Canadian iPhone - RIP

Well, that's that.  Yes, the iPhone is coming to Canada July 11.  Of course we all wondered what Rogers would make their customers pay, but we held our breath and hoped for something decent.  Instead, Rogers (called Robbers on the 'net) basically told their potential iPhone customers to 'bend over' with their rate plans and the online forums posters collectively lost their minds. I'm not going through all the numbers - that's available on the web.  However, the lowest entry plan is a 3 year contract at $60 a month.  But wait - add $15 for caller display and some texts, plus $6.95 bogus System Access Fee, plus tax.  So in reality, the base level is about 100 bucks a month for roughly 150 minutes and 400MB data.  That's a horrendous data plan and even worse cell phone plan.  You'd blow through that data in 3 days on an iPhone.  And you'd get better cell phone mileage on a pay as you go plan.  It's about twice as much cost as Stateside with about half the coverage.  Nice. So the bottom line is that Rogers has foisted the World's Worst iPhone plan on Canadians.  Once again the government condoned monopoly rears its ugly head.  On the upside, it'll save me some money as I kiss my hoped for iPhone plans goodbye and wait for next year's inevitable 3rd generation iPhone update and hopefully a new cell carrier player in Canada.  Maybe I'll look at an ITouch. Wouldn't it be great if on July 11 there was nothing but crickets to be heard in Rogers stores instead of a mad rush for the new phone? One can only hope...