Hi

I know this has been posted a lot but a lot of the threads seem to become quite complicated re different name/contracts/coverage etc.

I would be really grateful if somebody can point me in the right direction

I currently have a pay as you go vodafone phone.

I need to have a mobile on the recce trip that will work so people can contact me from within Canada (NS)and also from the UK.

Am I able to use my current phone ?If so what do I need to do?? If not what are my options?

All help gratefully received

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Compat....2FCell_Phones

Hello, anyone know if Orange pay as you go will work in Canada (not mentioned on the wiki?) Thanks Jo

The more important question is whether your phone handset is tri-band or quad-band. If neither, then it wont be able to pick up any signal in Canada anyway.

For $50 (plus tax) you can pick up a Canadian Virgin network LG 150 (I got one from future shop last week for my OH) paygo phone (including some starter airtime). Of course, you will pay for the incoming calls, but the virgin paygo rates are not too bad.

what does recce trip mean? sorry if i sound daft

Reconnoiter = survey, explore, investigate.

thank u

Hubby had a pay as you go Orange mobile. He upgraded the phone (in the Orange Shop) to a quad band, stating that it was specifically to be used in Canada.

Flew out, didn't work! Took it to a shop in Canada and was told that it didn't matter if it was a quad or not, it was the wrong frequency and would never work!

I'd take the advice given before and buy a phone out here (Canada) or you can buy international phone cards, if you don't want to get a phone.

He must have gone to a non-Rogers or Fido shop. See the Wiki - if you aren't signing up with Rogers or Fido, it isn't going to be useable in Canada. Those 2 (and they're 1 really!) are your only network options if you want to continue using your UK phone.

If you're going to be using a mobile from the UK outside Rogers' service area in Canada then you need a phone that works under CDMA frequencies. Check each provider's websites for coverage maps - Bell Canada, Telus, Rogers/FIDO (same co.) are the ones I know of.

CDMA is not a new technology, and all you need do to check is google your make/model and search the technical specs for CDMA. Most 3G phones (if you can video call from your phone it's def. 3G) from the past few years will have it. Tri-band not quad-band is the minimum for N. America. Quad is for African frequencies.

You also need to phone your network and make sure international roaming is enabled. Most PAYG connections and some contracts have this disabled as standard, but you only need ask your network and they'll switch it on for you. Takes no time at all. Well worth trying to call an Int. no. before you go though as sometimes the useless gits will tell you it's on when it's not.

Other option is an unlocked phone (All O2 phones bar iPhone are unlocked as standard) and buying a PAYG SIM once you're there, sadly this only works if you're in Rogers/FIDO coverage. Other Canuck networks don't use SIM cards and afaik this isn't an option in NS.

.. or buy a Canuck PAYG phone once you're there - bearing in mind you'll be on a different no.

Edit - as Biiiink's post states, even if you have a tri-band phone in Canada, and want to keep your UK phone/no. then you'll be on international roaming rates, which are pretty high. Often cheapest option is Canuck PAYG phone despite the high charges compared to similar service back home.

Orange do seem to be exceptionally useless with phones working on the other side of the pond! Hubby and I were over in America last November. We flew out to different places to see various friends then met up in NYC, so we spoke to Orange beforehand and explained in very simple words that we needed our phones to work over there. They checked our phones for tri-band, activated them for international and told us we were good to go.

Got over there and the phones found no signal they could work with in any of the five states we visited, including the heart of NYC! When we got back I called to complain (Running around JFK Airport looking for Hubby who landed in a completely different terminal? Not fun.) and was told that I could change a setting on the phone then fly over and try again, because that might work. No, they weren't kidding!

Needless to say, I'm no longer with Orange. :P

Hi

My phone is tri/quad band so that is ok. I called Vodafone today and they have unlocked it and given me a code to enter in the phone once I get to Canada (this is so I can use the phone with a rogers sim card).

I have had a look and can get sim card here, activated before I go to Canada for £30 inc $10 air time, but then it seems you have all the probs of putting enough credit on to keep it going!!

I wonder if it may just be easier to get a cheapy phone when we arrive, are they as easy to get up and running as the UK, i.e one call to register and then get top up voucher to credit phone(we don't have canadian credit card or anything)???

Thanks for all the replies so far

£30 is about the same as just buying a virgin phone here (with $15 call credit if you let someone with one (ie me) pimp out your details for the sake of a $10 credit)

And, as a free bonus, you wont have to live with Rogers atrocious customer service

Oxymoron Alert

Rogers & Customer Service.