Bell offers iPad data plans
It’s been a busy day in the tech world. First Facebook announces simplified privacy controls (it’s about time), then Apple’s stock price pushes the company’s market cap higher than that of Microsoft for the first time in history. But hold on to your mouse – it’s not over yet.
On the Canadian side of landscape, we have a new announcement from Bell:
iPad Data Plans
In case you were worried that Rogers would have the monopoly on the iPad the way they did for the first 3 years of the iPhone in Canada, you can now rest easy. Bell has just released the details of their data plans for the iPad. Stop me if this sounds familiar:
$15 for 250Mb
$35 for 5Gb
These monthly rates are non-contract, pre-paid fees that are billed directly to your credit card. Unfortunately these charges cannot be added to your Bell bill. So far, the package is identical to what Rogers is currently offering. But there are a few differences that might sway you one way or the other. First, Bell’s 3G network has a larger footprint than Rogers. Check the coverage maps and see if this will impact you based on where you think you’ll want to use the device most. Second, both of the Bell data plans give you complimentary and unlimited access to a growing network of Wi-Fi hotspots across the country including 700 Starbucks locations. On a related note, if you are already a Bell Internet subscriber, you have access to these hotspots right now.
The data plans can be canceled at any time and are available for purchase as of May 28th.
Full Disclosure: Sync is owned and operated by Bell Canada
Excitable 
When you say that Bell’s 3G network has a larger footprint than Rogers it is false because Bell shares it’s network with Telus. Rogers as a single company has the largest 3G network as well it has been up and running longer than Bell or Telus has, which can be viewed as good and bad.
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And Rogers shares its network .. with FIDO
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Fido is Rogers.
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No Brian, Rogers doesn’t share it’s network with Fido. Fido is Rogers less expensive product so no sharing is required. Just like Solo is Bell’s cheaper line and Koodo is TELUS’s cheaper line.
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Hey Mark, I think if you check the coverage maps, you’ll see that the combined Bell+TELUS 3G network covers about 93% of the populatoion, whereas Rogers covers about 84%. I’m not knocking Rogers’ network, but if you happen to be part of the 9% of the population that they don’t cover, this announcement is especially important.
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Once again, Canadians are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to data plans.
The US data plans for the iPad are offering *UNLIMITED* data for the same price we are getting 5 GB.
Hopefully someone in the government will figure out that this limits our ability to compete internationally and do something about it.
I have talked alot about how the iPad could be a major productivity tool for small business, but not at these prices.
And yes I do use data plans, but don’t mind paying for the deal I got which was a one-time promo by Telus ($15/month unlimited data).
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Its called number of subscribers per tower…and in Canada if you want any National coverage at all, it will be way fewer than the U.S. on average. Sorry that’s a fact…if you want AT&T and Sprint to come in and take over it would be real funny to see the same people whining about how we get treated like Nebraska….cause we ARE Nebraska compared to much of the U.S. You want to whine…whine about how you’re getting screwed by companies that are raking in record profits (big Banks, Big Oil)…not downsizing on a reglar basis. Oh yeah trying to figure out how a Bank or an Oil Company screws you over is too hard and boring…. While I’m at it….we’re always worried about how we lag the world on Broadband Infrastructure but we sure don’t want to pay for it…. I love people complaining about free Hotspots too…HA! Everytime I want a laugh I read this stuff….
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Bell’s Hotspots at Starbucks locations are consistently unreliable. I am constantly losing signal and having to reconnect or getting picked up by a lesser signal. this creates havoc trying to use a VPN or download
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