Rogers says unruffled by new wireless competition

* Sees new entrants getting customers

* Says Rogers' network, brand can withstand competition

* Competitors are expected to offer lower-priced products

VANCOUVER, British Columbia , Dec 7 (Reuters) - New entrants to Canada's mobile phone market pose little immediate threat to Rogers Communications Inc (RCIb.TO), the company's chief executive said on Monday, although he expects the upstarts will be able to sign on customers.

CEO Nadir Mohamed said he is comfortable that Rogers, Canada's biggest wireless carrier, can easily weather competitors' expected lower-priced offerings because of its much wider network coverage, large retail network and strong brand recognition.

"In no way do I see this as an environment where new players will get no customers," Mohamed told a conference in New York.

But he added: "For some time... we will not see new players have anywhere near the kind of quality of network we have... We feel very strongly that we will have that advantage."

Several newcomers, including Public Mobile and Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc, are expected to roll out networks in coming months after winning wireless spectrum last year in a government auction.

The entrants, which also include big Quebec cable operator Videotron, a unit of Quebecor Inc (QBRa.TO), hope to crack into the country's cozy mobile market, which is dominated by Rogers, BCE Inc (BCE.TO) and Telus Corp (T.TO).

A market unknown is the future of Globalive, another start-up and auction winner, which had planned to launch a coast-to-coast mobile phone service this year.

Those plans went awry when Canada's main telecom regulator ruled the company was effectively under the control of its Egypt-based financial backer, in violation of Canadian rules on foreign ownership. The federal government now has to decide whether to overrule the regulator.

Rogers has said it would be interested in buying Globalive's wireless spectrum if Globalive is unable to launch its network.

($1=$1.05 Canadian) (Reporting by Nicole Mordant; editing by Peter Galloway)