It's a nightmare scenario for users of smartphones and internet sticks. When you cross the border and enter the United States, every connection made to the mobile internet comes with a set of "data roaming" fees, charges designed to reflect your use of another company's cellular network. These charges can quickly add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars and without any real warning, become an awful end-of-the-month shocker when the bill arrives.

In their usual over-complicated manner, Rogers Wireless today announced a new set of data plans that will encompass all of North America under one rate. The idea is that you pay a higher monthly fee than the usual Canadian rate, but it includes your use in the United States. As long as you don't go over your monthly usage restrictions, you won't rack up major charges when you check your e-mail, surf the web, or use Apps in the US. 

There are, of course, a litany of different options, choices, packages, etc.

Here's the new "North American One Rate Data Plans":

$35 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 500MB CDN/US Plan

$35 Consumer/Small business 500MB CDN & US Data Plan

$40 Consumer/Small business BB (BIS) 1GB CDN & US Plan

$40 Consumer/Small business 1GB CDN & US Data Plan

$45 500MB CDN & US Mobile Internet Flex Rate Plan

$50 DAP (for MSD customers) 1.5GB CDN & US Data Plan

$55 Corporate BB (BES) 1GB CDN & US Plan

$55 Corporate BB (BES) 500 MB CDN & US Flex Rate Plan

In terms of finding this information on their website, Rogers supplies this link, although I don't see the above list there at this time.  

So....  this is how it works. 

Let's say you choose the $40 "consumer" plan. It comes with a monthly allowance of 1 GB per month.  You travel to the US, use your smartphone to send e-mails, surf the web, etc. and then come back. As long as the amount of data used, in Canada and the US combined, does not go over 1 GB, you will be charged ZERO data roaming fees. 

If you manage to go over that 1 GB of use while in the United States, it's back to normal where you will be charged for every kb of data you use, and once again that can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

So once you swim through all the options and choices, there is a very good deal to be found for frequent travelers.