This week, Telus has launched a new tablet data sharing plan that works with iPad. As many are aware, Rogers and Bell have similar options in place for iPad owners.

The Telus tablet sharing plan works exactly like the Bell and Rogers plans. In order to qualify, you must already have a smartphone with a data plan.

In this case, that means one of the Clear Choice Voice and ... Read More]]>

This week, Telus has launched a new tablet data sharing plan that works with iPad. As many are aware, Rogers and Bell have similar options in place for iPad owners.

The Telus tablet sharing plan works exactly like the Bell and Rogers plans. In order to qualify, you must already have a smartphone with a data plan.

In this case, that means one of the Clear Choice Voice and Data plans from Telus.

Now, if you want to share the data that is apart of your Clear Choice plan, Telus customers pay an additional $15.00 per month (Bell is $10; Rogers is $20). Also, like Bell and Rogers, this plan option is contract-free.

At this time, the activation for this service is done through a Telus call center and not in-store and this plan expires on October 5, 2010. The SIM card for the tablet device (iPad) can be picked up in a Telus store or Apple Store.

[Telus]

The iPad’s launch in Canada has been quite successful so far according to your latest opinions on the device. I already told you my review of the iPad but what I haven’t touched on is which network is best for iPad 3G users? We have covered the iPad 3G plans from Rogers, Telus and Bell. As for which carrier to go with, that comes down ... Read More]]>

The iPad’s launch in Canada has been quite successful so far according to your latest opinions on the device. I already told you my review of the iPad but what I haven’t touched on is which network is best for iPad 3G users? We have covered the iPad 3G plans from Rogers, Telus and Bell. As for which carrier to go with, that comes down to your personal preference.

However, the differences can be as follows:
- Bell and Telus have the newest 3G network that is not as saturated as Rogers
- Rogers customers can activate their data plans right on the iPad; Bell/Telus users are required to call in to activate their data plans
- Poor experiences with either Rogers/Bell/Telus will easily make you switch to another carrier

Personally, I think iPad 3G users should choose the network that has the best coverage, the fastest speeds and a decent price (oh, if only it was that easy). One big issue that hasn’t been talked about much is network speed. This is where all you iPad 3G users will chime in to share your networks speeds based on your location/carrier! What provider did you go with for your iPad 3G?

How to Test your iPad 3G Network Speed

1. Download the free Speedtest.net iPhone app onto your iPad.
2. Run the speedtest over 3G on your iPad. Once you have your results, inform us in the comments by copying and pasting the following template:

Location: Vancouver (insert your own city)
Carrier: Rogers/Telus/Bell (choose ONE network)
Download speed: 3.5mb/sec (insert your speed)

This ought to be interesting to see which areas and networks get the fastest speeds for the iPad 3G!

Update May 31/10: After contacting Telus PR, they have answered some questions. There is no way to cap data at 500MB, as users must self monitor. Also, the data plan is capped at 5GB. Plus, Telus iPad app coming soon.

Today, Telus officially revealed their Apple iPad data plan.

The iPad 3G + WiFi data plan from Telus contrasts sharply against the existing Rogers and Bell ... Read More]]>

Update May 31/10: After contacting Telus PR, they have answered some questions. There is no way to cap data at 500MB, as users must self monitor. Also, the data plan is capped at 5GB. Plus, Telus iPad app coming soon.

Today, Telus officially revealed their Apple iPad data plan.

The iPad 3G + WiFi data plan from Telus contrasts sharply against the existing Rogers and Bell data plans, which are offering two non-contracted packages compared to the single offering from Telus.

The iPad data plan from Telus is as follows:

• 500MB: $20.00/month (no way to cap @ 500MB; users must monitor usage at TelusMobility.com)
• 5GB: $50.00/month
• Overage Fee: $0.05/MB up to a maximum of $30 for a total of $50 per month
  • Overage fee is capped at $30 for a total of $50 per month ($20 plan + $30 overage fee). The data is also capped at 5GB.
• First month of free unlimited data is included (as reported by users)
• Telus charges a $35 activation fee (as reported by users)
• Telus iPad app in the works to help monitor data usage.

