14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone carriers Bell and TELUS announced on Tuesday that they recently reached new agreements with Apple for the distribution of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in the country starting with November 2009. Bell and TELUS raise this way the number of wireless operators in Canada to have Apple's device available for their subscribers to three, after Rogers Wireless has had it exclusively for quite some time now.
Following the recent reports that Apple will have its iPhone distributed in the UK through more carriers, including Orange and Vodafone, due to O2 losing the exclusivity on the device, the news that Rogers has stepped on the same path might only suggest that the same could soon happen to other carriers around the world, including AT&T in the US.
As for the launch of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS with the two new carriers in Canada, it should be rather interesting to see the way things evolve. Orange and Vodafone in the UK said they would have the iPhone available for their users in early 2010, and, since the two Canadian operators will have it next month, we'll get an idea of what might happen with AT&T in case it loses the iPhone exclusivity by watching Rogers.
Bell has just announced that it will start to roll out a brand-new HSPA network next month, in cooperation with TELUS, and the two launches seem to be timed perfectly. Things might run smoothly for the two carriers with the launch of iPhone 3G and 3GS, especially since Rogers has seen its share of criticism in the past, just as AT&T did quite a few times before.
Both carriers said they would unveil more details on the exact availability and pricing of the iPhone within the following weeks, and TELUS fans can already sign up for more information and for updates on the matter on the carrier's website here.