Their rates are $75 a month for up to 25 MB of Data, something else
for 50 MB, and something else again for 100 MB. I kinda zoned out
after the initial $75/ 25MB/Month.
Airtime is irrelevent in this pricing scheme, apparently.
I'm disappointed that they decided to price GPRS as they did. On a byte-by-byte basis, it is 1.8 times more expensive than the circuit-switched data presently offered (based on $75 for 25 MB). These plans are clearly NOT intended for light users, but that was to be expected.
Whether this sort of pricing is out of line will have to wait until someone else offers packet-switched data. Rogers is getting ready to launch their GPRS services, and 1xRTT services on Telus and Bell are also around the corner. They might charge less, or they might charge more. Only once we know what the competitive playing field is going to be like will be able to judge the prices Fido has recently set.
But let's face it, I think some of us would have been disappointed unless Fido was giving away GPRS data for free.
as always .. well put, mr. punter ... [that's why u r who u r! ]
as long as fido has no REAL competition [as far as highspeed wireless goes, it's just microcell GPRS and ricochet (in some areas) for now and AFAIK ... CDPD and mobiltex shouldn't really factor in here].. they look like they will try to rip off whomever they can ...
looks like i'll have to wait till rogersGSM&GPRS goes live, before i can add GPRS .. [good old competition! hehe]
I won't be surprised to see Bell and Telus price it a little higher than Fido. Their cellular rates are generally more expensive than the latter's. Indeed, I think all of the other providers are looking at how Fido would price it and adjust their prices accordingly. However, I suspect that Rogers may have the lowest price, at least initially, because they always have the lowest price when it comes to cellular services. It seems like we are moving back to the analog stage where the rates are not affordable by everyone. I think we have to wait some time until the usage get popular and the pricing comes down a bit. This pricing strategy is normal for high-tech product or services.
Well, at least Fido/Microcell are actually pushing out GPRS. Here in Cingular California we aren't gonna see that any time soon...
Having used services from both sides of the border - Cantel, Fido, Clearnet and Cingular, I must say Fido did a swell job at bringing out their services... plus the price plans are cheaper
from what i have heard .. they are moving to a GSM network [like at&t is doing ..] by adding/converting its current TDMA network to GSM .. but it has a few markets in which it has CDMA ... so i really can't say what is going to happened there ...
Cingular is going to launch GPRS in Seattle soon [before voicestream and AWS] .. so i m guessing that GSM is what Cingular has chosen ..
Does anyone know where that CDMA market is? I've heard of it, but I have no clue WHERE it might be. If Vodafone has its way (and I suspect it might), N-CDMA will soon be dead, and the GSM track will be preferred, and that'll change everything with CDMA. What an expensive mess!
I was just curious about that lone CDMA market Cingular still owned. It just seemed a bit weird, except that it makes sense to hold a 1900Mhz license elsewhere, regardless of platform, in the hopes of switching it to GSM later. That's the only logic I can draw from it.
TO those who say it is expensive well your right. But put it in context, Vodafone in u.k. charges something like 21$ PER MEG !! with the exchange rate, that's what it comes up too. Fido will also be offering a 25$ for 2 mb per month for GPRS phone and palm users...BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE !!
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