TELUS announced that it is offering a dedicated data plan for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G in Canada, beginning today.

iPad Wi-Fi + 3G TELUS Plan:

$20 for 500MB per month – additional data is charged at 5¢ per MB up to a maximum of $30 for a total of $50 per month. Please visit www.TELUS.com for more details.

The Telus data plan, as compared to Rogers and Bell, is an odd one. At $20 for 500MB, the Telus plan provides much more value than the entry level $15/250MB from Rogers or Bell. However, Telus has an overage fee.

What this means is each megabyte above 500MB is charged at $0.05/MB to a maximum of 5GB. That can get really expensive, really fast as compared to Rogers/Bell. However the Telus overage fee is capped at $30 per month.

In other words, while initial 500MB Telus data plan costs $20, customers may end up paying more than $20 and up to $50 (with the extra data used) instead of $20 per month since customers will pay for each additional megabyte over 500MB (if you go over your given data amount).

In effect, this means that for 5GB, Telus charges $50. As Telus has confirmed that the data cap is 5GB, we can say that Telus will charge $50 (capped dollar amount) for 5GB (capped data amount). Rogers/Bell offer $35 for 5GB. Customers who exceed 5GB will have to purchase another data plan or top-up again to continue using data.

So on a value proposition, it seems the value is with Rogers/Bell. What do you think?

Thanks for the email, Jordan!

[Telus]

Update 1: Looks like Best Buy “tickets” indicate a $50 for 5GB plan from Telus. Also, the first month of activation on 3G is unlimited data. Also reports of a $35 setup fee.

Update 2: Click here to read our updated post on the official Telus iPad plans.

Thanks to the guys in the comments for the updates!

Do you have your iPad yet? What model did you buy? If ... Read More]]>

Update 1: Looks like Best Buy “tickets” indicate a $50 for 5GB plan from Telus. Also, the first month of activation on 3G is unlimited data. Also reports of a $35 setup fee.

Update 2: Click here to read our updated post on the official Telus iPad plans.

Thanks to the guys in the comments for the updates!

Do you have your iPad yet? What model did you buy? If you’re sporting the 3G iPad model, you probably know about the plans released by Rogers and Bell–that are EXACTLY the same prices (*cough* price fixing *cough*). Today Canadians have lined up from coast to coast to get their hands on Apple’s new iPad. Looks like the tech pundits have it all wrong again as sales numbers and iPad fever has taken over the globe. Still trying to find an iPad? Read here to find out where to get yours!

Telus iPad 3G Data Plans Revealed?

Through some digging on twitter, it looks like some possible prices for Telus plans might have been revealed. According to a tweet from palalonde, a Future Shop employee told him early prices indicated $20 for 500MB of data.

If this was true, it could be the middle ground pricing that iPad users in Canada just might be looking for. Rogers and Bell offer $15 for 250MB and $35 for 5GB. Could this be the magic sweet spot? Paying $20 for 500MB seems like a reasonable amount for light surfing that won’t break the bank.

The Highland Telus Mobility store in Nova Scotia sent out the following on Facebook (does “iPad friendly” mean actual iPad plans?):

Today, Apple Launches the iPad. If your planning on buying a 3G model, be sure and come see us, TELUS has iPad friendly Data packages available today.

Of course, sometimes carriers are slow to release news. This is what happened when AltavistaGoogle tried to search for “iPad” on the Telus website, which he titled “Telus iPad Fail”:

Did Telus miss the memo on the iPad launch? Or do you think they are waiting to see how Canadians react to the Rogers/Bell iPad plans? More as this story develops…

Email reports this week have indicated that both Telus and Bell will be supporting the iPad on launch day, this Friday May 28th.

While Telus and Bell have been quiet regarding iPad data plans and micro-SIM cards, various Apple Stores across Canada have been receiving shipments of Telus and Bell microSIM cards.

