Rogers Wireless

Things in Canada seem to be getting better for cell phone owners, and surprisingly fast. Not long after the announcement of the formation of a new Canadian wireless carrier as a result of a recent spectrum auction, Canadian carriers Bell and Telus have both announced plans to drastically transition their entire networks from.

For those of you still unhappy about Rogers Wireless's iPhone plans in Canada, there may still be hope. An auction for the 2GHz spectrum in Canada has resulted in the creation of a new Canadian cell phone carrier that may be a game changer for the industry in the country. Globalive Communications Inc., which currently operates Yak Mobile in Canada offering landline internet and home phone services, will be paying $442 million for a license giving it the rights to provide cellular service over the purchased spectrum in all Canadian provinces except for Québec.

There has been a lot of unrest surrounding the rate plans offered by Rogers Wireless, all of which has culminated in the gathering of 41,000 signatures on a petition protesting their high prices and low data ceiling. Rogers' competitor Bell Mobility has even decided to take advantage of the bad PR by offering the Samsung Instinct, the iPhone's chief competitor. As a result, rumor has it that Apple is unsatisfied with Rogers and is diverting shipments of iPhones away from Canada.

So, Rogers will be brining the iPhone 3G to Canada. And if you live up there, that's a good thing. Still, formal pricing had yet to be announced until today. Update: Fido announced their price plans as well, which are identical to the ones announced by Rogers Wireless.