Rogers has announced it will offer a new pay-per-use U.S. roaming data plan for travellers this spring, which aims to “revolutionize” roaming rates. Customers will be able to get 50MB of data for $7.99 to use in a 24 hour period, which the company stresses is good to “view approximately 50 maps, 200 web pages, 1,000 emails or over 5,000 tweets.” Customers will be alerted prior to using up their allotted data.
“Our customers have consistently told us they want certainty and peace of mind when using their wireless devices to access the Internet while travelling,” said Raj Doshi, Rogers Senior Vice President of Products. “Canadians’ connected habits are evolving, and our new roaming model is an important step in addressing the changing needs of our customers. With this simple and affordable roaming rate, customers will be able to use their devices while travelling just as they would at home.”
To use 50MB of data for $7.99 might be worth it if you’re desperate to check emails and light web usage on the go, but for veteran U.S. travellers with unlocked devices there are other options such as Roam Mobility or even using pay as you go via T-Mobile.
Today, Rogers also announced it had changed its unlocking policy, which will now allow for unlocks 90 days after activation.
Update: Rogers clarifies this roaming plan is only on Rogers; Fido and Chatr are excluded.
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Rogers board meeting- ” Okay guys what can we change at the 11’th hour before the CRTC slaps us around hard like the bunch of corporate fat cats we all are? ” ????????
Suddenly Apple wireless shows up like something out of a great older movie that’s about to have the worst remake in all of Hollywood history: “You wanna play rough, okay.. say hello to my lil’ friend!!”.Rogers stock starts it’s decent.
Good ol’ Tony Montana.
He is a legend and didn’t come in on no banana boat. With any luck a particular Canadian company will have a shower scene soon!
Haha. Rogers never does anything because its feeling generous. Totally about keep the CRTC out of regulating some of these brutal roaming charges. And the unlocking policy. I will at least give them kudos for making some changes. But how about roaming in other places like Mexico and the Caribbean??
This is about delivering more clarity and consistency for consumers. As to your comment about CRTC regulation, we think Canadians deserve a set of national standards that provide equal protection for consumers across the country.
Seems I hit a nerve!! Perhaps I wasn’t far off the money!! Thanks for the reply though Chris! You surprised me and I appreciate you took the time to respond 😉
Sent from my iPad
Canadians travelling to the U.S. use their wireless devices to go online more than any
other country, and want to have access to simple and predictable roaming.
The cost and complexity of wireless roaming are cited as the top two barriers for phone
use while travelling.
Canadians’ connected habits are evolving, and our new roaming model is an important step
in addressing the changing needs of our customers. It will make roaming internet access while travelling to the U.S. simple and even more affordable.
I think ill stick to the $3 a day unlimited EVERYTHING from tmobile
its not complex, its a jack based on an unspoken agreement different telcos have amongst themselves when it comes to making up the rules for roaming
plain and simple, its a jack
its not your fault chris i know your doing your job, but you dont need to insult our intelligence either
So the data limit set to a 24 hour period is simple and even more affordable for who exactly? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!!!
I’m hearing a chainsaw.
chris let me think $7.99 for 50mb for 24h
or
$3 a day unlimited EVERYTHING from t-mobile
Roam Mobility Hotspot 1GB FOR $30 FOR THE WHOLE MONTH
whats Roam Mobility? I live in Canada and headed to the States tomorrow. whats teh best way to use my cell without getting charged an arm and a leg?
I love this guy! Is this Chris @ Rogers a real person or a computerized program intentionally placed here to anger the masses? If I was Rogers, I would keep a low profile and just keep robbing my customers.
Have they ever heard of Roam Mobility? Get with the times Rogers. The rest if the world has!
I travel into the US enough that offering 50MB for 24 hours @ $7.99 is more insulting than anything. With a Roam Mobility Hotspot I can get ten times that for 30 days @ $30 and 1GB for 30 days @ $40.
Give me a plan that allows me to roam with my current shared 12GB for less than $10/month and I’ll start to care about Rogers’ offerings, otherwise stop pretending to be customer-friendly.
It’s likely that Apple has this situation on there own to do list. Wont be long, there will be another wireless provider to give a clearer path at the time of hardware purchase bypassing the middle man.
whats Roam Mobility? I live in Canada and headed to the States tomorrow. whats the best way to use my cell without getting charged an arm and a leg?
http://www.roammobility.com
http://www.roammobility.com/liberty-hotspot
im saving big money with Roam Mobility .. i have no idea with people using there cellphone while roaming with big 3
Why don’t you just buy a sim card while your in the states….
For some it’s important to keep the same number.
Well, it’s better than what they’re currently offering, so in that way it’s an improvement, but I agree that it’s still a little pricier than I’d like. Also, I’m on Fido, which apparently doesn’t apply. Too bad. 🙁
Uninspiring, still overpriced, and far too limited – 50 MEGS? Seriously? At 100 megs I’d consider it, but seriously, with modern smartphones 50 megs is laughable especially when the sole reason many people would order this plan would be to use maps – a feature that will quickly consume this entire allotment in well under 24 hours.
Secondly, why AGAIN is Fido left in the cold? We’re traveling to the USA in 27 days and I might just have subscribed to this to avoid subscribing to Tmobile for the week, but I guess once again I’ll just get a Tmobile SIM as I have for the last many years.
tmobile’s 1900 spectrum 3G is very fast on iphones now
coverage is getting better, hope your going to a well covered area
One-word Review: SH*T
What a complete joke of a plan for $7.99.
It’s now March 10 and I see no sign of this plan on the Rogers site. Roam Mobility Hotspot does require a $130 device purchase so it is not just “$30 for 30 days” as claimed, and their SIM card data access is limited on an iPhone and potentially tricky to set-up, as with T-Mobile. That said, if you travel frequently both options kick Rogers’ butt and are worth the hassle. There is nothing Rogers could do at this point that makes me think they care about me as a customer of 15+ years, but there is so little competition in Canada we are screwed no matter who we go with. It’s sad, really.
I just received my rogers bill in the mail and was charged 15.99 for roaming fees in the states. I used my data to check my flight on 2 seprate days…I wasn’t aware I had a data plan on so I was surprised when Rogers told me they automatically applied a $7.99 fee and it’s charged each day if my data is accessed. I was told this is for the customers protection. Which makes no sense because it’s 7.99 up to 50mb PER DAY! If I’m traveling for 7 days and I use 1MG of data per day I’ll be charged $55.93. However, if I go over that 50MB in a day I’m automatically charged another $7.99. So it’s in no way protecting the consumer from incurring large roaming fees.
The agent on the phone agreed in my case this plan did not benefit me….but I still don’t understand how he thinks it will benefit others? Rogers isn’t offering a cap on fees if the user goes over the 50MB limit.
I received a text regarding this offer when I entered the states, it did not indicate I was going to be automatically charged these rates…if that was the case I would have used more data to get my $7.99 worth!