There are no data plans announced yet from Telus and Bell, but the packages will likely be similar, if ... Read More]]>

Email reports this week have indicated that both Telus and Bell will be supporting the iPad on launch day, this Friday May 28th.

While Telus and Bell have been quiet regarding iPad data plans and micro-SIM cards, various Apple Stores across Canada have been receiving shipments of Telus and Bell microSIM cards.

There are no data plans announced yet from Telus and Bell, but the packages will likely be similar, if not identical, to the Rogers iPad data plans. At this time, Rogers is supporting the iPad with two non-contracted options:

• 250MB: $15.00/month
• 5GB: $35.00/month

We can expect Telus and Bell to launch similar packages soon.

**Disclaimer**: The following should ONLY be tried at your own risk. We assume no responsibility should any damage occur to your iPad or SIM card. This post is for educational purposes only. Repeat: Try at your own risk.

Pre-orders for the iPad in Canada started yesterday. The official iPad launch in Canada is May 28th. Rogers iPad Data plans were also revealed, including their SNAFU on the ... Read More]]>

**Disclaimer**: The following should ONLY be tried at your own risk. We assume no responsibility should any damage occur to your iPad or SIM card. This post is for educational purposes only. Repeat: Try at your own risk.

Pre-orders for the iPad in Canada started yesterday. The official iPad launch in Canada is May 28th. Rogers iPad Data plans were also revealed, including their SNAFU on the $20 iPhone data plan add on. It really did seem too good to be true.

Anyways, for those with 3G iPads from the USA, and those looking forward to using their unlocked iPads in Canada, let’s quickly recap what needs to be done. It’s a simple process that includes the following:

• Cutting your SIM card to fit the micro-SIM tray in your 3G iPad.
• Entering the APN details from either Rogers, Fido, Telus, or Bell.

So let’s get on with a recap of what you need to do.

1. Choose from the official Rogers iPad data plans, or choose one from Fido, Telus or Bell.

2. Modify your SIM card. Fantastic instructions are posted here by John Benson using a meat cleaver!

3. On the iPad, go to Settings–>Cellular Data. Turn it ON. Enter the following APN details:

Rogers APN: rogers-core-appl1.apn
Fido APN: fido-core.appl1.apn
Bell APN: pda2.bell.ca (call to give your IMEI of your iPhone)
Telus APN: sp.telus.com

Username/password should be left BLANK.

Once the settings have been entered, it should just work. If it doesn’t, give the iPad a restart for the new settings to kick into affect. A working example of this was first shown on iPadinCanada.ca here by Chris Aceto. As always, there may be issues with this but let us know if it works for you!

As Canadians must still wait for the iPad to hit Canada, some of us have already made the trip down south to pick up either an iPad WiFi or the iPad 3G + WiFi. Apple has officially stated that preorders for Canada will start on May 10, 2010 and that the iPad will be available in late May 2010.

So for those that have the iPad 3G + ... Read More]]>

As Canadians must still wait for the iPad to hit Canada, some of us have already made the trip down south to pick up either an iPad WiFi or the iPad 3G + WiFi. Apple has officially stated that preorders for Canada will start on May 10, 2010 and that the iPad will be available in late May 2010.

So for those that have the iPad 3G + WiFi and are looking to use it in Canada before the official launch, below are the available options you have from the Canadian wireless carriers.

Step 1: Which Data Plan & Which Carrier To Use With My iPad 3G + WiFi?

Below are listed the various options from the five wireless carriers in Canada that support SIM cards with mobile broadband data plans. None of these plans require a voice-plan companion and are data-only packages.

Rogers Wireless

The following data plans are available from Rogers as stand-alone data options. These data plans can be contracted but obviously you will choose the month-to-month non-contract option.

• $30 – 500MB
• $35 – 1GB
• $50 – 2GB
• $65 – 5GB

Additional notes:

• Additional data: $0.05/MB
• Plans do not include the Rogers GRRF which is $2.46 – $3.46 depending on province
• US Data roaming: $6.00/MB

Fido

The following data plans are available from Fido as stand-alone data options. These data plans can be contracted but obviously you will choose the month-to-month non-contract option.

