[comminus]

Here's something interesting I stumbled across:

Smithereens - Persuasion, Productivity and Prose: Apple Flips Rogers the Bird A Week Before Canadian iPhone Launch? (Plausible Rumor)

Here's a quote from the blog:

• First, an employee of Apple Canada sends a text message to my source that says something to the effect of: "You guys are screwed for iPhone," but will not respond to multiple replies asking for clarification.
• Next, an employee at competing handset manufacturer RIM (Blackberry's parent) sends my source a text soon after saying there are rumours of an Apple-Rogers fallout.
• Then, my source receives a call notifying him that all the part-time staff who had been hired for next week's launch have been fired without notice. (UPDATE 07/06: Apparently, only certain dealerships took on additional staff for the launch, although most urban locations did. Also, some dealerships may not have let all their iPhone help go, but others definitely have.)
• And finally, a senior Rogers rep confirms that Apple has decided to divert a large percentage of their planned Canadian shipment to Europe and that each Rogers store may now be getting as few as 10-20 units, ostensibly due to Apple's displeasure over Rogers' high data and voice rates. (UPDATE 07/06: Although no per-store numbers can be confirmed, the verbiage used by head office is apparently that numbers will be "significantly reduced" and that stores should "exercise caution" not to over-promise. Europe has also been reconfirmed as the destination for the allegedly diverted units.)

[Duvi]

If it's true, that would be some funny stuff. Hopefully it works out for you guys over there...

[Bla1ze]

Meh! it's too late to pull ALL stock from Rogers..worst case scenario people won't be able to get an iPhone on launch day..which to me is no big deal anyways, all they are doing is saving themselves from the $1000+ first month bill they will get from Robbers lol!!

Aside from that, I think it's BS to begin with, Apple had to know what data tariffs Robbers had in place long before the petition went up.