Mobile phones in Canada
 

Hi all

I have a Motorola v500 (it's quad band) which I am going to get unlocked to take to Canada.

Has anyone had problems when trying to use an ex-UK phone in Canada or did you just stick the SIM in and start using it straightaway? I don't really want to use the phone I'll get when I sign up to a contract there, as I haven't seen any I like!

Suze

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

I think that it is ok just to change the sim but I am not 100% sure. There have been other threads on this so try doing a search. I have a v525 which is moreorless the same phone that I bought over here on a PAYGO package it seems ok. I had the v500 in the UK but didn't get it unlocked before I left. Sorry not been much help to you really. :rolleyes:

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

We just bought our canadian SIM card yesterday and put it into our unlocked UK phone - no problems. It does depend on who you take your contract out with however as some suppliers don't appear to use SIM card technology. Specifically, Telus couldn't provide us with a SIM.

We went with the pay as you go / prepaid option as we're currently jobless and credit-less and didn't fancy our chances taking out a contract. It was difficult to compare packages as we couldn't find a 'carphone warehouse' type of one-stop-shop. We eventually found a website that would allow some comparisons though: http://www.cellphones.ca/service-plans/

Good luck,
Jen

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Nope. Went into a dealer in Toronto (Eaton Center) and asked for an activation kit with Fido, all went smoothly.

The thing to ask yourself, though, is do you want to go with a pay-monthly deal instead: there are benefits, even when you bring your own phone (not paying for incoming calls, for example, and Fido:Fido being free, that kind of thing).

It's also worth looking at going with Solo: has push-to-talk service and a new phone is just $69, with Solo:Solo being free calls on the pay monthly (or $1 for each day that make a call on the pre-pay service).

But all these deals are complex, with horrible gotchas (like paying a monthly fee for caller ID on incoming calls!). You should take a bunch of leaflets, buy a really big coffee from Second Cup and sit down and read it all through. Be prepared for horrible shocks.

K.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Hi Jen

Thanks for reminding me of the SIN thing - my uncle mentioned something about this when I was there last month! Completely slipped my mind.

I'm thinking a contract will probably be more cost effective as PAYG seems to be like it was here 10 years ago (have to top up every month etc). I'll have a look at the link you gave me.

Hope you're enjoying Ottawa - I love it there...

Suze

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Pleasure. There are PAYG plans that will roll-over your minutes as long as you top up before they expire. It is all really complicated as K. says. Mobile phone plans generally seem to be lagging behind compared to the UK...but wait until you look at banking fees!! :)

A contract may be cost effective, but I'm not sure how easy it is to do without a credit-history or job. In the UK when I first arrived 10 years ago it took me several years to get approval for a mobile phone....rebuilding credit sucks but I'm trying to look at it as an opportunity (not that I had bad credit in the UK - just trying to be positive). :)

We've been in Ottawa a week and are really enjoying it. We went today for a walk along the riverside and down to a beach (trans-canada trail). Absolutely beautiful and we even saw a beaver.

Hope it all goes well for you,
Jen

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Sounds good so far...

Ah, sorry, that's what I actually wanted to do! I was thinking about getting a contract and just taking the SIM out of the crappy handset and putting it in my handset.

Yes, pay monthly definitely seems more attractive to me than PAYG. What is push-to-talk?

Thanks for the warning. I think I know what you mean, though - when I did my landing trip I was sat in TD Canada Trust almost in tears at the banking products on offer. I think I need to be prepared to pay at least $50 a month for a phone - I currently pay next to nothing as I have PAYG and top it up maybe twice a year. Not grumbling though - I chose to emigrate and at least I have some idea of the costs involved :scared:

Suze

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

I bought a v600 in the UK before I came here but was so disgusted with the pricing I didn't bother activating it. It's been sitting unused at the back of a drawer for the past year and a half :( Here in BC Rogers and Fido operate on a GMS network which use SIM cards. Telus and Virgin use a non-SIM CDMA network. I've heard that the Virgin pay as you go is quite a good deal even if you have to buy one of their phones but the reception might be dodgy. I don't know about cell phones in eastern Canada though.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Virgin use the Bell network. Telus and Bell co-share network across Canada, so overall, coverage is very good. Telus do use SIMs but only on their iDEN network which is more for business users. The iDEN SIM phones and Blackberries are not compatible with GSM SIMs. Telus do offer Worldphones which work in North America and Europe if you want just one phone.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

An activation kit is $25, if I recall correctly. Pay monthly has an "activation charge" too (there are charges EVERYWHERE in cellphone land in Canada).

Just a point: the dealer claimed that pay monthly didn't need a contract. I think it just got charged to a credit card, so there was no minimum sign-up (warning: in Canada, minimum sign-ups are typically 18 months, often 36 months!).

Push-to-talk is like a walkie-talkie: you push a button and talk, and it comes out of the other end without ringing, just the voice. Great for wandering through supermarkets and saying "where the Hell are you?" without ringing phones, pay-per-minute (note: per-second billing is not common in Canada, yet another crappy-American-screw-the-customer manifestation; Canada is just way too close to the Excited States for its own good). Push-to-talk works Canada-wide and can include groups. Great for nearly-hands-free operation too.

Yep. It's all the fault of the Americans: they get away with ripping off customers in a way that would make a big UK corporation salivate. Canadian corporations (the few not owned by the Excited States) just copy them.

K.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

I have a cell phone which I rarely use. It costs me something, I suppose. My wife has one too, which she never ever uses. I happen to know that one costs $49.50 a month. I think I'm getting old.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Are you sure it wasnt a musk rat?

Anyway...
Phones. If you dont do much calling and just want one for emergencies and shopping lists on the way home (thats what mines for) Then virgin is the best canadian deal. PAYG, you can get a functional not too big Nokia for 60 or 70 bucks, then $100 will last you a year, with calls costing 25 -30 c / min, and roll over on the balance if you top up before it expires.

Top ups can be automated by credit card when your balance is down to a certain level, so credit is carried over that way. As preciusly stated it uses the Bell network, but miraculously is far cheaper to run as PAYG goes. It includes voicemail, text messaging etc etc. No downside that Ive found yet, the phone even has quite stellar reception, which counts for a lot where I live!

If you talk a lot, then a contract is a better bet. Outside the bigger cities you might want to talk to people with experience of which provider has the best rural coverage and reception. Round here its Bell. Fido was a non starter, but recently I think it joined with Rogers in some way, so is probably better now.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

:eek: Yeah the Virgin mobile network seems to be as good as any. One thing i think is a major rip off is when you set up the phone you have to choose an area to get the phone number with the area code. The trouble is if you work outside the area code you are charged long distnace calling which sucks. Also the reciever of the call also gets stung to recieve the call.

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

I suppose they have those extra costs because the country is so vast and will need 100x more masts than in the tiny UK, they have to cover costs some how

Re: Mobile phones in Canada
 

Really? I've been looking at T-Mobile plans across the border for data and they seem far better value, even considering you'd be roaming. I haven't gone for it yet though because I read if you roam more than 66% of the time, they cut you off for being Canadian. Haven't established that bit as fact or fiction yet though ;)