What a Rogers tech guy said to me

[bb-111]

That because RIM is taking a nose dive they are forcing all internet traffic through their BIS servers.Is this true?

From my observations this is what happened:

Apps that always used BIS:
BBM
Google Maps
iTranslator (one of their free appworld gifts)

Apps that didn't need BIS but now do:
What's App
Shazam (another free appworld gift)
Opera Mini (wayyyy better browser than the BB browser)

[ignites]

whats the difference and why does it matter to you? either way its pretty much the same speeds.

[Deathcommand]

How will this save RIM money?

[BigBadWulf]

Oy, just oy!

[bb-111]

re: speed - Same speeds but extra cost per month for nothing extra

re: RIM savings - it will make them money. That extra 5 or 10 dollars per month is going directly to RIM . what RIM does to make money is up to the customers to decide if they like it but iPhone and Android users don't have to pay 10 dollars extra a month to look up chicken soup recipes.

[lushpupp]

Originally Posted by bb-111

re: speed - Same speeds but extra cost per month for nothing extra

re: RIM savings - it will make them money. That extra 5 or 10 dollars per month is going directly to RIM . what RIM does to make money is up to the customers to decide if they like it but iPhone and Android users don't have to pay 10 dollars extra a month to look up chicken soup recipes.

Id really like to see where you got that information from. What extra 5 or 10 dollars a month are you talking about? I'm not saying this to be a or anything, i'm just curious.

[BigBadWulf]

OP, the only way I can make any sense out of your post is.....

Rogers now forces BlackBerry users to have a BlackBerry data plan. That has been instituted for virtually all North American carriers, and started years ago. It's a carrier policy, not a RIM policy, and makes complete sense, considering a normal data plan is less useful to a BlackBerry owner. The fact that more apps are going through RIM servers should be a comfort to you (if it is indeed true), since that would offer a higher level of security for your data.

[bb-111]

Originally Posted by lushpupp

Id really like to see where you got that information from. What extra 5 or 10 dollars a month are you talking about? I'm not saying this to be a or anything, i'm just curious.

I found it - It's on the Rogers site as well - look under the data plan at the very bottom. I pay 10 dollars a month for 100mb. The basic minimum is 25 a month...for using the internet on a blackberry.

edit: i tried to add the url but I can't - just click on wireless - plans and scroll to build your own combo then to the bottom of that and data plan.

Edit: I was wrong - Min data plan for internet as well is 25 a month for BB!!!!!

[bb-111]

Originally Posted by BigBadWulf

OP, the only way I can make any sense out of your post is.....

Rogers now forces BlackBerry users to have a BlackBerry data plan. That has been instituted for virtually all North American carriers, and started years ago. It's a carrier policy, not a RIM policy, and makes complete sense, considering a normal data plan is less useful to a BlackBerry owner.

the Rogers tech said it was RIM's doing not theirs. Is he lying to me? maybe or maybe he doesn't know.

I believe carriers pay RIM to use their BIS servers so they jack up the price. The issue is they are FORCING you to pay extra to use basic internet services.

The fact that more apps are going through RIM servers should be a comfort to you (if it is indeed true), since that would offer a higher level of security for your data.

You don't need that extra security for 90% of what you do on the internet. And we shouldn't be forced to pay 15 dollars extra a month on top of our data plans.

I love my BB but this is ridiculous -
The lack of transparency in wireless pricing is a reason for the apathetic attitude amongst us Canadians - we don't know what they are doing and so we just happily pay whatever they charge. If we complain enough, this kind of nonsense won't happen

to sum up:
blackberry data plans: 25 minimum a month
every other phone: 10 min a month

we Blackberry users pay an extra $203 (after HST) a year for that extra "security"

[RoccoI]

$10 = 100mb
$25 = 500mb.

[Habs_fan]

i havent checked but arent iphone plans the same price as most bb plan? i know i pay 30 for 6gb
i think your thinking of dumb phones they have cheaper data. all smart phones data are the same price i think

[Thunderbuck]

Among the things that you're getting for that charge:

-Data that goes through RIM's NOC doesn't count against your wireless account's data charge

-BBM is WAAAAAY better than SMS; you're not getting charged for text messages OR whatever data you're transferring through it (pics, vids, etc.)

-If you have a PlayBook, your Bridge Browser is surfing through BIS. And not through your data plan.

Money well spent if you ask me.

[lushpupp]

The $10/month 100MB plan is a relatively new option. Its not aimed at your high end smartphones such as your Iphone and Galaxy S line. Also, the 100MB data plan will only give you promotional pricing options on smartphone lite phones such as the galaxy Q, LG phoenix, Nokia X7, Acer liquid E, Samsung Focus etc; As far as promotional pricing on phones go, the 100MB plan is useless.

However, if you did have your own blackberry and did not need promo pricing on a blackberry, that 100MB plan would be highly useful for blackberry users, especially with compressed data. I don't think the 100MB plan is a RIM thing though, I'm going to hazard a guess and say that was Rogers doing not to include a BIS option, not RIMs.

[lushpupp]

Originally Posted by Thunderbuck

Among the things that you're getting for that charge:

-Data that goes through RIM's NOC doesn't count against your wireless account's data charge

I don't think that's true. I could be wrong though. Where did you get that info from?

[Habs_fan]

It goes through RIM's servers but it still counts for your data, RIM compresses data though, a lot better than any other phone so that's a bonus. But like I said above. My bb data is 30 for 6GB ... And I'm pretty sure all smatphone data is the same price. Rogers can add the SOC code on any data plan to make it work for BIS