By Richard Blackwell
Globe and Mail Update

Rogers Communications Inc. has added residential long distance phone services to its bundles of cable television, Internet and cellular phone products.

The long-distance deal gives customers 1,000 minutes of calling time to anywhere in North America for $5 a month, but only if they sign up for two or more of Rogers’ other services.

That’s comparable to the long-distance discount that rival Bell Canada gives its bundled customers.

Rogers is using an outside supplier, which it won’t name, for the long-distance service. The company has plans to add full home telephone service next year using Internet-based technology.