I have a Virgin Pay-as-you-go tri-band mobile. Apparently this handset would cost me $400 from fido in Canada, so obviously I would rather take it with me. Am I correct in thinking that I need to:

A) Get Virgin to unlock it
B) Get hold of a Fido (or similar) prepaid sim card, eother now or when I land
C) Get the above activated
D) Continue to use my mobile in Canada, using an adaptor on my present charger

Yes to all you may not need to get the phone unlocked, if you know someone who has a phone on another network try there sim card in your phone you may be surprised.

You can also get prepay sim cards from rogers as well.

A word of warning you may find prepay quite expensive as you may have to pay for incoming calls to, we did with rogers.

If you are out there permanently consider going on a pay monthly plan can work out there cheaper

Regards

Steve

Check out your options with Virgin as I'm on PAYG with Virgin Mobile Canada.

Has anyone any experience of this website?

http://www.0044.co.uk/

Seems they can provide Canadian sim cards in advance of moving over there...

Hi Upright, Virgin in Canada I believe use CDMA not GSM or SIM cards...I may be wrong and could be getting the brand mixed up with another, but there was a reason I went with Rogers and I think it was CDMA technology...I'm sure others will correct me.


Rgds,


John

Okay... not sure how this would affect me? Wasn't particularly planning to go with Virgin in Canada.

Then your be fine....I misread...


rgds,



John

I would also like to sort out a sim card with mobile number sorted from canada so when I land I just pop it into my phone and its ready to use. This FIDO thing is it a main network over there. Where can I buy a pay as you go sim from here in UK. Can I buy from ebay canada? Also why do I have to pay for incoming calls. This seems a bit weird. Can you give me more info on this issue.

Nope - no correction from me I was wondering why my Virgin Mobile phone didn't have a SIM card in it...

Not sure what info I can give, but yes, you do pay for incoming which was also the case in the UK donkeys years ago, so maybe Canadian providers will catch up eventually and scrap that stupid idea?

Hi all,
interesting thread.
I am thinking of taking my mobile over when we go on research/holiday trip in July. Just wondering if I can use my mobile and just get a cheap pay as toy go for a couple of weeks? I'm with O2 at the moment. We are going over with brother in law and family and need to keep in touch if we decided to go our own way on the odd day out?

Thanks all, hope you don't mind me asking this on this thread?
Regards,
Carl

Phones in the UK are a little more advanced with some models taking a year or so to catch up in Canada...simply choose a tri or quad band that takes a sim and get it unlocked.

Purchase (ebay.ca) a Rogers (easiest) PAYG sim that will come with $10 credit and get it shipped to your uk address...if your asked to choose a plan, pick Anytime plan to start.

Phone usage in general is more expensive...credit will expire on a monthly basis unless you top with a $100 dollars, then that will last a year..

rgds


John

OK will go for that rogers one with anytime $10. Will I be able to activate it from UK. If not can I get someone in canada to do it befor eits posted out to me Can someone help me with this. I am a good member on this forum and will happily pay via paypal if someone can sort this out for me. I looked on ebay but no one offer postage to UK. Also did not find many Rogers Pay as you go sim cards. Will look again later on there.

Hi carl

thats what cj and i did when we went over last time, but we bought the sim card out there either at a local electronics store, if you go to any of the big malls you will find a mobile phone store/electronics store just ask.

Regards

Steve

ps i would be surprised if your phone isn't tri band most phones sold in the UK are now

Call me stupid if you like...but why not just buy a new low end $60 virgin canada phone on arrival? Are you that attached to your current fancy phone you cant live without it?

It would pay for itself pretty quickly over the higher rates Rogers/ fido (the same company now) charge for PAYG services, plus unlocking etc etc.

Rogers customer service is abysmal too, another thing in Virgins favour.

PAYGO is probably cheaper than a monthly contract in most cases at first...given that you wont know anyone to call / be called by at first.