[nedzalife]

A week ago I was in Dallas, bought an 8320 and unlocked it. Came back home, and heard about Rogers' new $15/m unlimited BIS email plan. They dont advertise it yet, but I called today and they gave it to me. Unlike T-mobile's "Blackberry Enabler" plan I've read about here, this plan from Rogers does not give you access to anything other than BIS email and BB Messenger.

Here are the apps I've tried turning off EDGE and using WIFI only:
- Google Map - does NOT work
- GMail App - does NOT work
- JiveTalk - does NOT work
- FaceBook App - notifications will work when the facebook email account is on your BIS list - retrieving the data of that notification does NOT work - sending does NOT work
- Wifi Browser - will only intermittantly work. Doesn't work more than it does.

Has anyone else tried this with any success? Does anyone know how to get these working or should I just sell this thing until Rogers gets their ass in gear and, to quote the Globe & Mail, stops raping their customers with data charges?

Also, if anyone knows if by using wifi I'm still using data charges on Rogers, please let me know. I'd rather pay the $25 and get full functionality through wifi than having a phone where wifi doesn't work without paying $60 - $100/m.

Thanks all,

Nedz

[kunundrum0]

um tmobile has a bb email only plan and its 9.99 a month

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by kunundrum0

um tmobile has a bb email only plan and its 9.99 a month

He's on Rogers in Canada....no TMobile.

[tricky_ott]

We kinda get screwed up here on plans.
Here is a link to roger's BlackBerry plans:

Rogers.com-Wireless, Digital Cable, Hi-Speed Internet, Bundles

[Justinangil]

$45 bucks for 4MB of data?

I feel like throwing up.

I'm only on the 8 day of my billing cycle and I'm up 21 MB. Thank god for Unlimited Data.

[zkyevolved]

Originally Posted by tricky_ott

We kinda get screwed up here on plans.
Here is a link to roger's BlackBerry plans:

Rogers.com-Wireless, Digital Cable, Hi-Speed Internet, Bundles

WTF! Excuse my French. I can't believe they're actually charging for that. I thought that Vodafone was charging me up the bum, with 25 euro, for unlimited data plan... but what ever!

[Justinangil]

Originally Posted by zkyevolved

WTF! Excuse my French. I can't believe they're actually charging for that. I thought that Vodafone was charging me up the bum, with 25 euro, for unlimited data plan... but what ever!

I bet 3rd world countries have better data plans than Canada.

[WorldIRC]

^You are correct...Our "FCC" compared Nigeria's plans to ours and explained how even in Nigeria, data is cheaper!

Luckily, I am one of those people lucky enough to go to the US every week so I Can get away with having a Tmo plan plus international data for use in Canada and not get told I can't have it!

[dariuszsz]

As far as I know, the 15 mb for unlimited data with Rogers is only for BB Pearl. Check out the link below.

HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource - New Personal Berry plan $15.00

[nedzalife]

As far as I know, the 15 mb for unlimited data with Rogers is only for BB Pearl. Check out the link below.

HowardForums: Your Mobile Phone Community & Resource - New Personal Berry plan $15.00

Actually I just "said" I have a pearl (which I actually do, just not active) and they added the $15/m plan to my account. It works for BIS emails, but there's no TCP data at all with it, regardless of if its through EDGE or WIFI.

I called tech support today asking if WIFI traffic on BIS+TCP gets tracked or not and got no answers at all. They didn't even know what I was talking about with regards to what UMA was... They also said that Roger has an agreement with Yahoo! only, and has no plans to release the Live Messenger service books for MSN Messenger... Tech support didn't even know if you could add MSN contacts to Y! Msnger and have it work the the BB Y! Msnger program...

Someone at Rogers Corportate needs to wake up. Canada is a pure MSN country. USA is Yahoo! and AIM. Why Rogers hasn't released MSN on Blackberry is only hurting their Blackberry business and proving they are behind the times. The msn.alx has been available since April '07? and still nothing from Rogers...

Also talked to a Rogers Sales Rep yesterday who indicated that a RIM rep claimed that Rogers will be getting the 8120 "Pearl 2" in Feb. '08. No one had any answers on whether that will include UMA service. The same Sales Rep said that unlimited data plans should be coming since Rogers is trying to score the iPhone, but Apple won't do it without unlimited data usage. CRTC however, won't allow Rogers to release the iPhone until it's also released in French, meaning that Rogers and France are probably going to get the iPhone at the same time, which would also see unlimited data packages available at that point. Anyone know when France is getting the iPhone?

