canadian bandwidth oligopoly

Like Richard, I just added the $30/month 3G data plan to my existing Fido plan. So it should be cheaper (and faster) than  the $50/month I pay  for my current grandfathered unlimited EDGE data plan. If the SIM isn't locked, I am  thinking about buying an unlocked N95 8G NAM  because the camera on the iPhone s*cks (but the 3G lifestyle (it's great! thanks to iPhone 3G I can now tell people about ShoZu and other apps I have been enjoying with my "2.5G" lifestyle and how you can create multimedia content in real time, post it immediately to the internet and get feedback in real-time) of always-on geo-enabled consumption and creation, usability and ecosystem of iPhone apps is far superior to what Nokia and others have done! Nokia, you blew it, this could have and should have been been your market to run away with). Luckily it's early and not too late to win in mobile in the long term but unless S60 usability is improved it's not going to happen!.

And for the record, Rogers still s*cks and so does Fido:

1. Their website is inaccurate; existing Fido customers should just call 611  to get an iPhone 3G
2. The hiring of MS&L digital was a waste of money (despite their blog practice, BlogWorks, MS&L did the non social media aware thing of emailing people and didn't blog, twitter, flickr, facebook or in any way engage social media)
3. 3 year contracts s*ck; in 2010 I bet I could easily go over 6GB/month. There's no reason other than short term economic gain which in the long run hurts the entire Canadian economy by hampering innovation and experimentation and reducing productivity.
4. Giving priority to new Fido customers over old faithful Fido customers like myself who have been paying $100/month since July 2004  is unacceptable. Why should I have to wait for my iPhone unlike new customers? Why can't I go to the Fido store like new customers  and order it there rather than being forced to order over the phone?

Pretty hilarious that Rogers is hawking a video shot on N series Nokia phones when Rogers doesn't offer any Nokia N series phones in Canada. Or maybe this means Rogers will be selling N series phones in Canada soon? Now that would be cool! Fingers crossed.

Of course anything that Rogers sells would be horribly locked like my trial KRZR K1 which has had its ring tones locked (you can't put your own MP3 ringtones even though unlocked KRZRs support them) and its bluetooth address book and calendar are locked.

I'd love to see Rogers introduce unlocked N series phones. If/when that day comes, I'll be the first to praise them for it. Not holding my breath.

Buyers beware. Buy only unlocked phones if you want to use all their multimedia features and not be tied to cellcos r*poff ringtone stores. At least Rogers and Fido customers have the option of buying and using unlocked phones. Telus and Bell customers are stuck with the cr*ppy handsets that Bell and Telus foist on them.

FROM Chantal Kreviazuk, Rogers and Nokia Partner to Shoot the First Canadian Major Label Video with Handsets:

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TORONTO, April 5 /CNW/ - Multiple award-winning singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk has partnered with Rogers and Nokia, to film her new video for the smash single "Wonderful," entirely on two Nokia Nseries mobile phones. The video was conceptualized by SONY BMG MUSIC (CANADA) to be filmed using a Nokia Nseries handset and was shot in Los Angeles last month at six unique locations. This marks the first time a major record label has partnered with a mobile phone manufacturer to shoot a music video for widespread servicing on national television outlets. Log onto www.chantalonline.com/wonderful to watch a 30second clip of "Wonderful" and access information on Nokia products. Win one of 5 prize packs including a Nokia 5300 XpressMusic phone, $100 gift card from Rogers and a full Chantal Kreviazuk discography. Visit Rogers Yahoo! at rogers.yahoo.com to get an exclusive first look at "Wonderful" and the making of the video, for a limited time.

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If you are a savvy user who doesn't mind enduring the occasional yak shaving geekery of configuring and using today's Voice 2.0 products, then Canadian telecom oligopolies and r*poff prices and indeed world wide telecoms r*poffs are largely irrelevant as Andy points out. All you need is an internet connection and for extra bonus fun and flexibility, WiFi and a device like an N800 or a mobile phone with a SIP client. The real revolution in Voice 2.0 will occur when this kind of flexibility and power is available to all not just folks like Andy and myself and the people who read this blog.

FROM VoIP Watch: Price Breaks In Canada Won't Happen Yet:

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Mark Evans points to a Globe and Mail article about why our friends to the North won't see the kind of price wars we see in the USA.

I beg to differ as we have enterered the era of global telephony carriers, where as a result of IP boundaries no longer exist. For years when I traveled internationally I had to use callback systems, now for the time I've been working out of the country I've made likely less than 20 calls on my International calling card or direct calls from my cell phone. Almost all my calls have been via Truphone, GizmoProject, Skype, SightSpeed or GoogleTalk via the Nokia N800. GrandCentral has handled where the calls end up. I could have also used services like Jajah, Rebtel, Mint Telecom and others too. We're way beyond local numbers being portable between local carriers and mobile operators. We're at a point where numbers start in one place, end in another and appear to be where they seem to be but really aren't.

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