Rogers to Charge Extra for ‘Data Priority Service’?

By Gary Ng on November 24th, 2010 74

Update 1: We reached out to Rogers for comment. They had this to say:

“We don’t comment on rumours, but I can say that at Rogers we always design our products and services with the customer in mind. As a result, we test many concepts and ideas with our customers. Sometimes we’re actually considering launching these ideas, but often we’re just testing concepts. Many of the ideas
we test never get launched based on customer feedback.”

The latest rumour reports that Rogers will contemplate a new ‘Data Priority Service’ for smartphones that will prioritize data to those paying an extra monthly fee. According to reports received by Electronista, users have been asked by Rogers about their thoughts on having a premium service ($10/month extra) that would ensure connectivity in the light of high network usage.

Many have been experiencing 3G slow downs on Rogers from coast to coast. The network seems to be at over capacity, or some sort of upgrade is causing intermittent connections.

Rogers needs to ensure existing data subscribers have sufficient and consistent 3G speeds before attempting to charge for a priority data service. They need to fix their 3G network instead of contemplating charging more for it to work.

What do you think? Would you pay for a ‘data priority service’?

[Electronista]

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of iPhoneinCanada.ca. Follow @iPhoneinCanada and on Google+. Click here to save 20% OFF at ZAGG.com with coupon 'iphoneinca'!

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  • Seenn

    They want to charge us extra for something we already pay for…common they should be paying up for the slow downs

  • Pgo@hotmail.com

    No.

    Basically Rogers want to charge $10 more for something which they should already be doing, provide reliable 3G data service!!!

  • David

    I agree. At my home (near Winston Churchill/Duncairn,Mississauga), I get either less than 10kbps upstream or no upstream at all even though I have 2 or 3 signal bars. In Waterloo, it’s same thing. The main reason I bought iphone4 to save LD cost using skype/SIP phone over 3G. It requires at least 80kbps upstream. I went to Apple store/Rogers store and got SIM card changed/everything reset. It’s still same thing

  • kingofnull

    And if everyone decides to pay the fee? Work on your infrastructure first, Rogers.

  • roadcarver

    Extra for service that I’m already paying a premium for? Hell no!

  • Anonymous

    I noticed that some Toronto people are complaining about speed. It’s amazing where I am. I live a couple blocks from Dundas Square. You guys should move to Mississauga for some really crappy speeds.

  • Anonymous

    But if they did this I would shoot them… Maybe I shouldn’t post that on the Internet… Oh well.

  • Dave

    FU#$ING hell NOOOOOOOOOO are you kidding me? these guys are ripping us off already big time. with billions that they make i’m sure they can be little less greedy and fix their crappy network! its just ridicules! Rogers and all our Canadian cell service are like bullies they steal our money and no one says anything! we really should do something if it comes down to it. enough is enough, super long hardware upgrades, 3 years contract (highest in the world) and sickening prices! isn’t that enough?

  • Dave

    like I said we really should do something when it comes down to it! its just getting really ridicules! we pay the highest prices, longest contracts and longest hardware upgrade in the WORLD already! what else do they want from us. thats just B S!!!!

  • John

    I agree I’ve been saying that for ever! this really is robbing and getting away with it every time! it makes me sick! we are on top of the world for the highest prices and longest contracts and longest upgrades! sometimes i say I will never held a cell again!

  • jay

    Dudes my parents county is war torn! and I swear Im not kidding they have much better service back there!. more coverage and 4 cent a min and thats with Prepaid and their prepaid doesn’t expire even if you don’t have a cent on it. you always get incoming calls for free. you only pay when you make a call! I can’t belive it lol its funny. we get ripped off really bad people! really BAD!

  • dduchesne

    We already pay more than most other countries for our phone services. No way I would accept or approve overcharges like those proposed. But in the end, our options are limited, and the companies will do as they see fit to increase profit… Too bad.

  • http://www.primatek.ca/blog Eric

    I actually am one of the “lucky” Rogers customers that received the survey in question. I had a very similar response to most of the people on the blog here. What I found interesting was that in the questions, I was about 60% complete by then, they ask if you would be willing to pay 10$ for the service, I answered No, it then asked if I would pay 5$ for the service and I said No once again. It then asked how much I would be willing to pay and I entered 0$ and suddenly my survey jumped from about 65% complete to 100%. I wish I had selected something else to see where the survey went after that…

  • Anonymous

    He’ll no!?not when Rogers data is already shit like u said!! I’d pay extra for 4g

  • Red_star_rocks

    That’s just going to make matters worse!! If Robbers doesn’t fix it soon, I’ll be leaving them even though I just signed a 3 year contract. As far as I’m concerned they have broken the contract by not providing the service the said they would.

  • Kirby S.

    I spoke with someone today about this ‘Data Priority Service’. He said that he were recently part of an online focus group survey for Rogers. The questionnaire did in fact have questions requesting his opinion about this new fee for data priority, so this is definitely something that is in the works.

  • Kirby S.

    I apologize, “he was recently” not “he were recently”.

  • http://cityhues.com/ Cityhues – Jeff C

    Hmm .. don’t we already pay for network access?? (And pay dearly, I might add).

    so.. we can pay $x/mo for access to 3G that only works sometimes of we can pay $x+y for something that supposedly works the way it is supposed to ?!? This BS is little more than another rate increase from Rogers.

    One final thought – why do they need to ask customers about a price increase concept to get a functional version of a service that we are already paying for and should work, as is? Are they so stupid that they believe we will say “Ya that sounds like a good idea.. charge me more for a working version of the service I am already paying you for.” ??

  • http://twitter.com/chickeee chickeee

    why would this be needed for “Canada’s reliable network”

  • http://www.gamerant.com/ alex_sebenski

    An update: They’re trying to buy me off offering $15 for 650 MB because my service won’t be fixed. You oversold your towers and now I get screwed on speed?
    How hard is it to see who used what towers on a regular basis and then not sell 3G to more people than you can serve?
    I have two apples in Toronto. Three people want to buy apples from me in Toronto. How many apples do you promise to sell in Toronto? Rogers promised three apples, and now they’re screwing us.

  • Pingback: Rogers: “Canada’s Most Reliable Network”–Not So Reliable Anymore? | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OUIIGJUFUFYN5FQURXNQAYESC4 Aleksandar

    I absolutely agree with you. At work (RBC Center 155 Wellington St. West – 25th floor), I am very close to the window, and I get pathetic speeds, however, the iPhone is showing 3 bars, or sometimes more. That is how it is during weekdays. Last week, I had to come in on a Saturday, and the speed was awesome! Which means – during the weekday, there are so many cellphones in the downtown business core, that the Rogers towers are simply unable to deal with all of them. However, on a weekend, when all the working folks are back in the suburbs, the bandwidth is excellent, meaning there is NO problem with “concrete surroundings”, or “my location”, “25th floor ” etc..

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OUIIGJUFUFYN5FQURXNQAYESC4 Aleksandar

    This summer, I was in Eastern Europe – I bought a prepaid SIM with 3G data. I paid $8 for 2gig. I got 5 bars everywhere, and even an old lady in a news kiosk that sold me the SIM card, knew what APN settings (for 3G connectivity) were… The person at the kiosk was able to put in $10 on my account just by using her 20th century Nokia, sending an SMS to the carrier TELENOR, who immediately sent me an SMS notifying me that my account has been updated.

    Why is it so simple there, and so complicated (and expensive) here!!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OUIIGJUFUFYN5FQURXNQAYESC4 Aleksandar

    I am on Wellington and Simcoe – very bad mon-fri – on weekend it’s great!

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