Hutchison Telecom’s Three mobile network to offer iPhone rate plans starting at $24
By Will Park on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 4:00 PM PST In Announcements, Apple, Devices, Three, iPhone
Following on their previous announcement that Hutchison Telecom’s branded “3″ wireless network will offer the iPhone in Hong Kong and Macau, the carrier has today announced its iPhone rate plan pricing schedule.
Set to make AT&T (NYSE: T) iPhone 3G customers green with cashless-envy, Three will be offering their iPhone rate plans starting from just $24 ($188 HKD) per month.
The lowest-tier calling plan offers 500 wireless minutes, 500 heart-to-hear minutes, 25 multimedia messages, 15 SMS text messages, 500 MB of data usage and unlimited Intra 
SMS messages. Three customers choosing this calling plan can nab their own 8GB iPhone for $377 ($2938 HKD), or the 16GB variant for $479 ($3738 HKD).
iPhone hopefuls looking to subscribe to 3’s highest-tier calling plan will be asked to fork over $64 every month, in return for 2200 wireless minutes, 1500 heart-to-hear minutes, 150 multimedia messages, 50 SMS text messages, unlimited data usage and unlimited Intra SMS messages. The most expensive iPhone calling plan subsidizes the iPhone purchase to give customers a free 8GB iPhone or a 16GB iPhone for about $20 ($138 HKD).
Now, let’s consider 3’s iPhone offerings compared to, oh, say Rogers (NYSE: RCI)’ iPhone plans. 3 seems to have the right idea here. The lower iPhone calling plan tiers offer limited data plans while the higher-tier offerings include unlimited data use. Rogers might do well to take a page out of 3’s marketing playbook.
[Via: AppleInsider]
Stop Stop Stop with the Roger’s bashing. Do you have ANY IDEA what it costs to connect the backend towers to highspeed Internet? I’m sure you do, and also, they have EVERY right to CHARGE WHATEVER they want for data access.
As a user, does it suck? Yes it does, so if you don’t like it, don’t buy a friggin 3G Iphone.
Why don’t you go with another carrier in Canada that has unlimited data… Oh WAIT! There isn’t one. You know why? Because competition works, and Canada doesn’t have much in the way of decent competition for cell phones.
Just remember the backend isn’t free, T3’s, ATM, and OC-3/12/48 Costs a C-R-A-P-L-O-A-D of money. So remember that when you go off ranting about download cap’s on Internet connections.
@ THE FIXER:
Rogers has rightfully earned their bad reputation in Canada. They have been screwing their customers for YEARS because they operate within a protectionist bubble thanks to the CRTC, so yes, people have the RIGHT to comment and BASH that scum-sucking Telco nicknamed “Robbers”. The truth of the matter is…
1) The network is already built. There is no reason to charge exorbitant data fees to it’s customers, other than pure GREED!
2) This is not just about the iPhone per say, it’s about data rates in general. The iPhone however is the first CONSUMER product that every day Canadians can compare rates between different countries. We in Canada are getting the SHAFT!
3) Rogers has been posting record profits in the order of $260 million PER QUARTER. Now, I’m not suggesting that companies can’t make money but surely a company like Rogers, who uses the the CRTC to protect itself from competition, should offer up better deals to the customers it’s been SHAFTING all these years!
4) Stop giving us the “Canada is vast and poorly populated” excuse. 90% of Canada’s population lives in a narrow corridor along the Canada/US border. Furthermore, over 85% of Canadians live in urban areas (compared with 75% for USA). That argument doesn’t hold water!
And to top it off… Rogers announced it’s pricing plans last Friday. Almost immediately, a protest began on the web via a petition at http://www.ruinediphone.com. As of 19h30 this evening, Rogers is DENYING ACCESS TO THIS SITE in an attempt to stifle free speech!!!
Rogers is a piece of work and will get what they deserve!
Please be advised that I agree with you that Robbers absolutely sucks. Crappy Cell phone companies are one of the reasons that I actually decided NOT to consider a move to Canada from Alaska.
But… and this is what I don’t understand, why CAN’T a corporation be greedy? They are beholden to their shareholders (NOT their customers) to make the most money possible. They are providing a desired service, not a required service like health care or food.
The market drives pricing, if they feel that they can make money and not drive their customers away with this pricing, more power to them right? Even if they could make a TON more money by lowering their prices, it is their prerogative NOT to do that.
Yeah it sucks for us consumers, but we are exactly that, if we don’t like it we don’t have to consume their product.
Cell phone comes are NOT a regulated monopoly like power companies or other utilities. If you don’t like their pricing, tell them to stick their 3yr contract and crappy data package where the sun don’t shine.
We have the CRTC (Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission) which is a federal regulatory body who is supposed to oversee the industry in general and make sure Canadians aren’t getting RIPPED OFF by greedy companies like Rogers. They have been doing a very poor job. It’s also important to note that the vice chair of the CRTC is a 17 year veteran of Rogers Inc. The situation STINKS!
The people of Canada are ultimately responsible for this mess by not insisting our politicians allow real competition in the Canadian Telco industry. I think that’s about to change given the iPhone uproar. In the meantime, we have the RIGHT (the DUTY) to complain as loud as we can. In fact, the endless bad press Rogers have received over the past few days is already having a huge impact. Rogers is PR panic mode right now and announced yesterday that people will be allowed to “import their existing voice plans and select a separate data plan”!
I still won’t be buying an iPhone until another carrier is able to offer it here. In fact, after 10 years of being a loyal Rogers customer, I cancelled my cell and internet services as of yesterday. Rogers won’t see another dime from me and many other Canadians. I now use another carrier for cell and I’ll use an iPod touch instead.
Rogers will learn it is beholden to BOTH their shareholders AND their customers. Basic economics suggest that without customers, there are no sales and, therefore, no PROFIT!!!