@jm

So true.

At this point, though, I would appreciate any new competition. Almost out of principal alone, all things being equal, I would choose Wind over Bell/Rogers/Telus.

}:^)~

Oh for sure, the fact that imaginary charges will be tied into the base cost is good

Stephen: I live (if you can call this life; finally made DBA but it's a bad scene).

While I have hope for the N900 as the tablets we've all been enjoying these past few years, I think it's going to fall flat as a cellular offering in Canada due in no small part to the idiocy of the carriers here.

I'm currently in the midst of a 3 year contract with Rogers with an iPhone 3G... Canada-wide MY5 and 6GB of data per month. I also have iPhone visual voicemail (hip hip hooray... or something...)

Now, some of that stuff (noteably the visual voicemail) is iPhone specific... so transferring devices would be odd. (Remember that plan I'm locked into?)

Basically, it seems the carriers are marketing device-specific plans because they're in cahoots with the manufacturers. My only saving grace would be that Rogers would let me tether my iPhone to the N900... which leads me to my next question; why the hell would I buy an N900?

Unless the CRTC discovers fire and leads us out of the luddite depths we're entrenched in, there's not much hope of the device succeeding.

I honestly think the cell radio and hefty pricetag may be it's downfall in the cold white north.

For those hoping to use the N900 in Canada, I should probably repeat a few links that I gave here: http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...1&postcount=18

A few months ago there was a major auction of new wireless spectra in Canada. The vast majority of this is AWS/1700 band, which suggests that the N900 will be functional on a number of networks in the future (it's already good for voice/EDGE data on Rogers/Fido). Telus should be switching on their GSM network any day now, and Bell won't be far behind (I believe I heard December, but can't confirm). Many of the smaller companies, like my local MTS (Manitoba) have also announced plans to move towards GSM. While I wouldn't suggest you base your buying decision on this, it is indicative of a trend, and suggests that the N900 and later Maemo devices should work here... eventually.

For the raw info about the spectrum auction, see the Industry Canada website for details:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst...h_sf08891.html

The final results of the AWS spectrum auction are listed here:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst...g/sf09001.html

Listed by winner and showing every spectrum block:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst...g/sf09003.html

EDIT: <revised URLs - odd, they worked last night...>

Note that this new spectrum is all about using the 3.5G data connection, as the N900 supports all four GSM/EDGE frequencies (850/900/1800/1900) and should work as a phone with a slow (2.5G) data connection in any country with a GSM system, which is most of them. Even Canada.

TenSpeed: all three of your links return 404s.

Still hoping for a new Wind in Vancouver very soon (because EDGE sucks)...

they all work this morning here

Hopefully the CRTC hearing goes well. Anybody know the actual availability of the N900? I'm planning a trip to NYC in october and I want to be sure I can pick it up.

Just pick one up here...http://www.khrido.com/used-ottawa-fo...d33174783.aspx

I'm a bit suspicious about that $ 350.00 price.

lol I prefer getting real devices lol