just about wherever with no extra charges...
--
"Good thing the whole innerweb isn't run with those 3.5 hour reboot time taking computers....I imagine hes running Windows Server 2003 with active directory as a domain controller on a Cascio watch." Barky
efbasham6

join:2007-02-06
Santa Clara, CA

1 edit

If you got a surprise $450 bill for your iphone from canada.

I think you'd be a little more concerned about roaming charges, expecially since att lets iphone users run all the data they can possibly do on the little screen, while other carriers charge BY THE BYTE for data.

You might think you're watching a streaming video for free in canada only to find out you PAID $250 to watch a half hour of CNN or something.

Personally, IMHO, I think any carrier who is a roaming carrier must A) send a FREE text message to a roaming set describing their pricing model for data/voice and time of day and B) require a yes/no response (again free) before roaming begins to be charged at their rates.

Some people will pay $250 to watch cnn on their iphone in Canada. Some others will just turn around and go back to the USA where ATT gives it free. Having driven from seatac to Barrow,AK I know how prices change in Canada. I also took the top of the world highway and not the alcan so I know how few cellular outposts there are except around Dawson in the yukon territory.

Out there it was cheaper to pull over and setup my inmarsat phone for a long call or use my iridium 9505 for a short call at 0.99/min due to roaming. I even got a bill from the now bought-out carrier from "unknown, CA" and told them if they couldn't tell me where it was from, then they couldn't realistically charge me for it! It took the carrier 2 weeks to pinpoint where I made the call from on the offroad trip, and that was in Alaska (good ol usa!)

Bottom line - leave the usa and expect to pay. Think of your phone as the one in the hotel room. $4.50/min is out there in roaming agreements, especially for some gsm carriers.
stufried
Premium
join:2003-10-13

Re: If you got a surprise $450 bill for your iphone from canada.

With Sprint and Verizon, I can buy high bucket Canadian bolt-ons. With ATT, the most I can buy is 100 megs and then I have to give up voiceservices on the phone. ATT and Rogers used to be first cousins. I wish they would patch up their inter-family squable and offer some North American plans.

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