Blog

Rogers who plans iPad is taking fire after backtracking on an offer to allow iPhone and other smartphone customers to share their data connections with Apple’s upcoming iPad device.

The wireless company on Monday announced it would offer two iPad service plans, with 250 megabytes of monthly usage for $15 or five gigabytes for $35, when the device becomes available in Canada on May 28.

After a number of customers asked for clarification on the Redboard website of Rogers, a company official revealed the data-sharing offer was an error and would be removed, which angered a number of interested customers.

Apple is selling two versions of the iPad — one can connect to the internet only through Wi-Fi, while another can also use 3G wireless, the same technology used by smartphones to surf the web and send email.

Potential customers also complained about the pricing on Rogers’s iPad plans. Although the basic 250 MB plan for $15 is the same that AT&T is selling in the United States, the $35 plan for five gigabytes is a worse value than Rogers’s American counterpart, which is offering unlimited usage for $30 U.S.

A Rogers official said this is because 99.8 per cent of iPhone subscribers use less than five gigabytes of data, as do more than 95 per cent of customers who own its Rocket Stick and 3G-enabled laptop devices. The official did acknowledge that the iPad is a new kind of device, so it’s too early to say whether customers will need more than five gigabytes of usage.