Mobile phone operators in Canada

[weddingtonite]

Cell phones
Canadian mobile phone operators
There are two different systems for mobile phones in Canada; CDMA and GSM, and they operate in the 800, 850 and 1900 MHz frequency range. That said, if you bring your foreign phone into Canada, it might not work in the Canadian Network.

The wireless/cell phone provider available in your area may depend on who has a license in the province where you live.

The following is a list of the largest mobile carriers in Canada:

Bell Mobility : Ontario & Quebec (CDMA)

Rogers / Fido-Microcell : Ontario & Quebec (GSM)

Telus Mobility : Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec (CDMA)

Virgin Mobile : Ontario (CDMA-PCS)

Sprint Canada : Ontario, Quebec (GSM or CDMA depending on the region)

Aliant : Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador (CDMA)

SaskTel : Saskatchewan (CDMA)

Mobile phones from abroad
If you come from Europe and want to keep your phone in Canada, you may need to go with the only GSM operators in the country, but still need to verify the following:

•The frequency of your phone

•Whether or not your phone is unlocked to receive a new SIM card.

If your phone is of a different frequency, chances are it will not be of much use in Canada. Unlike in Europe, it is quite hard to find places to unlock phones to enable them working with another operator, so consider getting this done in your home country. If you are lucky and your European phone is unlocked and can read the Canadian frequencies, you can buy a SIM card from Rogers, Fido and Sprint Canada for about CAD $20 and you will be set to go. Note that SIM cards usually come empty and you will have to refill them with a prepaid card or get a monthly service that will enable you to use it.

Prices on new phones differ greatly depending on the retailer and the mobile operator. Prices are usually the same whether or not you buy it through each operator’s outlet or at a retail store.


http://www.justlanded.com/english/Canada/Canada-Guide/Telephone-Internet/Cell-phones

 

[SATDXB]

Thanks for the info..


Cheers..

 

[Baloo]

Also note that mobile telephone plans, both voice and data are amongst the highest in the world.
There is very little competition, be prepared to see three year contracts (and buy out costs), they even charge for incoming calls and system access fees !
Stuff that Europe got rid of years ago.

 

[accounts]

dont go with biggies like bell, telus, rogers or fido...

i switched over from telus (whooping bill of 92 CAD) to chat-r

its a limited mobility within city..incoming outgoing free (province wide unlimited talk) for 25 dollars, 50 text messages.

incoming outgoing with canada wide calling is for 35 dollars with unlimited texts to us & canada

 

[Leon]

Also note that mobile telephone plans, both voice and data are amongst the highest in the world.
There is very little competition, be prepared to see three year contracts (and buy out costs), they even charge for incoming calls and system access fees !
Stuff that Europe got rid of years ago.

It is not so much that Europe got rid of it. Is it more that they see it differently. In Canada and the US, they see it as the responsibility of the cell phone owner to pay for all of the costs, both for his incoming and outgoing. In Europe, they see it as the responsibility of whoever calls to pay for whatever call you make so it is up to you to know from the phone number you call if that is a mobile phone or not. A good thing about the US&Canadian system is that you don't have to know if the phone number you call is a cell phone. As long as it is your area code, it is a local call. The good thing about the European system is that you can use up all your minutes and people can still call you on your cell.

 

[Baloo]

It is not so much that Europe got rid of it. Is it more that they see it differently. In Canada and the US, they see it as the responsibility of the cell phone owner to pay for all of the costs, both for his incoming and outgoing. In Europe, they see it as the responsibility of whoever calls to pay for whatever call you make so it is up to you to know from the phone number you call if that is a mobile phone or not. A good thing about the US&Canadian system is that you don't have to know if the phone number you call is a cell phone. As long as it is your area code, it is a local call. The good thing about the European system is that you can use up all your minutes and people can still call you on your cell.

FWIW when I had one of the early motorola "brick" phones

I used to pay by the whole minute and I am sure I paid for incoming calls.

I had one of these as well
http://www.retrobrick.com/moto8000.html

That's history

 

[Leon]

Wow, I am quite envious. I did not have a cell until '99 and then they were already small although they could not do much except call and they did not have colour screens. I did not tell my boss that I had one so they would not be able to call me on my off time

 

[weddingtonite]

FWIW when I had one of the early motorola "brick" phones

I used to pay by the whole minute and I am sure I paid for incoming calls.

I had one of these as well
http://www.retrobrick.com/moto8000.html

That's history

this is nice... , its a good antique....

 

[Baloo]

This is something that may worry the folk at a Rogers / Bell / Telus store.

Wander in, and make a call on this:

Hide the cable up your sleeve

http://www.mockia.com/brickia.html

 

[weddingtonite]

This is something that may worry the folk at a Rogers / Bell / Telus store.

Wander in, and make a call on this:

http://www.mockia.com/brickia.html

i have heard old big sets are not traceable by police because they use radio waves to accept and receive signal. is that true????///

 

[Baloo]

i have heard old big sets are not traceable by police because they use radio waves to accept and receive signal. is that true????///

LOL - they are so "Analogue" - a massive 30 minutes talk time on the original phone.

 

[weddingtonite]

LOL - they are so "Analogue" - a massive 30 minutes talk time on the original phone.

you answer my question, are they traceable, i think not???

 

[Baloo]

you answer my question, are they traceable, i think not???

There is no network for them to operate on - they are not digital.

So - they are not traceable - because they can't make calls.

 

[Baloo]

i have heard old big sets are not traceable by police because they use radio waves to accept and receive signal. is that true????///

All mobile phones use a form of radio waves.

 

[weddingtonite]

There is no network for them to operate on - they are not digital.

So - they are not traceable - because they can't make calls.

baloo as far as i know calls can be made from them, i think you are talking about very very old ones but i am talking about which are old but not very very old. i know some from voda fone network i saw on ebay which can make and receive calls with big antena but are not traceable.