garvard

Hi friends,

I am sure that all or almost all of you use mobile/cellular phones in Canada. It will be so useful if you could share your experience of using different wireless (cellular) providers: better service; plans; prepaid or contract; fees (including hidden).
I am not sure what to buy when I will come to New Brunswick.

Thanks in advance.

cornmatthew

There's a wiki article: http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Cell_Phones-Canada

Hidden fees are practically a way of life here.

* A "system access fee" of $3.95-$8.95 per month applies to most monthly accounts and some prepaid services.
* There's also a small ($0.50-$1.00) monthly fee for 911 service.
* Unlike most UK services, Canadian plans typically charge for incoming as well as outgoing calls. An unlimited incoming option is available on some plans.
* Long distance charges apply when you make a long-distance call, and when you receive a call outside of your home area.
* Voice mail and call display are generally included in prepaid service, but not in monthly contracts. Expect to pay an extra $10 a month or so for those services.
* Prepaid vouchers can expire fairly quickly, within 30 days or so. If you won't be using the phone much, look for a service with a long expiry time.
* Monthly contracts often come with a long commitment, up to three years.

On the positive side, callers don't pay any extra to call a mobile number as they would in the UK, and you can get a lot of local minutes for relatively little money on some packages.

Prepaid is the cheaper option for occasional use of about 200 minutes a month or less. Prepaid is also a good option if your usage varies a lot from month to month, as you can roll credit over from month to month. Minutes on a monthly contract don't generally roll over.

Monthly contracts give you a better choice of add-ons such as options for unlimited evenings and weekends, cheaper texting and long distance, and data.

Coverage will be an important consideration when you choose a provider: perhaps somebody where you plan to live can suggest good options.

lof

this has been addressed so many times here... and afaik the search function is working again.

in addition to cornmatthew's information: if you insist on using your uk cell phone in canada you might want to read this thread - it's just the most recent one i remember about the topic.

Mikey B

They are all crap here especially Bell. Rogers is about the best of a bad bunch in my exp!

garvard

I must to live in New Brunswick but due to my business I need to be in Ontario very often.
Please advise me what monthly or prepaid plan to choose and what carrier.
Too many offers, too many plans. Very entangled. I prefer unlimited incoming and unlimited calling within family members.
Anybody has such plan?

Mikey B

Im with Rogers,

I pay about $100 a month and that gives me North American Calling for 600 anytime minutes, 2500 texts (unlimited receive), voicemail, system access, 911 access, discount plan to get cheaper calls to the UK (5c a min instead of about 30), plus 50 texts included to the UK, rest at again a discounted rate (I think 12c ea)

Look at their Business Plans if you prefer Unlimited.

Biiiiink

I pay 58 CAD a month for 2 phones on Rogers (contract) - this includes 2500 mins calls between each phone local, and 1000 long distance mins between each phone. The long distance part was essential for us as Mr B works outside the local call area. Also included is sth like 200 anytime mins shared between the phones, and free local calls eves and weekends, never use it that part of the bundle though, don't know the exact times.

I don't think it's a great deal, but it's the best deal I could find for our needs - which is mainly just calling each other.

If you're interested in Rogers, check what their coverage for NB is like - I have no idea. http://your.rogers.com/Store/Wireless/coverage/info.asp

cornmatthew

Watch out for long distance charges. Canadian networks charge for long distance on incoming as well as outgoing calls; if you receive a call while you're out of your home area, you'll pay long distance.

The Rogers family plan includes long distance between family members on the same account, but you'd still pay to receive calls from other people while you're travelling. You could avoid that with a long distance bundle or a Canada-wide plan. Most unlimited incoming deals only cover the local airtime.

Entangled is, unfortunately, something you'll have to get used to. The plans are designed to be confusing. They think you'll spend more money that way.

garvard

Many thanks to all of you who advised me.

clynnog

My plan with Rogers includes 1000 CDN long distance minutes per month for $5 and then I get a $5 credit on my bill. I have found with cell phones etc, that after a few months of the standard bill you can leverage yourself and get more minutes, better data plans, more texts etc, for little to no extra cost. If you threaten to cancel the service, they offer more or if you bundle it with a TV and internet package run by the same company you can swing discounts.

bodgerx

Anyone splashed out on the iPhone yet?

Biiiiink

I doubt I could afford to use it I did get the software upgrade for the iPod Touch and am having fun with all the apps though... but it's not quite the same, is it?!

drwoodsy

Guilty

neill

Whereas in the UK, probably the US as well, call costs are going down, look forward to a letter every year from your Canadian provider explaining what service fees are going up and why ......."our fees are going up because we're the sole provider of GSM in canada and you're stuffed"....

the sooner this monopoly is broken up the better.

And get rid of CRTC.

Ahhh....that feels better.

JSHalifax

You could check out the Virgin Mobile rates they ahve a website . we now have Virgin Phones sold in Halifax and they are always introducing new and less expensive plans, for example there are no hidden charges for voice mail etc. We have one we use as a " Loaner " when guests come on fact finding missions, You can but a top up card at Walmart or Superstore if you go the pay as you go route.

here is a piece of the press release from Virgin Mobile
“Over 650,000 Atlantic Canadians are locked into long-term contracts, are paying hidden fees or extra charges,” said Richard Branson, Virgin Group Chairman and Virgin Mobile Canada founder. “Customers are losing out and they’re paying more than they need to for their mobile phone services. Virgin Mobile will continue the success it’s already experiencing across Canada into the Atlantic provinces by bringing some much-needed simplicity to the market,” added Branson.

“The percentage of Atlantic Canadians with mobile phones is the lowest in the country at just over 30 per cent, and there’s the least amount of competition in the east coast compared to the rest of Canada, which makes this a perfect market for Virgin Mobile,” said Andrew Black, President and CEO of Virgin Mobile Canada.

Theres a Virgin Mobile booth in the Halifax Shopping Centre, I found the coverage really good throughout Nova Scotia.

JS