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THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Speak Up

MONTREAL - Most of Canada's iPhone users seem to prefer the multimedia device for talking.

After all of the complaints about the cost of operating the new, faster iPhone, its owners don't appear to be using the smartphone to its fullest for web surfing, sending photos, watching videos or listening to music.

Rogers Wireless (TSX:RCI.B) said yesterday that just 1.2 per cent of users of the touchscreen iPhone ate up more than one gigabyte of data in the first four weeks after it went on sale July 11.

One gigabyte of data would be the equivalent of about 240 songs or downloading a movie on the touchscreen phone.

"They're learning how it can be used," spokeswoman Liz Hamilton said.

Rogers added that 95 per cent of its iPhone customers used less than 500 megabytes of data, the equivalent of about 110 songs, and 91 per cent of its customers used just 200 megabytes.

Rogers is the exclusive Canadian carrier of the 3G iPhone with the only network capable of operating the high-speed smartphone.

Ahead of the phone's launch, angry customers launched an online petition protesting the cost of Rogers' plans and encouraging Apple CEO Steve Jobs to pressure Rogers to slash rates and offer unlimited data plans like those found in the United States.

Rogers responded with a beefed up data plan offer of six gigabytes of data available for $30 a month on a three-year contract for limited time which has been extended until Sept. 30.