• $32 – 500MB
• $37 – 1GB
• $52 – 2GB
• $67 – 5GB

Additional notes:

• Additional data: $0.05/MB
• US Data roaming: $3.00/MB

Bell Mobility

The following data plans are available from Bell as stand-alone data options. These data plans can be contracted but obviously you will choose the month-to-month non-contract option.

• $30 – 500MB
• $40 – 1GB
• $55 – 3GB
• $65 – 5GB

Additional notes:

• Additional data: $0.05/MB
• US Data roaming: $3.00/MB

Telus

The following data plans are available from Telus as stand-alone data options. These data plans can be contracted but obviously you will choose the month-to-month non-contract option.

• $30 – 500MB
• $40 – 1GB
• $50 – 2GB
• $65 – 5GB

Additional notes:

• Additional data: $0.05/MB
• US Data roaming: $3.00/MB

Virgin Mobile

The following data plans are available from Virgin as stand-alone data options. These data plans can be contracted but obviously you will choose the month-to-month non-contract option.

• $30 – 500MB
• $35 – 1GB
• $50 – 2GB
• $65 – 3GB
• $85 – 5GB

Additional notes:

• Additional data: $0.05/MB
• US Data roaming: $3.00/MB

Step 2: I Have Chosen My Data Plan, Now What?

The next step is to visit the chosen wireless carrier and set up the plan on a non-contract basis. At this point, the carrier will supply you with a SIM card.

Inside of the iPad 3G + WiFi is an AT&T Micro-SIM. Using that as your guide, cut the Canadian SIM card to match the AT&T Micro-SIM in size. Be careful not the cut the gold micro-chip, as that will permanently damage the SIM card.

Step 3: iPad Settings

Once the Canadian SIM card is cut correctly, insert the new Canadian Micro-SIM card into the iPad 3G + WiFi. Then head over to:

• Settings > Cellular Data

Toggle “Cellular Data” to On. After a few seconds, your wireless carrier should connect to the iPad.

Next to go Settings > Cellular Data and tap on “APN” settings. Depending on which wireless carrier you are using, input the following information (leave the Username and Password field blank):

Rogers

• APN: rogers-core-appl1.apn

Fido

• APN: fido-core.appl1.apn

Bell

• APN: pda2.bell.ca

TELUS

• APN: sp.telus.com

After the settings are inputted, restart your iPad.

With the announcement of the Apple iPad by Steve Jobs, many people were excited and equally “disappointed” with the purpose of the device. Further into the Apple Event, it was revealed that the 3G version of the iPad will be able to subscribe to Pay As You Go data.

What iPad Data Plans Will Be Offered in Canada from Rogers, Telus, and Bell?

We know that Rogers/Fido was ... Read More]]>

With the announcement of the Apple iPad by Steve Jobs, many people were excited and equally “disappointed” with the purpose of the device. Further into the Apple Event, it was revealed that the 3G version of the iPad will be able to subscribe to Pay As You Go data.

What iPad Data Plans Will Be Offered in Canada from Rogers, Telus, and Bell?

We know that Rogers/Fido was the only GSM network in Canada. However, that all changed when Telus and Bell launched their HSPA+ 3G network. That means for Canadians, we will have some choice for PAYG data for the iPad–or will we?

The ‘Big 3′ Carriers have yet to mention anything publicly about whether or not they will support PAYG data plans for the iPad. We do know that Rogers capitulated to pressure and offered a 6GB/$30 data plan for the iPhone 3G in the past. Will we see the mighty 6GB data plan making a comeback for Canadian iPad users?

That is the important question at the moment. We know for sure that WiFi versions of the iPad will be in stores. As for the 3G versions in Canada, they would be useless if there are no cost effective data plans offered from Rogers, Telus, and Bell. Are Canadians going to continue being held ‘hostage’ by paying some of the most expensive data rates in the world?

What do you think? Will we see some sort of iPad PAYG data offering in Canada? Or will we get left in the dust?