jg2802

Any advice on which sim card/network provider to use?

I want one that I can...
A)if possible work in America because I will be there for two months.
B)is best mainly for data use. Mainly because of whatsapp to keep in touch with the brits.
C)unlimited texts would be good. Calls not so important. Maybe 200 mins at least

Do sim cards in America work the same in Canada or should I get a sim card for the US and then a Canadian one when I get there?

I've seen ones for like 50 dollars a month kind of pay as you go but I'm still gonna be paying my 40 a month contract in the UK for a year when I move so is rather not pay so much.
I think here you can get pay as you go with free texts and data for a 10 pound a month top up

DanielM

If you plan on using a uk phone make sure you find out what frequencies it can work on. Different phone companies use different frequencies on their networks, so your uk phone may only work on certain networks.

PAYG sim cards aren't as common here and the plans are really crap compared to the UK.
Credit will expire after 30 days unless you add more credit, and expect to pay to recieve calls, voicemail etc. If they can charge you for it they do.
You can compare plans here http://www.cellphones.ca/cell-plans/

britsnake

You will probably need a separate SIM for the US otherwise you will be caught by international roaming charges.

I have found the US plans much better than the canadian plans.

Credit does not have to expire after 30 days. If you pay more it may last60 or 90 days (depending on netwok) With some of the networks if you buy a $100 credit it will last a year before expiring.

If I were you, I would get a separate US and Canadian SIM.

Data plans in canada are more expensive than those in the UK and Unlimited plans are pretty much non existent (With the exception of some social networking plans) Many offer unlimited text.

Generally for Sim Card networks you are looking at Rogers or their low cost brand (Fido)

There are also many phones that do not use Sim cards.

Oink

You should try 7-11 Speak Out PAYG. Their credit lasts a year whether you top it up or not and they have very reasonable data plans.

jg2802

Are there phone shops dotted around everywhere in America like the uk? But ones like carphonewarehouse and phones4u where they sell all networks? That might make it easier.

britsnake

In my part of North America (When you say America people think you are talking about the USA) there are some shops that sell SIM phones for more than one network, but not to the same extent as you would find in the UK.

In many shopping Malls you will see small stalls often very close to each other each selling for a specific network. In the larger Malls, you can usually find most of the available networks represented.

Many supermarkets and different stores will have a section which sells phones for many different networks.

I am sure that in America you will find the type of store you are looking for, but they are not that common in my part of Canada.

Oink

They are convenience shops that are located in almost every town in NA.