My best friend and I have a running gag about our affinity for all things Swedish. We spend far too much time at Ikea without a trace of irony; I declared myself an honorary Swede for the purposes of the recent UEFA Euro Cup and mourned the team’s early exit (damned Russians!); we substitute the words “Swede,” “Swedish” and “Sweden” in song and movie titles and figures of speech (the best: “Swedish Mary and Joseph,” she once cursed).
So it’s swede to have the excuse to write about my favourite other country. Swedes, like we Canadians (only in better shape), weren’t all that pleased when Telia Sonera, the exclusive carrier of Apple’s iPhone in Sweden, announced its pricing plans for the device and service. They were long on charges and skimpy on the minutes and data ceilings — under the cheapest plan, $50 got you 100 minutes, 100 text messages and 100 MB of data, making Rogers’ uncharitable data plans look positively generous.
The Swedes complained vigorously, and Telia Sonera relented, offering the same voice rates as for other handsets, with unlimited data as a $35 add-on. Justice is swede.
So perhaps I was a little bit hasty in dismissing the chances of an iPhone petition to Rogers calling for lower rates being successful.
Next up: Norway, whose potential iPhone subscribers are also getting shafted.
A P.S. to those who care: Ikea‘s annual Summer Sale is on until July 13, with up to 50 per cent off selected items (while supplies last; selection may vary by store).