I'm thinkin I should just sell this T-Mobile unlocked 8320 and go back to my Pearl until Rogers gets everything figured out and actually competes with their competition (even Bell has a $15/m BIS+TCP 2MB plan... Rogers doesnt). Any takers?

[srotman]

Don't hold your breath. They won't be changing anything so soon. I completely sympathize with you on the data charges being a Rogers customer myself, but you should have done your homework before buying the 8320 expecting to come back and have data access for a reasonable price.

I hate Ted just as much as you for having unreasonable pricing pricing but it's the price I pay for what I find to be better service. If you'd like better pricing, I suggest calling in to Rogers and specifically requesting to speak with customer relations and the data department. Bring up competitors pricing and they will often work out a deal with you. No, it won't be anything similar to our neighbours to the south, but perhaps better than what's listed on their website.

And no, you're not charged for any WiFi data by Rogers because you're not even connected through their network when sending/receiving data over it. Having done the math and research, it's actually cheaper to jump the border and get a T-Mobile or AT&T North America Unlimited plan and roam in Canada on the Rogers network than it is to be a local Rogers customer.

Man, I wish the Globe & Mail would quote me on that next time they write an article criticizing Rogers for their pricing...

[Lex Luthor]

Originally Posted by nedzalife

A week ago I was in Dallas, bought an 8320 and unlocked it. Came back home, and heard about Rogers' new $15/m unlimited BIS email plan. They dont advertise it yet, but I called today and they gave it to me. Unlike T-mobile's "Blackberry Enabler" plan I've read about here, this plan from Rogers does not give you access to anything other than BIS email and BB Messenger.

Here are the apps I've tried turning off EDGE and using WIFI only:
- Google Map - does NOT work
- GMail App - does NOT work
- JiveTalk - does NOT work
- FaceBook App - notifications will work when the facebook email account is on your BIS list - retrieving the data of that notification does NOT work - sending does NOT work
- Wifi Browser - will only intermittantly work. Doesn't work more than it does.

Has anyone else tried this with any success? Does anyone know how to get these working or should I just sell this thing until Rogers gets their ass in gear and, to quote the Globe & Mail, stops raping their customers with data charges?

Also, if anyone knows if by using wifi I'm still using data charges on Rogers, please let me know. I'd rather pay the $25 and get full functionality through wifi than having a phone where wifi doesn't work without paying $60 - $100/m.

Thanks all,

Nedz

If you're connected to a wifi network then your emails, pin messages and web browsing will all go via wifi and not EDGE (any data transmitted via wifi won't come out of your data pack with Rogers Wireless). Once you're not in range of that WiFi network your BlackBerry will go back to EDGE so you can always pay for one of Rogers Wireless' cheaper BlackBerry plans to get access to BIS then use wifi. If you feel you're having issues with WiFi update your OS. The last update I did on my 8320 was to 4.2.2.180 and my WiFi was very stable. I have read on another forum (howard forums) about people on Rogers Wireless who have a generic $5-$10 data plan (non-BlackBerry) and have successfully been able to use JiveTalk and the GMail application. UMA wise from what I have heard from various reps and dealers that I have spoken with is that Rogers Wireless has no plans of introducing UMA in the near future.

[nedzalife]

Sooo... according to the network stack info found on HowardForums, WiFi connections on UMA enable networks take the following route when connected to a WiFi router...

JiveTalk App -> GPRS/EDGE stack -> UMA stack -> WiFi NIC -> Internet -> T-Mobile WAP APN -> JiveTalk Servers

If I translate this stack protocal onto what would happen on the Rogers network, it probably looks like this...

JiveTalk App -> GPRS/EDGE stack -> Wifi NIC -> Internet -> Rogers Mobile APN -> JiveTalk Servers

This means that all the data that used over WiFi, even though its faster, is being routed through the internet back to the Rogers APN servers...?
So unlocked WIFI phones on Rogers can actually EXCELLERATE data usage due to its speed and ease of use? All the benefits of WiFi and still getting dinged for data usage due to the wifi data being routed through Rogers APN before reaching its final destination?

I also may have some proof of this concept being true. I had an APN enabled BB plan $60/m with Rogers 2 days ago with this 8320... I switched to the non-APN enabled BB BIS only plan $15/m and now none of the apps that used to work via WiFi ONLY do not work anymore at all...

My experience seems to suggest this is true... and if so... beware Rogers users...

If anyone on Rogers has used wifi heavily for a month, has gotten their bill, and they've noticed savings, than this obviously would not be the case...