An ugly, ice-encrusted rumor making the rounds claims that the 3G version of the PlayStation Vita will be delayed in Canada because of issues with Sony's "3G partner."

The PlayStation Vita is slated to come out in February 2012 but in Canada, gamers who want the 3G version of Sony's new handheld may have to wait. The Wi-Fi version is still on schedule but the 3G device, which allows owners to go online anywhere, has reportedly been pushed back a couple of months "due to extensive planning and testing with [Sony's] 3G partner."

A message posted on GameFAQs claims that EB Games is now sending out messages to people who have preordered the PS Vita 3G, telling them that it will not be available for the scheduled launch date and advising them to switch to the Wi-Fi model instead. "Sony has every intention of shipping the 3G version of the PS Vita, but later in 2012."

EB Games sources have also told Kotaku that their systems now have the device tagged with an April release date, although that could be just a placeholder - implying that an even longer wait may lay ahead.

Specific reasons for the delay aren't known and probably never will be, but it's speculated that the problem relates to negotiating a price point with its 3G partner, presumed but not known to be Rogers, that keeps everybody happy. Given the tightly-capped nature of wireless data in Canada, that could take some doing.